Who inspires you to travel? (Besides us.) Travel is never monochromatic—it encompasses food, shopping, sightseeing, adventure, wine, and most important, stepping beyond your comfort zone. So we wanted to take stock of the people who inspire us to hit the road. To do so, we came up with our carefully curated Fodor’s Travel Tastemakers.
What makes a Travel Tastemaker? They search the globe for unique and eye-opening experiences; they are as excited about a meal at a Michelin-starred restaurant as they are to try local street foods. They are discerning, but excited to try it all. And they bring a global inspiration to the work they do at home.
We think these people do those things really well (and with great style)—we want to travel with them and like them. But in the meantime, we’ll just chat with them about their travel pasts, presents, and futures.
Afar’s Deputy Editor Jen Murphy
Winemaker and shop owner Marco Pasanella
Owner of NYC’s Corkbuzz, Laura Maniec.
Editor-in-Chief of Mr and Mrs Smith, Juliet Kinsman
Chef, TV personality, author Marcus Samuelsson
Chef, author, restaurateur José Andrés
Found of Ace Hotels, Alex Calderwood
Cool-hunters, shop owners Elizabeth Beer and Brian Janusiak
Film icon, winemaker, restaurant owner Francis Ford Coppola
Photographer and TV personality Nigel Barker
Soho House West Hollywood’s uber-chic GM Shelley Armistead
Chefs and Authors Daniel Humm and Will Guidara
Francophile, Author, and Design Guru Erin Swift
MoMA PS1 Communications Director, Jetsetter Rebecca Taylor
Photographer and Africa-phile Peter Beard
Photo credit: Main beach image courtesy of Gray Malin; Hugh Acheson headshot courtesy of Sarah Dorio; Gray Malin courtesy of Gray Malin; Jen Murphy portrait courtesy of Jen Murphy; April Bloomfield courtesy of April Bloomfield; Marco Pasanella courtesy of Marco Pasanella; Laura Maniec courtesy of Brooke Ismach; Juliet Kinsman courtesy of Juliet Kinsman; Marcus Samuelsson courtesy of Marcus Samuelsson; Todd Selby courtesy of Backyard Bill; Jose Andres courtesy of Jose Andres; Alex Calderwood courtesy of Alex Calderwood; Elizabeth and Brian portrait courtesy of Gerald Forster; Francis Ford Coppola portrait courtesy of Francis Ford Coppola; Nigel Barker and wife courtesy of Nigel Barker