Small introduction/presentation, job or activity, place of birth or country of origin, training or career, place of living

London-based sustainability expert Juliet Kinsman is an editor, journalist, speaker and consultant, who shares stories to inspire impact.

As founding editor of Mr & Mrs Smith, and as a broadcaster and author of many guidebooks, such as The Green Edit: Travel – Easy Tips for the Eco-Friendly Traveller (Ebury) and The BucketList: Eco Experiences (Rizzoli), Juliet has shifted the narrative in boutique travel and sustainable luxury. Through her purpose-led non-profit consultancy, Bouteco, she works to amplify the impact of boutique eco-hotels and sustainable luxury brands, ensuring their efforts are celebrated authentically and free of greenwashing through ‘edutaining’ impact reports and solutions-led content. In 2020, she becomes the first Sustainability Editor for Condé Nast Traveller and launches a channel dedicated to sustainable travel for The Standard, with two award-winning podcast series and a personal series, Funny Old World. Her committed, expert and transparent voice makes her a valuable reference in the sector.

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‍Tell us about your place of residence, city or region, activity and if or what you like about your hometown?

I love London — for its multiculturalism. I live in Notting Hill, which is a bouillabaisse of flavours. Although born in Canada and raised in New York, nothing beats my hometown of the last three decades for its combination of glamour and grit. I take advantage of its many museums and galleries —and love a traditional pub like The Cock & Bottle on Artesian Road, especially for its pub quizzes. I try and explore new corners of this sprawling city all the time — from the food stalls ofBorough Market near the river to taking anEthiopian Coffee Tour in Shepherd’s Bush with Women in Travel.

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Your must-see addresses near you? (restaurant, market, gallery, museum, not-to-be missed, intimate or secret address, etc.)

My street, between Portobello Road and All Saints Road, is often photographed for its colourful houses. Everyone in the UK and beyond should watch SteveMcQueen’s Small Axe anthology series for the BBC — the Mangrove film is particularly poignant, telling the story of this landmark restaurant onAll Saints Road and the activism of West Indian immigrants who moved to London from the 1960s to the 80s.

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Your favorite places on Earth?

From the paddy fields of Bali, the thermal baths of Budapest, to cycling through Transylvania with The SlowCyclist — that was pretty special. A hike through the ancient rainforest of The Datai Langkawi, listening to the chirrup of jade-green cicadas, always resets my nervous system.Above all, I love places where nature reigns supreme, and where you can experience an authentic taste of local life — like sipping a Vietnamese egg coffee at a roadside stall.

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‍Do you think it is important to travel and why?

Travel is essential. As Mark Twain put it: ‘Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness.’ DrWade Davis, TED hero, anthropologist and ethnobotanist, declares it essential to celebrate ndigenous cultures and counter globalisation. Travel makes us more curious, open, and sensitive to differences.

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What do you think about the future of travel and what we (citizens) need to consider? What would you advise?

Travel and tourism will soon be responsible for 15% of the global economy. In the regions most vulnerable to climate change, it is a vital financial lifeline. We must reconcile this reality with increased awareness of ecological issues. I hope that tomorrow’s travel will also encourage more equality, especially between the sexes.

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As a woman, how do you judge the future of our land or our societies?

Seeing the world through a female gaze and seeking out museums and exhibitions that promote women’s perspectives and rights is a powerful way to get more good from our travels. At Denmark’s KØN Museum in Aarhus, the exhibition YouStill Don’t Know My Name— running until 29 August 2026 — bravely shines a light on human trafficking for sexual exploitation. The intersection between trafficking and tourism is never talked about enough.

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How do you think you can contribute to it? Women who stand out to you?

In 2025 I hosted storytelling evenings with the charity Asylum Speakers in Inhabit hotels in London. It is crucial to amplify important voices in counter to the negative rhetoric around migration. My friend Giel from South Sudan and Halimot, who was trafficked from Nigeria via Italy, shared their stories of lived experience of displacement in intimate and uplifting evenings of connection and conversation.

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What would be your travel dream?

My dream in travel is for more hotels to follow the blueprints of two of my favourite sustainable hotels: Fogo Island Inn and The Bull Inn Totnes.

 In Canada, Fogo exemplifies what they call Place-Based Economic Development, which puts benefitting the community at the heart of its business model. Best of all, they walk this walk through their Shorefast Institute, which invites hoteliers everywhere to walk their talk, too. I’m honoured to be a teacher on The Bull Inn’sRegenerative Hospitality course held in Devon, where this organic restaurant with rooms shares the secrets of their eco operations with the Apricot Centre.

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Follow her on Instagram @julietkinsman and LinkedIn  

Read her evergreen sustainability articles at Condé Nast Traveller [cntraveller.com/profile/juliet-kinsman]

Work with her through Bouteco consultancy [bouteco.co] and get her tips for the best boutique eco-hotels at Bouteco Loves [boutecoloves.com]