Mark Chesnut

Mark Chesnut is a New York City-based journalist, editor, content producer and public speaker with more than 20 years of experience covering travel, tourism and hospitality. The 2019 winner of the NLGJA Excellence in Travel Writing Award, Mark's memoir, "Prepare for Departure," was published in 2022 by Vine Leaves Press. His work has appeared in a variety of trade andconsumer media outlets, including Fodor’s, Forbes Travel Guide, HuffPost, Latin Trade, the Miami Herald, Orbitz, Travel + Leisure Mexico, the New York Times bestseller “1,000 Places To See Before You Die” and the inflight magazines of Aeromexico, American Airlines and Avianca. He operates a travel blog DepartureLevel.com and regularly contributes to several Northstar media outlets, including TravelAge West, Travel Weekly, Successful Meetings and Meetings & Conventions. In addition, Mark has written andmanaged custom content for clients including the U.S. Travel Association, World Travel & Tourism Council, Costa Rica Tourism Board, Mexico Tourism Board, Turismo Chile, and hotel brands including Hilton and IHG. He’s spoken at events including the New York Times Travel Show, New York Travel Festival, the South America Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (SAHIC), LGBT Confex andASTA Global, and hosts webinars for a variety of clients.