Lucinda
1. What does travel mean to you?
For me, travel is all about getting some headspace and often being able to come back to your daily life with a fresh perspective and some new memories & experiences.
2. What was a recent memorable travel experience for you, and why?
Zipwiring across a beautiful fort in Jodhpur, India, and being amazed by how well the ‘blue city’ lives up to its reputation.
3. What excites you the most about what’s currently happening in the industry?
There is an increasing desire to ‘leave no trace’ – from cruise ships banning plastic straws to beach cleans run by huge travel brands; tourism and environmental consciousness are getting less and less far apart.
David
1. What does travel mean to you?
Time to be ‘peak me’. When you get travelling right, the to-do lists and the day-to-day monotony disappear. The tube seems a million miles away and all those nagging feelings, because you haven’t cleaned the kitchen or the bathroom, fade into insignificance. I can just be me; do all the things I want to do and think about all the things I want to think about. Whether to a Cornish village you’ve been to a million times, or to a Chinese city growing around you, travelling is about being in the moment – just you (and maybe the people you’re there with) and the world around you.
2.What was a recent memorable travel experience for you, and why?
Hiring a campervan and pottering around Cornwall. Breakfast on a beach, coffee on a cliff, dinner in a field; what could be better than that? (Other than doing it for 7 consecutive days).
3. What excites you the most about what’s currently happening in the industry?
Remember the dreaded ‘journey’? The process of traveling from A to B used to be the absolute low point of any holiday or trip. But today, more and more effort is being made by everyone – from airports to airlines, from railways to dual carriageways – moving about is becoming a smooth and even enjoyable experience. Who’d have thought service stations could become quite so exciting?
Amber
1. What does travel mean to you?
Travel for me is all about adventure: trialling local specialities (for the better or worse), meeting new people and ever failing to navigate local bus systems with my awful language skills.
2.What was a recent memorable travel experience for you, and why?
Finally reaching the summit of the Lost City in Colombia, after 4 days of uphill hiking, 5am wake ups, 80 or more mosquito bites and heavy monsoon rains. It was a real test of character, but worth it in the end!
3.What excites you the most about what’s currently happening in the industry?
I love that the Middle East is becoming a new destination for intrepid travellers. Travel has such a power to connect people and break down barriers, and so as tourism to the Middle East continues to grow, I believe it could really help alleviate cultural bias and dispel misconceptions of fear. I can’t wait to get over there and see it for myself!
Lucy
1. What does travel mean to you?
There are so many similar reasons people go travelling, but though we may all share aspects of our love for travel, everyone does it a little differently. Travelling to me is about the fun experiences and discoveries you make, however small they may be, along the paths many have trodden before you!
2.What was a recent memorable travel experience for you, and why?
Scuba diving in the Mediterranean this summer – I’m a relatively new diver and this was my first dive solo sans friends/family, so not only was it beautiful but it also felt like a mini challenge which adds a layer to fun travel memories.
3. What excites you the most about what’s currently happening in the industry?
Sharing is caring… it’s not just experienced travellers that are sharing their best kept secrets with each other, brands are addressing our desire to for more personalised travel experiences – whether it’s giving a platform to pro-travellers or facilitating connections between far and wide; seeking guidance and inspiration to tailor your travels has never been easier.
Nate
1. What does travel mean to you?
While I enjoy living and working around New York, I can’t help but agree with John Muir’s musing that “Going to the mountains is going home.” Travel, for me, is a chance to go ‘home’—to get out of the city, to enjoy nature (and yes, usually in the mountains!); to unplug from devices and to reconnect with friends and family
2. What was a recent memorable travel experience for you, and why?
I recently completed a well-catered gran fondo (i.e., a day long bike ride) with my mother in northwestern Vermont. It was a wonderful chance to see a previously-unexplored—and beautiful—corner of my home state, eat some great food, and spend time with family.
3. What excites you the most about what’s currently happening in the industry?
I’ve been really interested to see the re-embrace of regional food recently. I spent time in Ohio, where part of my family’s from, over July 4th and was excited to see new restaurants that have breathed new life into the city’s eastern European food traditions which, many years ago, looked in danger of going the way of the dodo.
Joyce
1. What does travel mean to you?
Exploring, discovering and developing. There are so many places and things to discover, but when traveling you learn also a lot about yourself and develop as a person.
2. What was a recent memorable travel experience for you, and why?
A recent memorable experience was my first long holiday with some very close friends of mine. We went to Finland for a road trip and it was amazing. The combination of a short road trip, a new country to discover and great company is perfect.
3. What excites you the most about what’s currently happening in the industry?
That there is always something new happening to keep me on my toes.