Middle East Traveller works with freelance writers around the world to cover the best in hotels, restaurants and things do to. We are always interested in receiving pitches from those who can write and tell a story – your level of experience isn’t something we are concerned about.
We kindly ask that pitches are submitted only through the process on this page, to make sure they are seen. Our editors receive hundreds of emails every day and there is a risk that pitches may be missed if they are sent in this way.
What we’re looking for right now
Please see below for categories that are more likely to catch the attention of our editors. We are of course open to other ideas, but these are the areas we are most strongly focusing on at the moment.
- ‘Best of’ lists for destinations in the Middle East or those popular among Arab travellers.
- These should always have five places and should focus on a particular hotel or restaurant subcategory.
- For major cities like London, Paris or New York, these should be focussed on a defined area that’s popular with travellers from the Middle East.
- Emirates (Sharjah, Ras Al Khaimah, Fujairah etc) are also OK – we’re keen to build up content outside of Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
- For example:
- YES: Five best hotel pools in Knightsbridge
- YES: Five best room service menus in Paris
- YES: Five best patisseries in Mayfair
- NO: Five best hotels in France (too broad a geographical focus)
- NO: Three best hotel suites in London (aim for five items)
- NO: Five best romantic restaurants in Sydney (not a major destination for the Middle East)
- Beautifully written reviews of an individual hotel or restaurant.
- These must have a strong link or appeal to Middle East travellers – think the Ritz Paris or Royal Mansour Marrakech rather than the Hilton.
- Our style is descriptive, evocative and entertaining, but not too flowery or over the top. Some examples to read are our reviews on Bulgari Bali and Bahrain’s Jena Bakery.
- We want to take our readers on a journey – what makes the hotel special and why stay now?
- Press trips are OK, as are hosted hotel stays, but please do not pitch these on behalf of Middle East Traveller until you have secured a commission.
- If you already have a contact at a hotel or restaurant, it is fine to let them know you are prospectively pitching, but be sure not to imply the coverage is confirmed until we accept the proposal.
- Trend pieces and interviews with a strong hook focusing on the Middle East travel market from a consumer side.
- Some examples:
- This Parisian neighbourhood is becoming a major destination for Arab travellers – here’s why
- Meet the woman running London’s first Emirati-owned patisserie
- Inside Sharjah’s first-ever resort, set to open next year
- Some examples:
Writing style
We aim for writing that is beautiful, evocative and entertaining. Speak about the sizzle, not the sausage. We encourage our writers to be open about any shortcomings in a restaurant or hotel, within the context of the piece – we want to inspire people to travel, rather than tell them where they shouldn’t go.
Important information
- Final copy is generally due seven days from commission and should be filed via email.
- We are fully self-funded, so our budget is small – we currently pay GBP35 for a piece, with a view to expanding this in future.
- We aim to pay as quickly as possible – usually within seven days of receiving your invoice.
- Due to the volume of emails that arrive in our inboxes, we can be a little bit slow at replying sometimes. This doesn’t mean there’s an issue with your piece – we’ll let you know if that’s the case.
Pitch Middle East Traveller
Please fill in the form below to send us a pitch for consideration. Please note that we do not accept pitches via email or social media – only via this form.
Once your pitch has been reviewed by our editors (usually within 2-3 weeks) you will receive an email updating you on whether we would like to go ahead with the commission.
IMPORTANT: Please do not follow up via email – we use an automated system to keep track of the status of all pitches which automatically reminds our editors to review each one. The start and end of each year are particularly busy periods, so responses may be delayed.
