A recent New York Times essay has sparked a bigger conversation about press trips, access, and the hidden economics of who gets to tell travel stories at all.
Really loved the closing of this. The part about staying curios and bringing readers back in a new way of seeing a place feels like the heart of good travel writing to me.
That's the ultimate goal and responsibility of this gig! There's truly nothing more rewarding than when someone reaches out to say they loved a recommendation or experience based on something I wrote. It's just so cool and never gets old. But that's also why a writer's responsibility always has to be to the reader, and that's where press trips/comped experiences can muddy the waters. It's a fine line, but the good writers, and the ones worth trusting, always put the reader first.
As a luxury travel agency owner, I definitely feel this. I almost never go on FAMs. For one thing, they are exhausting - the schedule is way too packed to actually experience a property or location like a client.
Secondly, it takes me away from my actual work - which is being accessible for my clients as they plan and travel.
Finally, it’s not a real reflection of a hotel. I can’t give an honest opinion of a property if I’m being wined and dined.
I do think FAMs are useful for agents just starting out and building their knowledge base, but by the time someone has been in the industry as long as I have, they just don’t make sense
I hear you on the FAMs. When I first started out in travel writing, I said yes to almost everything that came my way. And it was great! I learned a lot, met some amazing people, and saw and did so many amazing things. But after a while, the grind and exhaustion both during and post-FAM started to wear on me. Now I mostly do individual trips, it's just more conducive to my personal reporting style. BUT, I do think there is still value to be found in both. Without these trips, so many stories would never get told/trips would never get sold. As far as being wined and dined, I hear you, and trust me, I've been wined and dined plenty of times by hotels, cruises, etc. But any reporter worth their salt is able to look beyond that to see what the real story is, and has a duty to readers to report honestly and accurately. Easier said than done sometimes, but the best travel writers I know take this job seriously, and know how to seriously have fun with the job too:)
Really loved the closing of this. The part about staying curios and bringing readers back in a new way of seeing a place feels like the heart of good travel writing to me.
That's the ultimate goal and responsibility of this gig! There's truly nothing more rewarding than when someone reaches out to say they loved a recommendation or experience based on something I wrote. It's just so cool and never gets old. But that's also why a writer's responsibility always has to be to the reader, and that's where press trips/comped experiences can muddy the waters. It's a fine line, but the good writers, and the ones worth trusting, always put the reader first.
As a luxury travel agency owner, I definitely feel this. I almost never go on FAMs. For one thing, they are exhausting - the schedule is way too packed to actually experience a property or location like a client.
Secondly, it takes me away from my actual work - which is being accessible for my clients as they plan and travel.
Finally, it’s not a real reflection of a hotel. I can’t give an honest opinion of a property if I’m being wined and dined.
I do think FAMs are useful for agents just starting out and building their knowledge base, but by the time someone has been in the industry as long as I have, they just don’t make sense
I hear you on the FAMs. When I first started out in travel writing, I said yes to almost everything that came my way. And it was great! I learned a lot, met some amazing people, and saw and did so many amazing things. But after a while, the grind and exhaustion both during and post-FAM started to wear on me. Now I mostly do individual trips, it's just more conducive to my personal reporting style. BUT, I do think there is still value to be found in both. Without these trips, so many stories would never get told/trips would never get sold. As far as being wined and dined, I hear you, and trust me, I've been wined and dined plenty of times by hotels, cruises, etc. But any reporter worth their salt is able to look beyond that to see what the real story is, and has a duty to readers to report honestly and accurately. Easier said than done sometimes, but the best travel writers I know take this job seriously, and know how to seriously have fun with the job too:)
They definitely do still hold value. Now, I just send our junior agents to come report back to the rest of our team!
Perks of the job! I hope they enjoy it!!
Great read. Reading about travel helps me considerably. I get to dream about my next trip while receiving guidance along the way. Thank you!
Where are you dreaming of traveling to next?