SATW: Good Riddance!

For years I’ve been on trips with travel writers who include “Active SATW” in their email signatures. This stands for the Society of American Travel Writers, a very old association of travel writers that likes to think of itself as the be all and end all in travel writing. Being a member of this group, which costs $250 a year, supposedly honors you and gives you great credibility among your peers. Many of these writers have told me I should join.

I just got my third and final rejection letter from their president, Bea Broda. The letter informed me that although at first they rejected me (and GoNOMAD) for membership based on their belief that we had less than 25,000 monthly visitors, which is 10 times too low, now comes their final decree: “we found cause to deny it based on documented past conduct not in keeping with the Society’s Code of Ethics and Professional Responsibility.” Harrumph!

Ms. Broda didn’t bother to explain exactly what this offense consists of, just that they’ve decided I am not worthy, and my phone call to her went unanswered. From all reports, SATW’s membership is mostly print journalists, many of them retired, and many of whom who rarely even write about travel any more. I’ve heard stories of retired Travel Editors who love to go to their meetings all over the world and then don’t bother to write about the destination. They have chapter presidents whose job it is to bug the travel writers to actually contribute articles about the host destinations. Many don’t care and are in it to hang with their buddies at the meetings.

I’m sorry SATW, that I won’t be able to join your esteemed ranks. Sorry that we earn a living from travel, employ eight people, have made money over the past ten years and aren’t in any danger of going out of business. Sorry that unlike so many print publications, we’re not cutting our travel coverage, firing our staff, and cutting our budget. Sorry that we are not in danger of extinction as most of the member’s own newspapers and magazines are.

No, we just publish great travel writing, send writers out on stories all over the world, are recognized by the New York Times, Arthur Frommer, The Travel Channel and nearly every one else for quality, responsibility and reputation. I’m glad I won’t be contributing any dues to a ridiculously clueless bunch like SATW.