travel article writing

Trending Post : 52 Best Things to do in Ireland

Great Travel Writing Examples from World Renowned Travel Writers

Are you ready to be a better travel writer? One of the best ways to do this is to read great travel writing examples from great travel writers.

Writing about travel in a way that keeps your reader reading is not always easy. Knowing how to write an irresistible first paragraph to entice the reader to keep reading is key. Writing a lede paragraph that convinces the reader to finish the article, story or book is great travel writing. This article features travel writing examples from award-winning travel writers, top-selling books, New York Times travel writers, and award-winning travel blogs.

Ads are how we pay our bills and keep our blog free for you to enjoy. We also use affiliate links; if you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

typewriter with a piece of paper that says travel writer, a notepad and old fashioned pen and cup of coffee.

The writers featured in this article are some of my personal favorite travel writers. I am lucky to have met most of them in person and even luckier to consider many friends. Many I have interviewed on my podcast and have learned writing tips from their years of travel writing, editing and wisdom.

11 Great Travel Writing Examples

Writing with feeling, tone, and point of view creates a compelling story. Below are examples of travel writing that include; first paragraphs, middle paragraphs, and final paragraphs for both travel articles as well as travel books.

I hope the below examples of travel writing inspire you to write more, study great travel writing and take your writing to a higher level.

Writing Example of a Travel Book Closing Paragraphs

Travel writer Don George holding a glass of wine

Don George is the author of the award-winning anthology The Way of Wanderlust: The Best Travel Writing of Don George , and the best-selling travel writing guide in the world: How to Be a Travel Writer .

He is currently Editor at Large for National Geographic Travel, and has been Travel Editor at the San Francisco Examiner-Chronicle, Salon, and Lonely Planet.

I had the wonderful opportunity to see Don speak at Tbex and read from one of his books as well as interview him on the Break Into Travel Writing podcast. You can listen to the full podcast here .

Below is the closing of Don’s ebook: Wanderlust in the Time of Coronavirus: Dispatches from a Year of Traveling Close to Home

I continued hiking up to Lost Trail and then along Canopy View Trail. Around noon I serendipitously came upon a bench by the side of the trail, parked my backpack, and unpacked my lunch. Along with my sandwiches and carrot sticks, I feasted on the tranquility and serenity, the sequoia-swabbed purity of the air, the bird and brook sounds and sun-baked earth and pine needle smells, the sunlight slanting through the branches, the bright patch of blue sky beyond.

At one point I thought of shinrin-yoku, forest bathing, the Japanese practice that has become widely popular in the U.S. This was a perfect example of shinrin-yoku, I thought: Here I am, alone in this forest, immersed in the sense and spirit of these old-growth redwoods, taking in their tranquility and timelessness, losing myself to their sheer size and age and their wild wisdom that fills the air.

I sat there for an hour, and let all the trials, tremors, and tribulations of the world I had left in the parking lot drift away. I felt grounded, calm, quiet—earth-bound, forest-embraced.

In another hour, or two, I would walk back to the main paved trail, where other pilgrims would be exclaiming in awe at the sacred sequoias, just as I had earlier that day.

But for now, I was content to root right here, on this blessed bench in the middle of nowhere, or rather, in the middle of everywhere, the wind whooshing through me, bird-chirps strung from my boughs, toes spreading under scratchy pine needles into hard-packed earth, sun-warmed canopy reaching for the sky, aging trunk textured by time, deep-pulsing, in the heart of Muir Woods.

You can read the whole story here: Old Growth: Hiking into the Heart of Muir Woods
Please also download Don’s free ebook here: Wanderlust in the Time of Coronavirus
In addition to writing and editing, Don speaks at conferences, lectures on tours around the world, and teaches travel writing workshops through www.bookpassage.com .

Writing Example of a Travel Book Intro Paragraphs

Francis tapon.

Francis Tapon , author of Hike Your Own Hike and The Hidden Europe , also created a TV series and book called The Unseen Africa, which is based on his five-year journey across all 54 African countries.

He is a three-time TEDx speaker. His social media username is always FTapon. I interviewed Francis on the Break Into Travel Writing podcast about “How to Find An Original Point of View as a Travel Writer “. You can listen to the full podcast here .

Below is the opening of Francis’ book, The Hidden Europe:

“This would be a pretty lousy way to die,” I thought.

I was locked in an outhouse with no way out. Outhouses sometimes have two latches—one on the outside and one on the inside. The outside latch keeps the door shut to prevent rodents and other creatures who like hanging out in crap from coming in. Somehow, that outer latch accidentally closed, thereby locking me in this smelly toilet. I was wearing a thin rain jacket. The temperature was rapidly dropping.

“This stinks,” I mumbled. It was midnight, I was above the Arctic Circle, and the temperatures at night would be just above freezing. There was no one around for kilometers. If I didn’t get out, I could freeze to death in this tiny, smelly, fly-infested shithole.

My mom would kill me if I died so disgracefully. She would observe that when Elvis died next to a toilet, he was in Graceland. I, on the other hand, was in Finland, not far from Santa Claus. This Nordic country was a jump board for visiting all 25 nations in Eastern Europe.

You can find his book on Amazon: The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us

For $2 a month, you can get Francis’ book as he writes it: Patreon.com/ftapon

Intro (Lede) Paragraph Examples of Great Travel Writing Articles

Michele peterson.

Former banking executive Michele Peterson is a multi-award-winning travel and food writer who divides her time between Canada, Guatemala, and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach).

Former banking executive Michele Peterson is a multi-award-winning travel and food writer who divides her time between Canada, Guatemala, and Mexico (or the nearest tropical beach). Her writing has appeared in Lonely Planet’s Mexico from the Source cookbook, National Geographic Traveler, Conde Nast’s Gold List, the Globe and Mail, Fifty-five Plus and more than 100 other online and print publications.

She blogs about world cuisine and sun destinations at A Taste for Travel website. I met Michele on my first media trip that took place in Nova Scotia, Canada. I also had the pleasure of interviewing about “ Why the Odds are in Your Favor if you Want to Become a Travel Writer” . You can listen to the full podcast here .

Michele’s Lede Paragraph Travel Writing Example

I’m hiking through a forest of oak trees following a farmer who is bleating like a pied piper. Emerging from a gully is a herd of black Iberian pigs, snuffling in response. If they weren’t so focused on following the swineherd, I would run for the hills. These pigs look nothing like the pink-cheeked Babe of Hollywood fame.

These are the world’s original swine, with lineage dating back to the Paleolithic Stone Age period where the earliest humans decorated Spain’s caves with images of wild boars. Their powerful hoofs stab the earth as they devour their prized food, the Spanish bellota acorn, as fast as the farmer can shake them from the tree with his long wooden staff. My experience is part of a culinary journey exploring the secrets of producingjamón ibérico de Bellota, one of the world’s finest hams.

You can read the full article here: Hunting for Jamón in Spain

Perry Garfinkel

Perry Garfinkel has been a journalist and author for an unbelievable 40 years, except for some years of defection into media/PR communications and consulting.

He is a contributor to The New York Times since the late ’80s, writing for many sections and departments. He has been an editor for, among others, the Boston Globe, the Middlesex News, and the Martha’s Vineyard Times.

He’s the author of the national bestseller “ Buddha or Bust: In Search of the Truth, Meaning, Happiness and the Man Who Found Them All ” and “ Travel Writing for Profit and Pleasure “.

Perry has been a guest on my podcast twice. He gave a “ Master Class in Travel Writing ” you can listen to the full podcast here . He also shared “ How to Find Your Point Of View as a Travel Writer ” you can listen to the full episode here .

Perry’s Lede Travel Article Example from the New York Times

SAN FRANCISCO — A block off Grant Avenue in San Francisco’s Chinatown – beyond the well-worn path tourists take past souvenir shops, restaurants and a dive saloon called the Buddha Bar – begins a historical tour of a more spiritual nature. Duck into a nondescript doorway at 125 Waverly Place, ascend five narrow flights and step into the first and oldest Buddhist temple in the United States.

At the Tien Hau Temple, before an intricately carved gilded wooden shrine and ornate Buddha statues, under dozens of paper lanterns, Buddhists in the Chinese tradition still burn pungent incense and leave offerings to the goddess Tien Hau in return for the promise of happiness and a long life.

You can read the full article here: Taking a Buddhist pilgrimage in San Francisco

Elaine Masters

Elaine Masters apologizes for pissing off fellow travelers while tracking story ideas, cultural clues, and inspiring images but can’t resist ducking in doorways or talking with strangers.

She’s recently been spotted driving her hybrid around the North American West Coast and diving cenotes in the Yucatan. Founder of Tripwellgal.com, Elaine covers mindful travel, local food, overlooked destinations and experiences. Elaine was a guest on my podcast where we spoke about “ How to Master the CVB Relationship “. You can listen to the full podcast here .

Elaine’s Lede Example

I jiggered my luggage onto the escalator crawling up to the street. As it rose into the afternoon light, an immense shadow rose over my shoulder. Stepping onto the sidewalk, I burst into giggles, looking like a madwoman, laughing alone on the busy Barcelona boulevard. The shadow looming overhead was the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. It had mesmerized me forty years earlier and it was the reason I’d finally returned to Spain.

You can read the full article here: Don’t Miss Going Inside Sagrada Familia, Barcelona’s Beloved Cathedral

Along with his wife, photographer Mary Gabbett, Bret Love is the Co-Founder/Editor In Chief of Green Global Travel and the Blue Ridge Mountains Travel Guide.

He’s also an award-winning writer whose work has been featured by more than 100 publications around the world, including National Geographic, Rolling Stone, American Way, the Washington Post, and the New York Times.

Bret’s Lede Example

Congo Square is quiet now. Traffic forms a dull drone in the distance. A lone percussionist taps out ancient tribal rhythms on a two-headed drum. An air compressor from Rampart Street road construction provides perfectly syncopated whooshes of accompaniment.

Shaded park benches are surrounded by blooming azaleas, magnolias, and massive live oaks that stretch to provide relief from the blazing midday sun. It’s an oasis of solitude directly across the street from the French Quarter.

Congo Square is quiet now. But it’s here that the seeds of American culture as we know it were sown more than 200 years ago. And the scents, sounds, and sights that originated here have never been more vital to New Orleans than they are now, more than a decade after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city.

You can read the full article here: Treme, New Orleans (How Congo Square Was The Birthplace Of American Culture)

Middle Paragraph Examples of Great Travel Writing Articles

Mariellen ward.

Canadian travel writer and blogger Mariellen Ward runs the award-winning travel site Breathedreamgo.com , inspired by her extensive travels in India.

She has been published in leading media outlets worldwide and offers custom tours to India through her company India for Beginners. Though Canadian by birth, Mariellen considers India to be her “soul culture” and she is passionate about encouraging mindful travel.

Mariellen’s Middle Paragraph Example

While the festival atmosphere swirled around me, I imbued my diya with hope for personal transformation. I had come to India because a river of loss had run through my life, and I had struggled with grief, despair and depression for eight years. I felt I was clinging to the bank, but the effort was wearing me out. Deciding to leave my life and go to India was like letting go of the bank and going with the flow of the river. I had no idea where it would lead me, what I would learn or how I would change. I only knew that it was going to be big.

You can read the full article here: The River: A tale of grief and healing in India

Joe Baur is an author and filmmaker from Cleveland currently based in Berlin. His work has appeared in a variety of international publications, including BBC Travel, National Geographic, and Deutsche Welle.

He regularly reports for the Jewish Telegraphic Agency and is the author of Talking Tico detailing his year of living in Costa Rica and traveling around Central America. I interviewed Joe about “ How to Find Unique Travel Stories “. You can listen to the full podcast here .

Joe Baur’s Middle Paragraph Example

I first became aware of the Harz mountains and the Brocken when reading the works of some of Germany’s great writers, like Goethe and Heinrich Heine. Legends of witches congregating with the devil being the main theme of the mountain’s mythology. I, however, was more interested in a refreshing time spent in nature rather than reveling with the devil.

The first stage from Osterode to Buntenbock was a warm-up to the more rigorous stages ahead. It began on sidewalks before sliding into the forest sporting a healthy shade of green — a gentle jaunt that made my hiking boots feel a bit like overkill given the dry, pleasant weather.

You can read the full article here: Follow the witch through the forest: 5 days hiking Germany’s Harz

Samantha Shea

Samantha is a freelance travel writer with bylines in Matador Network, GoNomad and more. She also runs the travel blog Intentional Detours which provides thorough guides and tales related to offbeat adventure travel in South Asia and beyond.

When she’s not writing she enjoys cycling, hiking, the beach, as well as language learning.

Samantha Shea’s Middle Paragraph Example

Suddenly, the spark of a match pulsed through the early-fall afternoon and my head snapped towards the men. Amir touched the flame to an unidentifiable object that seconds later made itself known by the deep earthy scent of Pakistani hashish.

Amir’s ice blue eyes focused intently on his creation: a combination of tobacco and nuggets of greenish-brown charas. He forced the mixture back into the cigarette, before bringing it to his pursed lips, flicking the match, and setting flame to his high.

I reached out from the cot to take my turn and took a deep inhale, acutely pleased. I savored the familiar burn of the drag, the rows and rows of corn and apple plants in front of me, the stuttered cacophony of animal exclamations behind me, and the generosity of the men to my left, some of whom we had just met an hour before.

You can read the full article here: Thall Tales: A Hazy Afternoon in Thall, Pakistan

Final Paragraph Example of Great Travel Writing Articles

Cassie bailey.

Cassie is a travel writer who has solo backpacked around Asia and the Balkans, and is currently based in Auckland. Alongside in-depth destination guides, her blog has a particular focus on storytelling, mental health, and neurodiversity.

Cassie’s Final Paragraphs Example

So my goal is to feel, I guess. And I don’t mean that in a dirty way (although obvz I do mean that in a dirty way too). This is why we travel, right? To taste crazy new foods and to feel the sea breeze against our skin or the burn on the back of our legs on the way down a mountain. We want to feel like shite getting off night buses at 4am and the sting of mosquito bites. We know we’re going to feel lost or frustrated or overwhelmed but we do it anyway. Because we know it’s worth it for the ecstasy of seeing a perfect view or making a new connection or finding shitty wine after a bad day.

My goal is never to become numb to all of this. To never kid myself into settling for less than everything our bodies allow us to perceive. I’m after the full human experience; every bit, every feeling.

You can read the full article here: Goals inspired by life as a solo backpacker

Lydia Carey

Lydia Carey is a freelance writer and translator based out of Mexico City who spends her time mangling the Spanish language, scouring the country for true stories and “researching” every taco stand in her neighborhood.

She is the author of “ Mexico City Streets: La Roma ,” a guide to one of Mexico City’s most eclectic neighborhoods and she chronicles her life in the city on her blog MexicoCityStreets.com .

Lydia’s Final Paragraphs Example

Guys from the barrio huddle around their motorcycles smoking weed and drinking forties. Entire families, each dressed as St. Jude, eat tacos al pastor and grilled corn on a stick. Police stand at a distance, keeping an eye on the crowd but trying not to get too involved.

After this celebration, many of the pilgrims will travel on to Puebla where they will visit some of the religious relics on display in the San Judas church there. But many more will simply go back to their trades—legal and illegal—hoping that their attendance will mean that San Judas protects them for another year, and that he has their back in this monster of a city.

You can read the full article here: San Judas de Tadeo: Mexico’s Defender of Lost Causes

I hope you enjoyed these examples of travel writing and they have inspired you to want to write more and write better! The next article that will be published is a follow-up to this and will include travel writing examples from my first travel writing teacher, Amanda Castleman. This article will include travel writing tips from Amanda and travel writing examples from her students as well as one from her own writing.

Great Travel Writing Examples from from the best travel writers. Beautiful travel narratives from that offer invaluable insights to better your own writing.

Follow 52 Perfect Days on Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

If you liked it, please share it. Thank you!

Pinterest 1

Alexa Meisler is the editorial director of 52 Perfect Days. Born in Paris, France she has since lived in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. She currently resides in San Diego with her husband and son where they enjoy exploring California and Mexico.

Travel has always been a part of her life; traveling to such places as Morocco, Tangiers and Spain as a young child as well as taking many road trips to Mexico with her grandparents as a young girl. Since then, she has traveled abroad to locations such as Russia, Taiwan and throughout Europe.

Prior to working at 52 Perfect Days she was a freelance travel writer; focusing on family and women’s adventure experiences.

12 Types of Travel Writing Every Writer Should Know

So, you want to be a travel writer?

There are plenty of reality doses out there already, so we’re going to focus on the positives, and what you can do to maximize your chances of travel writing professionally. One of the first steps: you should absolutely know your markets, and what types of travel writing are popular in them. In today’s competitive market, this knowledge can both help you structure your article and target the right audience.

In this post, we break down modern travel writing into three distinct categories: freelance journalism , blogging, and book-writing. Then we identify the prevalent types of travel writing each category is known for, to give you an initial sort of compass in the industry.

Freelance Travel Journalism

The truth is this: the travel sections in major publications (New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal) are slimmer now, so competition will be tall. But there are other outlets. Local newspapers are sometimes open to travel pitches from freelancers. Certain websites pay for travel articles, while magazines can be great for targeting niche audiences.

So what are the common types of freelance travel journalism?

Destination articles

Here, the game’s in the name: destination articles tell readers about a place to which they might want to travel one day. One of the most standard type of travel stories, these pieces act as the armchair reader’s bird-eye view of a place. Useful or interesting facts pepper the writing. History, points of interest, natural scenery, trendy spots: a destination article can touch upon them all within the framework of a broad narrative.

Where the average article gives readers a sense of the destination, the best of the best convinces readers that this is a destination they want, nay, need to visit. As such, though some destination articles are written in first person, the focus is rarely on the writer. Instead, the destination is the star of the show.

For examples of destination articles, check out:

Besalú, the most interesting Spanish village you probably don’t know (LA Times)
In Indonesia (Washington Post)
36 Hours In The Finger Lakes Region of New York (New York Times)

Special-interest articles

Special-interest articles are offshoots of destination articles. Instead of taking the reader on a tour of an entire country or city, these pieces cover one particular aspect of the destination. This kind of writing can cover anything from art in Colombia, ghost towns in the U.S., trekking in Patagonia, alpaca farms in Australia, motorbiking in Brazil, railroads in France, volunteering in Tanzania — you get the gist.

Since special-interest articles are narrower in topic, many writers tailor them for niche magazines or websites. Before you start pitching, we recommend flipping through the Writer’s Handbook , one of the most useful guides to the freelance publishing market, to see which publications fit your target audience.

