In 25 years, travel has changed – but the way Simon Calder covers it has not

Every now and again, there are things to celebrate in the travel industry. That the world is a safer and more connected place than ever before; that opportunities to travel keep expanding (I’m writing this in Charleston, South Carolina, now reachable on a direct flight from Heathrow); and that some travel expertise never goes out of fashion.

Speaking of which, our travel correspondent, Simon Calder, is celebrating 25 year at The Independent this week.

To mark the occasion, we’ve put together a whole host of stories for his quarter-century anniversary. Simon looks back at his best and worst trips over the years (climbing a mountain in Argentina with, er, extra baggage), best hitch-hikes (including from “somewhere on the Schwarzwaldhochstrasse in the Black Forest to Achern, Germany”) and best and worst places to stay (“‘No,’ said the family, even though we had paid in advance” for a hotel in Newfoundland).

He’s also rounded up his 25 travel heroes – the people he’s met who have truly helped shape the travel industry – from Sir Richard Branson and Michael Palin to photographer Simon Reeve and Wanderlust founder Lyn Hughes. If you want a snapshot of his extraordinary travel career, these stories are a good place to start.

His 25th anniversary also highlights something else to celebrate. While almost everything about the travel industry has changed – the rise of budget airlines, the proliferation of routes, the price of rail tickets – the way The Independent covers travel has not. We will continue to champion the modern traveller and the issues that truly matter to consumers, and not waver from our mission to bring readers the most interesting destinations and experiences from around the world.

Happy 25 years at The Independent, Simon – and here’s to many more.

Yours,

Cathy Adams

Travel editor