Our annual symposium, this year themed, Ecotourism: Tread Softly, Write with Impact, is less than three weeks away. If you haven't registered yet, please register for the symposium!

Although nearly everything is in place, some things are still fluctuating. Here’s an update:

#BCATW2015 Twitter contest

Get your Twitter on for our #BCATW2015 Twitter contest!

The travel writer/ blogger who tweets the most, using our hashtag, wins a prize at the April 18th symposium.

All original tweets between April 2-18 with the hashtag #BCATW2015 will be counted and the winner will be announced before the end of the symposium. Retweets will not be counted.

This is your chance to be social media creative. Please make liberal use of #BCATW2015, @bctravelwriters, and the link, http://bcatw.org/bcatw2015.

Tip: to encourage retweets, leave 15-20 characters available to make room for your Twitter handle.

Twitter contest starts on April 2. Go!

Editors choice of pitches

Have you sent story queries to travel editors only to get a deafening response of silence? Would you like to know what you’re doing wrong?

If you would like to have one of your story pitches critiqued on screen at BCATW’s upcoming symposium, here’s how you go about it:

1. Choose only ONE story pitch
2. Send the pitch IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL (no attachments) to [address removed]
3. Use as subject line: BCATW 2015 Sample Pitch
4. Send it by April 15

VP Baila Lazarus will choose several queries to present to our editorial panel at the symposium for their feedback.

Ecotourism photo contest

Our photo contest, Visions of Ecotourism is continuing apace. To enter, you must be registered for the symposium. Only two photos on the theme of Ecotourism are allowed per person.

Finalists will be selected based on how many people “Like” the uploaded photos, and then 3 winners will chosen by Contest Judge David Smith.

1st Prize is a one night stay at Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Resort & Spa.
2nd and 3rd Prizes are Deep Cove Canoe & Kayak rentals for two.

To view the current entries go to the symposium Facebook page and click on Upload Photos. Please bookmark the page so you can go back to vote for more entries.

The photo contest ends at midnight on April 17, 2015.

Images will be projected during the symposium and contest winners will be announced at 4pm.

Welcome Travel Bloggers

The BC Association of Travel Writers has announced a new set of membership guidelines extending full and associate membership to travel bloggers.

The new guidelines come in time for travel bloggers to join in time for the BCATW 2015 Symposium on April 18 in Vancouver. Members enjoy a reduced $45 rate. Non-members are welcome to the symposium for $70.

To read the new guidelines and apply for membership, bloggers should visit our Become a Member page.

Don't forget, register for the symposium!

Thanks and see you at the symposium!