This week’s Travel Media Awards Step Up intern spotlight is on Kavarna Spence, who has completed her placements at TTG Media and Virgin Atlantic.  

Kavarna first interned at TTG Media, where she attended the annual Fairer Travel Event and had the opportunity to network with professionals in the wider industry and discuss varied opinions on current events. A highlight was hearing comedian Rosie Jones speak on what the travel industry can learn from intersectionality and how it can intentionally spotlight disabled voices. The event gave Kavarna a clearer understanding of which topics and conversations are shaping the industry today.  

For her final task at TTG Media, Kavarna worked with luxury travel reporter Emma Dooney on an article about upcoming hotels and cruises for 2027. This offered her insight into the relationships between different PR companies, as the article was based on a press release from Grifco PR. In her final task, she wrote an article based on press release information and received useful, constructive criticism and advice about how to structure her writing and follow a strict editorial tone of voice. 

At Virgin Atlantic, Kavarna was involved in bringing the Heart and Seoul campaign to life following the launch of the new Heathrow to Seoul flight route. She assisted with a pre-event photoshoot, a VIP event and captured social media content to support the campaign’s coverage.  

On top of this, she helped with crafting Virgin Atlantic’s press releases and email pitches for their annual Passport for Change programme, tracked daily news, managed a busy press inbox, booked travel arrangements and compiled coverage reports of previous PR campaigns. 

Kavarna says, “It’s been amazing to work with such lovely teams at TTG Media and Virgin Atlantic. The experience has shown me that no two days in travel journalism and PR look the same. I learnt so many valuable skills during this placement, including how to manage communications during both positive and negative moments. It was really insightful to sit in team meetings, hear everyone’s ideas and contribute to plans that help generate press for Virgin Atlantic.” 

Stay tuned for updates from the rest of this year’s cohort. Subscribe to the TMA Step Up newsletter for updates on the 2027 programme and applications, which open later this year.   

https://travelmediaawards.com/travelmediaawards2026/en/page/step-up

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About APL Media      
APL Media is a multi-award-winning content marketing agency and publisher, creating high-quality print, digital and live media across the travel and lifestyle sectors since 1997. It has published National Geographic Traveller (UK) under licence from National Geographic Partners LLC since 2010, alongside brand extensions including guides, events and digital platforms. Its portfolio includes Living360, a digital lifestyle brand spanning wellness, travel, food, sustainability and culture.       

APL Media delivers custom content, branded campaigns and editorial consultancy, internship schemes including Step Up and produces leading events such as the Travel Media Awards. It’s also a leading reseller of advertising for national newspapers, with content created for national newspapers, too. Its trade titles include Postcards and the ASTA Worldwide Destination Guide. aplmedia.co.uk