There are as many destinations as there are ways to evoke an inspiring travel story. If you want to sharpen your style and find what sets you apart, here are the best tips for cultivating your own voice through travel writing.
“Dalt Vila is the name given to the upper part of the historic center of the city of Ibiza, capital of the island of the same name. Since 1999 it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and within its layout we find the remains of its massive fortress, shaped like an irregular heptagon, with a defensive bastion at each of its vertices.”
“Bougainvillea forms a cloud along the whitewashed facade, and the Mediterranean Sea peers out from every corner. The bustle of summer seems to fade away as we sink into the whitewashed maze of Dalt Vila, the upper part of Ibiza’s old town. A UNESCO World Heritage site that whispers the history of its fortress, and bastions that still seem to be waiting for the arrival of ancient pirates.”
If we look closely at these two texts about Dalt Vila, we notice that both are accurate, informative, and true, but there’s one crucial difference: the first was taken from Wikipedia, and the second was written by a travel writer. The first informs but doesn’t transport, while the second aims to inspire without losing sight of the facts.
Just one of many ways to describe a destination, as long as you trust your own instincts, let go, and apply the following tips for writing an inspiring travel story:
How to Write an Inspiring Travel Story
Transport the Reader, Beyond Just Informing
A typical dish, an endemic animal, a scent, or a color. A destination is made up of countless details we can draw on to create an evocative story. For example, take a look at this article about goose barnacles (in Spanish) and their culinary appeal in Galicia. By the end, you’ll want to adopt one rather than eat it.
Describe, But Not Too Much
Adding that inspiring touch that invites readers to soar, smell, and feel is essential when writing a good travel story, but watch out for excess. We all love to dream about the blue-and-white streets of Greece scented with sea salt, but an overly redundant description, dwelling on the shade of blue and its origin, the windows, the doors, even the type of stone used on the pavement, will only produce a dense text that fails to hold the reader’s attention.
The Power of Quotes from Famous Authors
Henry Miller once said: “one’s destination is never a place but rather a new way of looking at things.” Starting from this quote, we can let our imagination run and write a travel story that invites readers to see beyond a monument and view travel as a transformative experience.
The Importance of the First Person
Travel journalists and writers must inspire readers through their own lived experiences to build trust and credibility, and even let their inner voice guide them toward a far more inspiring text. On a travel blog, using the first person is almost essential, since readers come to you looking to see what you saw, while in travel articles, using inner dialogue intermittently (not throughout the entire piece) can start a conversation with the reader and invite them to experience what you’re describing.
Don’t Forget the Facts
A good travel story is built on feeling, imagery, and lyricism, but it can’t skip the facts. Otherwise, we’d be selling a work of fiction that makes readers dream, yes, but doesn’t fully reflect the reality of the destination, which is ultimately the point. Because readers dream of losing themselves in that cloud of bougainvillea in Dalt Vila, but they also want to know they’re visiting a place of real historical value that caught UNESCO’s attention. You’ll learn more about this technique in our Master in Travel Journalism.
Read, Learn, and Study
If you ask a writer for one piece of advice on crafting inspiring stories, they’ll tell you to read a lot. Because while you can have your own style, you can always expand it with new approaches, readings, and lessons. At the School of Travel Journalism, our Master in Travel Journalism will teach you to express your ideas, opinions, and information through writing, so you can bring a personal touch to your stories and find your own voice.
