To support the art of travel, Belmond has started a global photo competition and a series of limited-edition books. David Ho checks out what these initiatives entail

At Photo London 2024, Belmond launched the Belmond Photographic Residency – an annual jury-led award supporting emerging photographic talent. This initiative is a continuation of Belmond’s partnership with the Photo London fair, which sees the renowned hotelier as a lead sponsor and presenting partner for this year’s edition.

Chosen by a global panel of experts, the winner will receive a financial prize of €15,000 (HK$127,000); an all-expenses covered residency at a Belmond location; a publication in partnership with Parisian art publisher RVB Books; mentorship from Belmond’s global network of photographic experts; and a showcase in a global city. Runner-up prizes are to be announced.

This open call for submissions invites photographers to demonstrate a singularly artistic point of view on a destination. It is open to all nationalities and ages, with the requirement being that the talent is not yet or has not been represented by an agent or gallery. The jury will focus on supporting future perspectives of travel photography and visionary artistic talent, with a newly unveiled website residency.belmond.com to feature more details.

Belmond’s long love affair with contemporary travel photography can be best seen in its global Belmond Legends campaign, which consists of original commissions. The group will tap artists from the campaign, namely photographers Coco Capitán, Rosie Marks and Letizia Le Fur, to launch a series of limited-edition art books in tandem with the Belmond Photographic Residency. 

The books will consider new perspectives of travel and culture with an associated exhibition to translate the artists’ respective books into an exhibition experience. This new body of work has been shot at three diverse locations: Mount Nelson Hotel in Cape Town (Rosie Marks), the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express in Europe (Coco Capitán) and the hotel Caruso on Italy’s Amalfi Coast (Letizia Le Fur).

Also see: Belmond and Galleria Continua revitalise historical sites with art