Welcome to ASIA
2024
PHOTO CONTEST
The Photo Contest Has Been Extended
Thank you for your interest in the photo contest. We're letting you know that the application period has been extended to December 22, 2024.
We've received applications that haven't mentioned our account in the post, so we've extended the application period to let you check and amend submissions.
Of course, you are welcome to submit new entries during the extension. Multiple entries are permitted, so we can't wait to see what else you've got!
About
The Council for Promotion of Tourism in Asia (CPTA) is holding a photo contest with the theme “The Charm of Asia Through All Five Senses.”
Entries will showcase the 9 participating CPTA cities in Asia through the four categories of Photo, Illustration, Reel Video, and AI-Generated Art. Along with photos or videos taken in the cities themselves, you can submit works in the Illustration and AI-Generated Art categories regardless of whether you’ve actually been to the city. The Welcome to Asia campaign aims to draw travelers to cities in Asia from Europe, America, and Oceania. This photo contest will help promote tourism and show the amazing attractions of participating cities to the world.
Entering is simple! Just follow the official Welcome to Asia Instagram account and post your entry on Instagram during the contest period (Monday August 26, 2024 - Sunday December 22, 2024) with the designated mentions and hashtags.
Any camera or device can be used to capture or create your work. We can’t wait to see your entries! Winners will receive fantastic prizes specially chosen by each city! We will reveal the winners around February 2025.
- *You can submit photos taken in the past.
- *When using AI, please refrain from entering any third-party copyrighted material, personal information, or confidential information in the prompts. Even if you don't use existing copyrighted works, be aware that any similarity to or reliance on such works may constitute copyright infringement.
- *Regardless of whether you win, your entry and comments may be featured on the official Welcome to Asia Instagram and Facebook accounts, the Welcome to Asia website (https://welcomeasia.jp/), related websites, and associated media. Please be aware that your submission may be resized or cropped for publication.
- *Entries from private accounts or those without the specified hashtags will not be eligible.
How to Submit
1 Follow the Welcome to Asia official Instagram account
@welcometoasia_wta
2
Post your work on Instagram with the official Welcome to
Asia Instagram account mentioned and tagged with the designated hashtags.
*For help installing and using the Instagram app,
please contact Instagram's support team.
3 Winners will be notified via direct message on Instagram.
*Finalists will be asked to submit data by a specified date for copyright verification. Please note that only finalists will be contacted, and we cannot respond to inquiries about contest results.
*Private accounts and entries without the designated hashtags will not be considered.
*Entries must be photographed/filmed or created by the entrant. To verify the originality of the submitted work, finalists will be required to submit unedited original data, including RAW files or EXIF data (such as shooting date and equipment information) for the Photo/Illustration category. For the Reel Video category, unedited footage is required. For AI-generated entries, the name of the AI tool is required.
Contest Period
Monday August 26, 2024 -
Sunday December 22, 2024
(Japan Standard Time)
*Entries submitted close to the deadline may not be retrieved by the Instagram API. Only submissions that our system can successfully download will be considered, so please submit your entry as early as possible.
(Please refrain from inquiring about the confirmation of your submission.)
Theme
“The Charm of Asia Through
All Five Senses”
Post an entry to Instagram under the theme of “The Charm of Asia Through All Five Senses” from one of the nine cities participating in The Council for Promotion of Tourism in Asia (CPTA): Hanoi, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Seoul, Taipei, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Delhi.
Please submit either a photo, illustration, reel video, or AI-generated image focusing on one city.
- *Participants may submit multiple entries, even for the same city or category.
- *Edited or retouched photos are acceptable.
- *Entries from all skill levels (amateur or professional) are welcome.
- *You guarantee that you own all copyrights, image rights, and other rights for the subjects and people included in your entry, or that you have obtained prior consent from the rights holders.
Award Category
The Grand Prize will be awarded to the best entry in each city, regardless of category. Additionally, outstanding work from each city in all of the four categories will receive Excellence Prizes.
*The same work cannot win both the Grand Prize and Excellence Prize. In the category in which the Grand Prize winning entry is submitted, the runner-up entry will be selected as the winner of the Excellence Prize in that category.
