Our live masterclass, How To Work In Travel Media, kicks off this weekend. Thanks to everyone who's already joined!
Every Saturday in February, we'll gather on Zoom for sessions like pitching to travel editors, working with tourism boards, the economics of travel, and more.
You'll walk away with a clear understanding of how travel media works, where you fit, and how you can start traveling today.
You can book a $147 class pass to attend all four sessions or choose a $55 single-session ticket to access a standalone session of your choice.
⭐ Class Pass ticket holders also get a portfolio review + their own publishing roadmap with actionable next steps on entering the industry ⭐
⭐ Our paid members get 10% off any ticket (become a member here to get your discount code) ⭐
To help you decide, I'm sharing a few of the questions I've been asked about this masterclass below:
1. Will the sessions be recorded? I'm traveling/working/otherwise unable to attend.
Yes, all sessions will be recorded and shared with the participants.
2. Is the masterclass for folks new to the industry, or would it also apply to those who've already published?
It's designed to be applicable to both. If you're new to the industry, you'll gain an understanding of how it works. If you've already been working, you'll get fresh insights, tips, and advice on how to keep growing.
3. Similarly, is this masterclass for those working full-time as travel creators/journalists, or is it appropriate for someone who wants to do it part-time?
It will be useful for both. If publishing your work is a goal for you in 2026, in whichever capacity, you'll find ideas, insights, and actionable steps to act upon in our class.
Join us here, and I'll see you on Saturday,
xx Yulia
Inside Going Places 🏠
Coming up on the show
This week, I'm interviewing Lale Arikoglu, articles director at Condé Nast Traveler and the host of its award-winning podcast, Women Who Travel. Lale's episode will air in our upcoming season, which returns this March.
What questions would you like me to ask Lale?
Black History Month
February is Black History Month in the U.S. and Canada.
To celebrate it, we've created a playlist that spotlights the voices shaping Black life, legacy, and culture today.
On it, you'll find past guests of the Going Places podcast like the multi-award-winning creator and book author Lola Akinmade Åkerström, Emmy Award-winning storyteller Evita Robinson, entrepreneur Youmie Jean Francois, and more.
Paid Members Corner 🚀
This week's creator opportunities
🚀 A call for submissions on short humor love stories – submit by Fri, Feb 6
🚀 A $20,000 grant for photographers – apply by Fri, Feb 13
🚀 Win a two-week stay in the Caribbean – enter by Tue, Feb 17
🚀 A press trip to Curaçao this March – no deadline, but apply soon
🚀 An iconic brand is hiring a travel editor – no deadline, but apply soon
🚀 Travel & Leisure is seeking video creators to partner with for the brand's social – no deadline, but apply soon
🚀 A call for wildlife pitches with above-average rates – rolling submissions
🚀 Conde Nast Traveler is seeking Monterrey, MX-based writers – no deadline
Find all the latest opportunities here.
Travel With Us ✈️
🐪 Join us June 5-14, 2026, on a 10-day trip to Jordan. We'll visit the Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum, Amman, and many off-beaten spots in between, taste Jordan's award-winning flavors, and meet extraordinary individuals like the renowned artist who designed the country's newest currency.
Last day to book is Fri, Apr 17, 2026.
In The World 🌍
The travel industry's silence
Last week, travel trade and research publication Skift published an article by editor-in-chief Sarah Kopit on the silence of the U.S. travel industry amid the largest immigration enforcement operation in the country's history.
Kopit writes, "As immigration enforcement increasingly intersects with the operations of travel businesses, the industry’s public posture has remained largely unchanged: quiet, cautious, and, so far, unwilling to engage."
I applaud Skift for spotlighting this silence. The editors reached out to over 40 leading travel companies and industry organizations for comments; most declined to engage.
James Baldwin had once said,
"I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually."
I feel this way about the travel industry.
I deeply believe that the act of travel has the potential to make us better human beings–more tolerant, open-minded, and sensitive to cultures, ways of living, and viewpoints that are different from our own.
This belief has shaped and guided my work in travel media for the past decade.
But the industry's promise to deliver on this potential is not yet realized.
The near-total avoidance of acknowledging one of the most inhumane and heartbreaking developments in recent U.S. history is par for the course.
It is what made me disillusioned in 2023, when the travel industry failed to take a stand against the (now-confirmed, PBS) genocide of the Palestinian people in Gaza.
It's what prompted me to start the Travel Industry For Palestine petition and build this very platform, Going Places (read more about our origin story here).
At its core, the entire ecosystem of travel is built upon lofty ideals. Take any travel ad, conference, magazine, or gathering, and you'll hear appeals to diversity, kindness, fairness, cultures, and connection to the world.
But when the industry whose very bedrock is so humanity-oriented fails to act or take a stand, it begs the question: are those ideals real? Or is it just another money-making machine, albeit in a beautiful wrapper?
Of course, there are many small tour operators, communities, and businesses within travel who act on their values (we've profiled a handful on our podcast).
But the industry as a whole is moved by the behemoths: the airlines, the hotel chains, the airports, etc.
And it is their silence that has spoken volumes.
Member discussion