For a taste of some special-interest articles, see:

Exploring Portugal — From Pork To Port (epicurious.com)
This Unsung Corner of Spain is Home to Fabulous Food (Washington Post)
Karsts of China's Getu River region attract rock climbers, other travelers (CNN Travel)

Holiday and special events

Holiday and special events travel articles ask writers to write about a destination before the event takes place. The biggest global events are magnets for this type of travel writing, such as the World Cup, the Olympics, the World Expo, fashion weeks, and film festivals. Depending on the publication, regional events work just as well.

Want to see what special events pieces look like? Have a read through these:

This summer’s solar eclipse is southern Illinois’ chance to shine (Chicago Tribune)
How To Plan A Trip To The 2016 Rio Olympics (Travel & Leisure)

You’ll recognize a round-up article when you see one, as it’ll go, “40 best beaches in West Europe,” or, perhaps, “20 of the greatest walks in the world!” It’s a classic tool in any magazine or newspaper writer’s toolbox, taking a bunch of destinations and grouping them all under one common thread.

Ultimately, a clear motif makes this type of article a breeze to read, as they’re a play on the ubiquitous List Format. But, OK, before you jump at this excuse to sacrifice your belly at 99 food trucks in New York City, remember that your premise should be original, not to mention practical. What’s tough is coming up with X ways to do Y in the first place, as that demands you put in the travel and research to produce a thorough write-up.

Want even more examples of round-up articles? Here you go:

12 new art exhibits to see this summer (Smithsonian)
21 ways to see America for cheap (Huffington Post)
41 places to go in 2011 (New York Times)

Personal essays

Publishers are experiencing something of a personal essay fatigue , so the market for more might be scarce these days. However, quality trumps all, and a good personal travel essay is just plain good writing in disguise: something that possesses a strong voice while showing insight, growth, and backstory.

Just don’t make it a diary entry. In an interview with The Atlantic , travel writer Paul Theroux said: “The main shortcut is to leave out boring things. People write about getting sick, they write about tummy trouble. They write about waiting. They write three pages about how long it took them to get a visa. I’m not interested in the boring parts. Everyone has tummy trouble. Everyone waits in line. I don’t want to hear about it.”

Here’s a jumping-off point for personal travel essays:

Taking the Great American Roadtrip (Smithsonian)

Have a burning opinion to share? Sometimes publications end up giving op-eds to staff, but there are always open calls for opinion pieces.

Travel op-eds are much rarer than political opinion pieces, but there’s a pattern to the ones that make the cut: good persuasive writing. If you can come at a topic from a unique angle (and argue your case clearly) then you may be able to publish your opinion.

If you’re in the mood for travel op-ed articles, see:

The West Coast Is The Best Coast For Food In America (Food & Wine)
Why Climate Change Is Actually Relevant To Travel (Conde Nast)

Travel Blogging

When typing “travel blog” into Google returns 295 million results, we can guess it’s a fairly competitive market.

Here’s the plus side: bloggers get to write what they want and go where they please. When it comes to blog posts, there are no editors, no gatekeepers. Only you and the “PUBLISH” button.

We won’t go revisit the types of travel writing we covered earlier (such as the roundup format). Instead, we’ll explore some of the other formats bloggers use to tell their travel stories. Since the rules of travel blogging are next to non-existent, our tally below is by no means definitive. And, again, our best advice is to note what your favorite bloggers do on their blogs.

Already running a successful travel blog? You might consider turning that blog into a book !

How-To articles are already fairly popular in magazines, but they’re positively omnipresent in the travel blogging world. Blogs provide a direct communication platform, allowing trust to build up quicker with the readers. As a result, for the search query, “How to travel Europe on a budget,” six out of the top ten results are posts from trusted independent blogs.

A How-To article is the most standard form of advice column a travel blogger can produce. It’s intrinsically useful, promising that it’ll teach something by article’s end. A blogger’s challenge is delivering fully on that promise.

How to read more How-To articles? We got you covered:

How To Start A Travel Blog (Nomadic Matt)
How To Travel Solo To A Party Destination (Adventurous Kate)
How to Visit Penang’s Kek Lok Si Temple (Migrationology)

Itineraries

Itineraries reveal the schedule that the writer took at a given destination, city-by-city or sight-by-sight. They’re meant for the traveler who’s embarking on a similar trip and needs a template. Typically, you’ll find that an itinerary post is an easy place for you to slip in recommendations, anything from the accommodation you used or the restaurants you tried.

You can use itinerary posts to reinforce your blog’s brand. For instance, an itinerary posted on a blog focused around budget travel will probably maximize cost-saving chances.

For more itineraries, see:

My Trip To Japan (A Complete Japan Itinerary)
Backpacking Vietnam on a budget: 2-3 Weeks Itinerary + Tips

Longform posts

Longform travel blogging tells a travel story through extended narrative content, as it takes a week’s worth of adventure and shapes it into a story. Longform blog posts about travel often end up being creative nonfiction : a way to present nonﬁction — factually accurate prose about real people and events — in a compelling, vivid, dramatic manner.

Photography can add another dimension to the form, as Emmanuel Nataf (our co-founder!) shows on his travel blog . And Reedsy's very own Arielle provides a glimpse into why she prefers longform travel writing on her blog, Steps, a Travel Journal :

My favourite kinds of stories are the ones that give you a real sense of place. That’s why I enjoy longform travel blogging: I get to describe the character of a place through the experiences I encountered there.

If you want to dip your toe into the sea of longform posts, you can also read:

The Cow Head Taco Philosopher King of Oaxaca (Legal Nomads)
The Best Worst Museum In The World

When it comes to writing a book, you can take all the challenges about travel writing from above and magnify it times 2,000. If you’re asking readers to commit to you for more than 100 pages, you’d best make sure that your book is worth their while.

As far as examples go, travel writing’s boomed in the mainstream book market recently. But there’s much more to it than Eat, Pray, Love and its descendants.

Travelogues

In travelogues, authors record their adventures in a way that illustrates or sheds insight upon the place itself. Travelogues possess a storied past, from Lady Mary Wortley Montagu’s Turkish Embassy Letters in 1763 to Mark Twain’s 1867 The Innocents Abroad , which paved the way for the sort of comic travelogues that Bill Bryson’s perfected today.

Up for some travelogues? Check out:

Notes From A Small Island , by Bill Bryson
In Patagonia , by Bruce Chatwin
Travels with Charley In Search of America , by John Steinbeck

Travel memoirs

Nowadays, travel memoirs are practically synonymous with Elizabeth Gilbert’s wildly popular Eat, Pray, Love and Cheryl Strayed’s bestselling Wild , which were both recently adapted into Hollywood blockbusters.

That said, be aware that you’ll need a pretty exceptional personal story for your memoir to compete in today’s market . If you’re still set on writing or self-publishing a travel memoir, it’s tricky to balance personal backstory and travel for 400 pages, so think about taking on a professional for a second pair of eyes.

Did you know? You can find Nicki Richesin , a top Bloomsbury editor who’s edited for Cheryl Strayed, on our marketplace.

In addition to Eat, Pray, Love and Wild , you can read:

Under the Tuscan Sun , by Frances Mayes
Coasting , by Jonathan Raban
Wind, Sand, and Stars , by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

As Oscar Wilde said, “I never travel without my diary. One should always keep something sensational to read in the train.” But these days, people are replacing diaries with travel guides — the ubiquitous Lonely Planet becoming one of the more common sights on transit.

Travel writing in guidebooks is straightforward, informative, and fact-filled. In addition, there’s a certain amount of responsibility that comes with the job. Lonely Planet alone is read by millions of travelers worldwide.

General Tips and Guidelines

As we mentioned before, the trick to producing great travel writing is ultimately simply writing well . To that extent, you should make sure to follow all the guidelines of good writing — not least, spell-checking your article before submitting or publishing it anywhere. You don’t want an editor or reader to see it while it stilll reads lik edis.

Also, keep in mind the tone, style, and vibe of the publication and platform (and by extension, your audience). A story about a moon-rock could go into a kid's magazine or it could go into Scientific America .

Finally, some category-specific tips:

If you’re freelance writing, always check submission guidelines. Publications may accept only pitches or they may welcome articles “on spec” (pre-written articles). Some sources only take travel articles that were written within 6 months of the trip.
If you’re blogging, brand your website (same advice if you’re an author who’s building an author website ).
If you’re writing a book, get a professional editor! An unedited book is an unwieldy thing, and professional eyes provide direction, continuity, and assonance. ( Layout designers can be important if you’re publishing a travel photography book, in the meanwhile.)

Travel writing isn't a cinch. In fact, it's a long and often hard grind. But by figuring out what type of travel writing you want to try your hand at, you're taking the crucial first step.

Have you tried travel writing before? Want to show us the cool travel blog that you're keeping? We're always in the mood for great travel writing + pretty pictures. Leave us a note in the comments and we'll be sure to check it out!

7 responses

Amanda Turner says:

20/03/2018 – 16:20

Thank you, this was very helpful. Here's one of mine: http://vagabondingwithkids.com/every-mothers-guide-to-piranha-fishing-in-the-amazon/

Travalerie says:

24/05/2018 – 18:42

I landed on this page Googling for one thing and coming up with another. Haha! But what I found instead was helpful as I'm devouring as much as I can on travel writing. A few months ago, I started a new travel business, revamped my website including a new blog, and am in the process of writing, writing, writing. I took 2 trips this year so far and wrote what seemed like a mini-novella. Burning out in the process. I know I can do better. But I had no idea what I was writing could be re-worked to fit a certain category of travel writing -- which is what I found helpful in this post above. Thanks https://www.travalerie.com/blog

Surya Thakur says:

04/03/2019 – 12:39

Very good information. Lucky me I discovered your blog by chance (stumbleupon). I’ve saved as a favorite for later! KuLLuHuLLs

David Bishop says:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

Thanks for this good article. I'm in my third year on the road and recently started my senior solo adventure travel website. I think my site has some pretty good stuff, of course. Take a look and tell me what you think. www.davidhunterbishop.com

Iris C. Permuy says:

23/05/2019 – 18:03

Thank you very much for all of these useful pieces of advice. I will make sure to implement them all on my travel blog, which is a combination of travel and gastronomy and uses the memoir and itinerary types, apart from recipes. Come check it out if you feel like it! I am more than open, eager for some professional feedback :)

Serissa says:

26/10/2019 – 14:53

This post is the perfect diving board for aspiring travel writers. I plan to link to this page from my travel blog if that is alright! ?? The link on my website will appear as "[title of this post] by Reedsy Blog". I assume this is alright, but if not, please email me directly to let me know! Thanks so much!

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

29/10/2019 – 10:11

We'd be absolutely delighted if you shared this article on your blog :)

Comments are currently closed.

Continue reading

What is Tone in Literature? Definition & Examples

We show you, with supporting examples, how tone in literature influences readers' emotions and perceptions of a text.

Writing Cozy Mysteries: 7 Essential Tips & Tropes

We show you how to write a compelling cozy mystery with advice from published authors and supporting examples from literature.

Man vs Nature: The Most Compelling Conflict in Writing

What is man vs nature? Learn all about this timeless conflict with examples of man vs nature in books, television, and film.

The Redemption Arc: Definition, Examples, and Writing Tips

Learn what it takes to redeem a character with these examples and writing tips.

How Many Sentences Are in a Paragraph?

From fiction to nonfiction works, the length of a paragraph varies depending on its purpose. Here's everything you need to know.

Narrative Structure: Definition, Examples, and Writing Tips

What's the difference between story structure and narrative structure? And how do you choose the right narrative structure for you novel?

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

Bring your publishing dreams to life

The world's best freelance editors, designers, and marketers are on Reedsy. Sign up for free and meet them TODAY.

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy. Come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

Dan Linstead | 28 December 2021

10 top tips for writing inspiring travel articles.

Want to begin your travel writing career in 2022? Start with this advice – from having a clear storyline and using dialogue, to beginning with a killer first paragraph...

1. Have a clear storyline in mind

A trip is not a story in itself, it’s just a series of events. Some of these events will be interesting (you made it up Kilimanjaro!) and some will not (you arrived back at the airport on time).

That said, what makes an event interesting depends on the story you want to tell. A rriving back to the airport on time could be interesting, but only if your story was about how everything ran late while you were in Tanzania.

So, as a writer, your first job is to decide on the particular story you want to tell, and the events which make up that story, and ensuring all of those events are interesting or useful to the reader.

To see the kinds of stories that get published, look at the bold line of introductory copy (known as ‘standfirsts’ in the trade) of articles in papers, magazines and websites. Try writing the standfirst for your own story, and then use it as your brief.

2. Make sure your article has a purpose or goal

Is crossing Costa Rica your goal or purpose? (Shutterstock)

Some trips have a physical objective (like reaching the top of Kilimanjaro, crossing Costa Rica, or seeing a tiger) that gives your article direction and purpose. The reader (hopefully) sticks with you because they want to know if you’ll achieve your goal.

But many trips don’t have an obvious goal. They are more about discovering a place, unpicking its history or meeting its people. In this case, create a personal goal to give your reader a sense of where you’re taking them.

Sentences like “I wanted to discover…” or “I was keen to understand…” give readers an idea of what’s to come, instead of you simply plunging them into the unknown.

3. Edit your experience to fit your story

Stories have characters, dialogue, pace, plot, suspense, drama – and all of those things need shaping and organising to hold the reader's attention.

Once you know your storyline, gather the experiences that fit it – and dump the rest. Most travel articles will be 1,000 to 2,000 words long. That's only 10 to 20 paragraphs, so you don’t have time for detours.

4. Write an irresistible first paragraph

You can start a travel article any way you like, as long as it grabs the reader’s attention. You can use drama, humour, dialogue, (or all three) – but those first sentences must grip like glue.

Many travel articles start in media res – in the thick of the story – and then backtrack to explain how you happened to be in this situation. Give this a try if you aren't sure of another way in.

Put yourself in the reader's shoes - what would grip you to keep reading? If you're unsure, our travel writing prompts will help you get there.

5. Include dialogue

Saw a tiger on your trip? What did you have to say about it? (Shutterstock)

“Look! There! The tiger is on the prowl,” whispered Joseph. Or: "we could see the tigers heading off hunting." Which sentence is more interesting to read?

Dialogue brings a scene to life, gives personality to the people in your story, and allows you to convey important information in a punchy way. Whenever you travel, make notes of what people say and how they say it, so you can refer to your conversations accurately when you come to write your article.

6. Value the difference between 'show' and 'tell'

‘Showing’ and ‘telling’ are two everyday storytelling techniques you probably use without realising.

Showing is when you slow down your writing and describe a scene in detail – what you saw, tasted, heard, felt – you are showing the reader the world through your eyes. Telling is simply moving the story along: "We returned to the tents for a well-earned rest."

Articles typically switch repeatedly between the drama of ‘showing’ and the practical economy of ‘telling’ – you need both, so include a good mix in your feature.

7. Aim to entertain the reader, not impress them

Novice writers often try to pack their writing with complicated phrases or recherché nomenclature (like that). Fortunately, it's not necessary, as the point of an article is to entertain and inform the reader, not show off your literary prowess.

Good writers tend more to follow Hemingway’s maxim: “My aim is to put down on paper what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way.” That doesn’t mean you can’t be playful and experimental – just don’t do it at the reader’s expense.

8. Use vivid language to describe your surroundings

Travel articles are peppered with meaningless words and phrases: stunning, incredible, pretty, diverse; ‘land of contrasts’, ‘melting pot’, ‘bustling’. They surely apply to your destination, but they could also be applied to thousands of destinations worldwide.

We'd recommend trying to use language that is specific to what you’re describing, and which allows readers to paint a picture in their mind’s eye. Make an effort to switch up the descriptive words you use.

9. Leave signposts throughout the article

Where are you headed? Let the reader follow your journey (Shutterstock)

If you’re wandering around a strange country without a guidebook, you look for signposts. So do readers as they travel through your story. Every few paragraphs, tell them where you’re going next and remind them of your ultimate goal.

For example, you could write: ‘The next day we travelled from Tokyo to Hirosaki.’ Or you could signpost things a little, by writing: "It was tempting to linger in Tokyo’s restaurants, but my search for Japan’s best sake would next take me deep into the countryside." 'Aha', thinks the reader: I can see where this is going, and why – I’ll keep tagging along.

10. Give yourself time to finish

In an effort to include every fascinating tidbit, too may travel articles finish like a high-speed train hitting the buffers, leaving readers dazed and confused. With a paragraph to spare, put the brakes on and start setting up your conclusion.

Show your readers that the end is nigh. Think about where you started, and reflect on the journey. Try to sum up the experience. And - though it may well be true - come up with something more specific than, ‘I would just have to come back another time.’

More travel writing guidance:

How to turn your travel passion into a blog, a few key travel writing mistakes to avoid, the top travel blogs you must read, related articles, looking for inspiration.

Join our newsletter

Get the very best of Wanderlust by signing up to our newsletters, full of travel inspiration, fun quizzes, exciting competitions and exclusive offers.

Article Writing Affordable Article Writing Services
Blog Writing Blogs that optimise your visibility
Product Description Website that optimise your visibility
Website Writing Website that optimise your visibility
Proofreading Website that optimise your visibility
Translation Website that optimise your visibility
Agriculture Affordable Article Writing Services
Health & Beauty Blogs that optimise your visibility
Automotive Website that optimise your visibility
Sports & fitness Website that optimise your visibility
Real Estate Website that optimise your visibility
Entertainment Website that optimise your visibility
Blogs Affordable Article Writing Services
Samples Blogs that optimise your visibility
Case Study Website that optimise your visibility

travel article writing tips & tricks | content writing for travel companies | tips for writing travel articles

5 Expert Tips & Tricks of Travel Article Writing

Travel article writing is a form of content writing that can help you attract, inform, and inspire your target audience. Whether you want to showcase your destinations, services, offers, or stories, travel article writing can help you connect with your potential customers and increase your brand visibility.

The global online travel market size was valued at USD 795.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.1% from 2021 to 2028. While many travel companies failed to be a part of such rapid growth, there is one that took advantage of powerful travel article writing to grow their business in a short period.

Airbnb launched its own magazine, Airbnb Magazine, in 2017, which features stories from hosts and travellers around the world. It allowed Airbnb to gain loyal subscribers who were interested in such experiences.

Moreover, Airbnb saw a significant revenue bump after the launch of its magazine. Due to its real value-adding properties and gorgeous aesthetics, the magazine has won several awards for its design and content and has a circulation of over 1 million.

In this article, we will go through such characteristics that enable travel article writing a success for travel companies and travel agencies.

Who are we? Content Whale is a complete content writing company specializing in 30+ content writing domains, such as blogs & article writing, magazine articles, graphic design, website content writing, etc.

We serve 33+ industries, out of which the travel & tourism industry is one of our niche industries. We have served travel companies such as MakeMyTrip, Redbus, Thomas Cook, TripAdvisor, etc., providing affordable travel article writing solutions.

If you are a travel company looking for affordable travel article writing services to grow rapidly in the market, Content Whale will be a viable solution for you.

