Robin Esrock

Robin Esrock’s success as a global adventurer, travel writer, bestselling author and international TV personality is no accident, although it did start with one. Struck down on his bike at a Vancouver intersection, Robin hobbled away with a broken kneecap, and one year later, a modest $20,000 insurance settlement. It was just enough for him pack up his things, quit his job, and set off on a one-year solo round-the-world backpacking adventure to 24 countries. Committed to record his year of living dangerously, he uploaded weekly reports, photography, videos, reviews, and interviews with every person he met. In doing so, he pioneered a new era of multi-platform, switched-on and wired-in travel journalism, leading to adventures beyond his wildest dreams.

Robin could look back on several careers before stumbling upon this exciting new one. He rode the new media boom in the late 1990′s, working in London for the Sunday Times, BBC, Reuters and FilmFour. In Canada, he founded a record label before working in a music agency with clients including Coldplay, Norah Jones and Bryan Adams. Once he discovered travel writing, his own star took the spotlight.

Robin’s stories have been published in over a dozen major publications worldwide, including National Geographic Traveler, The Guardian, Chicago Tribune, Sydney Morning Herald, Toronto Star, Readers Digest,  and the South China Morning Post.  He has been featured on 60 Minutes, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes Travel, MSNBC, Travel+Leisure, Huffington Post, ABC, the CBC, CTV, Global, Breakfast Television, and many others, consulting regularly as a travel expert. Robin has written regular columns for The Globe and Mail, Vancouver Sun, MSN, Outpost, Matador, and other publications.

Noticing the fascination and misconceptions surrounding the profession of travel writing, Robin conceived what became the first TV series to show the truth behind the byline. Word Travels took Robin and co-host Julia Dimon to 36 countries on 6 continents, filming 40 action-packed half hour episodes. In addition to hosting, Robin developed, wrote, and co-produced the show. Nominated for a Best Documentary Series Gemini Award, the show airs on National Geographic International and Travel Channel International in over 100 countries and 21 languages. In Canada, it is a popular fixture on OLN, FX, and CityTV, also airing on TVB in China, and Outside TV, Hulu, and PBS in the USA.

Robin created the award-winning adventure-culinary show Get Stuffed (OLN/Nat Geo Adventure), has produced award-winning multimedia projects for Destination Canada, and written creative copy for clients including Ford Motors, Intercontinental Holiday Inn, Jetstar, and Bell. In 2012, he was honoured as Master of Ceremonies at the prestigiousExplorer’s Club Annual Dinner at the Waldorf Hotel in New York City, sharing the stage with the likes of Buzz Aldrin and Ken Burns. Robin also spoke about the wonderful lessons of travel at TEDx event Vancouver, a talk that over 850,000 views online. Robin was named as one of Gear Junkies Outdoor Ambassadors, a list of adventurers, inventors and athletes from the past 110 years that includes Ernest Shackleton, Eddie Bauer, Robert Baden-Powell and Steve Irwin.

Robin's first book, 'The Great Canadian Bucket List: One-of-a-Kind Travel Experiences', garnered critical acclaim and extensive media coverage, fast became a smash national bestseller, topping Amazon's Travel, History, and Guidebook categories.  He is also the bestselling author of 'The Great Global Bucket List; and 'The Great Australian Bucket List'.  Robin has has served as the Executive Director of the Greater Vancouver Media Association, Vice President of the Travel Media Association of Canada (BC Chapter), and he is a Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society.