Alas, travel writers do not spend their days flitting from one glamorous spot to another, swathed in luxury and commanding vast salaries. More often, the life of a travel writer might involve a four-hour delay in a cheerless airport, followed by a cramped ride next to a screaming baby or a struggle to communicate the need for hot water to an unhelpful hotel staff.
So why do we do it? First: because we love to travel. Second, because we want to inspire others to explore the amazing and wonderful world beyond their familiar hometowns. If we’re good at what we do, we may be treated to a perk often better than the paycheck: the press trip.
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Press trips allow public relations professionals to introduce writers to their clients, and in return, possibly generate some news around those clients’ offerings. The perks of a press trip come in all shapes and sizes — upgraded airline tickets, luxury hotel rooms, free meals and fabulous dinner guests. With all these freebies thrown at you, how can you keep a story simple, objective and honest? It’s not always easy, but with a little focus and adherence to the proper protocol, you can produce a thorough piece and enjoy a little adventure along the way.
The point of a press trip might be to introduce a new service, remodeled hotel, or upcoming event. Once in a while, tourism boards will stage press trips that are inclusive of flights, hotels and meals as a way to generate interest in the destination. The purpose is to get press, and as a reporter, you have the right to tell the story as you see it — the good, the bad, and the ugly. Travel is subjective: Your view of something will always be different than that of the passenger seated next to you. Your audience deserves the truth, however, and that includes the truth of who sponsored your journey. But, is it fair to take a service or product for free when others have to pay for it? Well, technically, you’re working for it.
“If you stay focused on your readers — and [are] soaking up every detail that may be relevant to them — it’s pretty easy to remain objective,” said Tom Johansmeyer, a travel blogger for online travel sites including Gadling and Luxist. “The first thing I look for on a trip is what would make a destination or hotel attractive to my readers, and then I balance it out with any drawbacks. The travel writer’s job is to cover the destination fairly and accurately… which is much easier if you’re actually there. As long as you’re honest, it doesn’t matter who writes the check. Disclose who paid for it for good measure, so the readers can make the call for themselves.”
If the hotel room you’re staying in isn’t clean, you got food poisoning on your flight, or you witnessed some ugly interactions between staff and guests, it’s your obligation as a journalist to report it. “I look at press trips the same way I look at the theater critic who gets two free tickets to the opening night of the play: I reserve the right to say [the product] sucks,” says Peter Greenberg, travel editor for CBS News and author of the New York Times bestseller Don’t Go There! The Travel Detective’s Essential Guide to the Must-Miss Places of the World.
Great Expectations
Every press trip is organized differently, so it’s important to set expectations up front. Before you pack your bags and head for the airport, make sure you have a clear understanding of what is involved and what the client is hoping to achieve by hosting reporters. There are some basic rules to follow:
“Be sure there’s an understanding that you’re going on this trip with every intention of writing something publishable, but that if nothing interesting happens both of you reserve the right to not publish anything,” said Chris Elliott, writer of the syndicated Travel Troubleshooter column, which appears in more than 50 U.S. newspapers and Web sites.
Pat Washburn, a freelance journalist for publications including The Boston Globe and MaineToday.com, suggests first considering whether you are interested in writing about the subject, your readers are interested in reading about it, and if there is anything about the trip that sends a bad signal. For instance, if you’re asked to commit to a certain number of published stories, or to sign anything preventing you from exploring certain aspects of the destination, you should immediately decline the offer.
| “Your job is to go behind the scenes, and go beyond what’s being handed to you by marketers.” |
Once you’ve agreed to go on the press trip, you’ll receive an itinerary that includes everything from your accommodations to your dinner reservations. Review it carefully — this is where you’ll find your initial story ideas. Make sure everything you requested is listed. For example, if you requested an interview with the head chef of a new restaurant opening at the hotel, that interview should be scheduled into your itinerary. If not, it’s time to contact the agency and ask for a revision. “Remember, your job is to go behind the scenes, and go beyond what’s being handed to you by marketers,” said Washburn.
Also check to see what costs are not being covered. For instance, if your itinerary includes breakfast and dinner, you should budget to cover your own lunch.
Pitching the Story
While most press trips will have a set itinerary prepared prior to your trip, in general, it’s a good idea to reserve pitching your stories until afterwards. Simply put, you just never know what you’ll discover when you’re on the road. Take time during the trip to jot down potential ideas and angles and send query letters to editors as soon as you return home. Remember, many publications plan their editorial calendars a year in advance so it’s possible you’ll be looking at a lead time of at least a few months. However, you’ll want to pitch editors well in advance for something timely, like a sporting event or concert.
“On the road, we ask writers to understand the source of the trip — how the itinerary is positioned and pitched — as to best learn how the product is framed. And then look beyond that,” said Grant Martin, editor of Gadling, an AOL Travel site. “We like seeing foreign, cultural facets that compare well against our demographic, wild and wonderful stories from the road and deep insight into a destination or place.”
The Perks and the Pitfalls
Being invited on a press trip is a privilege and should be treated as such. Between flights, hotel rooms, meals and tours, these trips can cost thousands of dollars, depending on the destination, which is likely more than you’ll be paid to write the article! Balancing the perks takes talent, and you’ve got to be on your game to ensure a fair and accurate account of your trip. Most importantly, says Johansmeyer, is protecting your reputation.
“I’m not interested in gambling with my credibility,” said Johansmeyer. “Simple advice: don’t focus on the perks. If you want to write about travel, write about travel. There are plenty of people who want to do it, so the market won’t suffer for the loss of one writer who’d rather cram his apartment with freebies.”
While others might perceive press trips to be a luxurious and cost-effective way to travel, it’s important to remember you’re here to do a job. Yes, there are endless cocktails being passed around and it’s likely you’re staying in a room with a spectacular view, but there’s a lot of work that goes into this.
“Sleep is the first luxury to be sacrificed. It’s the nature of the beast. Press trips can be fun, but there’s also a considerable amount of effort involved,” said Johansmeyer.
You’re required to attend the functions, run after interviews, file stories, format photos and reply to last-minute emails and editor’s requests. The perk of the press trip is the royal treatment, but that also results in some unfortunate mistakes from rookie reporters.
“Believing they don’t owe their hosts anything, drinking too much, making unreasonable demands of their hosts, drinking too much, hanging out in cliques like they are in high school again, drinking too much…,” said Elliott of the biggest slip-ups.
So unless you’re used to throwing back bottomless glasses of pina coladas on the job (and we’re pretty sure you aren’t), it’s not suggested you do it on your press trip. Basic etiquette rules apply here: say ‘Please’ and ‘Thank you’, and don’t forget that a hangover is no excuse to not show up for work the next day.
Connections that Count
The best benefit from the press trips will likely be the contacts you make. Networking can get you everywhere these days in freelancing, and if you want to be considered for future excursions your best bet is to connect with everyone you meet along the way.
“I’m a firm believer in forming relationships with publicists — and not for the travel opportunities. I see the PR community as a source of information. There are many more of them than there is of me,” said Johansmeyer. “I encourage them to pitch often — I’d rather decide what to write from as full a collection of opportunities as possible.”
While on the press trip, don’t forget to connect with your fellow travel writers. The person who’s writing about a new destination today may well be an editor with assignments to hand out tomorrow. Always follow up with and make sure to send your published stories to the people you’ve met on the road. The writer who is proactive in following through after one press trip is more likely to be on the list for the next.
Melanie Nayer is a travel writer for various publications including the New York Daily News, The Boston Globe, The Washington Post, and online sites including Cheapflights.com and Gadling.com.
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