However, if you are writing one yourself, ensure that it is unique and adds value to your audience. But how can you ensure your write travel articles stand out from the crowd and resonate with your audience? Here are some travel article writing tips and best practices to keep in mind.

1. Practical Niche-Specific Research for Travel Article Writing

How to research for writing travel articles | Travel article writing tips and tricks

Let’s say you are a travel company that offers customized tours to Japan. You want to write an article about the best places to visit in Tokyo during cherry blossom season. How would you do your research?

a) First, identify your target audience and their pain points, goals, interests, and preferences:

• Google Analytics – to find which page of your website your audience relates to the most and what bounces them off your website.

• Different SM Insights – Behaviour of your social media followers on different posts related to Japan & Tokyo.

• SurveyMonkey – To understand your email subscribers’ CTRs, interests, and successful email campaigns.

• Google Trends/BuzzSumo – popular or trending topics in the travel niche related to Tokyo & Cherry Blossom.

b) Now you can collect the right information for travel article writing:

• Wikipedia – To collect credible data on Japan’s history, culture & attractions. (Check the reference section to ensure the data is reliable.)

• TripAdvisor – for experts’ opinions, people reviews & recommendation places & hotels in Tokyo.

• Lonely Planet – for travel guides on how to travel more efficiently & economically.

• Instagram/Pinterest – for visual inspiration or user-generated content on Tokyo’s cherry blossom spots.

c) Finally, organize everything in one place. Some widely used tools are:

• Evernote/Google Docs – for notes, key points, and creating outlines.

• Excel/Google Sheets – for creating charts, graphs, or tables to visualize your data.

If you don’t want to invest your time into writing travel articles yourself, you can always outsource to us at Content Whale .

2. The Right Way of Content Writing for Travel Companies (ft. Funnel Model)

Content Writing for Travel Companies through storytelling | Tips to travel article writing

One of the most important aspects of travel article writing is storytelling. Storytelling increases the likelihood of readers remembering the information. According to a Stanford study , people are 22 times more likely to remember a fact when it is embedded in a story, rather than presented as a raw data point.

Additionally, storytelling can help you convey your message, and showcase your brand personality, and persuade your readers to take action.

But how do you tell a good story in a travel article? One of the methods you can use is the funnel model. The funnel model allows you to structure your story from broad to specific, general to personal, and abstract to concrete. The funnel theory consists of four stages: hook, overview, details, and call-to-action.

a) Hook: It’s the first sentence or paragraph of your travel article that should be able to hook your audience, alluring them to read more. The hook can be a question, a quote, a statistic, a fact, a joke, a story, or anything else that sparks curiosity or interest.

A dramatic hook is one of the most powerful hooks in travel article writing. However, a ‘ Do-you-know’ bit or a rhetorical question also works with almost the same efficacy.

examples of travel articles | Travel Article Writing Tips

b) Overview: The overview is the second part of your article that gives the reader an idea of what the article is about and why they should care. The overview can be a summary, a thesis statement, a problem statement, a benefit statement, or anything else that explains the purpose or value of your article.

Examples of travel articles | Tips for writing travel articles For example: “Cherry blossom season is one of the most popular times to visit Japan. It’s a time when the country transforms into a pink wonderland of flowers and festivities. However, with so many options and attractions in Tokyo alone, it can be hard to decide where to go and what to do. That’s why we’ve created this guide for you. In this article, we’ll show you some of the best places to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo, as well as some tips on how to make the most of your trip.”

c) Details: The details are the third part of your article that provide the main information, evidence, or arguments that support your overview. The details can be facts, figures, examples, anecdotes, quotes, or anything else that adds depth and credibility to your article.

Examples of travel articles | Writing travel articles tips For example: “One of the most iconic places to see cherry blossoms in Tokyo is the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden. This park covers 144 acres and features more than 1,000 cherry trees of different varieties. You can enjoy a picnic under the trees, stroll along the paths, or visit the greenhouses and museums. The park is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and costs 500 yen (about $5) to enter.”

d) Call-to-action: The call-to-action is the final part of your article that tells the reader what to do next. The call-to-action can be a link, a button, a coupon, a phone number, an email address, or anything else that encourages the reader to take action.

Examples of travel articles | Content Writing for travel companies For example: “Ready to experience the magic of cherry blossom season in Tokyo? Book your customized tour with us today and get a 10% discount on your first trip. Just fill out this form, and we’ll get back to you with a personalized itinerary and quote.”

If you are not sure about how you’ll pull this off, let us handle the writing part for you. Connect with your dedicated account manager now!

3. SEO Content Writing for Travel Companies

There is no doubt that SEO improves your website’s visibility and ranking on search engines. It helps creating content that is relevant, useful, and engaging for your target audience, as well as optimized for search engines.

According to a study by BrightEdge , organic search accounts for 53% of all website traffic. This means that more than half of your potential customers are reaching out to you from search results. Hence, SEO content writing is highly important for your travel company.

How do you write SEO content for travel companies? Here are some tips and best practices to follow:

• Keyword density (1-2%)

• Meta Tags (Insertion of keywords)

• Mobile Optimization (Average 50% of users are mobile users)

• Image Size (As small as possible to load faster)

• Image Alt Text (Relevant to images and, if possible, keyword insertion)

• Snippets (Brief description of the topic)

• FAQs (Relevant to the target audience)

However, if you wish to have a detailed explanation of SEO, check out this article .

Don’t be overwhelmed, you can always rely on a professional and affordable travel article writing company. Share your requirements with us!

4. Travel Article Writing & Tourism Article Writing

Travel Article Writing & Tourism Article Writing What is the difference between travel article writing and Tourism article writing

Travel article writing is more focused on the personal experiences, opinions, and emotions of the writer or traveler. Tourism article writing focuses more on the factual information, features, and benefits of a destination or service.

Differences between travel article writing & tourism article writing:

a) Travel article writing:

• More subjective, creative, and narrative

• Uses storytelling techniques such as anecdotes, dialogue, sensory details, humor, or suspense to engage the reader’s attention and imagination.

• Uses the first-person point of view (“I”) to share the writer’s perspective and personality.

b) Tourism article writing:

• More objective, informative, and persuasive

• Uses data-driven techniques such as statistics, facts, examples, quotes, or testimonials to establish credibility and authority.

• Uses the third-person point of view (“they” or “it”) to present a neutral or professional tone.

How can travel brands leverage both types of content writing? By using them for different purposes and audiences.

Travel article writing can inspire, entertain, and connect with potential customers looking for travel ideas or inspiration. For example:

• You can use travel article writing to showcase your brand’s unique selling proposition, such as personalized tours, local guides, or cultural immersion.

Tourism article writing can be used to inform, educate, and convince potential customers who are looking for travel information or solutions. For example:

• You can use tourism article writing to showcase your brand’s competitive advantages, such as its prices, discounts, or guarantees.

5. Use of Visual Elements While Writing Travel Articles

Importance of Visuals in travel articles | Content Writing for travel companies

Visual elements are an essential part of travel article writing. Visual elements can help you attract and retain the reader’s attention, enhance your message, and increase your conversion rate.

How can travel brands use visual elements while writing travel articles? Here are some tips and best practices to follow:

a) Use of high-quality and relevant visuals for writing travel articles:

• Can include images, videos, infographics, maps, charts, graphs, or icons.

• Clear, sharp, original, authentic, and diverse.

• Use tools like Unsplash, Pixabay, Pexels, Freepik, etc. for royalty-free images or videos.

• Use tools like Canva or Piktochart to create your own infographics or charts.

• Illustrate your points, provide evidence, or evoke emotions.

b) Incorporate your branding elements in your travel articles:

• Find the right colors, use tools like Coolors, Adobe Color, etc.

c) Finally, optimize your articles for SEO & performance:

• Use keywords in your file names, alt texts, captions, and titles.

• Right image formats, sizes, and compression.

• To reduce file size, use tools like TinyPNG, Compressor.io, etc.

Final Words

Travel article writing is a powerful way to grow your travel brand and reach your target audience. By following the tips and best practices we’ve shared in this article, you can create travel articles that are informative, engaging, and effective.

However, we know that travel article writing can be challenging and time-consuming. That’s why we’re here to help. As we mentioned initially, we have worked with many travel & tourism brands for their travel article writing requirements. Hence, we believe, we can benefit you as well, with our affordable travel article writing services.

You can contact us here to get started.

Q. What is a travel feature article?

A travel feature article is a type of travel article that focuses on a specific aspect or theme of a destination or experience. A travel feature article usually provides more depth, detail, and insight than a regular travel article. A travel feature article can be written in different styles, such as descriptive, narrative, persuasive, or informative.

Q. How do you write a travel article?

To write a travel article, you need to follow these steps:

• Choose a topic and a purpose for your travel article.

• Do research on your topic and audience.

• Create an outline for your travel article.

• Write the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion of your travel article.

• Edit and proofread your travel article.

• Add visual elements and optimize your travel article for SEO.

Q. What is the aim of travel writing?

The aim of travel writing is to inform, entertain, inspire, or persuade the reader about a destination or experience. Travel writing can also help writers express their thoughts, feelings, or opinions about a destination or experience.

Q. How to find SEO article writers?

To find SEO article writers, you can use different methods, such as:

• Searching online platforms or directories that connect clients with freelance writers.

• Asking for referrals or recommendations from your network or industry peers.

• Hiring a content writing service that specializes in SEO article writing.

Q. Why Content Whale?

Content Whale is a content writing service that offers high-quality and SEO-friendly content for various niches and purposes. Content Whale has a team of professional and experienced writers who can create content that meets your needs and expectations. Content Whale also offers fast delivery, affordable prices, unlimited revisions, and a 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Hi, I talk about tips and tricks about content writing, storytelling, funneling, and more!

More details for blogs

SEO best practices for blog writing | Blog writing SEO techniques | SEO writing practices for blogs

SEO Best Practices for Blog Writing in 2024

So, what are the SEO best practices for writing blogs in 2024? SEO is imminent for blog writing. Blogs and articles are different forms of content marketing that can help you attract, educate, and convert your audience. However, to achieve these goals, you need to make sure that your blog is visible and relevant to […]

How To Choose A Content Writing Company?

How to choose a content writing company? What factors are involved? What to consider? Let’s understand. Selecting the right content writing company is a pivotal decision that can significantly influence your business’s digital footprint. Content is the backbone of online engagement, driving traffic, generating leads, and increasing sales. The right content partner enhances your brand’s […]

how to write a listicle with best listicle writing tips

How to Write a Listicle [Best Writing Tips + 3 Free Examples]

Discover top strategies for crafting engaging listicles with our expert. Check out 3 free examples that you can use for your next content piece.

Need assistance with something

Speak with our expert right away to receive free service-related advice.

National Geographic content straight to your inbox—sign up for our popular newsletters here

INTELLIGENT TRAVEL

The New World of Travel Writing

As a writer, editor, and teacher, I care about travel writing that matters. My own journey of learning about and reflecting on the ever-evolving world of travel writing and publishing is a continual one, propelled each year by the Book Passage Travel Writers and Photographers Conference , held each summer in the Bay Area, where I live. Even more recently, I was thrilled to attend the Melbourne Writers Festival and TBEX travel bloggers gathering as a guest speaker—where the conversation gained momentum.

One of my prime lessons this year has been the fact that today, what might be called “mainstream travel writing” encompasses a broader spectrum than ever before. This stretches all the way from the traditional independent journalism that newspapers and magazines have been publishing since well before I enterered this field three decades ago, to a kind of cutting-edge destination marketing that includes blog posts and other writing as part of a larger package negotiated with a destination marketing organization or other travel-related company.

One importance of this for the budding travel writer is the fact that there are more ways than ever to make money writing about travel. Bearing in mind that for the vast majority of writers, the money to be made in this way is still “icing on the top” rather than the career cake itself, it can still be inspiring and encouraging to realize the full range of options out there, from writing for third-party outlets (publications, websites) to working with travel-related companies such as luggage and clothing manufacturers, hotels, airlines, and tourism boards.

The issue this ever-broadening spectrum has raised for me is a thorny one that has been around for a long time in one guise or another, but that seems even more central now. Namely: Who controls the content?

In the traditional publishing world in which I grew up professionally, publications paid for their content by running advertisements. There was a generally well-respected division between “church” and “state”—editorial and advertising.

Legendary travel writer and editor Don George shares his thoughts on his craft (Photograph by Dan Westergren)

When I was travel editor at the San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle , the most we blurred this division was when we published “special sections,” usually themed by geography—Asia, Europe, the Caribbean, and so on. The closest we came to merging editorial and advertising (there’s even a name for it now, “advertorial”) was when we did sections on Mexico and Hawaii. At one point, the newspaper’s ad salespeople approached me saying, “Such-and-such resort will buy a full-page ad if we can guarantee to include a story about them. Can you do that?” And my answer would always be, “No. All I can guarantee is that the main articles will be about some aspect of Hawaii.”

I leapt from print into cyberspace in 1995. In the two decades since then, at most, if not all print publications, these church-state divisons have become increasingly blurred—but at many, the notion of editorial independence from advertising is still a cherished principle (though the degree to which it is followed is often scaled to how financially robust the media outlet happens to be).

On some of the new content islands that have risen via the plate tectonics of online publishing, however, these distinctions are irrelevant. Some self-publishing content creators now approach a destination or a travel provider and say, “We want to work with you. We can offer you a full menu that includes blog posts, tweets and Twitter chats, Facebook shares, Instagrams, and Pinterest pins, plus appearances at conferences and conventions. We’ll work with you to help you get your message across. And it will cost you this much.”

Clearly, this isn’t travel journalism, nor does it pretend or claim to be; this is essentially marketing. And while in the Old School part of my brain, this kind of content is immediately editorially suspect, I’ve learned that doing marketing of this kind doesn’t have to mean sacrificing standards. High-quality storytelling can be incorporated into these efforts. In the same way that three decades ago nonfiction appropriated the stylistic elements of fiction to create the New Journalism , we might say that today, the best cutting-edge marketing is appropriating the traditional storytelling elements of travel writing to create the New Marketing.

What this relationship does ultimately entail, though, is a sacrifice of independence. The message is finally dictated by the destination or company that is paying for it. Does this mean that the New Marketing creators blindly produce whatever their payers ask them to? No. The best ones work with the payer to try to ensure that the quality of its offering is as high and appealing as it can be, so that they can promote it with passion and conscience intact. In this sense, they actually provide a further service.

But what worries me about this model is that, taken to its ultimate extension, it would mean that travel coverage would depend directly on budget. Destinations and companies that have little or no budgets for promotion would fall off the metaphorical map.

A big part of what I loved about being travel editor at the Examiner & Chronicle was that I got to shape and share a little world each week. Every Sunday I’d have one story about Asia, one about Europe, one about North America. I’d cover South America every other week, and the Middle East and Africa at least once a month. I’d combine articles every Sunday to create a picture-puzzle mix of travel styles and budgets, tips and tales.

This world was a reflection of me, of course, and of my thinking about my readership—but my desire to engage, inform, and inspire that readership was what fueled my editorial decisions each day. That same desire also fueled my own decisions about where to travel on the newspaper’s dime, and what subjects to write about. Where the funding was coming from to publish the section was almost never a factor in my decisions.

So, a related question this new world of travel content raises for me is this: Where is the consumer in this new equation? The consumer, the reader, was truly paramount for me. In the new world of travel content creation, there is a danger that the reader is being reduced to an afterthought, useful chiefly as a statistic—an accumulation of fans, likes, unique visitors—that can be used to convince a travel company to employ one’s services.

These twin reductions—in the range of destinations covered and in the attention given to readers’ interests and needs—diminish both the world of travel storytelling and the actual world which is the subject of that content.

These are the thoughts my own wanderings in the past few months have inspired, and they’ve raised further questions: Going forward, who decides editorial focus? Who vets editorial content? If the funding for independent third-party travel outlets such as newspapers, magazines, and websites dries up, who will dictate the content? If there’s no budget to pay independent travel writers, how can they maintain their independence? Who will pay for the mind-expanding narratives that explore the wide world outside and the soul-stretching essays that explore the wide world inside? Whither travel publishing?

I’ve also become convinced that more than ever, individual travel writers are becoming the gatekeepers—the stewards—of the planet that readers see, regardless of medium. In this regard, the following guidelines seem urgently critical to me:

1. Transparency is key. It’s important to be clear about—and to state clearly—who funded your travel and your content. Readers won’t necessarily think less of you or trust your descriptions and assertions less if you reveal that you were the guest of a destination. But they may well think less of you—and question your content more keenly—if you don’t share this information up front and they discover it some other way instead.

Nat Geo Expeditions

2. Integrity is essential. No matter who is paying for you, you have to maintain your own quality guidelines and principles. Integrity is the bedrock of readers’ trust in you. Don’t promote something you don’t believe in. Don’t tell us something is wonderful if you don’t really think it is.

3. Quality in creation is still paramount. Do the best you can to make your writing accurate, detailed, and lively. All the tips I wrote earlier this year about creating quality—attention to passion points, sensual details, music, meaning—are critically important in this emerging new world.

4. Honor yourself, honor your subject, honor your reader. Know your subject and your audience thoroughly, tailor your content to serve that audience, and create the most passionate, evocative, engaging, and connected work that you can.

5. Cultivate your sense of respect, gratitude, and wonder. Those of us who get to travel the world on someone else’s dime, whether on assignment or on a press trip, are incalculably lucky. It’s essential that we bear this in mind and keep our experiences in perspective—and that we continue to connect with the core of wonder that inspired us to travel this path in the first place. Honoring our shared craft in this way will enhance and enrich us all.

Don George is an editor at large at Traveler a nd the author of Lonely Planet’s Guide to Travel Writing . He has also edited several award-winning travel-writing anthologies, including Better Than Fiction . Follow Don on Twitter @don_george .

> Related:

Travel Writing Tips From Don George
More Travel Writing Tips From Don George
The Quality Quotient: Travel Writing That Matters

Hay-on-Wye and beyond: 5 of the UK & Ireland's best spring literary festivals

10 of the best hotels in Tokyo, from charming ryokans to Japanese onsen retreats

For hungry minds.

Where to stay in Denver, gateway to the Rockies

10 of the best hotels in Vienna, from film-star boltholes to baroque beauties

Want to travel like a local? Sleep in a Mongolian yurt or an Amish farmhouse

10 of the best new hotels in Japan, from traditional ryokans to tropical treehouses

Where to stay in Zanzibar, Tanzania's 'spice island'

Environment
Perpetual Planet

History & Culture

History & Culture
History Magazine
Gory Details
Mind, Body, Wonder
Paid Content
Terms of Use
Privacy Policy
Your US State Privacy Rights
Children's Online Privacy Policy
Interest-Based Ads
About Nielsen Measurement
Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information
Nat Geo Home
Attend a Live Event
Book a Trip
Inspire Your Kids
Shop Nat Geo
Visit the D.C. Museum
Learn About Our Impact
Support Our Mission
Advertise With Us
Customer Service
Renew Subscription
Manage Your Subscription
Work at Nat Geo
Sign Up for Our Newsletters
Contribute to Protect the Planet

The Best Travel Writing of 2021: Our Favorite Stories of the Year

Tom Lowry , Skift

December 28th, 2021 at 1:30 AM EST

In a year when travel's recovery began, only to sputter, the pandemic was still a story for Skift that just kept giving. Our reporters and editors kept their heads down on crisis coverage, but shared some of the adrenaline too, on other worthy travel topics. Here's our team members' favorites, and how those stories came to be, in their own words.

