Carolyne Jasinski is the co-founder of TravHost and freelance journalist, going by the name of Footloose & Fancy Freelance. She has travelled the world through her work and delivers compelling stories from these travels.
Find out what else they had to say in this week’s Talking Travel.
What does your job involve?
It’s two-fold. Firstly I am a travel journalist and podcaster. It’s my “job” to travel the world, try new experiences and explore new destinations and then encourage people to either follow in my footsteps or warn them to tread carefully.
My second “job” is using all that experience as a host for travel famils with my business partner Fiona Harper. We have been on hundreds of famils as writers and photographers and have also worked for tourism boards, creating itineraries and hosting trips.
We know what makes a good famil. We know what writers, photographers and influencers need to get great content. We know what travel agents need to see and learn for prospective clients. And we know what the tourism boards, destination reps and tour operators need to provide to make that happen and what they need in return.
It’s a win-win when we make that magic happen.
What do you enjoy most about your profession?
I love sharing my passion for travel. I get to experience it and then get to relive the joy when I write about it or create a podcast. If I am hosting, seeing the moment when they “get” what it’s all about is gold. Whether that’s a journo who suddenly knows how they are going to write their story or a photographer gets the perfect shot or a travel agent discovers something their clients are going to love.
Why do you think the travel industry is the best place to work?
We’re in a happy space. People always want to travel. We just need to find different experiences to suit all the different ways they want to holiday.
What are the biggest challenges for you in your profession?
Budgets. As travel writers we may come up with amazing story ideas, but shrinking budgets from publishers mean those stories might not see the light of day.
The biggest challenge when actually writing the story is doing it justice. The more I like an experience or destination, the more pressure I feel to write the best feature ever! And that doesn’t mean it has to be my ideal getaway … if I can see it’s perfect for a certain demographic or a particular kind of holiday seeker, that’s the story.
Getting paid is a challenge we have to plan around. Very few publications pay on delivery of the story. You usually wait until it is published … and that can be months.
As a travel host, we see the budget challenges from both sides of the travel industry. It can cost a lot to spread the word about a travel experience so making sure travel companies and tourism boards get a great return on investment is No.1 priority.
What do you think are the biggest challenges the industry faces?
Keeping people inspired and motivated to travel. We have to offer alternatives for all styles, demographics and budgets. We have to recognise trends and work with them.
We have to keep telling people why they would love a particular journey or experience. That way we can start to set the trends.
What do you think will be the biggest game changer in the travel industry in the next 12 months?
We hope it’s our new venture at TravHost. We want to use our expertise to ensure every participant involved in a travel famil gets maximum return on their investment – whether that’s time, money or experience.
What destination/travel trend do you think is the next big thing?
Cruising has come back with a vengeance since Covid almost wiped it out completely. But there is a trend within cruising that’s ticking a lot of boxes. Expedition Cruising, I think, is the next big thing … it’s already huge but gaining even more momentum.
It starts with the lure of a water-based holiday with a level of luxury – whether that’s just the luxury of taking time to relax or you love fine dining and balcony suites. Then expeditions add an element of adventure and learning. You’re not just sitting around the pool, you’re getting off the ship twice a day in smaller vessels like zodiacs, to explore and experience lots of different destinations.
What are your thoughts on responsible travel and how do you try to implement this in your workplace?
That’s a tough question because the nature of my jobs means I am adding more to a carbon footprint than many other roles.
I try to minimise my impact by selling multiple stories on one destination in one trip rather than returning to that destination over and over again for extra stories. I also try to get maximum exposure for operators/destinations that are taking steps to reduce their own impact on the environment. For example, Great Barrier Reef tour companies who are carrying out marine research projects or Fiji resorts planting coral reefs.
Who inspires you most and why?
Every new tour operator or tour guide or wine maker or fly-fishing expert or caravan park manager or eco warrior I meet is the next source of inspiration. It doesn’t matter what they do … their enthusiasm is catchy, what I learn is enthralling and the fact that I get to pass it on, is exciting.
What is your must-pack travel item(s)?
I was going to say camera and laptop but I really think it’s my phone because it can do everything in an emergency. My life and my business are all connected via my phone. It’s how I keep in touch, how I keep up to date with the world and how I stay ahead. I can check arrangements, book new ones, conduct interviews, create podcasts, take pretty good photos and type notes on it as well. And I can keep in touch. Because we travel so much, the value of a video call cannot be underestimated.
Who would you invite on your next holiday if you could choose anyone and where would you go?
Do we ever “holiday” any more? Decades of travel writing under my belt mean I rarely switch off. However … it would always be family who I want to holiday with. Africa is my No.1 destination this year with my husband. And I would love to do a cruise with the whole family … on a cruise where I am a guest speaker so they finally see what I do!
