Writer: Helena Bergström
What happens behind the scenes during press trips? Well, we can promise a lot! We usually haven’t dared to tell you about the craziest things that have happened, because we don’t want to highlight individual individuals or organizers. But now we’re telling you… but without revealing where it all happened or who was involved!
Many press trips over the years
Over the years we have made many press trips. The very first press trip we participated in was to Morocco in 2014. Since then, we’ve done a few press trips a year – usually shorter trips, usually in Europe, and often in groups with other travel writers or digital creators.
Behind the scenes at press trips
So how is and then on a press trip? It is often a lot of fun, but it is far from a holiday. There are early mornings, late nights and very little time for rest. You experience a lot, but at the same time you have to be alert and listen, take photos and take notes.
You often travel closely together, which often leads to laughter and beautiful friendships, but sometimes also to irritation and crazy events. Moreover, you will find yourself in a new culture, together with guides you have never met before. Just about anything can happen!
We tell about eleven events that took place during twelve years of press trips, but in order not to hang around guides, writers or destinations (which may have nothing to do with it), we tell it without revealing the country, place, name or year…
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1. An “accident” with burnt soles…
Type of trip: Tour through a country. Large group of travel writers and influencers.
One evening we were driven to a restaurant in the countryside, which featured both local dishes and traditional performances. The latter consisted of a demonstration in which people walked barefoot over glowing coals. When the show was over, one of the (drunk!) writers started goading one of the others: “You would never dare do that!” And what happened then?
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I don’t know anything about walking on hot coals, but I do it can go wrong. The writer could barely walk for the rest of the press trip because his feet were covered in blisters…
2. “No thanks! – I’ll stay in the car and surf on the cell phone”
Type of trip: Tour through a country. Small group of bloggers.
We drove long distances across the country (often several hours a day) and every now and then we stopped so the guide could show us different sights and viewpoints.
“No thanks! I’ll stay in the car,” the blogger said, refusing to go but surfing on his cell phone. Repeatedly. “Maybe we can take a picture together?” the guide asked. No, that wasn’t interesting. “Maybe stay and do an activity…?” No, not that either… Why would we make such a trip, we wondered?
3. Invited to the President’s House (but forgot the nice clothes)
Type of trip: Adventure in the big city. Great group of bloggers.
“Has everyone read the latest version of the program?” asked the guide on the bus. “Then you know you’ll be donning the ‘presidential attire’ tonight.” Now I looked angry and wondered if the guide was joking, or if it was us who had missed the latest version of the program…?
It turned out to be the latter. We had to actually visiting the president of the country. Help, we wouldn’t have taken that! But what do you do? On these types of trips there is no time for shopping, so it was just a matter of putting on the best that was in the suitcase…
4. Really bad food – then we write it!
Type of trip: Tour through a country. Just the two of us.
What do you do as a blogger if you don’t like what is shown on a press trip? We get that question sometimes. It’s actually not a very difficult dilemma. You just can’t write about it or perhaps describe who you think the experience is suitable for (if it isn’t). badbut you just feel that you are the wrong target group).
However, this time we were annoyed. The food was really good So Arm. Not only was it tasteless, but it was also accompanied by a super sad layout and soulless service. We itched to strongly advise against this restaurant, and we did so! And no, no sour faces from the organisers, who seemed to absorb the criticism earlier.
5. Had to throw the Michelin dessert in the garbage
Type of trip: Adventure in the big city. Great group of bloggers.
Getting the chance to eat a tasting menu in a Michelin star restaurant is fantastic. All the dishes were incomparable – both in taste and appearance – and when we left we were each given a sweet in a small cardboard box.
It was midnight when we got back to the hotel and the next day we continued with new restaurants, wineries and pastry cafes. We city of course eat the Michelin dessert but it just didn’t work out and we ended up throwing it away. But it still hurts my soul a little when I think about it…
6. The fellow journalists called the homeland and ‘gossip’
Type of trip: Tour through a country. Great group of travel writers.
Not all press trips are perfectly organized and this time it was a bit of a mess. The information was unclear and there were some cases with long waiting times. Some writers in the group became extremely upset. Soon they were angry about “everything”, including that the view from the hotel (where we arrived late and left early the next morning) was “under all criticism”.
The writers called the organizers in their own home countries and the criticism was directed at our guides. Then a wet blanket fell over the group and the atmosphere became somewhat uncomfortable…
7. “We love trying local food!” (Was that wise…?)
Type of trip: Sun and swimming destinations. Just the two of us.
“What do you want to eat?” the local guide asked. “Preferably something local in a local restaurant,” we thought. It sounded exciting… and exciting it was! It wasn’t just that we were served a whole bird on the plate – we also learned that most of the time you eat everythingincluding the legs.
In just a few minutes our guide had devoured everything on the plate – bird and bones and all – and the plate was so clean it looked as if it had been washed. We thought the food tasted very good, but it was not possible to get everything the local way…
8. Open arguing…
Type of trip: Tour through a country. Small group of bloggers and influencers.
Different members of the group had different suggestions for things they wanted to see and do: to be able to write or create content that could be suitable for their respective channels. The guide, in turn, had meetings scheduled with several local chiefs.
The group was passed from hotel manager to hotel manager, with whom we had coffee. Luckily the group was wondering when we would go to that attraction mentioned in the program? Okay, okay… but “max 5 minutes!”. The atmosphere became increasingly tense and one day there was an open fight between the guide and part of the group…
9. I threw up between starter, main course and dessert
Type of trip: Tour through a country. Just the two of us.
What do you do when you have a migraine and are invited to a fancy dinner because the local managers at the tourist office would like to meet you. You bite together! I told Peter to continue the conversations because I can’t think when I have a migraine. I had to throw up between each course.
10. So much alcohol!
Type of trip: Tour through a country. Great group of bloggers.
“Would you like something to drink?” We hadn’t even had time to pick up the bags on the conveyor belt when the question first came. Then it continued in the same way for several intense days. Champagne? Wine? A beer maybe? Taste drinks!
One evening the guide took most of the revelers and at four in the morning the group returned home. The program started early the next day and the guide was there (albeit a little pale). After a few glasses of champagne at breakfast we recognized our guide again… happy and energetic!
11. The program was invented along the way
Type of trip: Sun and swimming destinations. Just the two of us.
Some countries provide detailed programs several months in advance. Others are a bit more relaxed. We had no program at all at this destination. Our guide met us upon arrival and at the same time some of the guide’s local friends happened to pass by. “Hello! You have a nice place! I have journalists here. Maybe I can send them to you tomorrow? Perfect!”
The program was simply invented as it went along. It was just a matter of adapting and letting go of the need for control… That you end up on the walking route in a dress and shorts (because you don’t know what to plan), yes, you have to take that sometimes…
Behind the scenes at press trips…
So things sometimes happen during press trips, which is perhaps not surprising if you travel closely with people you may have never met before and have an intensive program. However, most of the time the atmosphere is usually good, and there is a lot of laughter!
And when we think back to all the press trips, we have to say that we both saw a lot and learned an incredible amount about the local culture. Fantastic! Then it is probably fortunate that we alternate press trips with private trips (we do most trips), because you can take it a bit easier…
#scenes #press #trips #events #dared