The first year of the pandemic was an extraordinary achievement for Skift’s team of reporters and editors covering the unparalleled crisis in real time. Year two tested the mettle of the team in new ways, as glimmers of hope seesawed with the heartbreak of setbacks. But the journalism was no less exceptional in 2021.

As I am at this time every year, I am proud upon reflection of what Skift’s journalists accomplished. As is our tradition, I once again asked the difficult question of every reporter and editor who each produce a couple hundred stories a year: Which one was your favorite? They delivered, of course, explaining why the story was their favorite, and how it came to be.

We hope you find that our favorites are yours, too.

Edward Russell, Airlines Reporter

Behind-The-Scenes With American Demothballing Jets From Pandemic Storage

The Backstory: After writing so much about airlines pulling down their schedules, parking jets, and threatening to furlough staff, it was refreshing to actually see how airlines were recovering. In this case, how American Airlines put their jets back in the air to be ready for the then-forecast surge in summer travel. I flew to American’s largest maintenance base in Tulsa, Okla., to see exactly how the carrier did this. The team in Tulsa walked me step-by-step through the process of checking and re-checking every flap, seal, door, and crevice to make sure they were up to par for carrying passengers again.

What really struck me on my visit to Tulsa was how, for all the doom and gloom around the pandemic, the dedicated professionals at American never ceased working hard to make sure every aircraft was safe and ready to fly. Even for the seemingly thankless task of keeping black widow spiders from building webs in wheel wells.

Matthew Parsons , Corporate Travel Editor

Companies Face Challenge of Inclusivity on Travel for Remote Workers

The Backstory: The conversation around business travel shifted even further to remote work In 2021, as the phenomenon flipped from temporary measure to mainstream movement. It spring-boarded countless scenarios, mostly tinged with tourism because destinations saw plenty of marketing opportunities.

But among the images of work and play, I was struck by a conversation I had with the co-founder of a community interest organization who wants to level the playing field. Talking with Lorraine Charles of Na’amal , I was reminded the brave new world of remote work doesn’t revolve around middle and high-income countries, where people have ample opportunity to travel and work where they please.

Charles’ mission is to make remote work available for refugees, for people who don’t have the privilege of a U.S. or European passport, or the means to hop from one sun-kissed island to another with their laptop. She told me she wanted to help convert refugees into employees by training them on the softer skills needed, like Zoom meeting etiquette, then help them connect with potential employers.

In the same way travel broadens horizons for a tourist, does the same apply to an organization that recruits outside of its comfort zone? Later on in the year the topic was broached by immigration lawyer David Cantor , while the growing need for intercultural communications also emerged as a one-to-watch topic during 2021.

The plight of refugees around the world was brought home as we witnessed crises such as the large-scale evacuations from Kabul, and the tragedies of migrants in France attempting to cross the channel to the UK. Climate migration may also become a factor in the years ahead.

A lot of progress has been made in diversity and inclusion over the past few years, and this is one area that I imagine, or hope, more organizations will address over the coming years.

Sean O’Neill , Senior Travel Tech Editor

What Accor’s Top Technology Executive Has to Say May Surprise You

The Backstory : This year, we launched Skift’s first Travel Tech Briefing , a guide for travel executives to decide if their company should “build, buy, or partner” to stay ahead in enterprise technology.

I was delighted that the first edition spotlighted Floor Bleeker, who gave his first interview since becoming Accor’s chief technology officer. The hotel giant had taken a contrarian tech strategy but hadn’t publicly discussed it before.

Until recently, Accor had planned to centralize its core technology systems. That’s a common trend among many large hotel groups. But around the time Bleeker came on board, the company decided to give up its plan to centralize its core technology systems. It will now be running multiple property management systems instead, allowing owners to tap upstart players, such as Treebo and Mews, after it certifies them.

While the move may seem like small potatoes to an outsider, the decision is significant for the hotel technology sector. It allows smaller players to compete to provide critical software to properties. Guests could be the ultimate beneficiary as competition may spur faster innovation in how hotels interact with guests.

Madhu Unnikrishnan , Editor, Airline Weekly

The United Airlines Engine Failure Is a Story Being Wildly Botched by Media: Commentary

The Backstory : On February 20, 2021, one of the two engines on a United Airlines Boeing 777 exploded in spectacular fashion, showering a Denver suburb with wreckage and terrifying passengers with sights of flames shooting out of the jet. The story dominated U.S. television news for several days, and pundits spouted dire predictions about Boeing’s future and the safety of commercial aviation.

Granted, it’s been an exceedingly difficult few years for Boeing, after two fatal crashes grounded its best-selling 737 Max for almost two years (forcing Boeing to admit that the aircraft’s flight-control software was flawed and responsible for the crashes); Federal Aviation Administration inspections of its 787 have halted delivery of a long-range aircraft airlines depend on; and its 777X has been delayed by several years. Boeing has gotten a lot of things wrong in recent years, but the United 777 failure was not one.

There’s an old adage that says a lie travels halfway around the world before the truth puts on its pants. Television news fell all over itself to air video that had already spread on social media. Important context was missing. Yes, the footage was horrific, but what was lost was why the incident happened. A fan blade broke loose from one of the aircraft’s Pratt & Whitney engines, causing the engine to fail and exposing its combustion chamber. The fan blade did not pierce the fuselage.

What was lost in the consumer media’s coverage was this: The aircraft stayed intact, and its many safety systems prevented a catastrophic accident. The crew performed flawlessly and safely landed the airplane without any injuries. In fact, most of the flight’s passengers were rebooked and carried on with their travels that same day. In other words, the real story was that the everything and everyone worked as they should, which may be a lot less exciting than the breathless stories the news media reported, but important to note.

Lebawit Lily Girma, Global Tourism Reporter

Why Tourism Needs to Step Up and Push for Vaccine Equity

The Backstory: The horrific pandemic surge in India in April had just unfolded and in parallel, the travel industry in the U.S. and Europe, and their consumers, were focused on planning for the start of a “hot vaxxed summer.” The contrast was glaring and a clear sign to me that vaccine access would be critical for a full and fair tourism recovery. So while it was a difficult choice to make — this being my first full year of tourism coverage for Skift — I am most proud of this initial story on vaccine equity. It became the first in what has been a series of updates from us throughout the year after leading this conversation for the travel industry.

Why this topic continues to matter is because first, it’s an issue that remains critical for the industry and continues to impede and influence travel’s recovery everywhere, as we’re currently witnessing with the Omicron variant. Second, it’s critical to push travel leaders in the major source markets to recognize that solely advocating for the lifting of border restrictions is a short-sighted approach. There’s a clear business case for the industry — particularly the World Travel & Tourism Council and the United Nations World Tourism Organization and their members — to use its political muscle to push for more rapid vaccine distributions and donations globally so that the recovery is sustainable.

Third, this is a time in which we need bold leadership and vision. We saw companies such as Intrepid Travel and Expedia Group move forward with vaccine equity campaigns some months after this initial story was published. Many more need to follow.

We need this industry to have a reckoning on what global tourism should represent and stand for in the future, and that it’s about more than arrival numbers and gross domestic product. Vaccine equity is an opportunity to do just that.

Rashaad Jorden , Editorial Assistant

How One Tour Operator Is Using a 1977 Hit Tune to Lure Back Travelers

The Backstory: I was looking to write a story about a tremendously successful tour operator marketing campaign that I thought could become a regular feature, and I was referred to Steve Born, the chief marketing officer of the Globus family of brands.

How exactly? Globus was saying that landmarks popular with their guests – including the Eiffel Tower and the Easter Island statues – had missed them by singing Player’s hit Baby Come Back. Born explained in the story how the campaign came about and why it had enjoyed success.

It was my favorite story from the year because as Born mentioned, travel is fun and supposed to bring a smile to travelers’ faces. Seeing the video of popular landmarks — or even thinking about it — has never failed to elicit a chuckle from me. Born talked about the hard work that went into creating the campaign, which was timed to coincide with the reopening of numerous destinations.

But most importantly, travel for many is a cause for celebration, and despite numerous ongoing challenges, some tour operators have had things to celebrate this year.

Cameron Sperance , Hospitality Reporter

Lessons for Travel’s Recovery From Anthony Bourdain’s New Book

The Backstory: Some travel stories span beyond one’s assigned beat. It was timely to see the late Anthony Bourdain’s travel guide come out just as unruly airline passengers and rude hotel and restaurant guests became the unfortunate legacy of the pandemic. You couldn’t go days without seeing a headline of a diverted aircraft because some idiot wouldn’t wear a mask and punched a flight attendant to make a point — a point the federal government and airlines responded to with jail time and a lifetime ban from flying.

Restaurants and hotels weren’t spared the abuse. Irate was the default mood for patrons who had to wait longer than expected for a meal or, heaven forbid, were told by hotel management to keep their volume down.

Bourdain’s book made me miss his weekly wisdom doled out on his TV series, and I felt a particular bond with the words since I live in Provincetown, Mass. — the seaside town at the end of Cape Cod where he got his start in the world of restaurants.

But the guide also painted some important travel lessons: Always remember you’re a guest in someone else’s hometown. Be patient in this era of longer waits: It’s not neglect; it’s a labor shortage crisis.

Oh, and stop being a jackass to hospitality workers.

Angela Tupper, Deputy Editor, EventMB

The Catch-22 of Zero-Covid Zones: Events Happen But Can Cancel on a Dime

The Backstory: A major part of our 2021 news cycle was dominated by Covid coverage, but this story was particularly compelling because it approached a well-known news story from an under-reported angle. While major publications were drawing attention to Australia and New Zealand’s success with enforcing a zero-Covid policy, there was very little coverage of what this approach meant for the event industry. Headlines announced that life Down Under was able to continue largely as normal, apart from periodic snap lockdowns whenever a handful of cases were confirmed. Were large-scale events able to move forward as well?

Through multiple interviews with event professionals in Australia, a consistent story emerged: The nation’s successful suppression of Covid transmission made it much safer to hold events from a public health standpoint, but the measures needed to maintain zero-Covid status also meant that a lockdown could be triggered by just one case — with events therefore prone to last-minute cancelation. In other words, reducing the health risk indirectly amplified the financial risk. In turn, What began as an investigation into the viability of events turned into a conversation around the need for event cancelation insurance. With private insurers unwilling to cover the risk, lobbyists were calling for government-backed programs.

In some ways, this story provided a glimpse into the “stop-and-go” future that the global event industry would soon be facing in a post-vaccine world periodically threatened by new variants of concern. Since then, the UK has announced a government-backed event insurance scheme, as has the Australian state of Victoria. The impact of these programs will be a story to watch in the coming year.

Dennis Schaal , Founding Editor

Vacasa Paid $619 Million for TurnKey Vacation Rentals in Mostly Stock

The Backstory: This story combined two things I love: A scoop of sorts and scouring Securities and Exchange Commission financial filings.

What’s the first thing that travel veterans ask you when they learn of an acquisition? Namely, what do you think the sale price was? On smaller deals, when a startup gets bought by a public company, the buyer doesn’t necessarily have to explicitly disclose the price, and when a private company acquires a startup, the usual thing is there is no public statement about the price.

Vacasa’s acquisition of a smaller property management company, TurnKey, wasn’t a small deal, it turns out, but it involved two private companies. I therefore didn’t expect Vacasa to disclose the acquisition price — and apparently neither did the rest of the press — but the twist was that Vacasa was slated to go public in a blank check merger and was filing its financials with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Vacasa eventually went public, on December 7.

I love reading certain Securities and Exchange Commission documents and frequently tell my reporter colleagues that you can find all kinds of news bits and scoops if you take the time to read them, which I often do during the evenings or on weekends — for fun.

So there was the price tag and details about the deal in a Vacasa financial filing. Vacasa acquired TurnKey for nearly $619 million, mostly in stock. As TurnKey had only raised some $120 million in funding, it appears as though co-founders T.J. Clark and John Banczak did fairly well for their investors.

Miguel Neves , Editor-in-Chief, EventMB

Event Tech Investment Tracker

The Backstory: For my favorite article, I am going to say the EventMB Event Tech Investment Tracker . This continually evolving post sums up a lot of my learnings in 2021. I knew that joining Skift to lead EventMB, I would bring the event professional’s point of view with me. With this post, I am not distilling what I have learned from all the amazing editors at Skift and their unique ways of looking at the travel industry. I’ve had help from many members of the Skift and EventMB to make this post a real at-a-glance review of the crazy world of mergers and acquisitions in event tech. Everyone I have shared it with has given positive feedback and I know it will be an important part of future iterations of the EventMB website, so the story will continue to evolve.

Colin Nagy, On Experience Columnist

Doha Quickly Comes of Age Ahead of World Cup 2022

The Backstory: This was an interesting story to report, as Doha is in the harried run-up to a major milestone, the World Cup in 2022. The event has been a forcing factor for a lot of the obvious things like hospitality and infrastructure but also has accelerated a lot of Qatari soft diplomacy: museums, interesting small businesses and centers to attract more of the global creative class. Covid has put a damper on a lot, but it is clear to see there’s been clear vision and a lot of progress. I liked this piece because it was an honest look at what is working well, and what needs to be improved in a region that has a lot of shallow, one-note coverage from Western outlets. There is a lot of depth and moving parts to the modern Qatar story: from regional and global politics, to business, investment, real estate to national country branding and the desire to live up to the promise of the World Cup. These are my favorite stories to try and make sense of when I can.

Ruthy Muñoz , Freelancer

How Unruly Do Airline Passengers Have to Be Before the Government Decides to Prosecute?

The Backstory: I love writing feature stories that bring extraordinary people to the forefront, but surprisingly, when faced with choosing my favorite account this year, a Skift feature wasn’t it. Instead, my favorite story is accountability in the other pandemic- unruly passengers.

As a former flight attendant, I understood there’s only so much flight crews could do without the backup of airlines, the FAA, the Justice Department, and Congress. Writing this and other stories on unruly passengers and holding everyone accountable to bring about needed change is what the power of the journalistic keyboard is for me.

Lisa Jade Hutchings , Branded Content Writer

How Event Professionals Can Cope With Imposter Syndrome

The Backstory: I have had the opportunity to work on some great stories this year, such as the effect of the pandemic on local event industries around the world and an analysis of the sector’s commitment to net-zero. However, my favorite post explored the topic of how event professionals can better cope with imposter syndrome.

While massive technological advancements and innovation have taken place within the sector, I wanted to delve deeper into the human experience of an event professional through real-life insights into the current situation. As professionals working in a high-stress industry (events), the cancellations and job losses due to the pandemic have impacted the mental health of those working within the space. Because of this, many planners have experienced crippling self-doubt in adapting to new tech, event formats, external stressors — all while learning new skills.

In writing the post, a background of the syndrome was given, alongside actionable tips to coping so people could gain tangible value by reading the piece. To better understand imposter syndrome, its effects, and how people can manage, insights were gained by speaking at length with a counseling psychologist, researching the topic online, connecting with others in the industry, and drawing on past personal experiences.

The highlight of the post for me was seeing the effect it had on others in the industry — people were able to relate and felt that a voice had been given to an experience so many people live with daily.

The Daily Newsletter

Our daily coverage of the global travel industry. Written by editors and analysts from across Skift’s brands.

Have a confidential tip for Skift? Get in touch

Tags: airlines , coronavirus , events , tour operators , tourism , travel recovery , vacation rentals , vaccine equity

6 examples of gorgeous travel writing

Inspiration to help your next travel blog, guidebook, or article stand out from the crowd.

We live on a wondrous, ever-changing planet— from alpine lakes and cloud forests to ancient cobblestoned cities.

The best travel writers can transport readers to these far-flung destinations, and to introduce them to new cultures and experiences. When done well, travel writing can be an insightful, thought-provoking and even life-changing genre of writing.

And with interactive content platforms, it’s possible for travel writers to create truly immersive reading experiences online. In this guide, we introduce six ideas — and examples of travel writing — to help you create beautiful, interactive travel stories.

Whether you're a beginner travel writer, a publisher, destination marketer, or freelance travel blogger, we've got plenty of inspiration to get you started.

What do the BBC, Tripadvisor, and Penguin have in common? They craft stunning, interactive web content with Shorthand. And so can you! Publish your first story for free — no code or web design skills required. Sign up now.

The features of great travel writing

The best travel writing is unique, but there are still some general guidelines you’ll want to follow to make your travel writing stand out from the pack. Here are some travel writing tips to help you compete with the best examples of the genre.

Have a point of view. Great travel writers — from the travel books of Bill Bryson and John Steinbeck to the documentaries of Paul Theroux — all have very specific points of view that are difficult to copy. Find your voice, and your travel articles will truly sing.
Take great photos. The best travel writing is visually immersive, using high resolution images and video to engage the reader’s senses. Even if you’re not creating a photo essay , modern travel writing relies of great visual assets.
Use multimedia content where you can. If you can, create audio and video assets, too, and consider building out your story with a digital storytelling platform to use interactive features. Embed podcasts and clips to keep the reader engaged.
Learn from the best. Keep track of longform feature stories in the New York Times and the Washington Post, and steal their techniques. (Good travel writers borrow, great travel writers steal, to butcher TS Eliot.)
Create a beautiful web presence. We love the print Lonely Planet travel guides, but these days you need to produce stunningly engaging content on the web. Standards are high, but you’d be amazed what you can do with modern interactive content platforms.
Provide a sense of adventure — even if you’re not strictly doing ‘adventure travel’. Whether you’re writing a first person travel memoir or writing about your backpacker’s trip through the Amazon, you want to keep your reader engaged with your travel experiences.
Make it educational. Teach the reader something new about the world they’re exploring.
Edit your work. The best travel writers kill their darlings and pay attention to details — hello, commas — knowing that this is how the best work is created.

Want to improve the efficiency of your writing process? Check out our list of the best writing tools .

Inspire readers and move them to action by exploring a location's unique history and culture. By focusing on just one place, your readers get the chance to experience it deeply through your words and imagery.

Intrepid Travel's Shorthand story 'Welcome to Olkola Country' is simple, yet effective. The highlight of the story is its elegant writing — a blend of reporting and personal narrative that explores the history, culture, and ecology of an ancestral land of the Olkola people in Australia. The story is elevated with thoughtful photos and videos, and ends with a call to action for the newly-inspired reader.

