Seven myths about travel journalists
It's not glamorous, lucrative or relaxing - so why do we do it?
If I earned a pound every time somebody told me how lucky I am to get paid to travel I would, ironically, get paid to travel.
I asked fellow travel journos what they think some of the biggest misunderstandings are about the job. Whether you’re considering joining the travel writing tribe or you’re just curious about what we actually do, read on.
I will caveat this by saying despite the realities of travel journalism, I love my job and I know I’m very fortunate to be able to do it. But it isn’t easy and it isn’t lucrative (I had to drain my Vinted balance to buy new plug sockets last week).
1. We get paid to go on holiday
Travel journalists get paid for the content they produce for publications. We do not get paid for the trip itself. That’s a sponsored trip or collaboration and that’s influencer territory.
Tight budgets in publishing nowadays means the publication we’re writing for rarely covers our actual travel costs. And so, we rely on a tourism board, PR firm, airline or hotel to foot the bill. Isn’t that unethical, you ask? That’s a tricky subject which triggered a big debate (and some minor trolling) over on X.
Personally, I don’t let the fact that my trip has been paid for cloud my judgement. If somebody wants to give me the opportunity to experience a destination and see what the story is, fine. But I refuse to work with anybody who demands their client or destination be written about in a certain way. Press coverage is earned, not bought.
‘It may look glamorous and relaxing, but most of the time, we’re chasing our tails to cover as much ground as possible and squeeze as many stories out of the trip.’
This summer, I arrived at a hotel which the Visit Sarajevo tourism board paid for. The hotel fell far below expectations. It was shabby and the staff were very rude when they had no record of my booking. I told my PR contact at the tourism board I wouldn’t be recommending it.
It’s also definitely not a holiday. It may look glamorous and relaxing, but most of the time, we’re chasing our tails to cover as much ground as possible and squeeze as many stories out of the trip. It’s exhausting and my plus ones will attest to that.
I also don’t tend to interview my cocktail waiter on an actual holiday.
» Travel writer Scott Laird wrote a brilliant piece about what travel writers do and why you should trust their assessment of a destination over on Fodor’s Travel.
2. We have no responsibilities
Quite the opposite. I have a mortgage, a partner of five years and in the next five years, we hope to start a family. I know lots of travel journalists who have walked the tightrope between their career and home lives. And many will agree there’s no place like home after a jam-packed assignment!
Fellow travel writer and author Kate Wickers penned a wholesome testimonial to this balancing act. Shape of a Boy is her memoir about all of the trips she took with her husband and three sons as they were growing up. I had Kate on my podcast if you want to hear more about her inspiring and heartwarming book (and to learn a trick or two about flying long haul with kids).
3. We’re just looking for a free ride around the world
Obviously I didn’t go into travel journalism to sit at a desk all day. But I didn’t just think, ‘I could do with some free holidays, I’ll become a travel journalist.’ Trust me, there are far easier ways to score free trips.
I wanted to be a journalist first and foremost.
I’ve always wanted to tell stories about our fascinating planet and its people. Investigative journalist Stacey Dooley was a huge inspiration for me and I briefly considered being a foreign correspondent when I was at university. I decided against it because I wouldn’t be able to cope with seeing people suffering in war zones and being helpless to stop it. I still encounter hardships sometimes as a travel journalist, but I feel like I can do something rather than just point a camera at it.
Then I discovered travel. Cheating on my set reading list with travel magazines, I decided I wanted to be the one writing them. This is what drives me (Lord knows it’s not the paychecks!). Travelling for free is a means to an end - the story.
4. We get to fly everywhere in first class
Haha! I’m lucky to get a comped (journo talk for “paid for by somebody else”) seat in economy. Unless the story is about the airline and their bougie first class seats (and even then, they’re stingy), they’re not giving it away.
And so in reference to point 1, I’ll see you in cattle class (silver lining - I’ve tried loads of nifty products to make that more comfortable, reviews to come soon).
5. It’s not a real job
I don’t know if beauty journalists get the same rep for getting to test make-up and lotions as part of their job, but we’re no different to journalists with other consumer-focussed specialisms - beauty, tech, food, etc.
Okay, trying out a new cruise is way more exciting than testing the latest iPhone or Mac lipstick, but we’re still doing journalism to bring readers insights they can trust. This requires interviewing sources, fact checking, asking tough questions (e.g. ‘can your airline really be “green” if you’re just carbon offsetting?’ - an actual question I asked several tour operators for a greenwashing investigation), and above all, with the facts in hand, making our own impartial and genuine assessments.
Most of us have put ourselves through journalism school and media law training to be entrusted with this work. That would make it one hell of an expensive hobby.
‘We’re still doing journalism to bring readers insights they can trust.’
6. Anybody can do it
I could probably plaster a wall, but not very well and certainly nobody would pay me for it. Well, it’s the same with travel writing. Lots of us keep journals and post pictures from our trips, but being able to write something people want to read and gain value from is a skill which takes years to perfect.
Being a good writer and a sharp journalist is just one side of it. To be a successful freelancer, you need a certain amount of hustle to get your pitches in front of an editor (who receives hundreds every day) and convince them to allocate some of their very tight budget to commissioning your story.
7. We know everything about everywhere
I am the go-to person in my family and friendship circles for travel advice and recommendations, which makes sense and is kind of flattering. But if you think I know the best places to stay in every city, you’ll be disappointed.
Nevertheless, I do love being asked about where to go, who to go with, any products I’ve tested, etc. When you write articles for publications, it’s a one-sided conversation (unless you read the comments section, not recommended), so it’s nice to actually chat to people who seek your expertise. But I resent it when people ask me to plan their trip as though I’m a travel agent.
Laura Sanders is an award-winning journalist, travel writer and broadcaster based in Birmingham, UK. She’s also host of the True Travel Podcast.