How to Score Press Trips

Description

Press trips aren’t given to the writers who want them most. They go to the writers who know how to be found, how to position themselves, and how to ask.

Most travel writers wait to be discovered. The ones who actually get invited understand something different: press trips are a business decision, not a reward. Destinations, tourism boards, and hotel groups are looking for specific things — and this playbook tells you exactly what those things are, because the author has been on both sides of that decision.

What’s inside

• How PR professionals actually decide who gets invited — and what makes you easy to say yes to
• How to make yourself visible on Instagram and LinkedIn before you ever send a pitch
• The media databases (Muck Rack, Cision, Meltwater) that put you in front of large PR budgets — and how to get listed
• A step-by-step guide to building a media kit that does the pitching for you
• SATW, NATJA, TBEX, and the communities where press trip opportunities are posted
• A proactive pitch template with a do/don’t list built from real editorial experience
• What to do after the trip — the follow-through that gets you invited back

This is for you if

• You’ve wondered why other writers keep getting invited and your inbox stays quiet
• You’re ready to pitch proactively but don’t know how to frame the ask
• You want the strategy behind the relationship, not just a template

Beth Graham has been on both ends of this relationship — sending press trip invitations, reviewing media kits, and building PR lists. Everything in this playbook is grounded in how the decision actually gets made.