Looking for more inspiration? Check out our roundup of ten stunning photo essay examples .

The right images can make a story feel polished and inspired.

2 . Time travel

Taking readers back through historical moments is a great way to achieve more depth in your stories.

In the story The Museum of Atari, Mario and Electronic Childhood Dreams , Channel News Asia uses Shorthand to create a stunning visual story about a little-known museum of retro video games in Singapore. The highlight of the story is an interactive scrollytelling timeline about the history of video games, which is created using the Shorthand Reveal feature and animates a pixel character as the reader scrolls.

Our Reveal section allows animations like this to be controlled by the reader's scrolling.

3 . Immerse your reader

When words and photos simply aren't enough to convey the complexity of a travel story, add another layer of reader engagement using various forms of media.

The Sydney Opera House story A Guide to Dance Rites uses multimedia to bring indigenous culture to life. With elements like animation, slideshows, and embedded audio clips, readers can feel fully immersed in one of Australia's most traditional dance competitions.

Embed your own code to add further customisation to your story.

With Shorthand, remember that you always have the option to add custom HTML to add further customisations to your stories. See a list of our recommended third party tools in this support document .

4 . Just the highlights

Traditional evening scene from Kyoto, Japan

Not every trip allows for the luxury of time. In order to get the point across, sometimes a quick and to-the-point listicle is all that's necessary to deliver a clear and time-efficient message.

Mansion Global's story 6 Cities, 6 Continents takes a quick jaunt around the world to some of the best cities to buy a dream vacation home. The destinations are all tied together by an interactive map that tracks a route between the cities — a creative use of the Shorthand Reveal section .

Interactive maps can help connect different locations in your story.

5 . Keep it practical

Travel stories don't always need to inspire wanderlust or transport readers to far-flung destinations. Some of the most effective and important travel stories simply provide practical advice — whether that's how to exchange currency, say "thank you" in a foreign language, or avoid danger.

Travel Weekly's story Traveling While Female explores how female travellers can stay safe, and uses data to stress the importance of improving women's safety abroad. By displaying the data as interactive graphics, Travel Weekly draws extra emphasis to key statistics.

Make your data memorable by giving it special emphasis.

6. Zoom out

When you've written a couple of beautiful travel stories, what's next?

Tie together your creative vision by consolidating your stories into a single landing page. You can use Shorthand to create a home for all of your stories, whether that's by using our Collection section or by including links in other section types.

For example, Luxury Travel nests all of their feature content within a Shorthand story. The page takes advantage of our media-rich sections to create a scrolling archive of their beautiful travel stories.

Consolidate your features in a single Shorthand story.

There are myriad ways to turn a Shorthand story into a landing page. Here's another example from Perth Now, which takes a simple, colourful approach.

There are many ways to customise a Shorthand story to serve as a landing page.

Creating a unique online travel story can seem like a daunting task, but Shorthand's many easy-to-use features exist to help make your stories exceptional. There are thousands of destinations waiting to be written about, and we can't wait to see where your stories take us next.

Publish your first story free with Shorthand

Craft sumptuous content at speed. No code required.

Botswana Botswana Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Egypt Egypt Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Kenya Kenya Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Malawi Malawi Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Mauritius Mauritius Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Morocco Morocco Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Mozambique Mozambique Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Namibia Namibia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Nigeria Nigeria Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories – See more at: http://www.thetraveltart.com/wp-admin/edit-tags.php?taxonomy=category#sthash.vNspdaTh.dpuf
South Africa South Africa Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Sudan Sudan Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Tanzania Tanzania Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Zambia Zambia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Zimbabwe Zimbabwe Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Barbados Barbados Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Canada Canada Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Costa Rica Costa Rica Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Guatemala Guatemala Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Mexico Mexico Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Nicaragua Nicaragua Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
United States United States Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Argentina Argentina Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Bolivia Bolivia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Brazil Brazil Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Chile Chile Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Colombia Colombia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Ecuador Ecuador Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Peru Peru Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Uruguay Uruguay Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Antarctica Antarctica Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Afghanistan Afghanistan Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Bahrain Bahrain Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Bangladesh Bangladesh Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Cambodia Cambodia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
China China Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
India India Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Indonesia Indonesia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Israel Israel Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Japan Japan Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Jordan Jordan Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Kazakhstan Kazakhstan Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Laos Laos Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Malaysia Malaysia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Myanmar Myanmar Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Philippines Philippines Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Singapore Singapore Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
South Korea South Korea Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Taiwan Taiwan Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Thailand Thailand Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Turkey Turkey Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Vietnam Vietnam Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
England England Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Finland Finland Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
France France Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Germany Germany Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Greece Greece Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Hungary Hungary Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Iceland Iceland Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Ireland Ireland Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Italy Italy Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Kosovo Kosovo Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Netherlands Netherlands Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Norway Norway Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Poland Poland Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Portugal Portugal Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Russia Russia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Scotland Scotland Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Spain Spain Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Sweden Sweden Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Switzerland Switzerland Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Wales Wales Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Australia Australia Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Fiji Fiji Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Marshall Islands Marshall Islands Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
New Zealand New Zealand Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Samoa Samoa Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Vanuatu Vanuatu Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Gap Year Gap Year Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Party Tips Party Tips Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Interviews Travel Interviews on Funny Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information and Stories.
Luxury Travel Luxury Travel Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Books Travel Books Funny Guides, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Clothes The Travel Clothes that you could possibly wear overseas!
Travel Insurance Travel Insurance Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Jobs Travel Jobs Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Air Travel Air Travel Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Cruising Cruising Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Space Travel Outer Space Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Gadgets Travel Gadgets Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Photography Travel Photography Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Movies Travel Movies Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Podcasts Travel Podcasts Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Satire Travel Satire Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Songs Travel Songs Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel TV Travel TV Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Video Travel Video Funny Travel Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog Website includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Websites Travel Websites Funny Guide, Destination Tips, News, Advice, Information. Travel Blog includes Silly Photos, Videos, Weird Unusual Humor, WTF and Stories
Travel Writing Examples
Press Trips, Famils & Promotions
Digital Content Creator & Marketer, SEO & Social Media Specialist
Surviving Cancer

Travel Writing Examples!

Anthony bianco – travel writing examples.

Hey, I’m a versatile kind of chap! I write in all sorts of styles and formats, both online and in print. I’ve listed a few travel writing examples on this page to give you an idea!

I really enjoy travel writing and have undertaken a number of press trips and famils , blogger trips and travel influencer campaigns .

Some of the places where my work has appeared has included a number of publications and industries, including:

Airline In-flight Magazines

Travel Insurance Content

Best Travel Technology Apps | Travel Blogging | Travel Writing Examples! | Travel Blogging, Travel Writing, Travel Writing Examples | Author: Anthony Bianco - The Travel Tart Blog

Thought Leadership

Frommers Travel Writing | Travel Blogging | Travel Writing Examples! | Travel Blogging, Travel Writing, Travel Writing Examples | Author: Anthony Bianco - The Travel Tart Blog

Roadside Assistance

Travel Tips

Studying In Australia | Travel Blogging | Travel Writing Examples! | Travel Blogging, Travel Writing, Travel Writing Examples | Author: Anthony Bianco - The Travel Tart Blog

Visa Information

Working Holiday Visas Australia | Travel Blogging | Travel Writing Examples! | Travel Blogging, Travel Writing, Travel Writing Examples | Author: Anthony Bianco - The Travel Tart Blog

I have a lot more where that came from.

I also have online content and SEO skills .

Give me a yell and contact me for more information!

Add Your Travel Deal
FREE Travel Newsletter

Travel Articles

Our experienced writers travel the world to bring you informative and inspirational features, destination roundups, travel ideas, tips and beautiful photos in order to help you plan your next holiday.

13 of the Best Walking Trails in the World

Travel guide: a weekend in sunny sacramento, california, travel guide: portovenere on the italian riviera – the perfect gateway to the cinque terre, travel guide: a visit to stratford-upon-avon, the land of shakespeare, top 5 places in the world to swim with horses, travel guide to nicaragua, central america, which of the cyclades islands in greece should you visit, travel guide: a whirlwind visit to bath, somerset, england, 15 lip smacking, tried and tested london restaurants, whirlwind trip to historical tunisia.

Subscribe to our newsletter

75 great travel articles - examples of the best travel writing, travel guides, the books they carried by peter jon lindberg, inside the mad, mad world of tripadvisor by tom vanderbilt, the book by patrick symmes, tourist traps worth a visit by peter jon lindberg, the place to disappear by susan orlean, the grand tour by evan osnos, shipping out by david foster wallace, branding guyana by frank bures, welcome to dog world by blair braverman, off the beaten track, thanksgiving in mongolia by ariel levy, operation iraqi vacation by saki knafo, this teeming ark by tim cahill, in a minivan with a stranger in morocco by michael chabon, what happens when two strangers trust the rides of their lives to the magic of the universe by kim cross, shuffleboard at mcmurdo by maciej ceglowski, the invisible city beneath paris by robert macfarlane, travel in the postapocalypse by cameron hewitt, holy water by bucky mcmahon, home by chris jones, wedding crasher by gideon lewis-kraus, take nothing, leave nothing by simon winchester, the golden age of havana is now by patrick symmes, on tipping in cuba by chris turner, in pursuit of the wild cohiba by ginger strand and james wallenstein, where is cuba going by john jeremiah sullivan, hitchhiker's cuba by dave eggers, up in the air by ben wofford, game of thrones by david owen, journey into night by david sedaris, the secrets of the wave pilots by kim tingley, land of the lost by david kushner, against travel, the case against travel by agnes callard, against honeymoons by charles comey, why the beach is a bummer by roxane gay, into the wild by jon krakauer, the lost city of z by david grann, the great railway bazaar by paul theroux, my kind of place by susan orlean, the right stuff by tom wolfe, river town by peter hessler, travels in siberia by ian frazier, driving mr. albert by michael paterniti, 127 hours by aaron ralston, see also..., 150 great articles and essays, mother earth mother board by neal stephenson, heart of dark chocolate by rowan jacobsen, like butterflies in the jungle by damon tabor, forbidden by tim cahill, a good hair week in mongolia by tim cahill, the kingdom of the lotus by patrick symmes, after the fall by tom bissell and morgan meis, the cold patrol by michael finkel, misadventure, death of an innocent by jon krakauer, trapped by aron ralston, the senseless logic of the wild by jon mooallem, what i did on my summer vacation by scott anderson, the rescue artists of the new avalanche age by joshua hammer, death on the path to enlightenment by scott carney, the ghost road by mark jenkins, the jerusalem syndrome by chris nashawaty, the 15 year layover by michael paterniti, adventure sports, why we play by eva holland, into thin air by jon krakauer, unclimbable by eva holland, the mountain of mountains by kevin fedarko, point of no return by mark jenkins, everest at the bottom of the sea by bucky mcmahon, out in the great alone by brian phillips, kashmiri extremism by kevin fedarko, the fast track to dharma by michael paterniti, the epic battle to break the mississippi river canoe record by frank bures, treasure hunting, a liar standing next to a hole in the ground by will grant, a treasure hunt for the ages by stephen rodrick, the fisherman’s secret by tara duggan and jason fagone, the mad scramble to claim the world's most coveted meteorite by joshuah bearman and allison keeley, how to spend 47 hours on a train and not go crazy by nathaniel rich, how to use a squat toilet by frank bures, long day's journey by elizabeth gilbert, magic mountains by tony judt, do we transcend before or after we purchase the commemorative eel cakes by susan orlean, cover story by elif batuman, the incredible story of the great cannonball boom by alex w. palmer, a line in the sand by chris colin.

About The Electric Typewriter We search the net to bring you the best nonfiction, articles, essays and journalism

Video Idea Generator
Video Script Generator
Video Hook Generator
YouTube Title
YouTube Description
YouTube Tags Generator
YouTube Video SEO Generator
Video Promotion Generator
Facebook Caption
Instagram Caption
Twitter Caption
Pinterest Description
LinkedIn Caption
TikTok Caption
eBook Idea Generator
eBook Title Generator
eBook Outline Generator
eBook Chapter Generator
eBook Promotion Generator
Blog Outline
Google Ad Headline
Google Ad Description
Facebook Ad Copy
LinkedIn Ad Copy
Social Media Ideas
Podcast ideas
Email Subject Line
Email Copy Generator
Paraphrase Generator
Text Extender
AI Tone Changer
Survey Questions
Campaign Builder
Start for free

Examples of Great Travel Blog Post Titles That Will Inspire You

Sometimes we only need a little bit of inspiration to get started with writing an article and other times we need a lot. The main thing is that sometimes we just write and write and hope for the best afterwards. This is probably not the best approach or what you should strive for if you want to improve your travel blog and keep fresh content coming in. And topping it up with great well written blog post titles can help even more when trying to find new angles for your next piece of content.

We’ve used our Blog Title Generator to create a nice list of Blog Title Examples for Travel Websites. Check them out below and start creating your own with our free generator. I hope this helps.

How to use StoryLab.ai’s Blog Title Generator (image below):

Travel Blog Post Examples - AI Blog Title Generator Example

Optimize your Travel Blog Titles for SEO

In addition to crafting an attention-grabbing blog post title, it is essential to incorporate the appropriate keywords and optimize it for search engine optimization (SEO). Ideally, you should place your primary keyword at the beginning of your H1 and Meta Title. In this particular article, we have included our main keyword, “Travel Blog Post Title Examples,” at the start.

Avoid guessing the most suitable keywords to use. Instead, utilize tools such as SEMRush to determine the exact terms people are searching for. Enter your topic, access a wealth of data, and choose the best keyword based on volume and difficulty. Give it a try at no cost and get the data you need.

Check out the video tutorial and find out how to find hidden gems with Semrush’s keyword research tools.

Use our link and get a 14-day free Semrush trial instead of the normal 7-day trial.

Examples of Great Travel Blog Post Titles

Make sure you never publish a blog post with spelling or grammar mistakes. Install Grammarly for free and never make a mistake again .

A Complete Guide to Planning a Perfect Honeymoon
5 Ways to Get Your Dream National Geographic Travel Photo Shot
Top 3 Destinations for Your Next Holiday
The 11 Best Travel Blogs for Digital Nomads
Top 7 Tips for Getting the Best Prices on Flights
Top 11 Places to Camp for Free
9 Essential Tips For Making the Most of Your Summer Holiday
How to Develop a Successful Travel Blog
The 5 Keys to a Successful Holiday
How to Survive in the Wild and Not Kill Your Friends on a Camping Trip
How to Avoid a Travel Insurance Nightmare
Top 50 Camping Spots in America
The 3 Best Websites for Cheap Flights
What to Pack for a 7 Day Holiday
Top 10 Reasons Why You Should Start a Travel Blog
5 Most Beautiful Places to Go Camping
11 Tips for Traveling as a Celebrity
Top Travel Hack Ideas for Casual Travellers
Top 3 Wild Camping Sites in Wales
21 Tips To Get The Most From Your Holidays
Packing List for A Long Holiday
7 New Camping Gadgets to Make Outdoors Fun
Top 13 Camping and Holiday Safety Tips
How an app can help you find the best deals and a good time during your next trip
The 11 Best US Camping Trip Spots for Families
Top 7 Camping Tips For Kids
How to Make a 2 Week Holiday in Europe For £200
11 Best Travel Apps for Android & iPhone
How to Plan a Memorable Round the World Trip
5 Best camping gear for the wilderness
Top 7 Companies to Book Your Hotel With
A Complete Guide to Planning Your Next Holiday Vacation
Top 13 Tips for Staying Safe in the Outdoors
What to Consider When Making Vacation Plans
11 of the Best Packable Lightweight Gear for Travel
How to travel the World: By European living in a caravan
13 Ways to Earn Some Extra Cash While Travelling
Top Tips for Hiking on High Altitude Mountains
10 Must-Visit Destinations for Adventure Lovers
The Ultimate Guide to Solo Travel
The Most Beautiful Beaches in the World
The Best Hidden Gems to Discover on Your Travels
How to Travel on a Budget Without Sacrificing Comfort
The Top Travel Hacks for a Stress-Free Trip
The Best Foods to Try in Different Countries
The Most Romantic Destinations for Couples
How to Stay Safe While Traveling Abroad
The Best Ways to Travel with Kids
The Top Travel Destinations for History Buffs
How to Plan the Perfect Honeymoon
The Most Instagrammable Destinations in the World
The Best Ways to Travel Sustainable
How to Make Friends While Traveling
The Most Scenic Road Trips in the World
The Best Backpacking Destinations for Thrill-Seekers
The Top Travel Destinations for Wildlife Encounters
How to Plan a Group Trip Without Going Crazy
The Most Beautiful National Parks in the World
The Best Ways to Travel with Pets
How to Avoid Jet Lag on Long Flights
The Most Unique Accommodations in the World
The Best Ways to Learn a New Language While Traveling
The Most Charming Small Towns in Europe
The Best Ways to Travel Comfortably on Long Flights
How to Stay Healthy While Traveling
The Most Scenic Train Rides in the World
The Best Destinations for a Digital Detox
The Top Travel Destinations for Wine Lovers
How to Plan a Budget-Friendly Backpacking Trip
The Most Luxurious Resorts in the World
The Best Ways to Travel with a Disability
How to Choose the Perfect Travel Accommodation
The Most Adventurous Destinations in South America
The Top Travel Destinations for Photography Enthusiasts
The Best Ways to Travel with a Baby
The Most Fascinating Museums in the World
The Best Winter Destinations for Skiing and Snowboarding
How to Travel in Style Without Breaking the Bank
The Most Beautiful Waterfalls in the World
The Best Ways to Travel with a Toddler
The Most Breathtaking Views in Europe
The Top Travel Destinations for Cultural Experiences
How to Plan a Multigenerational Trip
The Most Stunning Hiking Trails in the World
The Best Ways to Travel with Medical Conditions
The Top Travel Destinations for Foodies
How to Plan the Perfect Destination Wedding
The Most Beautiful Gardens in the World
The Best Ways to Travel with Friends
The Most Impressive Cathedrals in Europe
The Top Travel Destinations for Art Lovers
How to Plan a Last-Minute Getaway
The Most Beautiful Castles in the World
The Best Ways to Travel with Your Significant Other
The Most Exciting Festivals in the World
The Top Travel Destinations for Spiritual Journeys
How to Plan a Luxury Trip

Generate your own Travel Blog Title Examples with our AI Generator for free.

Master the Art of Video Marketing

Ai-powered tools to ideate, optimize, and amplify.

Spark Creativity : Unleash the most effective video ideas, scripts, and engaging hooks with our AI Generators.
Optimize Instantly : Elevate your YouTube presence by optimizing video Titles, Descriptions, and Tags in seconds.
Amplify Your Reach : Effortlessly craft social media, email, and ad copy to maximize your video’s impact.

Looking for more Blog Post Title Examples ? Check out.

