The sponsors of the World In Focus: The Ultimate Travel Photography Contest are the National Geographic Society, and Photo District News.
The categories are:
Travel Portraits
Outdoor Scenes
Sense of Place
Spontaneous Moments
Photo Essay
If you have any interest in participating in the contest, click here: World In Focus. however caveat emptor and read the rules and regulations very carefully before committing your entry fee and more importantly your photographs. Having the National Geographic and PDN as sponsors of the contest does not mean that one should blindly participate...and reading the rules beforehand is a must.
Interestingly, since the contest is open to both "amateur" and professional photographers (each in a different category), I learned that this how the contest defines a professional photographer:
" A professional photographer:
* Earns more than 50 percent of his or her income from photographic sales.
* Is a member of such professional photo organizations as the National Press Photographers Association.
* Publishes photographs in books, magazines, newspapers, or online regularly."
I accept the first two conditions, but what about the third...especially the bit about "publishes online regularly"? Does this mean that photographers who frequently post on Flickr (as an example) are considered professionals? That'll be news to them.