As co-founder of Bradt Guides, Hilary Bradt has left a big mark on travel and tourism. I recently had the pleasure of having a trans-Atlantic Zoom interview with Bradt.

Born in Buckinghamshire, travel was not Bradt’s first interest. Art was her first passion, but she ultimately trained as an occupational therapist.

After a few moves and jobs, Bradt married and backpacked through South America for 18 months. That is where she says she accidentally founded Bradt Guides. Dozens of books later, Bradt retired in 2007 but remains as director. She also retired as a tour leader but definitely did not retire from traveling.

One of the best parts of Bradt Guides is the focus on lesser-known places such as Alentejo, the Faroe Islands and Liguria. Of course, more common places like Venice and Greece are also included.

When discussing her travels, Bradt names Madagascar as a special place. She also loves her homeland of England.

In 2008 Bradt was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire for her contributions to the travel industry. Bradt’s recollection of the events surrounding that presentation is a special story.

Bradt’s latest book is Taking the Risk: My Adventures in Travel & Publishing. A memoir covering her 50 years of travel, Taking the Risk is a fantastic look at the Bradt and her travels.  It’s as informative and charming as the lady herself.

Although not her original intent, travel changed Bradt’s life. More importantly, Bradt changed travel for everyone.

Talking Travel is an interview series on Global Traveler. Subscribe to the GT YouTube channel to be notified of all future interviews and other travel-related videos.

— John Wroblewski, online writer