Why are more journalists refusing to accept press trips?
And what you can do about it? And I am always looking for fresh PITCHES.
But first, I want to give a shout out to my host, Jodi Holliday from Tourism Saskatchewan Canada! I first met Jodi at IMM New York in January this year. After 24 one-on-one meetings with PR folks, I walked away being the most interested in Saskatchewan because of Jodi’s enthusiasm about the destination and the stories she shared with me that aligned with my interests. Also, I did not know anything about this large province of Canada and after traveling to 120 countries, I am always interested in learning something new!
Over the last one week, Jodi Holliday and Darby Sutherland took my photographer and I around Saskatoon showing us hidden gems that tied into sustainability, entrepreneurship and locally sourced food. We ate gourmet farm-to-table dinners and lots of ice cream, picked our own flowers at one of the most beautiful farm gardens I have seen, drank some of the best whiskey in the world (I have a new found love for Canadian whiskey now!) and walked over 10k steps a day. We also spent an entire day learning about First Nations communities and toured what may be the first UNESCO Heritage Site in the province.
This was not just a fun and educational press trip, one that many stories would emerge from, I also made some great friends! I think many of you who have met Jodi and Darby at other conferences too have also found their energy infectious.
Is It Getting Harder to Get Journalists on Press Trips?
During my recent conversations with other travel writers, I realized that many of them stopped accepting press trips all together. This surprised me because I have found press trips to be super useful in finding new story ideas and visit many amazing destinations without having to spend a lot of my own resources.
But the increasing demands from PR are dissuading journalists and they are having to choose between peace of mind and a fun work trip. Here are some of the reasons they cited for not accepting press trips:
PR asking to confirm assignment before going on the trip.
Accepting a press trip often means you are committed to delivering a story.
Some PR folks ask to sign a binding agreement guaranteeing coverage before confirming the booking.
It is getting harder to place stories in publications, editors take a long time to respond (if at all), and it may be a while before the story comes to print. This is especially hard when the press trip revolves around an event.
A trip that offers no unique story angles is not interesting.
On group trips, everyone comes back with the exact same story angles and pitches to the exact same editors/ publications, increase the competition in an already very competitive landscape.
Press trips often include hotel tours and travel writers are not interested in looking at different room categories.
Press trips are packed with activities that give you a short glimpse into each. It doesn’t justify the time away from work.
The days are often long and exhaustive. You are expected to hit the ground running as soon as you arrive.
You end up spending many hours socializing and unnecessarily long dinners.
It is harder to have one and one conversations with locals.
Flight options are generally not comfortable - economy seats, multiple connections, long layovers. You are expected to cover your own seat upgrades.
In addition, writers have to pay for out of pocket expenses such as Uber to/ from the home city airport, meals during travel, alcohol, tips, laundry, insurance, and unforeseen expenses. Yes, you can “business expense” some of these but travel writers don’t get paid a lot either.
Journalists feel guilty and pressured to placing the story because they went on a press trip.
Note: this does not apply to bloggers and content creators, who often work for themselves and don’t have the same pressure to place stories.
I receive at least 5-10 press trip invitations each week. Unfortunately, I have to decline most of them mainly because they are planned last minute and my calendar is booked months in advance. I am still accepting press trips as long as they don’t include these words that I consider to be red flags:
requires a confirmed assignment
large group trip (I prefer individual or max 4 in a group)
flights not included
no tentative itinerary or story angle
itinerary will be provided a week before the trip
moving hotels every 1-2 nights within the destination
no option to extend the trip for individual exploration
Where I am Speaking…
Please reach out if you would like to grab a drink or have a one-on-one meeting with me in Atlanta or Las Vegas.
Sept 16: I will be doing the luncheon keynote, followed by a book signing and media panel at the Georgia Governor’s Tourism Conference in Atlanta.
Oct 9-10: I will be speaking at 3 sessions - Dining for Social Good, Cultural Tips to Help You Soar, and Stories From the Front Lines at IMEX Las Vegas.
If you are planning a conference, regional meeting or an event where you may find my insights useful, take a look at my speaker profile. As a Keynote Speaker, some of the topics I cover are - cultural etiquettes, how food connects people, marketing to diverse audiences, journalist & media relations, how to plan effortless press trips, trend in multigenerational travel, sustainable travel, solo female travel, and BIPOC stories from the front lines.
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Have You Watched My TED Talks?
I did 3 TEDx talks about travel in 2023. Watch them on YouTube.
Why you need to travel in silence
Using travel to develop cultural intelligence
Stop dreaming and start living now
Got Kids Who Love To Read About Travel?
My favorite Media Visit is one that combines an individual visit to uncover stories that I am the best person to tell + keynote speech or panel discussion at an event + book signings + interviews on your local TV stations.
If you are interested in organizing a media visit in 2025, please contact me NOW as I am planning ahead.
PITCH REQUESTS
Here is what I am looking for at the moment…
Hotels Where You May Run Into Celebrities. Juicy details and name dropping is a must! (US preferred, but can be anywhere in the world, Deadline Aug 19)
Restaurants, personalities, cookbooks, products and trends catering to South Asian (Indian) audiences living in the U.S. (USA only, Deadline ongoing)
Atlanta specific food and drink related trends, human interest stories, unique dishes that diners may have not heard of but must try! (Atlanta only, Deadline ongoing)
Chefs, entrepreneurs, culinary products, new restaurants, bars and cafes, food or drink trends, quirky festivals, recipe books, and human interest stories. (GA only, Deadline ongoing)
Gifts that give back. Travel, home, and lifestyle holiday gifts that are great for not only giving, but the companies stand for the betterment of specific causes - communities, environment, education, wildlife, etc. (Must be available to purchase online, Deadline Oct 1)
Products to pack for a scuba diving trip, winter cruise, African safari, gorilla trekking, polar adventure, European carnival. (Will need to provide samples, Deadline ongoing)
Coolest expeditions and adventures in the world. Think someone who has done everything already - what’s on the next bucket list? You may want to research what I have done already. (anywhere in the world, Deadline ongoing)
Specific destinations I am personally interested in traveling to in 2025 (doesn’t mean you cannot pitch other places)…
Albania, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bolivia, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Dominica, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Laos, Latvia, Lithuania, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Mozambique, Namibia, Paraguay, Saudi Arabia, Trinidad, Tunisia, Uzbekistan.
US - Hawaii, California, Idaho, Maine, New York, New Mexico, Arizona, Oregon.
Tips for Pitching
If you subscribe to my Substack, you will be the first one to receive my call for pitches! But first, here are some tips to ensure that your pitches have a higher likelihood to be considered.
Make sure to familiarize yourself with my previous work.
Personalize your emails. If I don’t see my name, I will assume you are a bot.
Include a catchy story headline with your pitch, one that grabs my editor’s attention as well.
Make sure the story is not already covered.
Include facts, insider tips, specific quotes, ideas that spark conversation (no generic statements).
Please make clear if the client is willing to host media to experience or send samples without asking for confirmed coverage.
DO NOT include pictures, attachments or large files in your email.
And lastly, no need to follow on pitches unless they have a time sensitive hook or scheduled media trip invite.