There is just less than a week remaining to apply for the Travel Media Awards Step Up internship 2026. This paid summer programme supports emerging talent and aims to improve access to careers within UK travel media, particularly for those from underrepresented backgrounds. 

What does the TMA Step Up internship offer? 

The eight-week internship offers structured, hands-on experience across the travel media landscape. Developed in response to the industry’s need for greater diversity, the programme actively encourages applications from candidates that come from underrepresented backgrounds. Just five candidates will be selected for the 2026 cohort. 

What will happen if you are selected? 

Successful candidates will complete two four-week placements with partner organisations spanning travel publishing, journalism, PR and marketing. This dual-placement model offers exposure to different business environments and working practices, while ensuring participants are embedded within teams and contributing to live projects. Interns will work on a range of tasks, from editorial and content creation to communications, campaigns and newsroom operations, gaining insight into how travel stories and brand narratives are developed and delivered. 

The partnering companies in 2026 include: 

• APL Media 
• easyJet holidays 
• FINN Partners 
• Food & Travel Magazine 
• Intrepid Travel 
• Kuoni 
• TTG Media 
• The Sun 
• Virgin Atlantic 

What to expect? 

The programme is paid at London Living Wage, ensuring interns’ time, work and talent are properly renumerated while developing practical skills, professional confidence and industry readiness. Participants work to real deadlines and collaborate with experienced professionals, building a portfolio of experience that reflects the demands of the sector. 

And post-internship? 

Beyond the placements themselves, TMA Step Up provides extended professional development opportunities. Interns receive ongoing mentoring following the completion of the programme and are invited to attend the Travel Media Awards 2026 ceremony, offering valuable networking opportunities with senior figures across consumer and trade travel media, PR and publishing. 

Applications for the 2026 Travel Media Awards Step Up internship close at 23:59 on Monday 26 January 2026. With less than one week remaining, prospective applicants are encouraged to ensure that their applications are submitted before the deadline. 

Apply here: TMA Step Up programme

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