2011 ‘World Traveler Interns’ announced

For the fifth year in a row, STA Travel, the world’s largest youth travel agency, has begun its summer marketing campaign, which sends one or two young travelers around the world to document their experiences. These ‘World Traveler Interns‘ act as hosts, photographers, writers, shooters, editors, marketers, and producers of online content to be seen by its client base of over 6 million worldwide. And no, they don’t take industry professionals on this massive undertaking; they take spry, young, travel-enthused, college students or young professionals who have only just begun dabbling in film and photo.

Beginning every year in the wintertime, STA opens its application process, asking for 60-second videos “explaining why you should be selected” to represent STA’s brand and travel on their dime. For the first time, this process included sending the finalists to Europe for a one-day trial run in teams of two.

This year’s winners – selected yesterday – were ‘team Paris’: Brigette Muller and Dutch Simpson. Together, Brigette and Dutch will travel to Western Europe, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina, and Brazil, all while rolling the cameras and editing in the field. This is no easy job: oscillating climates and time zones, zero days off and technical difficulties, tens of videos produced on brand alongside stellar photography, all for a viewership in the millions. This sort of training has come to produce not just travel video ninjas but media industry professionals, especially in the field of travel.

Congratulations to Brigette and Dutch. Check out the finalist videos that clinched their titles.