✨ Welcome to our brand-new series, TravMedia's Travel Writer of the Week! ✨

Each week, we'll be shining a spotlight on one of the incredibly talented, passionate, and inspiring Journalists or Editors from our amazing community.

This week, we'd like to shine the spotlight on Rory Buccheri - freelance travel journalist with a specialism in LGBTQ+ stories!

We hope you enjoy - happy reading !!

Where are you based?

York, UK

What outlets do you write for? Who is your audience? What are your travel specialties?

As a freelance journalist, I write for UK and international publications, including The Independent, TimeOut, OutThere, Adventure.com, and Woman's Weekly. I also have my own outlet, Travel Outside the Binary, and my audience is primarily U30, LGBTQ+ folks who want to explore the world and learn more about queer stories and under-the-radar locations. In fact, I regularly cover Q+ topics, alongside food and drink, nature, and culture, as my specialties.

Are you in-house or freelance (or both)? I am freelance, after working in-house for a food and drink mag.

In your past professional life you were... A tour guide, showing people around my gorgeous hometown in Palermo, Sicily! I gave tours in 3 languages, and loved every minute of it (that's a lie, I didn't care for school trips...)

Where would you like to return to?

Mexico keeps calling me back. I have visited most of it, but I'd love to go back with a local guide to see the North, including Nayarit, Chihuahua, and Zacatecas.

What's on your bucket list? 

For a few years now it's been Vietnam, and after that Cuba, Japan, and anywhere in South America. I'd also love to visit American Samoa this year.

Where do you travel for fun? 

I'll never tire of Portugal. It's where I go to unwind, eat delicious, inexpensive food, and be mesmerised at the culture and natural sights.

Your funniest (or most harrowing) travel story is … 

Probably when our car broke down in the middle of a safari in South Africa. And where did it choose to break down? Between a watering hole full of hippos, and one full of crocodiles (typical). Most stressful 15 minutes of my life.

What advice would you give your younger professional self? 

Ibuprofen can fix that post-networking migraine, but no man-made chemical can fill in that contact book...

What nugget would you like to add that we haven't touched on?

As a keen bird watcher and wildlife lover, I'd love to go more in that direction with my travel writing. If you have an amazing bird-focus trip you'd like to share, or even are commissioning one, drop me a line! I'd love to work together.

How best should people contact you? 

The best way to keep in touch is my Instagram @wandering.rory, or by emailing me at  rorybwriter@gmail.com