Write a different kind of guide.
destination.com publishes guest pieces from travellers who have actually been. It's a volunteer programme — we don't pay for contributions — but your byline, your author page, and our readership come with it.
What this is— and isn't.
From the destination.com editorial team.
The internet made travel writing cheap and interchangeable. A generation of SEO-first listicles trained readers to expect the same ten tourist traps recycled in every city guide. We publish the corrective: pieces by people who went, stayed, and came back with something true to say.
To be clear about the terms: this is not a job, and we do not pay for contributions. There are no salaries, no per-piece fees, no retainers, and no open staff or freelance positions. Contributing is voluntary. What you get is a published byline on a site readers trust, an author page collecting your work, and an editor who makes the piece better.
If that trade appeals — and for writers building a portfolio or a name in travel, it often does — read on.
What we expect.
Been there
Every guide we publish is written by someone who has paid for the room, booked the flight, and filed notes the next morning. Pitch only places you know firsthand.
Named and specific
Your byline runs on the piece, with an author page. Tell readers when you went and what things cost — specificity is the house style.
Independent
No hotel, tour, or tourism board can pay for a kind word — including through you. Comped stays and press trips must be disclosed in the pitch; undisclosed ones end the relationship.
Edited, not rewritten
An editor works every accepted piece for structure and house style. Expect a round or two of notes before publication.
One email. Three things in it.
- The idea, in two sentences.A specific place and a specific angle — “the Lisbon neighbourhood cruise passengers never reach,” not “a guide to Portugal.”
- Why you. When you were there, how long you stayed, and what makes your version of this piece the one worth reading. Disclose any comped travel connected to the idea.
- A writing sample. A link or attachment — published or not. We read for voice and specificity, not credentials.
Send it to editorial@destination.com with “Guest pitch” in the subject line. We read every note; if we don't reply within two weeks, consider it a pass and pitch us again with something new.
A byline. An audience. An editor.
- Your name on the piece, with a bio and link on your author page.
- Real editing — structure, fact-checks, and house style, not a rubber stamp.
- Readers: the piece joins the same site, newsletter pool, and social feeds as everything else we publish.
- No payment — contributions are volunteer, and we say so here rather than in the fine print.
Advertisement