Award: Lonely Planet Sustainable Storyteller 2021
A few months ago, I was emailed by Lonely Planet. It didn't give much away, just asked for a call and, of course, I said yes! It's Lonely Planet after all. Like I'm sure most of you do, I have a whole shelf of Lonely Planet guidebooks. It's my first port of call whenever I'm planning a trip anywhere – I'm a big fan girl. If they want a call, I'm there with bells on.
On this call, I was told that I had been shortlisted for a sustainable travel writing award and quite honestly it took me so completely by surprise. I excitedly spent the rest of the call explaining what I was all about, what my blog was about, where I had focused my writing in the changing travel climate of COVID-19 and what I thought was important in the travel writing space (thank you AnneMarie for listening to me!).
After several weeks of back and forth, where I provided photos and video and quotes, I received a very outwardly unassuming email into my inbox. I opened it in-between a couple of email newsletters and almost fell off my chair. I’d won. I read the email about five times just to double check. I’d definitely won. I was going to be Lonely Planet’s Sustainable Storyteller 2021! I did what any grown adult would do in this situation... I called my mum.
Once it had sunk in, I became more emotional about the whole thing. It’s a privilege to receive an award for my writing, particularly at a time where I have decided to write more freely about subjects I’m passionate about: sustainability, nature and travel. I’ve spent years freelancing and writing mostly what I think the publications want or writing in an official capacity for work. soraya.earth is my little place on the internet and it feels so wonderful for that to be what is being recognised today.
About the Best in Travel Awards
From a broader perspective, it’s also super exciting that Lonely Planet is putting sustainability, community and diversity at the forefront of what they are celebrating with their Best in Travel awards this year.
Every year since 2004, Lonely Planet has released a Best in Travel list: a central guide to the places you should consider visiting in the coming year. As with many organisations (especially in the travel space), 2020 has been a year for Lonely Planet to reflect and rethink their approach. I’m delighted that they have taken this moment to choose to focus on responsible travel and empowering their readers to become ‘agents of change’.
It’s an inspirational list. Award winners include trails, islands and conservation projects (adding to my bucket list), but also other passionate individuals writing from different perspectives. They are telling their own experiences of travel and helping others see that it's for them too, whether you are LGBTQIA+ or BAME or look different to the average Instagram travel blogger. It feels like what travel should look like – I’m proud to be part of it.
Here is why they chose me to be part of it:
Soraya has made a name for herself as an advocate for approachable, sustainable travel through her blog, soraya.earth.
Our team of experts felt that Soraya’s background in sustainability shone through on her blog as she pursues environmentally-friendly ways to travel and promotes low-impact interactions with the natural world. From building a bamboo bike and creating net-positive art on her trips to joining an all-female sailing trip exploring plastics and toxics in our ocean, Soraya’s work is conscientious and thought-provoking and we hope it will inspire others to tread more carefully when they next travel.
You can see my profile on the Lonely Planet Best in Travel page. This is a short video about me that I recorded for the award.
Travel in a time of COVID
The irony of being awarded a travel writing award during our new lockdown is not lost on me, but each period of renewal this year has offered exciting new opportunities. I have never explored my local area as much as I have in 2020 – on foot, by bike and latterly by car on day trips. It makes me wonder how much I might have missed without this reawakening to very local travel. It hasn't stopped my hankering and planning to see places further afield, but I've discovered that there are ways to sate my appetite for adventure and nature on my doorstep. Don't get me wrong – I've actually always been that person out walking, visiting local places and taking photographs of 'that nice tree' – but it's now amplified somehow... and I'm surrounded with a whole load of other people responding with 'wow and that branch over there. Have you heard the birds sing lately?’
The very essence of sustainable travel for me is about trying to create a net positive – by simply doing less harm and doing more good. In 2020, I have focused my energy on the areas where I can help to create a positive influence in the UK, particularly around diversity in the UK outdoors. Diversifying our outdoor community means we can tackle some of the physical and mental health problems caused by our rapid-fire society and recent COVID fear, while also creating more engaged and connected-to-our-planet human beings. It can only be a win-win. Plus national travel tends to have a far lower impact than international travel – an added bonus. Let's give our atmosphere a break shall we?
Once we learn to live more effectively in this new world, I’m looking forward to getting back out there and experiencing the conservation projects I’m so passionate about. In the meantime, I’m pumped about my on-going projects exploring locally on foot or on my bamboo bike, walking the South West Coast Path in sections, finding ways to promote diversity in the UK outdoors and so much more. And then I’ll write about it of course, so you can come along with me!
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