2026 MTJA Active Membership Renewal - Photographers

Overview:

• Plan to submit all renewal forms and pay dues by 5 p.m. (Central time) on Nov. 7, 2025.
• Fill out all required fields completely and accurately. Information submitted will be used to inform your listing in the 2026 MTJA Directory, an important source of information for other members, editors, publishers and travel industry leaders.
• 2026 MTJA Active Membership Dues are $125. If dues are not received in full by 5 p.m. (Central time) on Nov. 7, 2025, a $25 late processing fee will be added to your payment. We encourage dues payment via credit card.
  Any renewals received after Nov. 19, 2025, will not be included in the 2026 Membership Directory.
• If you need to request a one-time year of grace because of an inability to meet membership requirements, please send a letter of explanation to Erin Schmitz at admin@mtja.us on or before Nov. 1, 2025 for review by the Board of Directors. Members seeking a year of grace still need to complete the Membership Information section of the renewal form.
• If you have questions, please contact Erin Schmitz at admin@mtja.us or Amy Lynch at amy@amylynch.com.

Membership Terms & Conditions  

An application to renew MTJA membership means:  

• You are committed to the principles of fair, accurate and unbiased reporting on travel subjects.
• You are a professional travel journalist who receives revenue for work produced.
• Content generated during press trips, hosted/sponsored events, FAM tours or MTJA conferences is eligible for submission.

1. A minimum of five unique assignments with images published between Jan. 1, 2025 and Dec. 31, 2025 in outlets with print circulations of 10,000 or more, or a minimum of 10,000 online sessions per month (on average per year) for online publications. Multiple photos that illustrate the same article (including sidebars) count as one work sample. One of the five images may be from a CVB-produced visitors guide publication. For photography used in travel-related books, the initial print run must be at least 1,500 copies.

2. Demonstration of the photographer’s individual body of work. Co-credited images or images produced in collaboration with another journalist or MTJA member are acceptable to use for one of five image submissions. If any of your qualifying images are due to publish after the Nov. 7 renewal deadline, please let Erin Schmitz or Amy Lynch know.

3. Confirmation of circulation or monthly online sessions for each work sample.* Outlets listed here with Cision.com outreach figures are valid for this purpose. 

4. Proof of payment for work (the actual amount of payment can be blacked out).