We know what you’re thinking - boy, we sure are living in unprecedented times (if you haven’t come across that phrase more times than you can count in the past few months you must be living under a rock)! And with unprecedented times comes the need to adapt to them. By changing their content so that it meets the realities of life posed by the coronavirus, these bloggers have proven they’re more than capable of taking on a challenge and coming out the other side stronger. Without further ado, Teletext Holidays presents the most adaptive bloggers.

We haven’t decided on a winner yet, but whichever blogger is voted Most Adaptive Blogger by our expert panel will be nominated to run for the British Travel Awards’ Best Blogger Award, sponsored by Teletext Holidays.

Nomadic Thoughts (Worldwide Travel)

Blogger Name: Jono Vernon-Powell

Blog URL: www.jonovernon-powell.com

Why Should I Win?

With COVID-19’s impact felt across the globe, the travel and tourism industry has suffered an unprecedented cessation in all services. Throughout this period, I have purposefully offered a narrative of comment, observation and dialogue specifically highlighting the relevant week by week impact of the virus on travel.

Mindful of casting observations relevant to all stakeholders, I started turning my focus on the unfolding of the industry crisis - ‘Beware Ides of March’ and ‘Tourism Shipping Forecast’. Before focusing on how best to adapt to lockdown – ‘Self-Isolation – Himalayan Monk Style’ and ‘Easter Under Lockdown’.

As COVID-19’s impact developed, I moved onto how best we can come out of the crisis - ‘Airlines – Climate & COVID Crisis Recovery Plan’ and ‘Creative Travel Thinking – The Future’ - in addition to highlighting examples of imminent travel opportunities - ‘Air Bridge Option’ and ‘Virtual Staycation – Stonehenge Summer Solstice’.

Furthermore, in the process of continuing the ever-evolving storyline, I expanded blog posts to include ‘When? Where? How? Global Tourism Reopens’ as well as sharing my interview, with personal insight on the situation, with CATO (Council of Australian Tour Operators) on the other side of the world.

My Proudest Achievements Over the Past Year

Blog: Collection of Himalayan blog posts highlighting local culture from Bhutan/Nepal. All the photos on my blog (over 10,000) are taken by me.

1. Dancing Monks of Mongar, Bhutan

2. Bhutan’s Prayer Flags

3. Trashigang Dzong – Eastern Bhutan

4. Self-Isolation – Himalayan Monk Style

5. Bhutan Mountain Road – Samdrup Jangkhar to Trashigang

6. Kathmandu at Night, Nepal

Business: Reaction to COVID-19 crisis.

1. Bringing all stranded customers home safely.

2. Communicating with clients and suppliers to postpone 98% pre-booked 2020 trips into 2021.

 

Tin Box Traveller

Blogger Name: Claire Hall

Blog URL: www.tinboxtraveller.co.uk

Why Should I Win?

2020 has been a tough year to be a travel blogger but I've arrived in the summer feeling overwhelmingly upbeat. I've been writing Tin Box Traveller for nearly eight years; sharing trips and tips relating to all kinds of family travel from caravan holidays to cruises. In March I decided to set up a more niche blog honing in on where we live - Devon with Kids. 

Then lockdown happened. Visitor numbers to Tin Box Traveller fell off a cliff and pressing 'publish' on a new blog felt like the worst-timed decision in my blogging career. 

However, adapting and perseverance has paid off. I went back to basics on Tin Box Traveller, creating new content and updating existing staycation posts. And I anticipated the surge in Devon holiday searches by ploughing every spare minute into Devon with Kids. 

Tin Box Traveller is now getting as many visits as it was in the summer of 2019 with the most popular content being about camping and UK holidays. Meanwhile, there are days when Devon with Kids - a blog that is less than six months old - is performing just as well.  

My Proudest Achievement Over the Past Year

One of my proudest achievements of the past year is establishing a community alongside the Devon with Kids blog. This is managed with a Facebook group for families to share their personal recommendations. It’s a growing community with 1.1k members joining since the beginning of June. 