Photo
Submit photos of travel scenes in your chosen city. Any subject is acceptable as long as it was taken in one of the listed cities. Videos and images extracted from videos are not eligible.
Reel Video
Please submit short reel videos using footage or photos of travel scenes in your chosen city. Any subject is acceptable as long as it was captured in one of the listed cities.
Illustration
Please submit illustrations of travel scenes in your chosen city. Both analog (drawn on paper, etc.) and digital (on a PC, tablet, etc.) are acceptable. Analog works should be submitted as a photograph of the illustration.
AI-Generated Art
Please submit AI-generated images of travel scenes in your chosen city. Any work that has been processed or edited from the original AI-generated image will not be considered.
- *Each work may only be submitted in one category; entries with hashtags for multiple categories are not eligible.
- *Only one work can be submitted per post.
- *Any size of image or reel video is acceptable as long as it complies with Instagram regulations.
- *When using AI, please refrain from entering any third-party copyrighted material, personal information, or confidential information in the prompts. Even if you don't use existing copyrighted works, be aware that any similarity to or reliance on such works may constitute copyright infringement.
Evaluation
criteria
Expression
Does the work effectively convey the charm of each city by creatively using viewpoints, composition, balance, focus, and photography techniques?
*Image resolution or equipment are not part of the evaluation.
Attractiveness
Does the work make viewers want to visit the location?
Originality
Has the work captured lesser-known charms of the city through creative location and subject choices?
*The specifics of the judging will not be disclosed. Only the winners of the Grand Prize and Excellence Award will be announced.
*Works that violate the terms and conditions will be disqualified from judging.
Winner
Announcement
Winning entries will be announced on the contest results website, scheduled to go live in February 2025.
- *Please follow our Instagram account, as winners will be contacted via DM on Instagram from the contest official account. If you're not following the account, we may be unable to reach you, or you might miss the DM, resulting in disqualification.
- *If you change your account name or other information between the time of entry and the announcement of results, we may be unable to contact you, and you may be disqualified.
Prize
The Grand Prize will be awarded to the best entry in each city, regardless of category. (Total of 9 Grand Prize winners for all cities.)
Excellence Prizes will be given to outstanding entries in each of the four categories for each city. (Total of 36 Excellence Prizes for all cities.)
*The same work cannot win both the Grand Prize and Excellence Prize. In the category in which the Grand Prize winning entry is submitted, the runner-up entry will be selected as the winner of the Excellence Prize in that category.
[ Grand Prize ]
- Hanoi
- Original umbrella and water bottle set
- Metro Manila
- Organic Coffee &
Coffee Press Set
- Seoul
- "SSSeoul" interior
accessory light
(1 piece, Random)
- Taipei
- The Cup of Taipei
(2sets, 2cups/set)
- Tokyo
- Maneki-neko
(Blue and white 2-piece set)
- Bangkok
- Khan Long Hin
(bronze ware)
[ Excellence Prize ]
- For each city(Excluding Taipei)
- Komon Chief
(1 piece, Random)
- Taipei
- Ceramic coasters with Taipei's gorgeous manhole cover designs (2 pieces, Random)
- *Grand Prize for Jakarta, Kualalumpur, and Delhi will be revealed upon delivery.
- *Please note, prizes are subject to change without notice.
Terms
Eligibility
You must have an Instagram account and be following the Welcome to Asia Instagram account.
Participants must post a photo/video/image with the mentions and hashtags specified on this page.
Participants must read, understand, and agree to all of the terms and conditions on this page (including the Use of Personal Information and Disclaimer) before entering the contest.
Participants may take photos and videos using any camera or device. Participants may also use any AI image generation tool to create artwork.
Participants may enter the Photo contest with photos and videos taken in the past.
Participants may submit edited or retouched photos.
Participants can submit as many photos as they like in the same city or category. Entries can also be submitted for other cities or categories.
Entries that have been submitted or planned for submission to other contests are not eligible. Entries that have previously won in other contests are not eligible.
AI-generated images using free or stock images/videos are not eligible.
Photographers of any skill level (amateur or professional), nationality, gender, or age may enter.
Minors must have permission to enter from a parent or guardian. Minors will be assumed to have parental or guardian consent at the time of entry.