Examples of Business Blog Titles
B2B Blog Post Title Examples
Higher Education Blog Title Examples
Accounting Blog Title Examples
Crypto Blog Post Title Examples
Examples of E-Commerce Blog Titles
Banking Blog Post Title Examples
Environmental Blog Post Title Examples
Food Blog Post Title Examples
Examples of Nonprofit Blog Post Titles
Real Estate Blog Title Examples
Examples of Startup Blog Post Titles
Airline Blog Post Title Examples
Technology Blog Post Title Examples
Examples of Travel Blog Titles
Examples of Fitness Blog Post Titles
Automotive Blog Title Examples
Examples of Vegan Blog Titles

Or, check out all other examples like Blog Intros, Google and Facebook ad copies and more.

7 Best Practices for SEO Rank Headlines and Titles to Improve Your Travel Blog’s Position in SERPs

Welcome to the wild world of words, where your titles aren’t just doorways to your articles but neon signs that make travelers stop and stare. Yes, we know nailing the art of SEO title optimization can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be.

In this article, we’ll teach you all the secrets to ensure your SEO title isn’t just seen but unforgettable. To keep you on the right track, we’ll also incorporate some key page title SEO best practices to make every word count towards the success of your travel blog. Ready to learn more about creating the best SEO rank headlines and titles? Let’s go!

7 Best Practices for SEO Rank Headlines and Titles to Improve Your Travel Blog’s Position in SERPs

Titles and Headlines: Is There a Difference in SEO?

Understanding the distinction between titles and headlines is crucial when optimizing your travel blog for search engines. Both play important roles in SEO but serve slightly different purposes.

Title Tags are HTML elements that accurately and concisely describe a webpage’s content. These appear in the browser tab and SERPs and are one of the most critical elements for SEO.

Effective title tags are tailored to include key search terms that align with your target audience’s content and search intent.

Headlines, mainly H1 tags, are often visible at the top of your content and serve as the main heading of a page. In many cases, the H1 doubles as the title tag, especially in content management systems, like WordPress, that automatically generate this structure. The key with H1s is incorporating primary keywords and capturing the reader’s interest.

Now, what about subheadings ? Subheadings (H2, H3, etc.) organize content into easier-to-read and navigate sections. H2s might cover subtopics under your central theme, while H3s could delve into specifics under each H2 section.

Example of Title, H1, and H4 tags for SEO

From an SEO perspective, your SEO title tag should align with the H1 heading but be optimized for search engines. The H1 should be engaging enough to keep the reader on the page. Subheadings like H2s and H3s play supportive roles in improving readability and structural SEO. This helps search engines understand your content, positively influencing your rankings.

Titles and Headlines in WordPress

In the context of WordPress, the placement of the SEO title tag and the H1 heading can typically be found as follows:

In WordPress, the title tag is usually generated automatically when you enter the title of your post in the “Title” field while editing a post or a page. This title appears in the search engine results, browser tabs, and when shared on social media.
You can customize the title tag using SEO plugins like Yoast SEO or Rank Math . These plugins allow you to adjust the SEO title tag independently of the post’s main title, optimizing it for better search engine visibility without changing the headline your readers see.
The H1 heading is typically the title you enter in the “Title” field in the WordPress editor. It also appears as the main headline at the top of your post or page. When you view your post, this is the prominent title at the beginning of your content.
WordPress themes are designed to automatically use the title of your post or page as the H1 heading. This is crucial for both readers and SEO, signaling the content’s main topic.

When you write and publish a post in WordPress, the title you input generally serves as the title tag (for SEO and browsers) and the H1 heading (the main headline your readers see). SEO plugins can be beneficial if you need more control over your SEO settings, including customizing the title tag without altering the H1.

Why It’s Important to Keep SEO in Headline and Title Creation

Creating SEO-friendly titles and headlines is essential for any travel blogger looking to boost their site’s visibility and, ultimately, their income. Here’s why this practice is so important:

Boosts Organic Traffic: Incorporating relevant keywords into your SEO titles and headlines makes it easier for search engines to understand and rank your content. This leads to better visibility in search results, attracting more visitors naturally without paid advertising.
Increases Reader Engagement: SEO-friendly headlines that clearly state the content’s topic can capture the interest of potential readers. A compelling headline makes visitors likelier to click through and read your post.
Enhances Income Opportunities: More traffic often translates into more revenue opportunities, mainly if you use affiliate marketing. The more people visit your blog, the higher the chance they’ll click on affiliate links and make purchases, earning you a commission.
Improves Content Credibility: Well-optimized headlines help establish your content as relevant and authoritative. When search engines consistently rank your articles highly, it signals to readers that your content is trustworthy.

In short, smart SEO in your titles and headlines helps increase your visibility and plays a big role in growing your audience and boosting your earnings as a travel blogger.

7 Best Practices on How to Write SEO Titles and Headlines

Creating an SEO title and headline is an art that combines creativity with strategic planning. For travel bloggers, mastering this skill can significantly boost your content’s reach and effectiveness.

Here are seven best practices to help you craft the perfect SEO title and headline that resonate with both search engines and readers:

1. Include Relevant Keyword

Focus on the main keyword that aligns with the content you’re targeting. Place this keyword early in your SEO title and title tag to clarify the purpose of your content, making it easier for search engines like Google to understand and prioritize it.

To find the most effective keywords, you can utilize tools suited to different needs and budgets:

Free Tools: Google Keyword Planner offers basic insights into search volumes and competition, ideal for beginners.
Mid-Tier Tools: KeySearch provides more detailed analysis at an affordable cost.
High-Tier Tools: SEMrush and Ahrefs are comprehensive platforms for in-depth keyword research and competitive analysis—perfect for advanced users.

Keysearch dashboard for keyword beaches in Cancun

These tools help refine your keyword strategy, ensuring you target terms that attract relevant traffic and match your audience’s search intent.

2. Adhere to User Intent

Speaking about search intent, understanding why and what your audience is searching for is crucial. Align your SEO title with user intent—be it informational, navigational, or transactional. This alignment ensures that the content meets the needs of the audience, increasing engagement and satisfaction.

For example, consider two different users with distinct search intents for Paris:

Informational Intent : A user looking for details about Paris is likely searching with the intent to learn and explore. They would be more interested in clicking on a title like “Ultimate Guide to Paris: Everything You Need to Know.” This title promises a broad overview, appealing to their desire for information.
Transactional Intent: on the other hand, a user ready to book accommodations in Paris has transactional intent. They are in the decision-making phase, looking to take action. A title like “10 Best Boutique Hotels in the Heart of Paris” targets this intent by focusing on specific options and recommendations.

Google search for best boutique hotels in Toronto

By tailoring your SEO title to match these intents, you effectively draw in readers who are most likely to engage with your content and take desired actions, thereby increasing the overall effectiveness of your SEO strategy.

3. Keep It Concise and Focused

People shouldn’t have to guess what your blog article is about. They should be able to read your SEO title and get the gist. So what is your article about? What should people expect if they click on it? A focused title helps communicate the content’s subject to the audience.

An ideal length for a title tag is about 50-60 characters. Keeping your titles concise ensures they don’t get cut off in search results, making them more likely to be read in full.

Our tip? When using a WordPress SEO plugin like Rank Math or Yoast SEO, look at the preview snippet and see how your title looks on desktop and mobile. This allows you to see if your title is getting cut off. Remember that a lot of people are reading your blog for mobile.

4. Utilize Years and Timely References

Adding the current year or timely references can enhance the relevance of your titles. For instance, “Best Travel Destinations for Summer 2024” instantly communicates that the information is updated and tailored for the upcoming period.

But why does this matter?

Search engines like Google prioritize current and updated content because it is more likely relevant to the searcher’s needs. Including the current year signals to users and search engines that the content is fresh and contains the latest information.
Users often prefer content explicitly labeled as recent, especially in fast-changing fields like travel, technology, and trends.
Users frequently include the year in their search queries when looking for recommendations or guides to ensure they find the most current information. By matching this search behavior in your SEO title, you improve your content’s chances of appearing in relevant searches.
Competitive Edge: In a crowded content landscape, having the most current year in your title can give you a competitive edge. Promising the most up-to-date advice or insights helps your article stand out among older posts, even if the core content is similar.

Google Results for things to do in Paris

This allows you to align with search engine algorithms that favor fresh content while meeting user expectations for relevance and accuracy, increasing engagement and trust in your content.’

5. Use Numbers and Lists

Incorporating numbers into your SEO page title can make them more attractive and clickable. Titles like “10 Hidden Beaches in Thailand” or “5 Budget-Friendly European Cities” clearly outline the content’s scope, making it more appealing to users searching for specific, easy-to-digest information.

6. Don’t Keyword Stuff

Keyword stuffing—overloading your SEO page titles and SEO headlines with too many keywords—can harm your SEO efforts more than it helps. While it’s important to include relevant keywords to optimize your content for search engines, overdoing it can lead to several issues:

Reduced Readability: Titles and headlines crammed with keywords often don’t make sense to the reader. This can turn potential visitors away because the title seems spammy or unclear, reducing the overall user experience.
Penalties from Search Engines: Search engines like Google have sophisticated algorithms to detect keyword stuffing. If your content is flagged for stuffing, it could be demoted in search rankings. This means less post visibility, directly affecting your site’s traffic and credibility.
Decreased Engagement: A title that reads unnaturally isn’t just a turn-off for readers. It also suggests that the content might be of lower quality. Visitors are less likely to engage with content that doesn’t appear to be written for humans first.

Use your primary keyword naturally in the SEO titles, placing it near the beginning to emphasize its importance. Ensure the SEO title is engaging and informative, accurately reflecting the content. This approach helps maintain a good balance between optimizing for search engines and providing a pleasant reading experience for your audience.

7. Get Some Help

Plugins like Headline Analyzer on WordPress are invaluable tools for optimizing your SEO titles and headlines. These plugins provide feedback and suggest improvements, such as adjusting your title length or keyword usage.

The best way to do this is to combine an SEO plugin with a title plugin, like Headline Analyzer . The SEO plugin will tell you if you use your focus keyword in the SEO title, while the Headline Analyzer will provide feedback on your SEO page title.

CoSchedule’s Headline Analyzer also allows you to simultaneously examine the Headline Score and the SEO score, providing suggestions on improving your score.

7 Examples and Templates of SEO-Optimized Titles and Headlines

Creating SEO-optimized titles and headlines is essential for any travel blogger aiming to increase visibility and engagement. The right SEO page title can boost your search engine rankings and attract and retain readers’ interest.

Below are practical templates and examples based on SEO best practices. These are designed to be adaptable, ensuring your travel content is discoverable and appealing to your audience.

Before we start, it is important to remember that when creating a title, you must include a mix of different types of words that readers often look for. Your word balance should include:

Common words
Uncommon words like best, beautiful, awesome, actually, good, beautiful
Emotional words like absolutely, valuable, incredible
Power words like best, actionable, definitive, free, missing out

On top of that, positive or negative SEO page titles tend to get more engagement than neutral ones.

Now that we got that out of the way, ready for some SEO title examples and templates of some good titles?

Template: “[Number] Best [Adjective] Places to Visit in [Location] [Year]”
Example: “5 Stunning Beaches to Explore in Thailand 2024”
Template: “How to Experience [Location] Like a Local: [Benefit]”
Example: “How to Experience Paris Like a Local: Insider Tips for an Authentic Visit”
Template: “The Ultimate Guide to [Activity/Location]: Everything You Need to Know for [Outcome]”
Example: “The Ultimate Guide to Backpacking Europe: Tips for a Budget-Friendly Journey”
Template: “Why Should You Visit [Location] in [Season/Year]?”
Example: “Why Should You Visit Japan During Cherry Blossom Season?”
Template: “Avoid Tourist Traps in [Location] with These Hidden Gems”
Example: “Avoid Tourist Traps in Venice with These Local-Approved Spots”
Template: “Secrets of [Location]: Discovering the Untold”
Example: “Secrets of the Amalfi Coast: Discovering the Untold”
Template: “[Location] Travel Guide [Year]: Top Tips and Attractions”
Example: “New York Travel Guide 2024: Top Tips and Attractions”

Obviously, there are so many other types of templates and ideas that you can create, so we recommend always testing and seeing which SEO page title best suits your blog. The key is to combine keywords with engaging language and timely references to make the titles as appealing and relevant as possible to both readers and search algorithms.

Final Thoughts: Best Practices for SEO Ranked Headlines & Titles

Mastering the art of title optimization is not just a task but a continuous process that can significantly drive your travel blog’s visibility and engagement. It’s essential to set a clear goal for what you wish to achieve with each title—be it more clicks, higher rankings, or better engagement rates.

Remember, the power of a compelling title extends beyond just catching the eye of your audience; it’s about making your content memorable and easy to find.

Remember the importance of reviewing your strategies over days and weeks to see what works best for your audience. This isn’t just about sticking to a formula. It’s about evolving and adapting your approach as search trends and audience preferences change.

As you continue on this journey, let each title be a step towards achieving your larger content goals, making each word count towards the success of your travel blog.

Beyond the Nest: SJSC students study abroad

Journalism and strategic communications students to write, eat and hike their way through france and italy.

By Kate Elliott

Kate H. Elliott is a lecturer and coordinates the School of Journalism and Strategic Communication's Magazine Media concentration.

Twenty years ago, I studied abroad and worked for Reuters in London. During the week, I wrote articles about AIDS in India and small arms proliferation in Sri Lanka. On weekends and holidays, I visited relatives in Germany, journeyed through the Highlands of Scotland, and toured the Colosseum in Rome. The experience transformed me — my perceptions of the world, my resourcefulness and my fluency of global issues.

On May 5, I embarked on another study abroad, but this time as the instructor of “Travel Writing through Italy and France” — a project-based immersive learning course to capture the flavors, culture, history and natural beauty of France and Italy.

Throughout the trip, students will read and analyze travel writing while learning the skills to produce evocative storytelling that contains concrete observations, strong action, thoughtful research and appropriate pacing. Journalism students will focus on narrative nonfiction while strategic communications students will produce public relations and advertising content for travel companies, cities and historic sites.

They will all gain invaluable lessons and lifelong memories as they navigate ambiguity, adapt to new cultures, and experience the rich history and interconnectedness of our world. Some of these journalism and strategic communication majors and minors had never traveled outside of the United States unit they stepped off the plane in Paris, Their excitement and angst is palpable, and we hope you join our journey on “Beyond the Nest” Facebook and Instagram.

Our Destinations

In 35 days, we will travel to 11 cities in three countries, and we plan to connect with alumni and friends as we seek to create deep bonds and understanding. In Paris, we watched the lights of the Eiffel Tower twinkle after taking an evening cruise along the Seine River. We toured museums, including the Louvre, and dined on macrons and pain au chocolat.

We then journeyed into the heart of Burgundy. In Dijon, we sampled mustards and “coq au vin” or chicken braised in the region’s signature wine. We walked through medieval palaces, renowned food markets and parks jeweled with spring flowers. In nearby Lyon, we toured Roman ruins and the city’s “traboules” or hidden passageways before shopping exquisite fabrics in “the city of silk workers.”

On May 15, we will head to Nice, France, a coastal town on the French Riviera. A street food tour will introduce us to the region’s signature dishes, like “socca,” a traditional thin chickpea flour pancake, and “moules frites” or fresh mussels in a saffron cream sauce. Long walks on the palm-lined promenades will showcase the Art Deco architecture and bustling outdoor markets.

We leave France for our first stop in Italy — Cinque Terre, which translates to “five lands” for a cluster of five charming seaside villages. We will hike cliffs overlooking the Ligurian Sea and walk through terraced vineyards before dining alfresco on the beach.

Our next stop is Florence to experience “the cradle of the Renaissance.” We will set our eyes on the to the statue of David before sampling some of the many art and cultural museums that house works by Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli and Raphael. We will look out on the capital of Tuscany from Florence Cathedral dome and walk across the Ponte Vecchio, which was the only bridge across the Arno River until 1218.

We will then take a week-long respite in Siena at a villa with a pool in the heart of Tuscany. We will tour the Piazza del Campo, which is considered one of the most stunning medieval squares in Italy. Some of us plan to take a day trip to see the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Then, to Rome, where we will order heaping cones of gelato and enjoy “pizza al taglio,” which means pizza by the cut, between tours of ancient ruins, including the Colosseum and the Pantheon. We will experience the Sistine Chapel and toss wishes into the Trevi Fountain, a Baroque masterpiece in the heart of Italy’s capital.

Macerata in central Italy is our next stop. We will explore its elegant piazzas and delight in specialties like “vincisgrassi” or a rich lasagna-style dish, “ciauscolo” or a soft spreadable salami, and olive “ascolane” or stuffed fried olives. Day trips to the countryside will afford us opportunities to hike along olive groves and take in breathtaking views.

We will wander the interconnected canals of Venice, where we may take in an opera or gondola ride. As a group, we will take a half-day boat tour to nearby islands, Murano and Burano. Murano is known for an exclusive glass blowing technique, and Burano is known for handmade lace and bright buildings (so fishermen could spot their homes from the bay).

After Venice, we take a bus to Ljubljana, Slovenia, where we will whitewater raft “the Soča,” also known as “the Emerald River” due to its turquoise-green hue. We will hike the limestone mountains of the Julian Alps and take in the views of Lake Bled and the castle that sits on an island in its center.

We fly from Ljubljana to Pairs for an overnight near the airport before returning back to Indianapolis.

Meet our adventurers

These students have applied for scholarships and worked multiple jobs to pay for this epic adventure. We are beyond grateful for gifts from donors, family and friends to help offset their costs of this transformative trip.

Madelyn “Maddie” Bracken, 20, Fort Wayne, Indiana

Majoring in journalism, news writing and reporting, and public history
Campus activities: Ball State Daily News, academic peer mentor

Maddie’s excitement for the trip is arresting: “I have never been out of the country and have always dreamed of Europe, especially all the beauty and history of Italy,” she said. “Not only do I get that experience, but I also get to flex my writing muscles in a new way.”

She can’t wait for a boat ride along the rocky coast of Cinque Terre, Italy, or the group’s four-hour cooking class in Siena, Italy. “I can’t wait to eat so much pasta in Italy and all the desserts in France and Italy,” said Maddie, who has more than 30 Spotify playlists. “These places pride themselves on food, and I can’t wait to savor it alongside friends.”

Jason Doudt, 22, Pendleton, Indiana

Majoring in photojournalism, sociology and anthropology
Campus activities: Studio photography, anthropology research at the library

Jason will walk across the commencement stage May 5 and onto a plane bound for Paris the next day. “This trip is the beginning of my post-graduate studies and gives me the chance to look for opportunities to work and live abroad."

He will put his years of French class to the test as he orders fine wines and coffee alongside fresh bread and “Pain au chocolat” in France and penne pasta and fresh salads in Italy. And he “can’t wait” to meet and photograph interesting people as he walks historic cities and dines al fresco in the warm evenings.

