Is IFWTWA Membership Right for you?
Membership Requirements
- Writers: Who Qualifies?
- Associates: DMO/Hosts/Industry
- Students: Who Qualifies?
Ready to apply? Please review our dues and fees, then use the green button links to apply.
The IFWTWA offers three types of membership: Regular, Student, and Associate (Host). Learn about the benefits of joining IFWTWA — select your membership category below:
REGULAR member: Writers, editors, broadcasters, bloggers or photographers, photojournalists, podcasters or radio or television hosts, filmmakers and videographers. Top Ten Reasons to Join IFWTWA
ASSOCIATE member: Industry hosts running hotels, public relations firms, theme attractions, convention and visitors bureaus, destination management organizations, tourist boards or similar entities. DMOs – Hosts – Tourism – Public Relations: Partner With Us to Promote Your Venues & Region
STUDENT member: University-level and pursuing studies in travel and hospitality industry or related fields. Students – Jump Start Your Writing Career
Following are the minimum requirements for membership in the IFWTWA. All applications are vetted by our Membership Chair, then reviewed and approved by the IFWTWA Board of Directors. Find out more about the application process here.
WRITERS. Who qualifies?
The REGULAR class of membership is for individuals working as members of the press actively publishing in the industry as writers, editors, broadcasters, bloggers or photographers, photojournalists, podcasters or radio or television hosts, filmmakers or videographers. Applicants must work publicly in the photography, publishing, editing, blogging, podcasting, television, or radio media for two (2) years prior to application. Review expanded qualification descriptions below. Note: Public relations professionals do NOT qualify for this class of membership. Professionals in this field qualify for our Associate membership class.
Writers & Editors:
- Those who are a designated editor or broadcaster for a publication, website, blog, television or radio program; or
- Those who write, publish, broadcast, blog or photograph professionally in a staff or freelance capacity to an extent that satisfies the IFWTWA Board of Directors.
Minimum requirements for evidence to be submitted at the time of application:
Four (4) links per year to articles of 500 words or more for the immediate two-years prior to their application. Content must be industry-centric. PDFs of printed articles may substituted if links are unavailable.
Photographers, filmmakers, and broadcasters:
Minimum requirements for evidence to be submitted at the time of application: Four (4) links (in any combination of medium) per year for each of the past two years that verify paid work through the sale of photographs and/or staff/freelance on film and/or broadcast projects. Content must be industry-centric.
Book authors:
Minimum requirements for evidence to be submitted at the time of application: Submit the title of a book, link, and ISBN number
- The most recent book published must be industry-centric.
- A second book written within two (2) years prior to application may be on other topics.
- One book submission fulfills the requirement for one year of clips as defined under “Writers/editors.”
Bloggers:
Minimum requirements for evidence to be submitted at the time of application:
- A blog must exist online for at least two years displaying a minimum of two posts per month of at least 500 words per post authored by the applicant and; the applicant must include eight links to blog posts authored or
- The blog is one year old and the applicant includes an additional Four (4) links to a combination of published articles (not guest blog posts), visual media, broadcast or books provided to fulfill the basic two year requirement. A minimum of one posting per month over the previous 12 months should be on food, wine and/or travel topics. Maintain a consistent schedule of postings authored by the applicant at least twice per month. Bloggers are subject to the same writing standards as regular members as established by the IFWTWA’s Food Wine Travel Magazine.ns requirement for IFWTWA regular membership.
Continuous Publishing Requirement for all Writers:
Members must continue writing, photographing, publishing, broadcasting or editing a minimum of four (4) times annually to maintain active membership. All members must provide proof upon demand of an Association compliance officer.
Associates
The IFWTWA welcomes members who are industry professionals running hotels, public relations firms, theme attractions, convention and visitors bureaus, destination management organizations, tourist boards or similar entities. We look forward to partnering with you to promote your services.
The ‘Member’ in this category is the entity of the IFWTWA approved business, not the individual representative. Associate representatives will maintain their member profile and have the privileges afforded Associate membership.
Students
Student members are in degree and certification programs with a focus of the study in journalism, hotel and hospitality, communications, culinary sciences and/or enology, writing, or broadcast media in an institution of higher learning accredited by the country of its address.
Applicants must submit evidence of their student status with their application. You will need to upload an image of a photo identification card in .jpg format with your application. A current student photo ID card will suffice.
Also, include a letter or other evidence from your institution of higher learning certifying 1) your course of study, and 2) dates of current enrollment.
Dues and Fees
All applicants must pay in full at the time of application by credit card. We do not accept checks for membership applications. Read more about the application process here.
- Regular: $170 USD annually
First Year $220 ($170 + $50 initiation fee)
- Associate: $255 USD annually
First Year $305 ($255 + $50 initiation fee)
- Student: $105 USD annually
First Year $155 ($105 + $50 initiation fee)
A full refund will be made in the event the Board of Directors denies an applicant membership. No refunds are available after approval.
The Board of Directors reserves the right to consider applicants that in their judgment deserve special consideration due to unique or special circumstances and may confer approval of membership on a case-by-case basis.
We sincerely appreciate you considering a membership in the IFWTWA. We invite you to visit our website pages, meet our members through their published work, plus connect with Our Members through their websites.
Because we are a not-for-profit corporation, all our member benefits result from the hard work and dedication of our Volunteers. We’d love to have you join us, network with our professionals, grow your career, and help us develop more benefits that further the ever evolving food, wine, hospitality, and travel writer professional roles and responsibilities. Our work is critical, especially now in this changing economy.
Here’s what our members say about their membership in the IFWTWA: