The competition runs annually and is open to entries from photographers of all ages and abilities.

The competition is judged by an international panel of expert photographers and editors, assessing as many as 20,000 entries from over 142 different countries each year.

[1][2] Since 2011, winning images (alongside runners-up) have been displayed in major TPOTY-held exhibitions in central London at venues such as the Royal Geographical Society[3][4] and the University of Greenwich,[5][6] and published in an accompanying series of Journey portfolio books.

In 2011 TPOTY entered into a 5-year agreement with the Royal Geographical Society to 'host major annual exhibitions of the awards’ travel photography' annually in South Kensington alongside events and workshops.

[5][6][7] For 2018 and 2019, the TPOTY exhibitions were hosted as 24-hour, open-air displays at London Bridge City.