Mission Statement

National Geographic Traveler: Who We Are

National GeographicTraveler aspires to live up to its tagline: “Where the Journey Begins” and to be the source for the active, curious traveler. One who is more inquisitive than acquisitive. Every department and article is designed to inspire readers to pick up and go—and to provide them with the tools and orientation to do so. Our stories and special sections all combine the Society’s storied expertise with an insider’s point of view.

National Geographic Traveler’s mission is to employ storytelling and you-are-there photography to inspire culturally aware readers to travel; and to provide the deepest, most reader-friendly service information to enable you to go places wisely and well. The magazine carries the authority that comes with being the flagship travel magazine of the National Geographic Society, which has not only traveled the globe but also groundbreakingly explored it for 113 years. Ask us “Who knows the world better? ” And with clear-eyed honesty we can say: “We do. ”

National Geographic Traveler eschews fashion and fluff in favor of visceral photography and articles flavored with personality, passion, perspective, and a strong sense of place. Our voices are those of writers who love to travel—not correspondents who travel as a means to write.

Traveler cares about fine writing—contributors include Paul Theroux, Jan Morris, Arthur Golden, Bill Bryson, David Halberstam, Elizabeth Berg, Ray Bradbury, George Plimpton, Jimmy Breslin, Rick Bass, James Fallows, Maeve Binchy, Tom Robbins, Frances Mayes, Bill Broyles, and Salman Rushdie.

In keeping with our heritage, we showcase some of the world’s finest photographers and photos—Jim Richardson’s provocative Edinburgh coverage, Theo Westenberger’s Communications Arts-winning take on Venice’s Carnivale, David Alan Harvey’s you-are-there rhapsody on Tobago, Macduff Everton’s breathtaking Beijing.

We present news—“Smart Traveler” regularly beats newspapers and other magazines on travel trends and topics—from the safest airline seats to hot ski trends to an investigation on travel-tax rip-offs. And Jonathan Tourtellot’s probing pieces on “The Two Faces of Tourism” and “The Tourism Wars” —part of a series on the future of tourism—is the kind of reporting that illustrates we offer more than just advice on places to go.

We care about serving our readers with information that empowers—our map-enhanced TravelWise sections give you a ticket to the open road, telling you what you need to know before you go. These detailed, timely mini-guides offer nuts-and-bolts information on how to make the most of your time in the field. Not only do we offer actionable destination information, but we serve up travel-related products and resources, insights from fellow travelers, accessible (and surprising) travel opportunities; and travel advocacy (we specialize in issues related to sustainable tourism).

And our special surveys—“The Faces of Australia, ” the Essential National Park series, the Insider Guides to major cities—are built not on unreliable reader polls but are developed with on-the-ground insiders who have real expertise.

Traveler is a traveler’s magazine. It’s the travel magazine readers keep. The magazine that propels you from the armchair and into the field.