Ep. 2 Travel in a World on Fire: Are We the Problem? with Yulia Denisyuk

This episode has been a long time coming, and I’m so glad you’re here for it. I’ve been wanting to dig into the topic of responsible travel for a while now, but honestly—it’s a tough one. There are so many layers: overtourism, greenwashing, consumerism, and global politics. Even as a professional traveler, I often feel overwhelmed trying to figure out how to do it “right.”

That’s why I’m so excited to share this conversation with Yulia Denisyuk. She’s not only an award-winning travel journalist and photographer, but she’s also someone I deeply admire. We met last fall in Okinawa, Japan during a press trip, and I was immediately drawn to her values and perspective. When I saw her speak again at a recent conference in New York, she brought the entire room to tears. She’s a powerful storyteller with a rare mix of vulnerability and strength.

In this episode, Yulia and I talk candidly about:

• What “responsible travel” actually means today
• How she went from serving in the U.S. military to becoming a globally recognized journalist
• The complexity of living in the U.S. as an immigrant—and how that affects how we see the world
• The often unseen impacts of mass tourism and why we need to think twice before booking that cruise or all-inclusive
• What it really means to travel humbly and with intention
• Who really benefits from tourism—and who often doesn’t

We also talk about what it’s like to work in media now (spoiler: it's not what it used to be), and why storytelling continues to be at the heart of what Yulia does—from journalism to photography to podcasting.

This isn’t a lighthearted episode, but it is a real and necessary one. If you’ve ever felt conflicted about your impact as a traveler, or unsure how to align your travel choices with your values, this conversation is for you.

Thanks for being here. I’m so glad we’re having these kinds of conversations on the podcast.

— Laura

More About Yulia Denisyuk

Yulia is an award-winning travel photographer, journalist, filmmaker, and podcast host. Her work has been featured in National Geographic, The New York Times, Time, Condé Nast Traveler, BBC Travel, and more. She’s the founder of Going Places, an independent journalism initiative, and teaches through her platform Travel Media Lab. She’s also based in Chicago with her pup, Leo.

Links & Resources

• Learn more about Yulia’s work: https://yuliadenisyuk.com
• Explore her storytelling platform: https://travelmedialab.com
• Join my travel community & get updates: https://www.lauraericson.com/