Travel writers and travel journalists are not the same. They differ in identity, purpose and method. The travel writer looks in a mirror; the travel journalist looks out a window. The travel writer serves the travel industry; the travel journalist serves the public. The travel writer is subsidized; the travel journalist pays his own way. Introduction to Travel Journalism highlights these distinctions and offers independent, ethical, substantive journalists the skills and knowledge they need to cover the travel and tourism industry, to provide travelers with credible news and information, and to report significant trends and developments at home and across the world.

This book charts the trajectory of travel journalism from its print based origins to the emergence of hybridised multi-platform content. It considers how this has led to not only different kinds of travel journalism but different kinds of travel journalists; the professional travel journalist is now challenged online by user generated content. Cocking focuses on the conventions and “news values” of British print-based travel journalism, examining the genre’s liminal position between truth and fiction. In the context of the expansion of global tourism, Cocking explores how travel journalism from different parts of the world negotiates cultural differences in its depictions of destinations, regions, and tourist practices. Consideration is also given to the political potential of travel journalism and its capacity for awareness raising. Based on original research including qualitative analysis of print-based articles and blogs this book offers an innovative and original contribution to this emerging field of study.

Contributors from diverse backgrounds explore a range of issues in relation to the media and journalism's role in ascribing meaning to tourism practices. This fascinating account offers a thoroughly international and interdisciplinary perspective on an increasingly important field of journalism scholarship.

Surveying various works of travel literature, this text argues that travel writing redefines the myriad genres it often comprises.

The nexus between travel, writing and media in the contemporary world is dense: travel practice is increasingly interwoven with media; representations in old and new media are co-present and converge. Digitisation has had a profound impact on the practice and mediation of travel, but this volume aims to show that travel and its representation have always been enlaced with media. With contributions by experts in literary and cultural studies, journalism studies and informatics, the book takes a multi- and interdisciplinary approach and covers a wide range of media, from the hand-crafted album to social media. It illustrates how current transformations invite us to revisit earlier periods of travel writing and their media environments, and to explore the ways in which contemporary forms of mediation are prefigured by earlier practices and forms. The book addresses readers interested in travel writing, travel studies and cultural studies. Chapters Introduction, 3, 7 and 9 of this book is freely available as a downloadable Open Access PDF at http://www.taylorfrancis.com under a Creative Commons [Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND)] 4.0 license. Funded by University of Freiburg.

In the last decade, with the success of review sites and online commentaries and the increased accessibility of travel information online, the job of a traditional travel journalist is being challenged. Travel Journalism closely examines the impact of digital media and technology on this specialist area of journalism and how professionals working in travel media today are adapting to it. Bryan Pirolli draws on a wealth of professional experience to present both practical guidance and a theoretical analysis of travel journalism. Through interviews with content providers – including journalists and bloggers – the book explores new ways of thinking about this profession. Looking at the relationship between travel journalists, social media and influencers, the book asks how travel journalists might rethink their work for more constructive purposes and how they should respond to innovations like the ever-growing sharing economy. The book also explores how journalistic ethics can be preserved as concerns around 'sponsored content' and 'paid influencers' remain widespread. For students and professionals looking to better understand the role of the travel journalist in the digital age, this book is an invaluable resource. Pirolli comprehensively assesses the challenges and the opportunities for success that actors in travel media are now presented with and encourages readers to proactively embrace them.

This book brings the 'serious' world of politics to the 'superficial' world of contemporary travel writing.