What do we do now?

Happy new year! But it’s not so happy out there right now: with increasing swathes of Britain falling under Tier 4 and “tougher” restrictions predicted, even staycation coverage is off the agenda at present.

So what the heck to pitch? I spoke to Laura Millar from Metro this morning and, like all UK travel editors at present, she’s struggling to know how to fill her pages. For the foreseeable, it’ll be a combination of inspirational “book now, go later” articles using previously-filed copy, any fun memoirs-type stuff excerpted from new books, and any newsy round-ups – again with a view to travelling later. Slim pickings, basically.

One such round-up that’s about to run, for instance, will focus on Unesco’s recent additions to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. It’ll be stories like that, along with anything trend-based, that I’ll be seeking in the coming months – not just for Metro, but for pitches generally. I plan to mine various “hot for 2021” lists – the New York Times’ one is always good – and try to see if any standout strands in wellbeing or design can be applied to travel.

I suspect it’ll be a challenging few months for us all – PRs, freelancers and staff alike. But there is hope on the horizon, and the end seems in sight. So keep going everyone: keep ferreting around for ideas and keep your spirits high.