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Marion Payr in Namibia 2018

THETRAVELBLOG.at (est. 2017) …is Austria’s travel blog for conscious travelers.

Throughout the years of our travel career we have learned what it means to travel responsibly, considering the ethical and ecological impact we create when becoming tourists. Yet, we don’t believe in making a distinction between tourism and traveling. There’s no room for sitting on a high horse here. The only truth is to be aware, to learn and to grow – and yes, to make mistakes along the way. Believe us, when we say we’ve made plenty. We visited elephant sanctuaries, that left a bitter taste in our mouth. We travelled countries and places, that are politically unstable or undemocratic or where nature, wildlife or people are suffering. And yes, we’re taking the plane – more often than most people do on average.

So we’re not pointing fingers here, but we’re trying to educate ourselves and to understand the intricate links between tourism, nature and wildlife conservation, economic growth and social uplift better.

This blog is the destination for experienced travelers who are willing to go on this journey with us. If you enjoy going slow and deep, immersing yourselves into a place, while learning how tourism can leave a positive impact – this is the right place for you. This is for travelers who know that visiting a destination can touch and change them deeply and that they can also not just give back to the communities and places, but make them an integrated part of the experience, when traveling responsibly.

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About us

Marion Payr and Raffael Payr - thetravelblog.at

The founders of THETRAVELBLOG.at are Marion & Raffael Payr, who became a couple long before blogs or Instagram existed. Marion’s background in journalism & media management and Raffael’s background in fashion & design didn’t intersect until they both signed up on Instagram in 2011.

Five years later – in 2016 – they both quit their jobs to become full-time travelers (at least that’s what they thought they would become) 😉 In reality they still live in Vienna – at least for around 50% of the year – the rest of the time they travel the world together to work for various clients – from hotels to destinations, conservation non-profits and tourism operators. Marion is the photographer and editor behind THETRAVELBLOG.at, while Raffael has focused on videography.

Marion Payr, Founder of thetravelblog.at

Marion Payr (@marionpayr on Instagram), is a travel photographer based in Austria. At the centre of Marion’s work is a dedication to the art of conscious and responsible traveling, which holds the power to unite us globally and act as a driving force for cultural understanding and conservation. She believes in the power of imagery to convey these values and use photography as a meaningful tool.

Marion commits much of her career to female empowerment, believing in an equal representation of voices & perspectives.

  • Her favourite place: Africa
  • Her camera: Nikon Z 8, Nikon Z 6II
  • Her current bucket list: Uganda, Egypt, Argentina

After not being able to travel to Africa due to COVID-19 she started “Prints for Wildlife” – a print fundraiser, together with Dutch photographer Pie Aerts. After 3 editions of print sales we have raised over 2.1 million US dollars for conservation! A testament to the power of photography and how you can initiate positive change when you deeply care about a cause. One of Marion’s main drivers is to also showcase more female wildlife photographers and increase inclusivity and diversity in the industry, therefore Prints for Wildlife always hosts open calls to find new talents and spread opportunities.

Raffael Payr, Co-Founder of thetravelblog.atRaffael Payr (@raffaelpayr on Instagram), love for fashion sometimes has to take a backseat when travelling with Marion. But luckily he found another passion with filming and videography. He self-taught himself how to edit and cut videos and now works as a videographer for clients all over the world. He produces videos for hotels, destinations and many more.

  • His favourite place: Japan
  • His camera: Sony Alpha 7SIII
  • His current bucket list: He follows Marion 😉

Get in touch

You can contact us via office (at) thetravelblog.at!