Travel Media is dead. Here’s why:

First: This article was sparked by a video from Rafat Ali of Skift yesterday, it is the first time I’ve seen the editor of a large travel industry media being so crystal clear about this.

But, the article also pretty much sums up what I have been preaching and writing for years. As a media scholar turned tourism professional, I’ve been watching with increasing frustration as travel media has descended into a sea of click-driven content, heavily influenced by commercial interests, and devoid of meaningful journalistic depth. It’s honestly sad to witness this decline.

Travel journalism is dead, and in its place, we now have content marketing disguised as journalism. The travel media industry has become a churn machine where advertisers, not readers, are the real audience. Publications are no longer about delivering insightful or balanced content, they are simply a platform for PR. The focus has shifted from telling stories that matter to writing for the sake of SEO and ad revenue.

This phenomenon fits into a broader trend we see in the evolution of media. Historically, media was once seen as all-powerful, especially in the early 20th century. The stimulus-response model suggested that media had a direct, almost hypnotic effect on its audience. But that power began to wane in the post-war years. Scholars like Paul Lazarsfeld proposed the two-step flow theory, which emphasized that media messages are first absorbed by opinion leaders, who then pass them on to the broader public. Fast forward to today, and media has shifted from mass influence to individualized influence. The rise of social media and influencers has challenged the traditional model, and in travel media, brands are no longer central to the narrative. Media traditionally had rules and editors ensuring oversight, but now stories are being told by influencers who don’t follow these rules. What kind of content do we end up with?

Take, for example, the Svart Hotel in Norway, as I have written about a handful times. This hotel, which has been featured on numerous "Top 10 Sustainable Hotels" lists despite not even being built, serves as a perfect example of the current state of travel media. Svart has made it to these lists, not because of its verified sustainability practices (which are commendable in theory), but because it has successfully leveraged PR agencies and media partnerships to secure its place. The irony? The hotel doesn’t even exist yet, and its continued presence on these lists, year after year, shows how deeply ingrained PR influence is in the media landscape.

These lists, which supposedly serve to guide travelers toward the best new places to stay, are often nothing more than curated content driven by commercial interests. In the case of Svart, the media outlets that continue to promote it fail to question the reality behind these claims. Instead, they push the narrative because PR professionals are paying for the visibility. This is where the role of traditional travel media as a trusted source has fallen apart. If a hotel that hasn’t even broken ground can make it to the top of sustainability rankings, what does that say about the credibility of the system?

Let’s consider another example. Take the case of a high-end accommodation in Northern Norway I’ve been helping, which is set to open in just a couple of months. They are planning to build an in-house sales team, focused on local market, but in the meantime, they decided to collaborate with incoming tour operators. One operator, Up Norway, with a PR team abroad, approached them with a request to have the hotel featured in a “Top 10 Best New Hotels in Norway/Nordics” kind-of list in a major magazine. After a lot ( really, a lot) of internal debate, they agreed to participate, but only on the condition that they could control the content, specifically, what would be said about the hotel. No mention of facilities, for example. The hotel’s team was under pressure due to the upcoming opening, large investments, and the fear of not getting enough customers triumphed, they saw this as a way to get visibility. At the same time, they wanted to maintain a sense of exclusivity and mystique around the brand, which made this list an opportunity to give just a little hint without revealing too much. It is not like a big article, and after all, in my opinion, this is the one of the most exciting new accommodations anywhere in 2025. So it is not misleading.

The reason this sparked such a heated debate internal is partly because they really want to keep the mystique, but also because this type of arrangement exists in a morally gray area. A PR agency pays a media outlet to feature their client, in this case, the tourism operator Up Norway, on such lists, with the new accommodation as a protagonist in their story. This is part of the PR agency’s core business, and the tourism operator’s strategy revolves around publicity through paid media placements.

Being on such a list likely wouldn’t result in any direct customers for the hotel, but it serves as social proof. "See, they’ve been featured in a well-known magazine!" This could be a valuable tool for their marketing strategy. But at its core, this is about PR, not journalism. It illustrates how the line between advertising and editorial content has been blurred, making it clear that many of these lists are not objective, but rather a product of commercial interests.

And this speaks to a larger issue with the travel media ecosystem. As Rafat Ali rightly pointed out, traditional travel media is obsolete. PR professionals and content creators are the only ones reading these glossy magazines and digital articles. The audience? They’re looking elsewhere: on social media, influencers, and peer recommendations. Influencers, podcast hosts, and even the everyday traveler now play a central role in shaping the conversation. Media power is shifting from big brands and publishers to individual voices that resonate with their audiences on a personal level.

The truth is, the trust that was once placed in these legacy publications is gone. The traditional gatekeeper function of the media, where editors controlled the flow of information and dictated narratives, no longer applies. Now, anyone can be an influencer, and content is shaped by the communities around these influencers, not by traditional media powerhouses. The dynamics of influence have fundamentally changed.

The current model is broken. But what’s next? Is the alternative any better? We have to adapt to a new reality.

Where does this leave travel journalism? The traditional form of content, those glossy, advertorial-laden magazines, no longer holds the same weight it once did. The consumer media model of pushing out a one-size-fits-all message doesn’t hold the same power it used to. Travel media needs to move beyond this tired model of best-of lists, press trips, and paid placements. We need a shift in the type of journalism we support, one that is willing to hold the industry accountable, not just repeat the narratives pushed by the players in the industry.

Consumers are growing disillusioned. Travel media has devolved into a promotion machine for the industry. Instead of providing nuanced, investigative coverage, it churns out superficial content all in the name of ad dollars. This doesn’t just damage the integrity of the industry, it misleads travelers, promotes over-tourism, and fails to address the real issues facing the industry, such as environmental destruction, exploitation of local communities, and cultural insensitivity.

The challenge now is to move away from media that only reinforces commercial interests and to focus on creating content that educates, informs, and challenges the status quo. It’s not about criticizing for the sake of criticism, but about fostering a media ecosystem that prioritizes honesty and integrity in tourism reporting.

The power dynamic has shifted. Now it’s about the individual, the local perspective, and diverse voices. Travel journalism can no longer exist in its old form, peddling tired lists and superficial narratives. We need to be more critical, more reflective, and more inclusive of the real stories, the ones that matter.

Then we have AI…