Bangkok--16 Aug--ScottAsia Communications
The inaugural Southeast Asia Travel Photography and Writing Awards run by the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) have concluded with the announcement of the Grand Prize winners.
In the People's Choice category for photography, Ms Tan Poh Wan from Butterworth, Malaysia, won the grand prize for her image Feeding Time, which shows a humming bird hovering in front of its nest feeding its young at Kuala Kurau in Perak state. The image received 3,216 votes on www.southeastasia.org.
The Editor's Choice grand prize for photography was won by The White Sand Dunes by Chookia. The long lens image shows a Vietnamese peasant vendor in a bamboo conical hat walking along the ridge of a sand dune at Bao Trang at Mui Ne, north of Phan Thiet.
For the grand prize in travel writing the People's Choice went to Ms Chan Myae Khine for her story, Virtual Tour to Bagan, the Grand Capital, which descrbes the history of the ancient capital and what visitors can do there today. She concludes, "It becomes dusk and the dark covers the area of Bagan. But it cannot cover the glory of Bagan in your inner soul." The story received 1,433 votes.
The Editor's Choice for the grand prize in travel writing goes to Janet Cochrane for her story, A Million Smiles in Laos. The feature recounts a journey of charm and discovery through rural Laos.
The Editor's Choice grand prize winners receive US$1,750 each. The People's Choice winners each receive US$1,250.
ASEANTA Chairman, Mr Felix Cruz, said: "We thank all the writers and photographers who captured the magic of Southeast Asia in our inaugural awards. I believe their craftsmanship will motivate travellers to visit Southeast Asia and create their own unique memories of the world's most exotic region."
Find out more about Southeast Asia: feel the warmth on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/wwwSoutheastAsiaorg/112977028713664
Follow the campaign on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/WarmthofSEAsia @WarmthofSEAsia
Notes for Editors:
A high resolution image of "Feeding Time" can be downloaded here: http://www.southeastasia.org/images/contestphotos/_DSC2021.jpg
A high resolution image of "The White Sand Dunes" can be downloaded here: http://www.southeastasia.org/images/contestphotos/_DSC4007.jpg
Frequently asked questions are available here: http://www.SoutheastAsia.org/index.php/seaawards/faq/
Images of campaign logos and Southeast Asian destinations can be downloaded here.
About the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA)
The ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA) was formed on 27th March 1971. ASEANTA is a non-profit tourism association comprising both public and private tourism sector organizations from ASEAN. ASEANTA has grown to become a tourism association of influence within the ASEAN tourism landscape, playing an integral role in shaping tourism development growth and policies in the ASEAN region. Further information and ASEANTA mission statement.
About ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE)
SoutheastAsia.org and the Southeast Asia: feel the warmth campaign are an initiative of the ASEAN Tourism Association (ASEANTA), a not-for-profit organization, whose membership comprises both public- and private-sector tourism stakeholders from throughout Southeast Asia. The campaign was created and developed by USAID's ASEAN Competitiveness Enhancement (ACE) Project in close collaboration with ASEANTA. Managed by Nathan Associates under contract, the ACE Project was developed and is funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Development Mission Asia (RDMA) to help ASEAN's travel & tourism industry realize the benefits of greater regional integration. www.ace-advance.com.
Further information
Ikhwan Al-Rashid Abdul Rahman
ASEANTA Marketing Director
Tel: (60) 32692 6850
Fax: (60) 32694 2179
Email:
[email protected] /
[email protected]
Press queries
Ken Scott
ScottAsia Communications
Tel: (66) 81 931 2753
E-mail:
[email protected]