Debora Ruiz: telling the territory through a human lens as an Ambassador of the WTJO

Debora Ruiz’s first steps in journalism were not connected to tourism or the stories of roads and landscapes that now define her work. She began in a field that she would later feel was distant from her interests: institutional press. Filling in for a friend in the Communications Department of the Ministry of Economy, she had her first professional experience. There, she learned the dynamics of the profession, but also something fundamental: she quickly realized she didn’t want to talk about numbers, statistics, or technical reports. Her passion,and still is,telling stories. Stories about people, places, and experiences.  

Her deep connection with tourism came during a personal turning point. After her divorce, traveling became a form of reconstruction. She began exploring the country, sometimes alone and other times accompanied by her six-year-old daughter. These journeys were not merely geographical movements but internal processes: seeing differently, starting over, and finding new meanings. Initially, she visited classic destinations, and then almost naturally, emerging locations, small towns, and popular festivals.

It was along this path that Debora Ruiz understood that tourism is much more than rest or entertainment. It is a social, cultural, and economic phenomenon that affects entire communities. Through conversations with entrepreneurs, artisans, guides, and families who rely on tourism, she confirmed that her place as a journalist was there: narrating, making visible, and defending these stories.

There wasn’t a single trip that marked a before and after, but many moments when she felt her work could add value. Among the most significant, she recalls her involvement in promoting the first events of the World Alfajor Festival, back when it wasn’t the major event it is today. She also highlights her work in the Culture and Tourism departments of a municipality in southern Buenos Aires, which over time became a growing cultural and tourist hub.

Another constant in her career is supporting small, authentic, and often overlooked ventures: personalized horseback rides in rural towns in Buenos Aires province, little-frequented national parks, almost untouched landscapes with minimal human intervention. There, Debora Ruiz finds the deepest meaning of travel journalism. 

Solidarity tourism is also central to her story. Through her travels to Catamarca and northern Argentina, her connection with communities became so genuine that it transcended journalism. She was invited to collaborate on educational materials for small schools in the Catamarca Puna region, an experience that profoundly marked her and reaffirmed the social purpose of her work. 

Among the most intense coverage of her career, she highlights the National and International Poncho Festival, an experience that impacted her both professionally and personally, earning her two nominations for the Open Passport Award. She received this recognition with gratitude, seeing it as encouragement to continue working from a committed and human perspective. Similarly, her role in promoting events at the Casa de la Provincia de Tucumán allowed her to build new connections, meet colleagues, and strengthen teamwork,a value she considers essential in journalism.

Today, Debora Ruiz conceives travel journalism as a way of telling the story of a territory with respect, awareness, and humanity. Showcasing beauty, yes, but also understanding processes, timelines, and the realities of each place. Promoting without harming, making visible without intruding, and communicating responsibly are principles that guide her work.

Debora Ruiz is an ambassador of the World Travel Journalism Organization (WTJO). From Argentina, she embraces this role with pride and responsibility, representing the organization with a federal, human, and committed perspective, supporting destinations, communities, and colleagues. Within the WTJO, she seeks to promote travel journalism linked to contemplative tourism,tourism that observes without intruding and fosters a more conscious relationship with the environment. She is motivated to highlight experiences such as astrotourism and responsible tourism in national parks, while also understanding the challenges faced by park rangers, especially during emergencies like fires.  

Catamarca holds a central place in her personal and professional story. She arrived with preconceived notions and the repeated phrase that “there’s nothing to do in Catamarca.” There, she found the opposite: hospitality, friendship, and a human warmth that transformed her. Catamarca taught her to see differently, to value simplicity, and to understand that destinations are not measured by the number of activities, but by what they awaken in those who know how to appreciate them. Catamarca has everything, but only those who take the time to feel it will see it.

Debora Ruiz envisions a more conscious and human future for tourism and believes journalism has a key role in this path: informing, generating reflection, and protecting territories. To newcomers, she leaves a clear and honest message: travel journalism is not about free trips or living off privileges. Often, trips are undertaken through one’s own effort, driven by a genuine desire to explore and communicate meaningfully.

“Before being travel journalists, we are people,” she affirms. And as people, we assume a huge responsibility: to care for the spaces we visit, value the trust of communities, and understand that each destination is someone else’s home. Treating others as we like to be treated and caring for places as if they were our own is, for Debora Ruiz, the ethical foundation of this profession.