Your work has value, travel journalist: when saying “no” is also professionalism

In the world of travel journalism, we’re used to receiving messages from destinations, companies, or brands that,with the best intentions or simply out of habit,ask us to publish information about them.

“You could share this article,” “Can you do an interview with us?” “Here’s a press release for you to post...”

Phrases like these land in our inboxes almost every day.

But there’s something we need to remember: our work has value, and that value isn’t measured only in clicks or likes, but in time, experience, judgement, and professional ethics.

Because there's a difference between meaningful coverage and working for free for those who do have a budget.

It’s not the same to support a small, new venture,out of empathy or a genuine desire to help,as it is to publish promotional material for destinations or companies that clearly invest in advertising and communication... yet don’t consider including travel journalists in that investment.

Saying “no” is not arrogance. It’s about setting healthy boundaries and recognizing that behind every article, interview, or mention, there are hours of research, writing, editing, and accumulated experience.

That’s why, if you haven’t been to the destination, if you weren’t officially invited, or if it’s not a real journalistic action, you have no obligation to publish anything.

If they want an interview or a space for visibility, they need to understand that this is a professional service,just like any other specialized job,and it should be paid accordingly.

Also, agreeing to do it “as a favor” or “to be nice” only feeds an unequal dynamic: one where people believe journalists are here to echo their messages unconditionally, while they carefully choose where to spend their advertising budgets.

It’s time to break that cycle.

Valuing your work is also valuing travel journalism. It’s remembering that a publication isn’t just a piece of writing: it’s a space of trust with your audience, built over years of credibility.

And that trust is not up for negotiation, nor is it something you give away for free.

So the next time you receive a request like that, you can respond respectfully,but clearly:

“I don’t publish about places I haven’t visited or haven’t been officially invited to. Interviews and media exposure are professional services that require prior agreement and payment.”

This isn’t about refusing to collaborate,it’s about doing so consciously and with professional dignity.

Because tourism needs independent journalists, not press release repeaters.

And because, in the end, your work has value,and saying so is also a way to educate.