Write travel articles that get published
To write a successful travel article that has a good chance of getting published, you need to do a number of things in addition to writing the article. Above all else, you need to consider how the angles you take with it may be affected by the publications you’d like to feature it to and who your target market may be.
The concept of travel item
Here is my idea for a travel function of 800-1500 words
I propose an 800 – 1500 word feature article on outreach destinations when traveling to Bali. An ‘advisory feature’ that defines several complementary locations for a Bali holiday. Destinations would include Lombok Island, Nusa Lembongan Island, and the Gilis group of islands.
For each destination, discuss: is it a day trip or an extended stay? What does the location offer travelers: activities, accommodation types, dining options, transportation options, spa and wellness facilities? What are the specific points of interest for each location? Look at Fishing, diving and snorkeling, natural parks, ecological excursions, water sports, etc. for each island option.
Discuss the cultural aspects of the destinations and briefly touch on any elements of historical importance. Briefly discuss the ecological aspects of the different islands: the impact of tourism. Advice on how to get to each destination: options available by sea or air, costs and travel times.
Sidebars and boxes for the article would include:
- The best accommodation options in budget, medium and luxury categories for each destination.
- Tours and activities available at each location.
- Dining and nightlife activities for each destination.
The purpose
Travel items serve two main purposes. The first is that they provide useful and practical information to the reader. People read travel articles because they want to know if they should visit a destination.
The main questions (out of hundreds) they want to answer are: Why should I go there? What are the attractions; nature, shopping, sports, culture, etc? How do I get there? How are the people? Where should I stay? When should I go? How much is it going to cost me?
No matter what the destination is, whether it’s an hour’s drive from where you live or on the other side of the world, all of these questions can and should be answered in a travel article about that destination.
Writing Travel Articles – The Angle
Bali is a great destination for people looking for an exotic and tropical getaway. The best angle and audience for this story would be to target a group of people with special interests, such as couples, retirees, or families, etc. how did you do it.
Carefully consider the publications you’ll be targeting for your article: When you’re targeting an audience, you should always think of people who know nothing about the topic.
Help the reader escape
The second purpose of a travel article is to help people ‘escape’ to the destination you are writing about. Very often, people who have no intention of going anywhere read travel writing for the sole purpose of transporting themselves somewhere for ten minutes. Good travel writing should take the reader somewhere just for the cover price of the newspaper or magazine.
This means that the most important aspect of your writing in a travel article is to “show” the reader what to expect.
What can the reader expect?
It is important when describing everything about what it is like to travel to Bali, visiting the different parts of the island, swimming in the beaches, diving, touring the countryside, visiting the natural parks, visiting the historical attractions of the areas, shopping in the markets , stay at the resorts, visit the spas, eat at the cafes and restaurants, stay at the accommodation, meet the locals, do the things and see the attractions that make the destination unique: the sights, the sounds, the smells , etc. .
If your writing contains these descriptions and lots of useful information for the prospective traveler, when combined with quality photography, your travel article will come to life and be a very attractive purchase for a publisher.
This is what I think will make good photo illustrations.
The photos for the article would mainly illustrate the scenic aesthetics of each destination: beaches, coral reefs, etc. Other photos may include: accommodation, activities and excursions (water sports, diving, etc.), local people, cultural images and dinners (food).
I do not think that this article is necessarily more interesting in a publication with specialized readers. That said, there is potential interest for specialist publications addressing the characteristics of island-style travel, Asian holiday destinations or regional destinations for Australian travellers. I believe that the article would be of general interest and would not be classified as of regional interest only.