An image speaks more than a thousand words, and travel photos can really capture the essence of a destination and inspire budding travelers to explore the world.

So to create the ultimate travel inspiration, cheap accommodation site HostelBookers have teamed up with Rough Guides to launch an innovative travel photo competition. By contributing their photos to the HostelBookers blog and Flickr group, travelers can create their own photo ‘guides’ that will inspire others to explore the world.

Publishers of 300 travel guides covering 200 world-wide destinations, Rough Guides have compiled an extensive collection of travel images over the years. For the first time, more than 250 of these beautiful images are showcased in Earthbound: A Rough Guide to the World in Pictures. Capturing the essence of travel in all its guises, from Hindu prayer flags in Nepal to volcanoes in Costa Rica, this is the ideal gift for anyone who has ever caught the travel bug.

Now HostelBookers are giving travelers the chance to create their own photographic guide to the world, with an interactive travel photo competition. Using Flickr, Facebook and the HostelBookers Blog, travelers will have the chance to share their inspiring travel photos, and the best entries will win a copy of the book.

Taking a theme featured in Earthbound as their inspiration, wannabe photographers will be invited to submit their own images to the HostelBookers Flickr Group , or by emailing HostelBookers. The competition is entirely interactive – every two weeks the chosen topic will be announced on the HostelBookers Blog, and then members of the public will be able to vote for their favourite images online, with the six most popular posted on the blog.