“Oh, and I want to pet French cats,” he added.

Kate Farr, 19, Antwerp, OH

Majoring in journalism, magazine media, with a minor in journalistic storytelling
Campus activities: Opinion Editor, visual designer, reporter, columnist and photographer, for the Ball State Daily News. Next year, she will serve as the editor-in-chief of the student-led newspaper.

Kate said she hopes to return with “five pounds in pasta weight and amazing memories” from her first trip abroad.

She “cannot wait” to explore Italy and France and immerse herself in their cultures while capturing the flavors, history and customs of some of the world’s most iconic cities.

Katherine “Kate” Hill, 19, Mishawaka, Indiana

Majoring in journalism, news writing and reporting, with a minor in film and screenwriting
Campus activities: Ball State Daily News

Kate Hill hopes to “fall in love with French and Italian people and their food like Julia Child.” Two years ago, Kate took a trip through Europe with high school classmates, and she’s been dreaming of returning ever since.

“I am most excited about the chance to visit beautiful, architectural cities and meet locals — to observe them and take in the atmosphere,” she said. “Taking a French class this school year has made me want to be a French correspondent,” Kate said. “This trip will be a good litmus test for me to see if I can really make that work as a career.”

Kaylin Kieft, 20, Granger, Indiana

Majoring in journalism, magazine media
Campus activities: Inform Muncie

Kaylin dreams of travel writing in her future, so she is excited to explore Europe while study and learning about the craft. “I love experiencing different cultures and learning people’s stories,” she said. “I can’t wait to document our non-stop activities in these beautiful places.”

She will slow down long enough to savor crepes and macaroons, and she is counting down the days until the cooking class in Siena.

Grace Lichty, 20, Elkhart, Indiana

Majoring in journalism, magazine media, with a minor in marketing
Campus activities: Ball Bearings magazine

Grace is eager to gain lasting relationships with her peers on this “once in a lifetime experience.” She fears culture shock will be the most challenging aspect of the trip, but she isn’t afraid of the discomfort that comes from navigating new cultures and experiences.

“I am going on this trip to expand my global and cultural knowledge, and to gain unique writing experience,” she said. “Italy and France are beautiful, and this is an amazing opportunity to go there. I love sightseeing and trying new things.”

Grace is most excited for boat rides and pizza in Italy — delizioso!

Taylor Martin, 21, Indianapolis

Majoring in photojournalism with a minor in French

Taylor says she’s a French minor who doesn’t speak French (but she will need try because many of the students do not speak French). Close with her family and friends, she is nervous about being away from home, but she plans to overcome any homesickness with extra helpings of beautiful sites and gelato.

“This was just a huge opportunity, and I couldn’t pass it up,” she said. “I hope to better understand French culture and the language as we spend so much time in the vibrant country.”

Rosalita “Rosie” Mitchell, 20, Greenwood, Indiana

Majoring in journalism and mass communications with minors in anthropology, communication studies and history
Campus activities: Byte Magazine, Martial Arts Club at, Judo Club, Housing and a resident assistant for Residence Life

As an aspiring travel writer — or “at least a writer who travels” — Rosie plans to immerse herself in documenting the journey. “I want to make at least one new friend, who is a local, in every city we visit,” she said. “And I’m not going to let the language barrier stop me.”

Rosie said she is especially excited to visit Italy because her family emigrated to the United States from Italia. While she is there, she will eat “all the carbs” — bread, pasta and potatoes — and soak up the summer sun.

Mesgana Waiss, 22, Indianapolis

Majoring in journalism and political science
Campus activities: Byte, Ball Bearings

Mesgana has wanted to study abroad for the last few years, and she has wanted to visit Pairs since middle school. With the trip’s journalism focus, it’s perfect for me.

“I hope this trip contributes to my growing confidence as I move into true adulthood,” she said. “I am an extremely anxious person, so I see myself going on this trip as a step in the right direction to becoming a risk-taker.”

The aspiring writer is excited to see the iconic structures and captivating landscapes of these romantic countries. Mesgana can’t wait to fuel up on rich butter and bread before exploring the world’s largest and most famous art museums and historic sites.

Gracie Worrick, 19, Marion, Indiana

Majoring in advertising with concentrations in event planning and management, leadership and emerging media.
Campus activities: Her Campus, American Advertising Federation and Delight

Gracie is going on this trip “to see the world and make memories to last a lifetime.” She plans to celebrate her 20th birthday in Italy with pasta, pasta and more pasta. Gracie is open to all the excursions and writing challenges to come, and she is certain the trip with equip her with perspective, problem-solving and more that she will apply to her future life and work.

Our leaders

Kate H. Elliott, program lead , Columbia, Missouri

Kate’s focus is on the student experience. “It’s a gift,” she said, “to watch others open up to the world and be changed by it.”

“I’ve traveled in these countries, and it will be a joy to go back. But I am most looking forward to seeing the students come alive through this journey. They are all so bright, curious and hard working. It excites me to see and hear their excitement,” Kate said. “I have been working hard to build an experience that will hopefully be a highlight of their lives. I can’t wait to embark on this adventure with them.”

Rachelle Spencer, program assistant, Puyallup, Washington

Working toward a master’s degree in student affairs administration in higher education
Campus activities: Chi Sigma Alpha, Student Voluntary Service, Cardinal Kitchen

After Rachelle graduates in July, she hopes to work as a study abroad advisor. This trip gives her hands-on experience with planning the logistics for faculty-led programs. When she studied abroad, it was organized by an external provider, so she is curious about the student experience for faculty-led programs.

She is most excited about their travels outside of large cities, and she is most nervous about packing for such a long trip with so many destinations. But Rachelle doesn’t shy away from a challenge or vacuum seal bags.

“I hope to gain a better understanding of how these programs work, so that I can better advise students on their study abroad options in the future,” she said. “I also hope to make a great experience for the students and fun memories while on the trip.”

Class Act articles are written by students in a classroom environment with a faculty adviser.

IOWA CITY, IOWA- FEBRUARY 15: Guard Caitlin Clark #22 of the Iowa Hawkeyes listens as the crowd cheers after breaking the NCAA women's all-time scoring record during the game against the Michigan Wolverines at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on February 15, 2024 in Iowa City, Iowa. (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images/IndianaCapitalChronicles)

Indiana Capital Chronicles: Even as interest in women’s college sports rises, report finds big gap in participation

A congressional watchdog in a new report called on the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights to improve its enforcement of Title IX compliance in college athletics.

Delta baseball poses with the Delaware County trophy May 11 after winning the Delaware County tournament at Yorktown High School. Zach Carter, DN.

Delta baseball defeats Yorktown in extra innings to become Delaware County champions

The Eagles defeated the Tigers 5-2 in extra innings to win the Delaware County baseball tournament. It's the first time Delta has won the event since 2017.

The Cardinals gather at the start of the game against Ohio March 16 at First Merchants Bank Ballpark. The Cardinals won 7-5 against the Bobcats. Kate Tilbury, DN

'I'm grateful and proud:' No. 6 Ball State falls to No. 1 Miami in MAC Championship title game

The No. 6 Cardinals fell to the No. 1 Redhawks 8-0 in the MAC title game. It's the farthest the Cardinals have advanced in the tournament since 2015.

Connect with The Daily

@bsudaily on Facebook
@ballstatedaily on Twitter
@ballstatedaily on Instagram

How the Wells Fargo Active Cash can help with summer travel costs

How to earn the wells fargo active cash welcome bonus, how to apply for the wells fargo active cash, what to do with your welcome bonus, alternatives to the wells fargo active cash, the bottom line, want extra money for summer travel this card has a fast pay out.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash isn't a travel rewards card, but it could still help boost your vacation budget.

Holly Johnson

Contributor

Holly Johnson is a credit card expert and writer who covers rewards and loyalty programs, budgeting, and all things personal finance. In addition to writing for publications like Bankrate, CreditCards.com, Forbes Advisor and Investopedia, Johnson owns Club Thrifty and is the co-author of "Zero Down Your Debt: Reclaim Your Income and Build a Life You'll Love."

Tiffany Connors

Tiffany Wendeln Connors is a senior editor for CNET Money with a focus on credit cards. Previously, she covered personal finance topics as a writer and editor at The Penny Hoarder. She is passionate about helping people make the best money decisions for themselves and their families. She graduated from Bowling Green State University with a bachelor's degree in journalism and has been a writer and editor for publications including the New York Post, Women's Running magazine and Soap Opera Digest. When she isn't working, you can find her enjoying life in St. Petersburg, Florida, with her husband, daughter and a very needy dog.

Evan Zimmer

Staff Writer

Evan Zimmer has been writing about finance for years. After graduating with a journalism degree from SUNY Oswego, he wrote credit card content for Credit Card Insider (now Money Tips) before moving to ZDNET Finance to cover credit card, banking and blockchain news. He currently works with CNET Money to bring readers the most accurate and up-to-date financial information. Otherwise, you can find him reading, rock climbing, snowboarding and enjoying the outdoors.

The editorial content on this page is based solely on objective, independent assessments by our writers and is not influenced by advertising or partnerships. It has not been provided or commissioned by any third party. However, we may receive compensation when you click on links to products or services offered by our partners.

Key takeaways

The Wells Fargo Active Cash has a welcome bonus that’s relatively easy to earn in a short period of time.
An introductory APR period also allows you time to pay for summer travel purchases.
Travel-specific credit cards may offer more benefits and perks for long-term credit use.

With this year’s summer travel season only months away, there’s not a lot of time left to save for your trips. Luckily, you can still increase your vacation fund by applying for the Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card . It lets you earn a $200 cash rewards welcome bonus after you spend just $500 in purchases within three months of account opening.

So long as you can pay off your balance on time and in full every month, the Active Cash card is among the best credit cards to help you cover the last-minute costs of summer travel. Here’s what to consider before applying.

The Wells Fargo Active Cash is among easier-to-earn credit card welcome bonuses. A welcome bonus pays out extra rewards beyond what you earn with the card for normal spending once you reach a specified spending threshold set by the credit card issuer.

With its low $500 spending requirement in the first three months of account opening, you could likely earn that by putting a month of your grocery and gas spending on the card. Once you’ve met that requirement, you’ll have an extra $200 in cash rewards to put toward any upcoming trips.

And the welcome bonus isn’t the only way the Active Cash card can help you save on summer travel. It’s also one of the best flat-rate rewards cards , letting you earn 2% cash rewards on purchases -- including your hotel, airfare, rental car or any other travel expense. Plus, there’s no annual fee.

New cardholders can also benefit from the card’s introductory APR offer for purchases and balance transfers, which is ideal for debt consolidation or paying down large purchases, like plane tickets.

The intro 0% APR on purchases and qualifying balance transfers lasts for 15 months from account opening (then 20.24%, 25.24% or 29.99% variable). If you’re making a big purchase, plan out your payment schedule ahead of time so you can avoid incurring interest charges when the intro APR period ends.

Smart Money Advice on the Topics That Matter to You

CNET Money brings financial insights, trends and news to your inbox every Wednesday.

By signing up, you will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy . You may unsubscribe at any time.

Your new Subscription

Here’s all of the excitement headed to your inbox.

Making a plan before you apply for a card can help ensure you earn the welcome bonus without falling into credit card debt:

Plan your spending based on your budget . Knowing which purchases you can put on your card ahead of time can help you avoid overspending to reach the bonus.
Use your card for regular spending and bills . Charge all your regular expenses to your card to earn the bonus faster. Consider using plastic to pay for subscriptions and insurance premiums in addition to everyday expenses like groceries and gas. But watch out for credit card convenience fees that can add to your bill.
Closely track your spending on the card . Missing the spending requirement by even $1 would cause you to miss out on the bonus offer.
Wait for the bonus points to show up in your account . Most credit card welcome offers show up in your account after your next statement closing date. However, some bonuses can take six to eight weeks to show up in your account.

Before applying, it’s a smart idea to make sure the Wells Fargo Active Cash is a good fit for you.

Check for prequalification. Finding out if you prequalify can give you an idea of your approval chances without damaging your credit score.
Calculate if you can earn the bonus with regular spending. To earn the bonus, you’ll need to spend $500 within three months of account opening. That works out to $167 in purchases every month for three consecutive months. Although it’s a relatively low threshold, avoid overspending to reach it.
Make sure the card is a good fit for the long term. While the Active Cash’s welcome bonus may be attractive, you shouldn’t get a credit card simply for its welcome bonus. Applying for a credit card requires a hard inquiry that may temporarily hurt your score , so it’s important that you can get long-term value from the card’s other features, too.
Read the fine print. It helps to know exactly how much time you have to meet the spending requirement. Typically, the timeline to earn a bonus starts on the day you get approved for a card instead of the day it arrives in the mail.
Submit your application. If you think the card offers the right benefits for you, you can apply for the new credit card and wait for it to arrive in the mail. Some credit cards also offer virtual card numbers that let you use them before the physical credit card arrives at your home.

How to spend your welcome bonus is a personal decision. Because the Active Cash is a cash-rewards credit card, you can redeem rewards for statement credits, gift cards or cash redemption at an ATM (available in $20 increments when you use your Wells Fargo ATM or debit card).

The Active Cash isn’t a travel card. While it earns rewards for your travel purchases, it’s missing a lot of things that come standard with travel cards, including point transfers and travel-centric perks and protections.

If you want to earn travel-specific rewards like points or miles, the best travel credit cards typically offer additional perks and travel protections, although some charge an annual fee. However, unlike the Active Cash, many don’t charge foreign transaction fees , which could make them better options if you’re planning to travel internationally.

Some of the best credit cards with welcome bonuses offer larger payouts (and taller spending requirements) than what’s offered by the Active Cash.

Pursuing a credit card welcome bonus makes sense any time of the year, but it can be especially helpful when you have big expenses like summer travel plans coming up.

Not only can upcoming expenses help you reach the bonus’s spending threshold, but you can also use rewards to cover part or all of your purchases in order to reduce your credit card bill.

Just remember to only charge purchases you can afford to pay off when the statement balance is due each month. If you wind up carrying debt in pursuit of a credit card welcome bonus, the interest charges you’re responsible for will likely wipe out the value of the bonus you earn.

The latest on the massive solar storm

By Angela Fritz, Elise Hammond and Chris Lau, CNN

Incredible lighthouse picture from Maine

From CNN's Chris Lau

A long-exposure photo shows the aurora borealis over Portland, Maine, on May 10.

Among a flurry of surreal images capturing the dazzling auroras is one taken by Benjamin Williamson of a lighthouse in Portland, Maine.

"It's one of the most incredible things I've ever seen, the awe and wonder," Williamson told CNN.

He said he used a long-exposure technique to snap the shot, but did not edit it.

Watch the full interview with Williamson here .

Things could be about to ramp up

If you still haven't seen the aurora, hold on for another 30 minutes to an hour, according to CNN meteorologist Chad Myers.

The next wave of coronal mass ejections, or CMEs, which cause the aurora, is about to arrive, he said.

"Just wait a minute because things are going to start to ramp up here," he said, adding that the increase could arrive "anytime now." "When it comes, get outside, get ready, put your coat on."

For those who are too busy to witness the phenomenon tonight, Myers said the aurora is expected to last three nights.

Why does the aurora last for a weekend?

By CNN's Chris Lau

The northern lights can be seen from Eaton Rapids, Michigan, on May 10.

Generally, it takes just eight minutes for light to travel 93 million miles to the Earth from the sun, but astrophysicist Janna Levin said the energized particles causing the current wave of aurora travel a lot slower, causing the phenomenon to last for the weekend.

"Some of these mass ejections are trillions of kilograms," she said. "They're slower. So they're taking longer, but still hours, maybe tens of hours."

Here's how the solar storm looks in the South and on the East Coast

The aurora was visible across the East Coast and in the South Friday.

Here's how it looked in Chester, South Carolina.

Down in Florida, waves of color swam through the sky.

Up north in New Jersey, a purple-ish haze could be seen in the sky.

Will solar storms get more intense and risky in the future?

The answer is probably not in the short term, according to astrophysicist Hakeem Oluseyi.

He said scientists study what is constantly happening on the surface of the sun and have found a pattern.

“Geological data shows us that in the past the sun was way more active than it is today. It has cycles where it goes very quiet ... and you have events that show that the solar activity was much, much greater,” he told CNN. “So there's no evidence that we're going to see those big maxima this cycle."

But the astrophysicist also spoke of a caveat - the limitations of modern science.

“Even though it's predictable in the short term, we still don't quite understand what creates the magnetic fields in the sun,” he said, adding: “That's why NASA has so many satellites looking at the sun.”

In Pictures: Auroras light the sky during rare solar storm

From CNN Digital's Photo Team

The northern lights glow in the night sky in Brandenburg, Germany, on May 10.

A series of solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the sun are creating dazzling auroras across the globe .

The rare solar storm may also disrupt communications. The last time a solar storm of this magnitude reached Earth was in October 2003, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Space Weather Prediction Center.

See more photos of the aurora from tonight.

Behind dazzling aurora could lie “real danger,” Bill Nye the Science Guy says

Bill Nye the Science Guy speaks to CNN on Friday, May 10.

The massive solar storm could present “a real danger,” especially with the modern world relying so much on electricity, according to Bill Nye the Science Guy , a science educator and engineer.

Scientists are warning an increase in solar flares and coronal mass ejections from the sun have the potential to disrupt communication on Earth into the weekend. Solar flares can affect communications and GPS almost immediately because they disrupt Earth’s ionosphere, or part of the upper atmosphere. Energetic particles released by the sun can also disrupt electronics on spacecraft and affect astronauts without proper protection within 20 minutes to several hours.

In comparison to tonight's event, Nye drew comparisons with another incident in 1859, known as the Carrington Event, when telegraph communications were severely affected.

“The other thing, everybody, that is a real danger to our technological society, different from 1859, is how much we depend on electricity and our electronics and so on,” Nye said. "None of us really in the developed world could go very long without electricity."

He noted that there are systems in place to minimize the impact, but “stuff might go wrong,” stressing that not all transformers are equipped to withstand such a solar event.

“It depends on the strength of the event and it depends on how much of our infrastructures are prepared for this the sort of thing,” he said.

Bill Nye breaks down significance of the solar storm | CNN

This post has been updated with more details on solar flares' impact on electronics.

Here's where clouds will block the view of the northern lights in the US

From CNN's Angela Fritz

An infrared satellite image taken around 10:30 p.m. ET.

After an incredibly stormy week, most of the Lower 48 has clear skies to see the northern lights. But there are some areas where clouds and rainy weather are spoiling the view.

A deck of clouds is blocking the sky in the Northeast, from parts of Virginia into Maine, as an area of low pressure spins off the East Coast.

In the Midwest, the aurora will be hard to see through thick clouds in parts of Wisconsin, Michigan — including the Upper Peninsula — and Illinois.

