Travel writers are sometimes invited to visit attractions for free or a reduced rate. Getting press trips, however, is not a good reason to become a travel writer. Instead, press trips may be viewed as a necessity for research when funds are limited to cover a destination or write a review. Getting press trips does not come with the territory of becoming a travel writer. Press trips are not handed out by virtue of stating that one is a travel writer, but instead, they are offered to travel writers with good reputations and the ability to get published in choice publications.
What are Press Trips or Media Tours?
Convention and Visitors Bureaus, public relations and marketing firms offer press trips to staff and freelance reporters in order to publicize destinations, restaurants, attractions, or events. Most press trips or media trips are part of a package. A reporter may spend the night in hotels, eat in restaurants, arranged by the PR firm or CVB, and visit attractions. Usually accommodations, food, and the cost of the attractions are paid for by the CVB/PR firm. Sometimes airfare is included, but those instances are becoming more rare.
Get Published to Get Press Trips
The first step in getting press trip invites is to get published in small to mid-sized publications with the goal of eventually getting published in large, publications with higher circulation. It will be necessary to pay out of pocket expenses for initial destination or attraction reviews.
Although mindsets are changing, liaisons with print publications carry more weight than publications with online publications. CVBs and PR firms care more about the exposure from the publication. Guaranteeing publication in an online publications with name recognition and millions of monthly unique viewers can land a spot on a press trip over the publication in a smaller print publication with a circulation of less than 100,000.
It must be noted, however, that PR firms and CVBs have specific marketing goals and sometimes writers can get invited on press trips simply by having the ability to reach a small targeted audience of people.
Network for Media Trip Invites
Join travel writing associations and travel writing social networks to learn about upcoming press trips. Writers usually have to apply for a space on a press trip. CVBs and PR firms may require copies or links to previous work and a letter of assignment from the publication or website. In order to learn about upcoming press trips, however, join Press Trips.com, an organization for paid members, and Media Kitty.com, an organization with free membership. Both organizations report upcoming press trips to its members.
Experienced travel writers who join professional travel writing societies like the Society of American Travel Writers have access to press trips. Again, it is competitive to enter organizations like SATW, just as it is competitive to get invited on press trips.
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