*Hashtags can be in upper or lower case, but only standard half-width characters are eligible.
*Posts from private accounts or those without the required mentions or hashtags will not be considered.
*Please double-check that your post includes the required mentions and hashtags. Entries will not be accepted if mentions or hashtags are placed in the comment field.
*Mentions and hashtags must be added when posting and during the contest period. Entries with mentions/hashtags added after the Contest has concluded will not be accepted.
How to Submit, If you are Shortlisted, and Winner Announcement
Shortlisted candidates will receive final confirmation notifications between December 2024 and February 2025. These notifications will be sent via Instagram DM. Shortlisted candidates must submit their original photo, video, or illustration data by the specified date for copyright verification. Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted, and we cannot respond to inquiries about whether a submitted work has been selected.
*Entries must be photographed, filmed, or created by the participant themselves. To verify that the work submitted is an original by the participant, finalists are required to submit the original unedited data, including RAW or EXIF data such as the shooting date and equipment information for the Photo/Illustration category, the unedited shooting data for the Reel Video category, and the name of the AI tool used for the AI-Generated Art category. Please ensure you retain the original data of your work.
*Please note that if we do not receive the winner's email address, or if we do not receive a reply by the specified date, we will assume that the winner has declined the prize, and it shall be awarded to a runner-up.
*Winners will be notified from the Office’s email address: info@welcome-to-asia.jp Please set your email to accept messages from this address in advance. Prizes will be sent out around March 2025. After receiving the prize notification from the Office, winners will be asked to provide information such as the address for prize delivery.
*The Contest will be managed by Dentsu Digital Inc. and D2C X Inc. (hereinafter “Subcontractors”) subcontracted by the Organizer to act as the Contest Office.
Data Requirements
Photographs and reel videos must be developed or edited using digital image processing techniques.
Illustrations of both analog (drawn on paper, etc.) and digital (created on a PC, tablet, etc.) works are acceptable. However, please submit photographs of analog pieces.
For the AI-Generated Art category, please submit works created by AI image generation tools. Works that have been further processed or edited from AI-generated data are not eligible.
AI-generated images using free or stock images are not eligible.
When creating AI-generated images, please adhere to the guidelines set by each AI image generation tool.
Number of Submissions
There is no limit to the number of entries. You may submit as many entries as you wish for the same city and in the same category.
Duplicate submissions of the same work will not be eligible.
Each entry can only be entered into one category; entries with hashtags for multiple categories will not be considered.
Only one entry can be submitted at a time.
Use of Personal Information
This Contest is organized by The Council for Promotion of Tourism in Asia (hereinafter the “Organizer”) and conducted by the Subcontractors. Personal information obtained in this Contest will be strictly managed and used only for purposes related to the Contest. These purposes include implementing, managing, and promoting the Contest, as well as notifying winners, delivering prizes, managing entries, displaying winning entries, and preparing statistical data that does not identify individuals, to the extent permitted by the Act on the Protection of Personal Information. It will not be used for any other purposes. Please note that data collected in the Contest (such as EXIF data) may be processed and analyzed into statistical information that does not identify individuals and may be disclosed to third parties such as the Organizer.
Personal information collected in this Contest will not be disclosed to third parties without the entrant's consent, except when the Contest is outsourced to a subcontractor for work in implementation, management, or promotion, or as otherwise required by law.
Personal information provided by entrants will be shared within the following scope:
Data to be used: Name, date of birth, address, telephone number, email address, and other information provided at the time of entry.
Entities using the data: Organizer and Subcontractors
*Prize delivery may be outsourced to a third party.
Purpose of use:
Personal information provided by entrants will be used solely for the following purposes: Notifying entrants about the Contest, sending prizes, managing entries, exhibiting winning entries, preparing statistical data that does not identify individuals, and conducting, managing, and promoting the Contest.
Management of Personal Information:
The Council for Promotion of Tourism in Asia
Please visit the URL below for inquires about The Council for Promotion of Tourism in Asia’s Privacy Policy:
https://req.qubo.jp/b9RpE2P5/form/contact
Subcontractors:
Dentsu Digital Inc. and D2C X Inc.
