Orlando, Fla. (June 10, 2015) — Four travel journalists recently captured top honors in the 2015 IPW Travel Writer Awards competition. The winners were announced on June 1 during a media reception at the IPW trade show in Orlando, Florida. The U.S. Travel Association, which coordinates the awards, received nearly 200 contest entries from journalists representing more than 40 countries. The honors were awarded as follows:

Best IPW Host City (Chicago) Article — Brazilian travel writer Rogério Almeida captured top honors in this category, which judges articles highlighting the previous year’s IPW host city. His story, “Chicago: Uma Cidade Para Todos” (Chicago: A City for Everyone), appeared in the June 2014 issue of Fácil, a glossy Brazilian lifestyle magazine. Almeida’s article focused on Chicago’s culture, diverse population, festivals and architecture.

Best U.S. Travel Destination Article — Due to the high number of outstanding entries received, the judges selected two winners in this category. Stockholm-based freelance journalist and photographer Jonas Henningsson won for his story “Heta Harlem” (Hot Harlem), which was published in April 2014 in Vagabond Magazine, one of Sweden’s largest-circulating consumer travel publications. Harlem’s history, restaurants and jazz music scene were highlighted in the story.

Also winning in this category is April Orcutt, a freelance journalist who specializes in writing about soft adventure, environmental awareness, road trips and travel for women. Her story, “California’s Milky Way,” appeared in The Dallas Morning News in March 2014. It described the delights of exploring the Sonoma Marin Cheese Trail, visiting the tasting rooms of boutique cheese makers, and touring creameries that offer public tours.

Best Trade Publication Article — Katherine Lawrey, features editor for TTG (Travel Trade Gazette), a travel trade publication in the United Kingdom, was recognized in this category. Her article, “Sound of the Streets,” focused on how the French Quarter Festival, a four-day celebration of New Orleans’ music and food, exemplifies the city’s “post-Katrina spirit of survival.” In addition to describing the festival, Lawrey invited readers along as she biked through the St. Louis Cemetery to “view the city’s famous above ground tombs” and floated on a tour boat through feral swamps, on the lookout for alligators and other wildlife.

During their evaluation of the entries, the judges looked for articles that featured original ideas and exceptional storytelling skills, as well as prose that would inspire readers to travel to the United States.

The IPW Travel Writer Awards competition is held annually. Each of the winning writers receives $1,000 and an award certificate. This year’s competition was sponsored by CityPASS®, the company that offers discounted admission booklets for the top attractions in 12 North American destinations.

About U.S. Travel: The U.S. Travel Association is a national, nonprofit organization representing all components of the travel industry, which generates $2.1 trillion in economic output and supports 15 million jobs. U.S. Travel’s mission is to promote and facilitate increased travel to and within the United States. For more information, visit www.ustravel.org.

About CityPASS: For more than 17 years, CityPASS ticket booklets have been the premier product for travelers who want to visit a destination’s top attractions while enjoying significant savings of up to 50%. CityPASS ticket booklets, which have a 95% customer recommendation rating, contain prepaid admission to the most popular attractions in 12 North American destinations: New York City, Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle, Southern California, Tampa Bay and Toronto. For more information, visit CityPASS.com.

CityPASS® and City Pass® are registered trademarks of City Pass, Inc., and the exclusive property of City Pass, Inc.