About
Daniel Houghton is an American photographer, author, and founder of The Travel Library. He began his career as a photojournalist, working for publications which include The Seattle Times, the U.S. Army, and the Associated Press. In 2013, he joined global travel brand Lonely Planet as CEO.
Houghton was named one of Forbes standouts changing the media industry in 2017. His speaking engagements include keynote presentations for Booking.com, Grupo Vidanta, and the World Summit for Nobel Peace Prize Laureates. In 2019, his book, “Wherever You Go,” was published by Simon & Schuster.
After traveling over 100,000 vehicle miles across the United States, in 2024 he launched The Travel Library - an editorial database designed to empower travelers to have authentic outdoor experiences.
Houghton’s passion for exploration was sparked by his parents’ combined six decades of service with Delta Air Lines - a privilege that has lead to the exploration of 35 countries and more than 2 million miles of travel. He lives outside Nashville, TN on a farm.
Global Misadventures
Rolling Stone / 2023 / link
Outside Online / 2021
“That trip you’ve been telling yourself for six years you’re going to take but just haven’t yet? More people are going to make those trips happen when we feel safe to travel again,” read more..
Simon & Schuster / 2019 / link
Vice / 2018 / link
Forbes / 2017 / link
Outside Magazine / 2014
“I figured there had to be more to the story than 'billionaire hires 24-year-old with no known experience to run the joint,' ” a veteran Lonely Planet author e-mailed me. “But I think it's as silly and fucked-up as it sounds.” read more..
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"Conceived by Genius" // The Field at Kitty Hawk
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Why We Travel // You've been Everywhere Else but here
My Dad, a Delta employee loading me on my first solo flight from Atlanta, GA to Asheville, NC at the age of 11 in 1999.
The anti-influencer
Long time traveller // first time creator
Complete with embarrassing origin photo. Since that first solo trip in 1997, I’ve been stumbling half backward through three dozen countries and all 50 49 states (Hawaii). Most of the time I had the privilege of following people who knew exactly where the hell we were going and exactly what we were there to learn about.
I’m no expert, and that’s not humility (it quite literally couldn’t be as I charge you money to read my blog), I’m just being upfront with you. Why paywall? In the age of AI, I’m not interested in a platform I don’t have control over and would rather be brutally honest in my advice and reviews. For a twenty dollar bill you have access for life - welcome to the future.
Set the GPS to everywhere else.
OFF THE GRID // Deep in the Forest, with bumps in the night
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness, and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts. Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all one's lifetime.””
— Mark Twain