A Lone Ranger in Travel Journalism

Historically travel journalism has been a career pursued by the more privileged race and gender, and there are still not many positive role models in the space, even though two-thirds of the world’s population are Asian travelers. Sucheta Rawal is among a handful of Asian American travel journalists who defied the norms of the industry. She has traveled to over 100 countries and has written for leading publications such as TIME Magazine, CNN, HuffPost, Travel+Leisure and Fodor’s. In this thought-provoking keynote, Sucheta shares her journey as a first generation AAPI professional, which includes establishing a voice and identity, getting past gatekeepers, creating a niche and seeking opportunities. She also shares her personal observations of the issues in the industry and offers suggestions for how to make travel journalism more inclusive.

Sucheta Rawal

Bridget Finkeldey

Sucheta Rawal is an award-winning South Asian food and travel writer contributing to over two dozen publications including TIME Magazine, CNN, Travel+Leisure, HuffPost and AAA. Sucheta is a five time author of 'Beato Goes To' series of children's books that educate kids about the diversity of the world. She has personally traveled to over 100 countries across seven continents and writes about her experiences from her firsthand perspective. She also founded the non-profit, Go Eat Give, to raise awareness of different cultures through travel, food and community service. Sucheta’s mission is to promote meaningful and sustainable travel for the betterment of the global community. Read more at https://suchetarawal.com