Walk us through a day in the life of Stuff’s Travel Editor
Being a Travel Editor might seem like a glamorous job where you get to jet off and explore the world, but the reality is most of my days are spent at my desk. Every day is different, but it typically starts with assigning news and features stories to be published for the day. We typically publish around 10 stories a day. Then we plan and assign the features for print across 10 newspapers.

We’ve got a few projects we work on between those regular deadlines too, including bespoke glossy magazines, digital projects, and more. And between all that, we’re keeping an eye on the news. It’s forever busy, and then on the happy occasion, I get to go and explore a new destination or experience something cool.

What does your ideal PR pitch look like?
The perfect pitch (to me) is short, to the point, and done by email. I want to know what’s unique and why it appeals to my audience as quickly as possible.  

Are you mostly interested in domestic travel content, or are you keen to receive pitches about international travel too?
Both.

The travel sector has suffered since the onset of COVID-19 in early 2020. Now that borders are opening up and travel is resuming, how have the needs of your audience evolved?
Our audience boomed during COVID-19, which initially felt weird because international travel had ceased, but the appetite for domestic travel was huge. We now see an audience appetite for real, usable information on what it’s like to go overseas and what’s changed in destinations around the world. The appetite for domestic content has not declined.

Do you have a favourite or most memorable story from your time covering travel at Stuff?
I have several favourite memories, but two that stand out are:

1. The first media famil I went on to the Maldives - an absolutely beautiful place that I recommend anyone go to if they have the means; and
2. When COVID-19 hit, we lost all our advertising overnight, but the silver lining was our focus on domestic content - it resulted in record-breaking audience numbers. The best part was the calls and emails we got from tourism operators who credited our content for their increase in bookings, thereby enabling them to keep operating during the pandemic.

Where will you be travelling to next?
I’ve just been to India to see my parents after three years away. I have no firm plans yet but Fiji - because I’ve never been, and Portland - because my sister lives there.