Oct 8-13 2009 - World’s largest gathering of travel journalists and photographers to take place in Guadalajara, Mexico

The largest gathering of professional travel writers and photographers in 2009 will take place in Guadalajara, Mexico on October 8-13 when the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) holds their annual convention here. An estimated 400 travel journalists, editors, bloggers, photographers, and public relations representatives from the United States and Canada are expected to attend. Meetings will be held in the Presidente Intercontinental and Camino Real Guadalajara Expo.

“It’s no secret that Mexico’s tourism industry has faced some challenges in recent months,” said SATW president Bea Broda. “We are very proud to bring some of the best travel writers and photographers in North America to Guadalajara, so that they can experience this beautiful and cultural city and create stories and photos to remind world travelers that Mexico is a wonderful and exciting destination,” she said.

SATW delegates will have a chance to explore the “City of Roses” and the surrounding area of Jalisco Province, with pre and post trips venturing to the coastal resorts of Puerto Vallarta and Manzanillo, to the world heritage mining towns of San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, to the bohemian lakeside village of Ajijic on the beautiful shores of Lake Chapala, to colonial Mexican resorts such as Hacienda El Carmen, and to the museum city of Zacatecas.

In Guadalajara, SATW delegates will learn about the city that has given the world tequila, mariachis, and charros – the traditional cowboys of Mexico. There are architectural walking tours, culinary tours, mural tours, and adventure tours in the nearby mountains. The travel media members will ride traditional “calandria” (horse drawn carriages) through the colorful plazas of Guadalajara’s 16th century historic district and visit art galleries, markets, and artisan workshops. And of course, no visit to Guadalajara would be complete without visiting the blue agave fields that provide the source of tequila.

Professional development sessions at the convention will cover everything from social media to pitching travel book ideas, from tips on selling travel writing to suggestions on how to pitch stories, from creating travel web sites to digital darkroom photography.

The Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) is a non-profit, professional association that works to promote responsible travel journalism and to provide professional support for its members, including travel journalists, photographers, editors, electronic media, film lecturers, television and film producers, and public relations representatives from the travel industry. It is the largest association of professional travel writers and photographers in the world.

For more information on the Society of American Travel Writers, visit www.satw.org.