Description
This webinar took place on Thursday 30th October 2025.
Writing about sustainable travel has worked its way from a niche topic within travel media right into the mainstream. Even articles that aren’t centred on ‘sustainable travel’ often pay a nod to responsible tourism practices.
But with so many of us keen to explore this aspect, perhaps carve a niche in this area, and for those who already do, are we doing enough to call ourselves a ‘sustainable travel writer’ or ‘journalist specialising in sustainable travel’? Are we asking the right questions of hotels, experiences, tour operators, PRs? Can we spot greenwash, and worse, ‘green ‘tosh’? Can we tease out what IS being done but not being shouted about, thanks to ‘greenhushing’? Whether it’s around carbon and climate, or community and culture, what data and info should we be seeking to research and write engaging, thoughtful and accurate features?
This webinar featured Mirjam Peternek-McCartney from B Corp PR and marketing agency, Lemongrass, which she founded 20 years ago from a desire to create meaningful change in travel communications; Lebawit ‘Lily’ Girma, an award-winning travel journalist and founder of Tourism Lens Media who’s reported on global tourism with a focus on culture and equity for over 15 years; and Justin Francis OBE, co-founder and executive chair of Responsible Travel, and an advocate for responsible tourism for over 25 years. Full profiles below. If you have any questions about the webinar or want to ask questions in advance, please email me at travelwritingwebinars@gmail.com
This webinar was the 10th in a series by Travel Writing Webinars/Meera Dattani, supported by Talking Travel Writing. This webinar is also sponsored by Adventure Travel Networking (ATN) – more on both below.
If you’ve missed previous webinars, you can watch past sessions on everything from successful pitching, developing your writing, and decolonising/modernising travel writing to topics such as smarter freelancing, working with PRs, and mental health and wellbeing (free webinar). All available here.
The panellists
Mirjam Peternek-McCartney founded Lemongrass 20 years ago prompted by a desire to create meaningful change in travel communications through creativity, storytelling, and data-driven strategy. Under her leadership, the agency has become a multi-award-winning B Corp, recognised twice in the Sunday Times Best Places to Work (most recently in 2025) and known for pioneering initiatives like the four-day week.
A leading voice in the industry, she speaks at global events including Further East, Pure, WTM and T Fest, and contributes to podcasts, panels, and awards judging. She also serves on the Travel by B Corp board and is an alumna of Oxford’s Goldman Sachs Programme and Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.
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Lebawit ‘Lily’ Girma is a multi-award-winning travel journalist and founder of Tourism Lens Media. A former corporate attorney with more than 15 years of experience, she has reported on global tourism—with a focus on culture and equity—for leading outlets such as Bloomberg News, BBC Travel, Condé Nast Traveler, and Skift, and authored multiple guidebooks. She speaks regularly on conscious tourism, including responsible travel storytelling, and has consulted with tourism boards and major universities.
Born in Ethiopia, raised in Côte d’Ivoire, and educated across three continents, Lily brings a multicultural perspective and fluency in four languages to her work. She also spent more than a decade living in and reporting on tourism from the greater Caribbean.
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Justin Francis OBE is the co-founder and executive chair of Responsible Travel, and a passionate advocate for more responsible tourism for over 25 years. He founded Responsible Travel, the world’s first and largest responsible tourism company in 2000, bringing together a global community of over 400 tour operators committed to improving their impact on people and planet.
Justin is also an advisor on nature to the UK government and sits on the board of directors for Saruni Basecamp, a safari company in Kenya working in partnership with Maasai and Samburu families across one million acres of land. In 2024, he was awarded an OBE for services to nature and the environment.
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Meera Dattani (moderator) is the founder of Travel Writing Webinars, executive editor at Adventure.com, and a freelance travel and culture journalist with bylines in Condé Nast Traveller, National Geographic Traveller, GreenTraveller, Country & Town House, Olive magazine, Wanderlust, and others. Former Chair and Events Director of the British Guild of Travel Writers, she is also a mentor, awards judge, and a speaker and moderator on external panels about travel writing, DEI and the travel industry.
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This was the 10th in a series of informal webinars aimed at travel writers. This session is sponsored by Adventure Travel Networking (ATN), an award-winning organisation founded by Pru Goudie that promotes adventure and experiential travel with a positive impact. As well as an annual two-day hybrid Conference & Marketplace in London each February, the twice-a-year spring/autumn ATN Media Meet-up connects the adventure travel community with key travel media during an informal networking event with a panel session. If you write about positive impact adventure/experiential travel, contact Pru here. Follow ATN on LinkedIn.
Thanks also to Talking Travel Writing who support and promote these events. TTW is a Substack newsletter that promises to demystify the travel media for freelancers forging a career in travel writing. Follow on LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
