Travel Tips

Published on April 23rd, 2020 | by Mark Chesnut

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What It’s Like to be a Travel Writer During the Coronavirus Pandemic

What’s it like to be a travel writer right now? Well, it sucks.

But I shouldn’t complain too much. The coronavirus pandemic has had a negative effect on so many lives, in so many ways. People are getting sick, people are losing jobs, people are dying. I’m healthy and my hubby and I are able to pay our bills, so I’m lucky in many ways. But it’s not surprising that I don’t have much work as a travel writer and content producer right now. People aren’t traveling for both health and economic reasons, and that means that companies and tourism organizations are suffering. Advertising and marketing budgets have shrunk. And the need for content has plummeted. In short, I’m not writing much that’s not directly related to the coronavirus epidemic. I’m not writing that much at all right now, as a matter of fact (except for finessing a memoir that I’d set aside a few months ago. Know any good literary agents or publishers?).

Like many of us who are going through difficult moments right now, I try to focus on the positive. And while today’s reality is painful for everyone — you can’t sugarcoat death, illness, unemployment and economic hardship — we can see glimmers of hope. People are sticking together. Taking care of each other as best they can. Connecting via social media and through claps and cheers from the windows of their houses and apartments. I haven’t boarded an airplane since March 15, but I have been in touch with people that I hadn’t spoken with in months or years. We’re all in this together. I miss traveling. But I’m emotionally enriched by being in touch with so many people.

Staying home has given us all an opportunity to reflect, to share, to reconnect. And while I may not be traveling, I’ve been busy sharing some of the secrets of my life as a travel writer, for example:

Screenshot from our Instagram Live broadcast.

• I did two Instagram Live broadcasts — one in English and one in Spanish — with Kaisaren Tejeda, a talented and energetic content whiz who posts interviews with influencers and creative types from a variety of career paths. I shared some of the good and the bad about being a travel writer, and also talked about how to stay creative and inspired during the coronavirus pandemic. You can watch the English-language video here and the Spanish-language video here.

• Meagan Drillinger, an award-winning travel writer and entrepreneur (who also happens to be one of my favorite people in the world to travel with) interviewed me about my life as a travel writer and content producer, and also asked me to share my top survival tips for any freelancer, regardless of industry. You can read the full interview on her excellent blog DrillinJourneys.

• The residents of the coop building where I live in Jackson Heights, Queens, have come together to support each other during the pandemic. Some have provided food to visiting nurses. My husband and I have dropped off food for an elderly neighbor. And a bunch of us share tips on dealing with the crisis via a WhatsApp group. And when one of our neighbors asked for people to submit videos for her to use during career week at the middle school where she works, I submitted two — again, one in English and one in Spanish — talking about how cool it is to be a travel writer, and how important it is to study, even if you don’t know what you want to do with your life yet (these videos were for middle school classes, after all). See the English-language version here and the Spanish-language edition here.

For travel writers and travel industry content producers, this slowdown is challenging but it also presents opportunities. We can review and strengthen our personal brands, rekindle connections, support and publicize each other through channels like I mentioned above. It’s also a time to keep in touch with my past and present travel industry clients, as we rethink custom content and marketing strategies that will be most effective once the world starts returning to normal. There’s a lot to be done, now and in the months ahead.

As long as the coronavirus pandemic continues to be a major threat, I won’t be jumping on any planes. The all-inclusive resorts in Cancun, the beaches in Puerto Rico and the verdant hills of Colombia seem a world away now. I hope it won’t be long before I’m on the road again, but in the meantime, it feels good to connect with so many people. Let’s keep sharing stories and experiences, even after the world is back to normal.

Cover photo from VisualHunt.com

Tags: coronavirus travel, COVID-19 travel tips, travel blog, travel blogger, travel writer, travel writing

About the Author

Mark Chesnut The founder and editor of LatinFlyer.com, Mark has more than 15 years of experience as a writer, editor and manager. He's worked with some of the biggest consumer, in-flight and travel trade publishers that cover Latin America.

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