A stripe of clouds is tracking across Texas, including Dallas-Forth Worth, and into Louisiana.

And in the Southwest, patchy clouds across the the Four Corners region could make the northern lights difficult to spot.

Aurora seen at least as far south as Georgia

Barely visible to the naked eye, the aurora can be seen in Atlanta in the 10 p.m. ET hour.

It is easier to see through photographs using a long exposure. The photos below, taken by CNN's Eric Zerkel and Emily Smith, used 3- and 10-second exposures.

Aurora seen in Atlanta around 10:15 p.m. ET.

Please enable JavaScript for a better experience.

Election 2024
Entertainment
Newsletters
Photography
Personal Finance
AP Investigations
AP Buyline Personal Finance
AP Buyline Shopping
Press Releases
Israel-Hamas War
Russia-Ukraine War
Global elections
Asia Pacific
Latin America
Middle East
Election Results
Delegate Tracker
AP & Elections
Auto Racing
2024 Paris Olympic Games
Movie reviews
Book reviews
Personal finance
Financial Markets
Business Highlights
Financial wellness
Artificial Intelligence
Social Media

Biden to travel to North Carolina to meet with families of officers killed in deadly shooting

Police in North Carolina say a shootout that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others began as officers approached a home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm.

Four officers trying to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm were killed and four other officers were wounded in a shootout in North Carolina. (April 30)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings wipes away tears as he speaks at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding the shooting that killed four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Copy Link copied

Debris surrounds a home, Tuesday, April 30, 2024, where a shootout between a suspect and officers occurred on Monday, in Charlotte, N.C. Police say a shootout that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others began as officers approached the home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Debris covers the lawn of a home from Monday’s standoff with police in Charlotte, N.C. on Tuesday, April 30, 2024. Police in North Carolina say a shootout that killed four law enforcement officers and wounded four others began as officers approached the home to serve a warrant for a felon wanted for possessing a firearm. (AP Photo/Jeffrey Collins)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings pauses at a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding the shooting of four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings listens to a question during a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding a shooting that killed four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Johnny Jennings leaves a press conference in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024, regarding a shooting that killed four officers during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

Rev. Raymond Johnson, of Marion, S.C., arranges flowers on the lawn of the home on Galway Drive in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, April 30, 2024 where a shootout between a suspect and officers occurred during an attempt to serve a warrant on April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Nell Redmond)

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to travel to North Carolina on Thursday to meet with the family members of four officers killed earlier this week in the deadliest attack on U.S. law enforcement since 2016.

The president is scheduled to visit Wilmington across the state that day and is planning to add a stop in Charlotte to meet with local officials and the families of officers shot Monday while serving a warrant, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The four officers were killed when a task force made up of officers from different agencies arrived in the residential neighborhood in the city of 900,000 to try to capture 39-year-old Terry Clark Hughes Jr. on warrants for possession of a firearm by an ex-felon and fleeing to elude in Lincoln County, North Carolina. Hughes was also killed.

Four other officers were wounded in the shootout, and an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, a 40-caliber handgun and ammunition were found at the scene. Those killed were identified as Sam Poloche and William Elliott of the North Carolina Department of Adult Corrections; Charlotte-Mecklenburg Officer Joshua Eyer; and Deputy U.S. Marshal Thomas Weeks.

After the attack, Biden expressed his condolences and support for the community, calling the slain officers “heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice, rushing into harm’s way to protect us.”

FILE - South Florida guard Brandon Stroud attempts to knock the ball away from Charlotte forward Igor Milicic Jr. (24) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, March 2, 2024, in Charlotte, N.C. Miličić Jr., one of the top big men in the American Athletic Conference at Charlotte last season, will play his final year at Tennessee. Volunteers coach Rick Barnes on Thursday, May 9, announced the addition of Miličić, who becomes the third transfer to join the team for 2024-25. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)

“We must do more to protect our law enforcement officers. That means funding them – so they have the resources they need to do their jobs and keep us safe. And it means taking additional action to combat the scourge of gun violence. Now,” Biden said in a statement, calling on leaders in Congress to pass a ban on assault weapons, among other gun control measures.

Outside the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department’s North Tryon Division on Wednesday, Eyer’s patrol car was draped with an American flag and covered with flower bouquets from community members who stopped to pay their respects.

The department called the vehicle a “solemn tribute” and “visible reminder of Officer Eyer’s sacrifice and service,” in a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Eyer’s memorial service is scheduled for Friday at a Charlotte Baptist church.

Also on Wednesday, a local police chief said that an officer from his force who was shot Monday underwent surgery and is expected to make a full recovery. David W. Onley, the police chief of Statesville in the Charlotte metropolitan area, expressed condolences Wednesday and “unwavering solidarity with our law enforcement brethren during this difficult time,” according to a statement released by his office.

One of the four officers injured in the attack was Cpl. Casey Hoover of the Statesville Police Department, who served on the task force. He was shot in his upper torso — an area unprotected by his bulletproof vest.

Hoover was taken by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department to a Charlotte hospital, where he underwent surgery. Onley said the officer, who has worked for the Statesville police for eight years, is now stable and is expected to make a full recovery and “exemplifies the bravery and resilience of our law enforcement community.”

Law enforcement officers were still investigating Wednesday, attempting to determine a precise timeline of events and whether Hughes acted alone or with a second shooter.

Hughes’ criminal record in North Carolina goes back more than a decade. It includes prison time and convictions for breaking and entering, reckless driving, eluding arrest and illegally possessing a gun as a former felon, according to state records.

The attack was the deadliest day for U.S. law enforcement in one incident since five officers were killed by a sniper during a protest in Dallas in 2016.

___ Miller reported from Washington.

More From Forbes

Vintage 2023: good value entre-deux-mers red wines.

Share to Facebook
Share to Twitter
Share to Linkedin

This is a companion article to that titled Vintage 2023— Nature Delivered What Consumers Desired. Other associated articles provide Bordeaux vintage 2023 tasting notes for wines from the Bordeaux Left Bank and Right Bank regions as well as for white/rosé wines .

Langoiran, Entre Deux Mers, Bordeaux, France

Château Laurence. Bordeaux Supérieur. 2023. 95 points.

Merlot to be aged 14 months in 30% new French oak. Dark blue black purple color. Crisp and spring aromas of strawberries, spring flowers, cocoa chips and raspberry juice. Tight, harmonious, well integrated package of dark fruit, figs, black olives, bouquet garni , and a river of rich and succulent acidity with muscular but low key tannins. Philippe Nunes hitting top of his game here for integrated art in wine. Dark, somewhat mysterious and rewarding.

Château Haut Peyrat. Grand Vin de Bordeaux. 2023. 94+ points.

49.5/39/8.5/3 blend of Cabernet Franc/Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec from Isabelle and Didier Gil in Entre-deux-Mers. Fresh young fruit aromas include blueberries, gorse. Mid palate of brownies, chocolate, red cherries and black berries. Well balanced. Juicy red fruit on the finish. Admirable tension.

Château Laurence. “Petite Laurence.” 2023. 94 points.

100% Merlot from Philippe Nunes aged in steel and barrels. Rich and smoky aromas of fresh crushed blueberries, granite dust, chalk, black cherries and Gariguette strawberries. Firm and fleshy tannins, gripping acidity and dark fruit as well as molasses mid palate with a textured finish. An entre-deux-mers bargain from a talented winemaker and consultant.

Map of Bordeaux wine vineyards

It s Possible The Russian Army Is Tricking The Ukrainian Army With A Fake Offensive

Ufc st louis results bonus winners from night of memorable finishes, vasiliy lomachenko vs. george kambosos results: winner, ko, reaction.

Château Haut Bellegarde. Bordeaux. 2023. 94 points.

A 90/10 Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon blend. Almost popsicle like initial attraction on the nose. Aromas of fruit—cassis and dark plums and juicy red cherries—but also spices—coriander and cumin. Juicy easy drinking, light and approachable, well balanced. Delicious flavors of red and ample black cherries and raspberries, succulent acidity and mild tannins. Not complex but wonderful for now.

Château Lamothe Vincent. Héritage. Bordeaux Supérieur. 2023. 93 points.

Perky, young, fresh but still indistinct aromas. Bright chewy bite of cherries and black currants mid palate with zippy acidity. A fruit boomerang begins with cherries on the attack, returns with dark plums and black cherries; pronounced tannins on the finish.

Château Larteau. Bordeaux Supérieur. 2023. 92-93 points.

A blend of Merlot/Cabernet Franc from this Entre-Deux-Mers producer. Aromas of a spring country lane or a fern glen. Creamy tannins and a light fruity mouthful of red fruit—linear but pleasing and with chipper acidity that lingers on a long finish. Pair with a bowl of strawberries or with goulash.

FOR the following, wines, tasting notes are here .

Château Auguste. Bordeaux. 2023. 92 points.
Château de Brondeau. Bordeaux Supérieur. 2023. 91+ points.
Château d’Anglade. Grande Réserve. Bordeaux Supérieur. 2023. 89 points.

Editorial Standards
Reprints & Permissions

Join The Conversation

One Community. Many Voices. Create a free account to share your thoughts.

Forbes Community Guidelines

Our community is about connecting people through open and thoughtful conversations. We want our readers to share their views and exchange ideas and facts in a safe space.

In order to do so, please follow the posting rules in our site's Terms of Service. We've summarized some of those key rules below. Simply put, keep it civil.

Your post will be rejected if we notice that it seems to contain:

False or intentionally out-of-context or misleading information
Insults, profanity, incoherent, obscene or inflammatory language or threats of any kind
Attacks on the identity of other commenters or the article's author
Content that otherwise violates our site's terms.

User accounts will be blocked if we notice or believe that users are engaged in:

Continuous attempts to re-post comments that have been previously moderated/rejected
Racist, sexist, homophobic or other discriminatory comments
Attempts or tactics that put the site security at risk
Actions that otherwise violate our site's terms.

So, how can you be a power user?

Stay on topic and share your insights
Feel free to be clear and thoughtful to get your point across
‘Like’ or ‘Dislike’ to show your point of view.
Protect your community.
Use the report tool to alert us when someone breaks the rules.

Thanks for reading our community guidelines. Please read the full list of posting rules found in our site's Terms of Service.

IMAGES

Informative Newspaper Article Examples
Travel Writing Article Examples In English
Write Articles About Travel And Tourism
Article Writing Examples
50 Unveiled Secrets: Travel Writing vs Article Writing Guide 2023
travel writing article examples

VIDEO

English Language One Shot Class 12th ISC🧠📄|Revision In One Go😱
Holiday Travel Guide: Let's talk pricing, strategy
How to build a travel journal
12th English important Article writing 2024 // Article लिखने की Best tricks // Article writing
Article writing|Article writing class 12|Article writing class 12 2024|Article writing formatclass12
12 Types of Content Writing in 1 Minute!

COMMENTS

Great Travel Writing Examples from World Renowned Travel Writers
11 Great Travel Writing Examples. Writing with feeling, tone, and point of view creates a compelling story. Below are examples of travel writing that include; first paragraphs, middle paragraphs, and final paragraphs for both travel articles as well as travel books. I hope the below examples of travel writing inspire you to write more, study ...
How To Write the Perfect Travel Article
3) Use of the writer's personal experiences, other anecdotes and quotations to add life to the piece. 4) Vivid reporting — the ability of the writer to convey to readers, using as many of the senses as possible, the travel experience through the use of words alone. 5) High literary quality and the accurate use of grammar and syntax.
The Masterclasses 2023: 10 travel writing tips from our experts
4. Utilise social media. "Dinosaurs like me may absolutely despise it, but the reality is that if you're a travel writer and you have no presence on social media, you have no presence ...
A Writer's Guide to Great Travel Writing
Tips for travel writing. Open with a compelling and snappy anecdote or description to hook the reader's interest from the beginning. Give the reader a strong sense of where you are through vivid language. Ground the reader in time, in climate, and in the season. Introduce yourself to help the reader identify with you and explain the reason ...
12 Types of Travel Writing Every Writer Should Know
Round-ups. You'll recognize a round-up article when you see one, as it'll go, "40 best beaches in West Europe," or, perhaps, "20 of the greatest walks in the world!". It's a classic tool in any magazine or newspaper writer's toolbox, taking a bunch of destinations and grouping them all under one common thread.
Breaking into Travel Writing: The 5 Elements of Writing Travel Articles
In a feature article, which includes travel and food articles, there's some latitude for where answers to those essential questions are placed in the story, but the gist of the story still covers the news fundamentals: where, when, who, what, why, and how. If you are new to travel writing, here is a checklist of the elements to be covered ...
PDF Travel Writing 101
editors explores how great travel writing leads to life-enriching experiences. • Why (and How) Travel Writing Moves Us - Don George, author of the Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Writing explains why this genre has such an appeal. Writing assignment The best way to learn about travel writing is to read as much travel content as you can.
10 Expert Tips for Writing Travel Articles
Most travel articles will be 1,000 to 2,000 words long. That's only 10 to 20 paragraphs, so you don't have time for detours. 4. Write an irresistible first paragraph. You can start a travel article any way you like, as long as it grabs the reader's attention. You can use drama, humour, dialogue, (or all three) - but those first sentences ...
Why (and How) Travel Writing Moves Us
Don George: Really great travel writing is ultimately about connection. As human beings, connection is incredibly incredibly important to all of us; it's the thing we need to keep going. And, so ...
Guide: Learn The Art of Travel Writing
This travel writing guide could be your plane ticket to see the world. For many people, travel writing as a profession is just a dream. This guide shows how it can become a reality. Contributor to Outside Magazine and The New York Times, Tim Neville takes us through the process of travel writing, starting from the inception of an idea through ...
5 Expert Tips & Tricks of Travel Article Writing
a) Travel article writing: • More subjective, creative, and narrative. • Uses storytelling techniques such as anecdotes, dialogue, sensory details, humor, or suspense to engage the reader's attention and imagination. • Uses the first-person point of view ("I") to share the writer's perspective and personality.
The New World of Travel Writing
The New World of Travel Writing. By Don George. October 23, 2014. • 10 min read. As a writer, editor, and teacher, I care about travel writing that matters. My own journey of learning about and ...
How to write a travel article
Learn what a travel article is, the different purposes and audiences of travel writing and the conventions of travel articles with this guide from BBC Bitesize KS3 English.
Getting Started: Types of Travel Articles
The writing is tightly trimmed and polished. Their experience permits them the luxury of digression, dialogue, reminiscence, and musing. Expand your personal library and include travel narratives from great writers—Henry James, Mark Twain, Edith Wharton, Gustave Flaubert, Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf.
The Perfect Travel Story Pitch: Tips from an Editor
Here's what I would do: Give your top outlet a head start of a few weeks. Then pitch other possible outlets. If a second outlet bites, inform them about the story you're doing for the first outlet, and see if you can reframe the story for the second. The key is disclosure and transparency.
The Best Travel Writing of 2021: Our Favorite Stories of the Year
The first year of the pandemic was an extraordinary achievement for Skift's team of reporters and editors covering the unparalleled crisis in real time. Year two tested the mettle of the team in ...
6 examples of gorgeous travel writing
Here are some travel writing tips to help you compete with the best examples of the genre. Have a point of view. Great travel writers — from the travel books of Bill Bryson and John Steinbeck to the documentaries of Paul Theroux — all have very specific points of view that are difficult to copy. Find your voice, and your travel articles ...
Travel Writing Guide: 4 Tips for Travel Writing
Travel Writing Guide: 4 Tips for Travel Writing. Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Jun 16, 2021 • 3 min read. Travel writing is all about embarking on adventures in search of a new point of view, compelling stories, and exciting experiences.
How to Write and Sell Travel Articles
To be a professional travel writer, you must sell your work and do so regularly. As almost all travel writing is commissioned, you'll need to research the market, choose an editor, and send a pitch first. But just because an editor commissions a piece doesn't oblige her to buy it. Writing a good pitch and writing a good article are two ...
Travel Writing Examples and Articles
I write in all sorts of styles and formats, both online and in print. I've listed a few travel writing examples on this page to give you an idea! I really enjoy travel writing and have undertaken a number of press trips and famils, blogger trips and travel influencer campaigns. Some of the places where my work has appeared has included a ...
Travel Articles from The Travel Magazine
Travel Articles. Our experienced writers travel the world to bring you informative and inspirational features, destination roundups, travel ideas, tips and beautiful photos in order to help you plan your next holiday. California Destination Guides North America Travel Articles Travel Guides.
75 Great Travel Articles
Food Articles. Joan Didion Essays. James Baldwin Essays. David Foster Wallace Essays. Hunter S. Thompson Articles. David Sedaris Essays. Zadie Smith Essays. The Best Nonfiction Magazines. New York Times Articles.
Examples of Great Travel Blog Post Titles That Will Inspire You
Technology Blog Post Title Examples. Examples of Travel Blog Titles. Examples of Fitness Blog Post Titles. Automotive Blog Title Examples. Examples of Vegan Blog Titles. Or, check out all other examples like Blog Intros, Google and Facebook ad copies and more.
7 Best Practices On How To Write SEO Rank Headlines & Titles
1. Include Relevant Keyword. Focus on the main keyword that aligns with the content you're targeting. Place this keyword early in your SEO title and title tag to clarify the purpose of your content, making it easier for search engines like Google to understand and prioritize it.
Beyond the Nest
Throughout the trip, students will read and analyze travel writing while learning the skills to produce evocative storytelling that contains concrete observations, strong action, thoughtful research and appropriate pacing. Journalism students will focus on narrative nonfiction while strategic communications students will produce public relations and advertising content for travel companies ...
Want Extra Money for Summer Travel? This Card Has a Fast Pay Out
Once you've met that requirement, you'll have an extra $200 in cash rewards to put toward any upcoming trips. And the welcome bonus isn't the only way the Active Cash card can help you save ...
Aurora lights up the sky in geomagnetic storm
Aurora seen in Atlanta area around 10:30 p.m. ET. (Emily Smith/CNN) A stunning aurora, caused by a severe geomagnetic storm, is painting the sky shades of pink, purple and green as it spreads into ...
Biden to travel to North Carolina to meet with families of officers
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — President Joe Biden is expected to travel to North Carolina on Thursday to meet with the family members of four officers killed earlier this week in the deadliest attack on U.S. law enforcement since 2016.. The president is scheduled to visit Wilmington across the state that day and is planning to add a stop in Charlotte to meet with local officials and the families of ...
KS3 / KS4 English Literature: Comedy and tragedy in Great ...
Tony Jordan investigates aspects of Charles Dickens' life during the writing of Great Expectations between 1860 and 1861. He explores Dickens' sense of tragicomedy and his ability to move ...
Vintage 2023
Bordeaux Supérieur. 2023. 92-93 points. A blend of Merlot/Cabernet Franc from this Entre-Deux-Mers producer. Aromas of a spring country lane or a fern glen. Creamy tannins and a light fruity ...