Prospective members must satisfy the criteria of one of the below member categories to join the ASTW, and must complete the relevant application form. Final decisions about membership are made by the ASTW board.
There is a one-off fee of $175 to join the ASTW. An annual membership fee of $225 is payable by 30 June each year. For new members, fees are automatically pro-rated - join by 31 March 2026 and pay $112.50 in membership fees until 30 June 2026 (plus applicable joining fee).
Once your application is received, it will be reviewed by the ASTW board at its next monthly meeting.
If your application is successful, you will receive a welcome email, an ASTW information pack, and access to the members-only area of the ASTW website, member benefits and ASTW private Facebook page. While stocks last, you will also receive a complimentary copy of the ASTW's new anthology book, Wild & Inspired.
If your application is not successful, your joining fee and pre-paid membership will be refunded, less an administration fee of $50.
Members must substantiate each year to prove that they are working at the level required, as below, to retain their membership.
We realise that many people work across many areas of the travel media, but ask prospective applicants to apply for the category that they feel best represents the majority of their work.
We also realise the modern travel media industry is nuanced, so if you do not fit the criteria of one of these categories, but believe you are a worthy candidate to join the ASTW, please email president@astw.org.au, providing details of your business or work model and any other information that may be relevant to help the board understand your work and role in the travel media industry. Note, the ASTW board has full discretion over membership approvals and applicants must be deemed to be operating at a professional level in the travel media to be admitted to the ASTW.
WRITER
Writer members are travel writers operating at a professional level. To join as a writer member, you must have had at least 8000 paid words, or at least 12 paid articles of at least 500 words each, published in a reputable publication/s in the previous 12 months. Up to four paid photographs or videos deemed to be of satisfactory quality by the ASTW board, taken or produced by the author to accompany a travel story being submitted as part of this application, may contribute towards your word count, with photographs and videos counting as 250 words each.
As part of your application, you will need to provide a completed writer work declaration, which can be downloaded here.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
Public relations (PR) members act on behalf of an airline, tour operator, national tourist office, accommodation provider or other recognised travel organisation. PR members can work in-house for a travel/tourism company or for a private agency that represents travel/tourism clients.
Freelance PR members representing one or more travel clients must provide:
DIGITAL PUBLISHER
Digital publisher members are the creators and publishers of high-quality online content, via their own platform or blog.
Digital publishers must show a minimum of 15 travel-related posts that add up to a minimum of 10,000 words over the past 12 months. Work must be of satisfactory quality, as determined by the ASTW board. The work used to apply must also be the applicant’s own; a digital publisher who hires writers on their site and/or works with a partner cannot use other writers' work to make up the minimum post or word count.
Digital publishers must also ensure that the 15 posts, as outlined above, were published for the first time during the past 12 months. Stories published before this, which were updated during the previous year, are not permitted.
Applicants must also provide Google Analytics data for the past 12 months, showing at least 15,000 page views per month.
In the event that the applicant runs multiple sites or blogs, the above criteria must be met for at least one of these sites or blogs.
As part of your application, you will need to provide a completed digital publisher work declaration, which can be downloaded here.
PHOTOGRAPHER/VIDEOGRAPHER
Travel photographers must show a minimum of 50 paid images, shot on a minimum of four projects, or, if shooting video, a minimum of 12 paid professionally shot and edited (to the satisfaction of the ASTW board) travel videos in the previous 12 months. These images/videos can be paid for by publishers or by any tourism body, council, government or tourism entity, such as a tour company, hotel group, cruise line etc. to promote tourism. These images/videos may have been used in press kits, on the tourism body’s website, for public relations or marketing purposes, or in advertising campaigns. A combination of photos and videos will also be accepted.
Photographers and videographers must also provide the name and email address of two referees who have hosted or commissioned them (e.g. PR, marketing manager).
As part of your application, you will need to provide a completed photographer/videographer work declaration, which can be downloaded here.
Join as a photographer/videographer
DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER
Digital content producer members create and distribute digital travel content at a professional level. They may do this via social media platforms, including, but not limited to, Instagram, YouTube and/or TikTok, a podcast, a television show, a streaming platform or a radio program. They will likely have a powerful social network and strong industry credibility.
Members can join under one of the following digital content producer sub-categories:
Social media content creator: The applicant must have at least 30,000 genuine (i.e. not purchased or bot) followers or subscribers on at least one major social media platform (e.g. Instagram, YouTube or TikTok). They must show evidence of at least 125 travel-related posts, reels or stories, or 12 travel-related YouTube videos, over the past 12 months, with an engagement rate of at least 1 per cent, as shown by a reputable social media management platform/analytics tool report. The applicant must also provide the name and email address of two referees who have hosted or commissioned them to produce travel content (e.g. PR, marketing manager).
Podcaster: The applicant must produce and host a travel-related podcast of considerable repute, publishing an average of at least two episodes per month over the past 12 months, with at least 100 downloads per episode, shown by download statistics from a reputable podcast hosting service. The podcast must be produced with high production values, including quality audio and editing, as deemed satisfactory to the ASTW board.
Broadcaster: The applicant must be a producer and/or regular host of a travel-related television show or segment, streaming program or radio show or segment. The show or program must be of considerable repute and produced to high production standards. Proof of position will be required.
As part of your application, you will need to provide a completed digital content producer work declaration, which can be downloaded here.
Join as a digital content producer
EDITOR/PUBLISHER
Editors are the designated editor or travel editor of a reputable travel publication or section (print and/or online), who commission travel content, or oversee staff who do.
Publishers own a travel publication of considerable repute (print and/or online) and oversee the direction of the publication.
To join as an editor or publisher, you will need to provide proof of your position, for instance via an email signature, LinkedIn profile and/or masthead.
ASTW ALUM
ASTW alumni are those who were active ASTW members for at least 15 continuous years but who may no longer have enough work to substantiate, yet wish to retain their contacts and contribute to the society.
If they satisfy the above criteria, their membership is at the discretion and invitation of the board. Note, those who are still actively working in the industry, or return to the industry after a break, are not eligible to become alumni, even if they have been a member for 15 years or more.
While alumni have similar benefits to other members in that they have access to newsletters, the ASTW private Facebook page and other society information, and are able to attend the ASTW convention and other events, they will be placed on a wait list if the event they wish to attend is heavily booked by full fee-paying members.
LIFE MEMBER
The life member category is awarded to those who have gone above and beyond in their service to the ASTW. This prestigious honour is at the discretion of the board only.
If you have any questions or problems with the application process, please contact secretariat@astw.org.au
