The British Guild of Travel Writers has elected its first American-born chairman, unveiled the designs for a new, more outwardly-looking website,

announced plans to extend its membership to more professional travel writers working solely or partly online and provided details of the launch of its 2014

annual Yearbook.

All of these developments were revealed at the Guild's 27 January Annual General Meeting and Conference held in the historic German city of Weimar.

This was followed by fact-finding visits to the city's numerous important sites as well as to the surrounding Thuringia region, now linked for the first time by twice-weekly, 90-minute Germania Airlines flights from Gatwick to Erfurt - Weimar Airport in the heart of Thuringia.

"Weimar proved an excellent base for the Guild's AGM, and its many historical and cultural treasures - from the Duchess Anna Amalia Library to Goethe's home and museum. These were eye-openers for many of our members," said outgoing Guild Chairman Roger Bray.

"The surrounding state of Thuringia lay in the formerly Communist east before Germany's reunification. It is hoped that widespread reporting of the region's

attractions, including the lovely medieval heart of its capital, Erfurt, Wartburg Castle and Eisenach's excellent Bach museum, will encourage more British

tourists to visit a region that deserves to be better known."

"Our AGM preceding these regional visits proved to be a particularly productive one," added incoming Chairman Mary Moore Mason. "We saw for

the first time the designs for our new website which will be up-and-running by mid-2014 and much more member- and consumer-friendly than before. We

also discussed plans for expanding our membership to include more of the increasing number of online professional travel writers. And we announced

plans for an exciting array of 2014 events including the 4 March launch of our popular annual Yearbook, a 1 April visit to the revitalised London Olympics

site, a July meeting hosted by the Association of National Tourist Office Representatives and a gala August summer party at the Royal Geographical Society."

Ms Mason was born in Kentucky, brought up in her parents' native Virginia, graduated from the University of North Carolina and worked as a newspaper

and magazine journalist in Virginia, New Jersey and New York City before settling permanently in London. In 1994 she was the launching editor of

Essentially America, the first UK consumer travel magazine exclusively covering North America. The magazine, which she continues to edit, is now

published in eight countries.

Other members of the new committee are Tim Locke, Vice Chairman, Globetrotter Editor and Acting Secretary from Lewes; Tina Ediss, Treasurer

from Southampton; Neil Taylor, Membership Secretary from London; Stuart Forster, Web Editor (New features) and Strategic Planning from Sunderland;

John Oates, Web Editor (Ongoing features) from London; Helen Ochyra, Social Media Coordinator from Enfield; Abigail King, Digital Liaison

Coordinator from Cardiff; Lynn Houghton, Public Relations from London; Olivia Greenway, Venue Organiser from Petersfield; Geoff Moore, Travel

Industry Outreach from Weymouth and Paul Gwyn Thomas, Facilities Coordinator from Coltishall, Norwich.

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Note to editors:

Founded 54 years ago, the 270-member Guild consists of professional travel writers, editors, photographers and broadcasters.

For further information contact the BGTW Secretariat: 020 8144 8713, secretariat@bgtw.org