Disclaimer
Participants are required to provide accurate information when requested. Neither the Organizer nor Subcontractors shall be held responsible for any disqualification of entries or damages resulting from inaccurate information submitted by participants.
Participants may not submit photographs that are currently entered in another contest or that they plan to enter in another contest. Photos that have previously won prizes in other contests are also not eligible. Entry is allowed for work that has been published by the participant for non-commercial purposes, posted on the participant's social media, blog, etc., or displayed in a non-juried photo exhibition.
Participants may not withdraw their entry from the Contest once it has been submitted. Participants are responsible for keeping backup copies of their entries.
In the event of any dispute with a third party regarding the submitted work, the participant shall settle the dispute at their own expense. The Organizer and Subcontractors shall not be held liable for any such issues.
The Organizers may, without prior notice, delete the submitted work or revoke the award of any prize to any participant who is deemed to be in violation of public order and morals, damaging or causing harm to other participants, or affiliated with antisocial organizations (or equivalent).
No inquiries will be accepted regarding the entries or the selection of winners.
Prizes are non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash.
Participants are responsible for all expenses incurred in entering the Contest, except for the prizes.
The Contest Office reserves the right to change any of the Contest entry requirements and to take any other necessary measures to ensure the proper operation of the Contest. Participants who enter the Contest must comply with the administration policies of the Contest Office and shall not object to the management of the Contest.
Meta Platforms, Inc. and Instagram are not affiliated with the Contest and do not organize, endorse, or administer the Contest in any way. Participants acknowledge that Meta Platforms, Inc. and Instagram have no involvement with their entries or the selection of winners.
In no event shall the Organizer and Subcontractors be liable for any loss or damage resulting from the interruption or termination of Instagram or the Contest. Contest details are subject to change without prior notice.
Rights processing
Copyright for all works submitted to the Contest will remain with the participant.
The Contest Office will not accept entries (including data stored on storage devices) that are mailed or delivered directly to the Contest Office. The Contest Office will not return any work that is sent to it. Winners grant the Organizer permission to use, publish, reprint, or broadcast the winning entries for the Contest Office's publicity activities indefinitely and without compensation. Entries may be used in the same manner as above with prior notice. Participants shall not assert any rights based on moral rights against the Organizer.
The Organizer's use of submitted works may include trimming, editing, or altering the submitted works through visual effects, music, or sound effects without the participant's prior consent.
Prize winners grant the Organizer (including any third party authorized by the Organizer) permission to use, publish, reprint, or broadcast the prize winner's name, winning entry, and location featured in the entry for an indefinite period without compensation for any """"application to share the prize winner's name, photograph, and shooting location"""" that may be made available to third parties. The prize winner shall not assert any rights based on moral rights against the Organizer, any subcontractor authorized by the Organizer, or any third party.
Participants must ensure they own all rights, including copyright and portrait rights, to the subjects and likenesses in their works or have obtained prior permission from the rights holders. It is the sole responsibility of the participant to ensure that the submitted work does not infringe upon any third party's rights.
Participants are responsible for obtaining permission to use images of people depicted in their work, parental or guardian consent in the case of minors, and prior permission to photograph and enter the contest for shrines, temples, and commercial establishments. Participants are not allowed to submit works that contain advertising, billboards, or brand logos. Participants may not submit entries that are offensive to public order and morals. Participants are prohibited from submitting works that show the address of private property.
Regarding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, if a third party who has seen a winning entry reports an infringement of copyright or portrait rights, or an invasion of privacy, the winning entry may be withdrawn after mutual consultation. Photographing a third party's work and using it as material for processing or compositing without permission constitutes copyright infringement. Participants must obtain the prior consent of the rights holder.
Inquiries
For any inquiries regarding the Contest, please contact us at: (https://req.qubo.jp/b9RpE2P5/form/contact).
*The Contest schedule is subject to change without prior notice.
*It may take up to two business days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays) to respond to inquiries."
Any and all disputes, controversies or differences which may arise between the parties hereto, out of or in relation to or in connection with this Agreement, unless the dispute, controversy or difference can be resolved by consultation between the Parties, shall be finally settled by arbitration administered by the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (“SIAC”) in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (“SIAC Rules”) for the time being in force. Official language of arbitration procedure shall be English.
