One of the UK’s most respected travel journalist brings a sharp, unfiltered look at what travellers really want today.
Known as “The Man Who Pays His Way” , because he always pays for his own travel. Simon Calder, one of the most recognisable names in British travel journalism, arrives in Zagreb in early October as one of the headline guests at the jubilee edition of TOURISM 365.
After 32 years as Travel Correspondent for The Independent, Calder moved to The Telegraph in 2026, where he continues in the same role and hosts the weekly podcast The Travel Expert. For decades he has also been a familiar face on British television, from the BBC to ITV and Sky News, building a reputation as a journalist who talks about travel without the usual industry filters or polite clichés.
A Reality Check for the Tourism Industry
At TOURISM 365, he brings a sharp traveller reality check: what really influences travel decisions today, what destinations often misunderstand, and why value, trust, access and experience matter more than ever. Specially, highlighting the gap between what the tourism industry wants to sell and what guests actually want to buy.
The Questions We’re Looking to Answer
What has changed? What frustrates travellers? What do they trust? What makes a destination worth choosing? And what does tourism still refuse to hear?
No slides. No script. No polite tourism clichés. Just a sharp, honest conversation about travel, travellers, and what tourism must understand next.