Travel TV has always shown us where to go. Rarely has it shown us why.
That’s what we wanted to change with World of Travel— a new kind of storytelling that explores the heart of each destination through its past, present, and future.
We created the show not to sell you a vacation, but to reveal the humanity behind a place — its music, its pain, its joy, its resilience. It’s about connection, not consumption.
The idea was born in 2020, during a moment when the world felt uncertain and we were searching for meaning. After months of covering the George Floyd protests, I accepted an invitation from Cybelle Brown to visit Stonefield Villa Resort in St. Lucia. What started as a short escape became something deeper.
Kolyn had just bought a camera — more out of curiosity than intention — and began filming as we explored. The conversations we had there, surrounded by the Pitons and the pulse of the island, reminded us why storytelling matters. It wasn’t about the view; it was about the people who make the view possible.
That trip planted the seed for World of Travel. It showed us that travel isn’t just about crossing borders; it’s about crossing into someone else’s story — and finding your own reflection there.
From there, we built a team that shared the same belief: that the future of travel storytelling isn’t about luxury or lists — it’s about empathy. We wanted to explore how history, culture, and identity shape the way people move through the world.
In Türkiye, we followed the path of ancient leadership — tracing how empires once ruled faith and trade, and how that same spirit now fuels modern commerce and medical tourism.
In Colorado, we examined its Native American roots, how the state’s old search for gold still echoes through its economy and culture today and the lasting impact of marijuana legalization.
And in South Africa, we traced the journey of a diamond — from the earth to a bride’s finger — uncovering the uneasy balance between beauty, extraction, and legacy.
At each stop, we met people who expanded our understanding of what travel could be.
We filmed not as tourists, but as witnesses — people humbled by the privilege of being welcomed into someone else’s world.
That meant asking the harder questions: How does colonization shape a nation’s idea of paradise? What does sustainability mean when survival is at stake? And how do you honor a country’s story without turning it into your own?
In many ways, World of Travel became a mirror for our own evolution. Becoming parents in the middle of production shifted everything. We began to see each destination not just through a lens of discovery, but legacy — what kind of world we want our daughter to inherit, and what stories will teach her to see people fully.
We realized that the most radical thing we could do in an industry built on consumption was to slow down, listen, and show reverence. Every frame became an act of gratitude — for the storytellers, artists, and everyday dreamers who turn their corners of the world into lessons in beauty and endurance.
Travel has always been about movement. But this show taught us that it’s also about stillness — about stopping long enough to see a place for what it truly is, and what it can teach us about who we are.
Because at its core, World of Travel isn’t just a TV show. It’s a reminder that the world is not something to be conquered or consumed. It’s something to be in conversation with — and to care for.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Lindsey Granger and Kolyn Boyd are the co-creators of World of Travel, a series that explores the past, present and future of extraordinary places around the globe. You can watch the first episode on St. Lucia here, and future episodes each Wednesday at 4 p.m. EDT on The Hill’s YouTube page.
Lindsey Granger is the co-host of Rising. Kolyn Boyd is a film director based in Washington, D.C. Catch complimentary podcasts every Thursday at 4 p.m. on The Hill’s YouTube channel.
The premiere episode of World of Travel in St. Lucia was sponsored by Daytrip and Stonefield Villa Resort.