As well as flying the flag for tourism in Devon, it has helped to promote important messages about responsible travel during 2020 by highlighting what’s open, things people should check before they travel and COVID measures in place.

 

Two Tickets To

Blogger Names: Matt and Lucy

Blog URL: www.twoticketsto.co.uk

Why Should We Win?

Two Tickets To is a travel blog run by Matt and Lucy. From our base in Yorkshire, where we live and work, we share travel stories, hints, and tips with our readers. 

Our blog can be found at www.twoticketsto.co.uk. We are also active on Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest where we have an engaged and growing base of followers.

Here’s why we think we deserve the title of Most Adaptive Blogger!

Firstly, we have focussed on publishing travelogues and stories since the world went into lockdown. Although we love sharing ideas on “things to do” in amazing destinations, we wanted to give people the chance to “travel virtually” through our stories - hopefully inspiring future trips!

Secondly, we’ve championed “virtual travel” further through collating and publishing lists of opportunities for online travel. From tour guides live-streaming on Zoom to museums offering virtual visits, we highlighted how people can engage with - and support - the travel industry without leaving their sofa.

Our Proudest Achievement Over the Past Year

Our proudest achievement is re-launching our blog.

One positive of lockdown has been finding ourselves with more free time. We used this as an opportunity to work on the ‘behind the scenes’ aspects of our blog, ultimately re-launching with a new design and plenty of great content planned out!

 

Armchair Travels

Blogger Names: Gretta Schifano, Cathy Winston, Kirstie Pelling, Nicola West and Ting Dalton

Blog URL: www.armchair-travels.com

Why Should We Win?

Each of us has our own established blog where we share our travel experiences, but once lockdown started in March we were unable to travel. We decided to create a virtual travel blog together, so that our audiences could continue to explore the world with us online.

Armchair Travels is about travelling when you can’t actually travel, through means such as video and podcasts, digital commissions and films, virtual guided tours and online activities.

Through modern technology the virtual world is almost as extensive as the real one. From antiquities to activities, there are thousands of opportunities to get online - and you don’t have to join a queue or rack up carbon emissions in order to access them.

Whether you’re self-isolating, social distancing, unable to physically travel or unable to afford it, Armchair Travels brings you the globe’s greatest marvels, researched and curated by five award-winning travel writers.

Our Proudest Achievement Over the Past Year

Keeping safe and well with our families, and creating Armchair Travels during lockdown.

 

Mandala Meadow

Blogger Name: Kathryn Burrington

Blog URL: www.mandalameadow.com

Why Should I Win?

2020 has undoubtedly been an interesting year with new challenges that none of us could have foreseen. This spring, like many others, I found myself with time on my hands and the need to find a new source of income. I thought long and hard about my interests, my knowledge and experiences and what I could offer to the online market.

In April, I launched Mandala Meadow, a new travel blog with a focus on arts and crafts around the world. 

I wanted it to not just be a blog that inspired people to travel but also somewhere for the armchair traveller to hangout. And, of course, all travel addicts need a travel fix even when they can't get away from home. 

This new blog, while full of travel inspiration, is also a fascinating read for anyone interested in arts, crafts and local culture. You'll find information about where you can see artisans at work as well as where you can learn to do these arts and crafts yourself. While most of these workshops are in the country where the art or craft originated, I've also included workshops here in the UK as well as online resources for when you can't travel. I've discovered a real passion for teaching and now offer live online art classes inspired by my travels, as well as step-by-step tutorials on the blog itself.

My Proudest Achievement Over the Past Year

Learning about the local culture, including its traditional arts and crafts, is one of the most thrilling aspects of travelling. Now you don't even need to leave your own home to do that. I'm proud that I've been able to adapt in this way and I'm sure my new blog will grow into a very useful resource for all art lovers, inspiring wanderlust and hopefully a few new artists along the way.