Working on features about holiday destinations to visit over the summer?

We’ve gathered a variety of experts from the world of travel who can provide comment on topics such as UK getaways, wellness retreats and experiences, and solo travel destinations. If you want to get in touch with them, you can do so via the Journalist Enquiry Service by filling out our quick and easy form.

Mercedes Zach, travel agent at ASAP Tickets

Expertise: Mercedes is a passionate traveller and adventure seeker, and has travelled all around the world. She is a travel agent with over eight years of experience selling budget-friendly international flights and travel packages at ASAP Tickets. The global travel company has been going for over 20 years and has access to different data, market trends and insider statistics across different locations, including the UK, US, Europe and beyond.

Speak to Mercedes about: Budget travel, off-the-radar travel destinations, travel hacks, wellness retreats and experiences, and affordable luxury.

What is your one essential travel item when you go on holiday? ‘My essential travel item is a power bank. Today, we use our mobile phones not only for taking amazing photos and videos of our adventures but also for looking up street maps, finding destination suggestions and restaurant reviews, paying for goods, checking into a hotel, boarding a plane, and even killing time while scrolling through social media. So having a phone charged up at all times is really crucial for me to fully enjoy my holiday experience, no matter where I go and who I am with.’

Juliana Delaney, CEO of Continuum Attractions

Expertise: With more than 40 years’ experience, Juliana is a leading expert in the operation of tourist attractions. As CEO of Continuum Attractions, she currently runs eight attractions located across the UK. Continuum’s current portfolio includes The Real Mary King’s Close, recently named Britain’s number one tourist attraction, as well as The Loch Ness Centre, York’s Chocolate Story, Emmerdale Village Tour, Coronation Street Experience, GreenWood Family Park, Oxford Castle & Prison, and Spinnaker Tower.

Speak to Juliana about: Any trends centering on the operation or marketing of tourist attractions – from pricing strategies, sustainability measures, political factors, seasonal variations, experiential trends, or accessibility.

Essential travel item? ‘I pack a roll of duct tape. It’s perfect for mending split suitcases, taping up leaky bottle tops, to tape valuables under the bed if there’s no room safe, or for door and window security.’

Andrea Caulfield-Smith, managing director of global business travel at The Advantage Travel Partnership

Expertise: Andrea is responsible for leading Advantage’s Global Business Travel division and driving forward its strategy and partnerships with members who operate both in the UK and across Advantage’s Global Network. Andrea’s career in the travel industry spans over 30 years across the breadth of the ecosystem including individual contributor and people leader roles in sales, account management with customers spending £10k to £500m, as well as being a travel buyer in a large blue-chip company. In addition, Andrea has led global teams across payment and supplier partnerships in American Express, easyJet and Visa. She has also served as chair of the ITM Associate Director Board, before becoming a main ITM Board member in 2019. 

Speak to Andrea about: All things global business travel.

Essential travel item? ‘My one essential item when I travel would have to be my phone (and charger) as without it I am unable to even reach my destination and wouldn’t be able to connect to the Advantage members pages.’

Lee Dobson, co-founder of Travel City

Expertise: Lee has worked in travel marketing for many years, where he has had the pleasure of reviewing and exploring some of the most beautiful and intriguing destinations around the globe. His professional journey has allowed him to gain valuable insights into the travel industry, from understanding traveller preferences to recognising emerging trends and hidden gems. As a travel expert, Lee continues to jet off whenever possible and has co-founded Travel City, where a group of travel enthusiasts offer reviews and high-quality suggestions about where to go and what to see.

Speak to Lee about: Travel tips, destination recommendations, and travel hacks such as advice on reducing jet lag, essential travel gadgets, and solo travel destinations.

Essential travel item? ‘My essential travel item is noise-cancelling headphones, which helps create calm during flights.’

Pablo Carrascal, CEO of Ostrichpillow

Expertise: Madrid-based, Pablo Carrascal is the CEO of travel and wellness brand Ostrichpillow and partner at design firm Studio Banana. Pablo co-founded Ostrichpillow in 2012 with the purpose of facilitating self-care from a holistic point of view. Ostrichpillow’s ethos is to rest anywhere on the go, and Pablo wants to make the travel experience as smooth and stress-free as possible.

Speak to Pablo about: The cures and causes of the post-holiday blues; the ultimate holiday packing list; the top 10 UK cities perfect for a weekend getaway; travel etiquette tips; and how to sleep comfortably during hot weather.

On the Journalist Enquiry Service, you can reach thousands of expert sources in all sectors – this is just a snapshot of the calibre of experts ready to talk about travel or their specific areas of expertise that you can connect with.

If you want to interview one of these individuals specifically, drop a line to ResponseSource Community Manager Andrew Strutt at andrew.strutt@responsesource.com and we’ll connect you. Otherwise, head to responsesource.com/send to reach these and many more people who can help you with your story.