Who may enter:
Students attending an undergraduate or graduate two-year or four-year college in North America. National Geographic Society and Travcoa employees and their families as well as family members of any agency involved in the contest are not eligible.

How to enter:
Log on to www.travelwritercontest.com and fill out the online entry form including your an essay of 300 words about a travel experience that moved you, excited you, or changed you.

Or include your full name, complete postal address, and phone number along with your essay in an email. Please type, Next Great Travel Writer Entry into the subject line of the email and then send the email to entry@travelwritercontest.com.


• Contest begins June 13, 2007, and all entries must be received by 5 p.m. [PST] on December 31, 2007. Entries become the property of the Sponsor, National Geographic Society ("NGS"), and will not be acknowledged or returned.

• Representatives of Travcoa and National Geographic Traveler will judge entries based on literary merit, originality, and ability to engage the reader.

• The winner will be chosen on or about January 30, 2008, and notified by phone, mail, or email by February 15, 2008.

• Only one winner will be chosen although National Geographic Traveler reserves the right to publish the entries of the top five finalists on its website and on www.travelwritercontest.com.


NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY AND A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. This Contest is VOID IN PUERTO RICO AND WHERE PROHIBITED. Decisions of the judges are final. Contest consists of two rounds. NGS is not responsible for late, lost, misdirected, incomplete or illegible email or for any computer-related, online, telephonic, or technical malfunctions that may occur. Entries void if illegible, incomplete, damaged, irregular, altered, counterfeit, produced in error, or obtained through fraud or theft. Entries will be considered made by authorized account holder of email address submitted at time of entry. Employees or contract employees of Travcoa and NGS and its affiliates, subsidiaries, agents and their immediate families, or persons living in the same household of such individuals, are ineligible. All entries may be used in public relations programs on behalf of the contest, Travcoa and National Geographic Traveler.

The sole winner will receive a trip to Mongolia. Approximate retail value of the trip is $7,000. Coach-class air transportation from the United States to Beijing will be provided. The winner and the editor-in-chief will join the Mongolian Escorted Journey offered to the public by Travcoa, and there will be approximately 15 other guests not associated with the contest on the trip. The trip includes transportation, hotel accommodations, meals, planned excursions and scheduled in-country travel will be provided at the sole discretion of Travcoa. Tips, fees, taxes, and all personal expenses are the sole responsibility of winner. Winners are required to sign an affidavit of eligibility and liability release within 15 days of receipt of prize notification. Noncompliance or return of prize notification as undeliverable will result in disqualification and selection of an alternate winner. NGS and Travcoa reserve the right to substitute prizes of equal or comparable value. By participating, participants agree to release, discharge, and hold harmless NGS and its respective partners, affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising agencies, agents and their employees, officers, directors, and representatives from any claims, losses, and damages arising out of their participation in this Contest or any Contest-related activities and the acceptance and use, misuse, or possession of any prize awarded hereunder. Participants also agree (a) to be bound by these Official Rules; (b) that the decisions of the judges are final on all matters relating to the Contest; and (c) if he/she wins that NGS or Travcoa may use the winning essay and each winner's name, photograph, likeness, and/or voice in any publicity or advertising relating to the Contest or future promotions of National Geographic or Travcoa without compensation or approval (except in Tennessee and where prohibited by law). If for any reason the Contest is not capable of running as planned, due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes beyond the control of NGS that corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this sweepstakes, NGS reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual(s) who tamper with the entry process, and/or to cancel, terminate, modify, or suspend the sweepstakes. NGS assumes no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, or delay in operation or transmission; communications line failure; theft or destruction of or unauthorized access to Contest entries or entry forms; or alteration of entries or entry forms. And NGS is not responsible for any problems with or technical malfunction of any telephone network or lines, computer online systems, servers or providers, computer equipment, software, failure of any email entry to be received on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, or any combination thereof, including any injury or damage to participants' or any other persons' computers related to or resulting from participation or downloading any materials in this sweepstakes. All federal, state, and local taxes are the sole responsibility of the winners.

For names of winners send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to Next Great Travel Writer Contest: National Geographic Traveler, 1145 17th St. NW, Washington, DC 20036. (Residents of Vermont need not include postage.) This Contest is subject to federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Certain restrictions may apply. Prizes provided by NGS, courtesy of Travcoa. To be excluded from lists used by NGS to mail contests or sweepstakes, submit request in writing to NGS at above address.