Updated July 2026
It’s paradoxical that the more accessible travel becomes, the more travel writing is needed, and the less it seems to be nurtured. When anyone can take a Ryanair flight and be in another country for less than the price of a meal out, the incentive to look deeply, reflect, read, and treasure the experience is reduced. At the same time, a pull-back in the media as publishing reacts to yet another huge disruption in the form of AI and generally subdued sales and subscriptions means that publications focused on the traveler’s dollar are leaning heavily into what is obviously commercial. In other words, predictable, safe, ‘give the people what they want’ how-tos, instead of challenging, thought-provoking storytelling.
The opportunities for travel writers to get published in 2026 may not be as abundant as they used to be, but there are still many reasons for hope. By the end of this short article, you’ll understand what the outlook is like for emerging travel writers today, what we’re doing to help improve it, and how you can maximize your chances of publication. Let’s start by taking a look at a few venerable homes of travel stories and guides, and how they are doing now. Spoiler alert: Things are changing, fast.
An internet boom in travel writing publications is pulling back, with financial pressures and changes in ownership steering many publications into new, often less writer-accommodating directions. Roads and Kingdoms reduced its output of new travel stories (with some notable exceptions) for some considerable time; however, as of 2026, they are back and publishing new material. This is an exciting development; listen to our Travel Writing Podcast interview with their executive editor, Charly Wilder, to learn what they are looking for and how to pitch them.
Lonely Planet has been slogging through its seven circles of corporate hell with frequent owner changes that reflect their new status as an advertising company rather than strictly a publisher. Atlas Obscura has jettisoned much of their old editorial team and pivoted hard to AI, their new CEO, a veteran journalist, is fond of saying that ‘all content is data,’ a slightly worrying direction for those who believe in the craft of writing to convey and capture experience.
Bradt Guides are doing their best to navigate tough waters, with their wise founder Hilary Bradt still closely involved in her 9th decade; you can hear her speak about the publication’s origins on our podcast. Perceptive Travel happily continues under the helm of our friend Tim Leffel. Intrepid Times, of course, continues. Some bloggers are struggling, with AI wiping out the ‘top of the funnel’ kinds of search engine traffic that was their bread and butter. Others, like the award-winning Bridges and Balloons and still thriving thanks to the personal relationship writers like Victoria Watts Kennedy have built with their audiences.
Mainstream publications continue to make baffling choices. The Atlantic spent multiple times our annual operating budget simply on Gary Shteyngart’s ticket for a cruise he hated, and The NY Times seemed to race to the bottom of service journalism despair (play a game: Scroll their travel section home page and see how long it takes you to spot a phrase like ‘bucket list’ or an instructive guide on how to do something that most of us learned to do as children, like packing a suitcase… but I digress!). Though our good friend David Farley continues to deliver exciting and interesting work for them.
Across the pond, rays of hope linger in the British broadsheets, with The Telegraph, The Independent, The Times and The Guardian all occasionally publishing actually decent pieces of travel writing, but if you didn’t happen to go to school with the editor, they can be hard to break into, and payment rates can be opaque at best.
So where to now for the literary travel writers, those who know they have a story to tell that the world needs to hear, who want – demand – a platform for their narratives? This is why Intrepid Times exists. We’re entering our 12th year of publishing travel writing with heart, paying our writers more than ever before, and gearing up for a packed calendar of workshops and writing competitions for you.
But this article isn’t simply to tell you to submit your writing to us. It’s a call to arms. Travel writing matters now more than ever. In a world that is baffling, where budget airlines make travel so accessible it scarcely even asks to be taken seriously, sincere, curious, and insightful reporting from skilled writers is vital to making sense of the world and inspiring other travel writers to go deeper.
So how can you sharpen the saw and increase your chances of getting your travel writing published this year?
While we have a strict no-listicle policy at Intrepid Times, I hope my fellow editors won’t mind if I bend the rules slightly. Here are three tips that will help you get your travel writing published this year.
1. Read, Read, Read
When I open a pitch in the Intrepid Times submission inbox, I can almost instantly tell if the writer is sending generic ‘spray and pray’ emails out to dozens of publications, or if they’re a true fan and reader hoping to contribute to a publication they consume. You can guess which type editors prefer. It’s not simply about massaging the egos of editors, however. Readers of a publication are likely to share its interests and values, have a better idea of the preferred style, and an understanding of what subject matter we cover and what gaps we may be excited to fill. If you have your heart set on publication here or elsewhere, become a devoted reader, and you’re already well on your way.
2. Remember the Reader
This is something Dustin Grinnell and I chatted about in a recent Travel Writing Podcast episode where he talks about building an audience for his personal essays. Even if your story is about you (which, in travel writing, it seldom should be), think beyond this, and ask yourself what broader themes, lessons, or ideas you are touching on that your reader could relate to. The more specific and vivid your target reader, the more precise and targeted your prose will be.
3. Follow-Up, Politely
We’ve definitely had days, weeks, maybe even months where our humble submission inbox seems to get out of hand. A polite follow-up from a writer we’ve been meaning to get back to has definitely helped nudge more than one piece over the line. Do so in a conscientious way; Don’t make your editor go searching through multiple email threads to find a photo here and a correction there. Have everything easily accessible in their specified format so you make their job as easy as possible.
That’s as close to a listicle as you’ll get on Intrepid Times this year, but I hope it helps. With our certificate course, competitions, and ever-open submissions portal, we’re committed to being your home for narrative travel writing with heart, this year and beyond. Travel safe, and I look forward to seeing your name in our inbox soon.
