ITN is proud to have acclaimed travel journalists writing columns to complement stories and reviews from our readers. They have edited the travel sections of major newspapers like The Washington Post, been on staff at industry-leading magazines such as Travel + Leisure, and won scores of prestigious awards.
Jennifer Bain - In Search of Quirk
Jennifer Bain spent 18 years running the food and travel sections at the Toronto Star before pursuing an MFA in Creative Nonfiction and a freelance career. Now she travels the world in search of quirk, and loves puffins, islands, remote and underappreciated places, national parks, and expedition cruises. Jennifer is a Lowell Thomas Award winner who has written two cookbooks and multiple Lonely Planet and 111 Places guidebooks. She lives in Toronto but is happiest at her place on Fogo Island in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Larry Bleiberg - Larry's Wandering Mind
A graduate of the Northwestern University Medill School of Journalism, Larry Bleiberg has served on a Pulitzer Prize-winning team, won 10 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, and was honored for editing the best newspaper travel section in North America. Previously the travel editor of The Dallas Morning News and senior editor of Coastal Living, Larry is a past president of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). He contributes to the Washington Post, BBC Travel, National Geographic, AARP, and Afar, among others. Larry is also the creator of civilrightstravel.com.
Jim Byers - Detours
Jim Byers spent 32 years at the Toronto Star, serving as its travel editor for five years. A frequent TV and radio travel commentator and a past board member of SATW, he has freelanced for publications including the Los Angeles Times and National Geographic. Jim manages his own site, jimbyerstravel.com, and serves as the senior writer and editor at openjaw.com, Canada’s leading travel trade publication. Before travel writing, he covered municipal politics, six Olympic Games, and the Blue Jays.
Kristin Henning and Tom Bartel - Travel Past 50
Kristin Henning and Tom Bartel write together as the husband-and-wife team behind Travel Past 50, a blog for curious, active travelers over 50. They've traveled across seven continents since launching the site in 2010 after 30 years as publishers and editors of Minneapolis–St. Paul's City Pages and Minnesota Parent Magazine. Their work has earned NATJA Gold Awards and honors from SATW and IFWTWA. Kristin's individual freelance credits include the Minneapolis Star Tribune and International Living, while Tom's writing and photography have appeared in The New York Times, Outside, and National Geographic Books.
Randy Keck - Far Horizons
Drawing on his experience as a tour operator and psychologist, Randy Keck has been a columnist for ITN since the 1980s. He believes that international travel produces the ultimate human learning experience, helping to ensure that the true traveler always remains in humility-based student mode. He considers his favorite destination to be wherever he is traveling next. To date, Randy has visited 95 countries.
Karen LeBlanc - The Design Tourist
Karen LeBlanc is the host, producer, and writer of The Design Tourist, an international travel series that explores destinations through culture, craft, and cuisine. Her travel show streams on multiple platforms including Amazon Prime and it is slated to air nationwide on PBS in 2027. Karen has been recognized with the 2025 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Gold Award, two Telly Awards, and multiple NATJA Awards. Her features are syndicated on msn.com and she is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure and LaPalme.
Joelle Machia and Ryan Slough - Wanderers Compass
Wanderers Compass is a global platform for responsible, meaningful travel that includes a digital magazine, podcast, and book, "Founders in Focus." Joelle and Ryan have visited 67 countries on six continents and along the way have been named to the Forttuna Global 100 Power List, which resulted in their images being projected in Times Square. Joelle is a United Nations Representative for the Economic and Social Council, which brings their work in sustainable tourism to the global stage. Joelle has also been honored with both Travel Influencer of the Year and Travel Content Creator of the Year at the Forttuna Global Excellence Awards.
Colin Miner - Getting Around with Colin
A former award-winning reporter, editor, and broadcast and digital producer for The New York Times, The Washington Post, The New York Sun, The New York Post, NY1 News, The Oregonian, and Patch, Colin Miner writes about accessible travel for ITN. Living with multiple health conditions including the loss of his eyesight, Colin shares practical tips and insights about navigating the world with special considerations, always with his trademark humor. He is currently writing a book and has a Substack newsletter, Colin Miner Ink.
Barbara Noe Kennedy - Field Notes for a Better World
After earning a master's degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and more than 20 years as senior editor with National Geographic Travel Publishing, Barbara Noe Kennedy is now a freelance travel journalist with regular bylines in BBC Travel, Fodor's Travel, Travel + Leisure, and National Geographic Travel. The author of How to Be a Travel Writer, Barbara also writes guidebooks and teaches online travel writing classes.
Mark Orwoll - Wanderlust and Found
Mark Orwoll built his career over three decades at Travel + Leisure, most recently as International Editor. He has appeared on TV more than 600 times as a travel expert, including more than 75 times on NBC's “Today.” Mark earned a Lowell Thomas Travel Journalist of the Year Silver Award in 2025, and NYU honored him with a Teaching Excellence Award in recognition of his work as an adjunct professor in its graduate publishing program. He is also the author of a travel memoir, a historical thriller, and a book on John Wayne. Follow him on Substack at Mark Orwoll is at It Again!
Rick Steves - Rick Steves' Europe
One of America’s best-known travel experts, Rick Steves is a popular public television host, a best-selling guidebook author, and the founder and owner of Rick Steves' Europe, a travel business with a small-group tour program that brings more than 30,000 people to Europe annually. Rick encourages Americans to broaden their perspectives through travel and empowers them to see Europe in ways that are fun, affordable, and culturally broadening.
Craig Stoltz - Eat the World
Formerly the travel editor of The Washington Post, Craig Stoltz is now the senior editor of Food, Wine & Travel Magazine. As a freelance journalist he covers travel, food, and drink for outlets including Fodor's, Afar, and Garden & Gun. Craig, who has professional experience applying generative AI in a large organization, also writes about the use of artificial intelligence in travel. Follow his adventures in his Substack newsletter, Eat the World.
Margaret Swaine - Connoisseur's Passport
Margaret Swaine is a wine, spirits, food, and travel writer who has explored 140 countries. A founder of the Travel Media Association of Canada and the Wine Writers Circle of Canada, she is the National Post's wine reviewer. She also writes the biweekly culinary travel column Global Gourmet for Travel Industry Today and a spirits column for WineAlign. Margaret judges international wine competitions and has been honored with French wine society titles including Dame de la Jurade de Saint Émilion.