How to Write HARO Pitches That Get Travel Journalists to Actually Read and Respond
Travel journalists receive 50-100 HARO pitches per query. Most get deleted in three seconds. Learn the writing techniques that make yours stand out and earn backlinks from Forbes Travel and Condé Nast.
You've signed up for HARO. You receive three emails daily. You read a query that matches your expertise perfectly. Then you write a pitch that never gets a response.
This happens because most people write pitches for themselves, not for journalists.
Let me show you how journalists read HARO responses and what makes them choose your pitch over 99 others.
What Journalists Look for in HARO Pitches
A journalist at Travel + Leisure opens her HARO inbox. She has 87 responses to her query about sustainable travel trends. She needs three good quotes by 2pm. Her deadline is in four hours.
She doesn't read every pitch. She scans for three things in this order:
Subject Line Relevance
Does this person understand my query? Generic subject lines like "HARO Response" get deleted. Specific ones like "Carbon Offset Data from 300 Eco-Tours" get opened.
Immediate Credentials
Within the first sentence, can she tell if you're qualified? "I'm a travel expert" means nothing. "I run an eco-tourism company that organised 300 carbon-neutral trips last year" works.
Ready-to-Use Quote
Can she copy-paste your quote directly into her article without editing? If she needs to rewrite your response, she moves to the next pitch.
The HARO Pitch Formula That Works
After analysing 200+ successful HARO placements, this five-part structure appears in 80% of winning pitches.
The Five-Part Formula
Subject: Specific + Unique Angle
Match their query topic but add your unique data point or experience.
Opening: Name + Credentials (One Sentence)
Who you are and why you're qualified to answer this specific query.
Quote: 2-3 Sentences (Copy-Paste Ready)
Your actual quote with specific examples, numbers, or stories. Written in first person.
Offer: Additional Context (One Sentence)
Make it easy for them to ask for more without being pushy.
Signature: Name, Title, Company, URL
This is where your backlink comes from. Include your website URL.
Total length: 150-200 words. Takes 60 seconds to read. That's the goal.
Good vs Bad HARO Pitches: Side-by-Side Comparison
Bad Example
Subject: HARO Response
Hi,
I saw your query about sustainable travel and wanted to reach out. I'm a travel expert with years of experience in the industry. I've travelled to many countries and have lots of insights about eco-friendly tourism that I think your readers would find interesting.
Sustainable travel is becoming more popular these days. Lots of people care about the environment when they travel. They want to reduce their carbon footprint and support local communities. This is a trend I've noticed in my work.
I'd love to be featured in your article. Please let me know if you need any more information. I can provide lots of tips and advice about sustainable travel practices.
Thanks,
John Smith
Travel Expert
❌ Why This Fails:
- • Generic subject line gets ignored
- • No specific credentials or proof of expertise
- • No actual quote the journalist can use
- • Vague claims without numbers or examples
- • No company URL for the backlink
- • Too long (250+ words of nothing useful)
Good Example
Subject: 156% Growth in Carbon-Neutral Travel Bookings – 2024 Data
Hi Sarah,
I noticed your query about sustainable travel trends. As founder of GreenWander Tours, I analysed booking data from 2,400 eco-conscious travellers in 2024.
Quote you can use:
"Carbon-neutral bookings jumped 156% from 2023 to 2024, but travellers now demand proof, not promises. We started providing detailed carbon offset certificates showing exactly which reforestation projects their £50 contribution funded. This transparency increased our repeat booking rate from 23% to 61% within eight months."
Happy to share the full dataset or specific project examples if helpful.
Best,
Emma Chen
Founder, GreenWander Tours
greenwander.co.uk
emma@greenwander.co.uk
✅ Why This Works:
- • Subject line immediately shows value (specific data)
- • First sentence establishes clear credentials
- • Quote is ready to publish, includes specific numbers
- • Tells a story with concrete examples
- • Includes website URL for backlink
- • Perfect length (145 words)
Seven Writing Rules for HARO Success
1. Write Like You Talk
Journalists want conversational quotes, not corporate jargon. "We implemented sustainable tourism methodologies" sounds robotic. "We stopped using single-use plastics and saved 12,000 bottles monthly" sounds human.
Read your quote aloud. If it sounds unnatural, rewrite it.
2. Include Specific Numbers
"Many tourists" is vague. "67% of our 2,400 customers" is specific. Numbers make quotes credible and quotable.
Even rough numbers work better than no numbers. "About 200 bookings" beats "lots of bookings."
3. Tell Mini-Stories
Stories stick. "Last year, a customer asked if we offset carbon. We didn't have an answer. Now we send certificates showing their trip funded 47 trees in Thailand" tells a story in two sentences.
4. Make It Copy-Paste Ready
Write in first person ("I noticed" not "we noticed"). Use proper grammar. End with a complete thought. The journalist should be able to drop your quote straight into their article.
5. Match Their Publication's Tone
Forbes wants business insights with data. Lonely Planet wants traveller experiences. National Geographic wants environmental impact. Read their previous articles before pitching.
6. Don't Sell Your Product
HARO is for expert quotes, not advertisements. Mention your company once in your signature. Never pitch your services in the quote itself.
Bad: "Book with EcoTours for the best sustainable travel experience!" Good: "Our data shows travellers now prioritise carbon transparency over price."
7. Proofread Everything
Typos signal carelessness. If you can't proofread a 150-word email, why would a journalist trust your travel expertise?
Read it twice before sending. Use Grammarly if needed. Check the journalist's name spelling.
Get HARO Pitch Templates That Work
Download our free guide with seven proven HARO response templates specifically for travel brands. Copy, customise, and start earning backlinks within days.
Download Free TemplatesCommon HARO Pitch Questions
Start Writing Better HARO Pitches Today
Good HARO pitch writing isn't complicated. It requires understanding what journalists need: specific credentials, copy-paste quotes, and proof through numbers or stories.
Most travel brands fail because they write pitches that talk about themselves instead of solving the journalist's problem. The journalist needs a good quote by 2pm. Give them that quote in 150 words and you'll earn backlinks.
Use our proven templates to speed up the writing process. Or explore our professional HARO services where we write and pitch for you.
Either way, start writing pitches that journalists actually read. Your backlinks from Forbes and Condé Nast depend on it.