MOST BEAUTIFUL TRAVEL PHOTOS: 2018

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARDS

The most beautiful travel photos thrill and inspire us to book our next trips to someplace beautiful and to step up our own travel photo games.

We always love to see the winners and honorees of the annual National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year contest. This year, a photograph of a humpback whale calf’s tail, entitled “Mermaid,” has earned Reiko Takahashi, of Japan, the prestigious grand-prize, an impressive $10,000 award. The photo was taken off the coast of Japan’s Kumejima Island.

The National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year contest celebrates stunning pictures taken by all levels of photographers around the world. A panel of National Geographic judges, including NatGeo VP Whitney Johnson,  Andy Mann, & Camille Seaman, selected the winners from more than 13,000 entries, in three categories: Nature, People and Cities.

Takahashi’s photo was also chosen as the winner in the Nature category. Hiro Kurashina, of Japan, was the winner in the Cities category for his photo titled, “Another Rainy Day in Nagasaki, Kyushu,” by Alessandra Meniconzi, of Switzerland, won the People category, for her photo entitled, “Tea Culture.”