TTG special projects editor Madeleine Barber triumphed at Lata Media Awards on Tuesday night (20 June), taking home the association’s award for Best Latin America trade press feature.
Barber’s piece, Prime Amazon, was among several features honoured at the awards, which spanned the trade press, consumer newspaper and magazine titles, blogs, vlogs and podcasts, and photography.
In Prime Amazon, Barber journeyed across Peru with Intrepid Travel from the depths of the Amazon jungle to the heights of Machu Picchu to learn about the ins and outs of responsible small group adventure touring.
She was accompanied by eight travel agents as part of the TTG Sustainable Travel Heroes trip, which saw Barber face up to some of her worst fears, experience traditional Quechuan hospitality, and help her agent touring partners get the most out of their adventure.
The awards took place during the 10th edition of Lata Expo, and was held at Evolution London in Battersea Park. Judges included Lata chair Colin Stewart, Journey Latin America director Sarah Bradley, and Lonely Planet vice-president Tom Hall.
“It was a privilege to be on the judging panel to discover first hand some of the exceptional content that has been published in the UK media over the past 12 months," said Stewart.
"The calibre of entries was of such a high standard that finding our winners was a difficult – but enjoyable – challenge. It’s so encouraging to read such positive stories and I am grateful to all the editors and publications for commissioning the features."
Barber added: "This trip to Peru was like nothing I’d ever experienced before and it’s unlikely I’ll ever have a similar experience again, so I really wanted to do the journey justice.
"It took us from the depths of the Amazon jungle to the peaks of the Andes, all the while supporting indigenous communities and respecting the environment – it opened my eyes to what truly responsible tourism looks like and I wanted others to see this too."
You can read Barber’s Prime Amazon feature here.
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