Editor interview: Ben Parker, Daily Mail
The new Deputy Head of Travel at the Daily Mail gives us the inside scoop on his team and role.
Our fourth editor interview this September is with Ben Parker, who moved from the Independent earlier this year into the travel team at the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday. Here’s what you need to know about pitching Ben.
What's your background in travel media?
It’s been over 11 years since I got my first commission for a national newspaper, so I’ve been in this game for a while. Often people can start with a staff job then jump into freelancing — I did it the other way around. I travelled and wrote, for anyone that would have me, in publications across the UK, US, Australia and Asia. When I did move in-house, I had a brilliant few years on the Telegraph’s travel desk, covering everything from hotels to cruise, birdwatching to surfing. I then joined The Independent as deputy travel editor before being promoted to travel editor.
What's your role now?
I joined the Daily Mail / The Mail on Sunday travel desk in June 2025 as Deputy Head of Travel, working across print and online. The team has had something of shake-up this year, and it’s been a brilliant time to join — there is so much enthusiasm and energy behind travel in the company, with exciting plans and new ideas under discussion.