Introduction
Kristin Luna is a Tennessee-based journalist, photographer, and storyteller whose work spans more than two decades across print and digital media. Her bylines include more than 50 international publications, such as Time Out, Travel + Leisure, Condé Nast Traveler, AFAR, Newsweek and USA Today. She is also the voice behind the award-winning travel blog Camels & Chocolate and the founder of public art nonprofit DMA (for Do More Art), which installs murals across the South, merging storytelling with community-driven placemaking.
Experience
Born in rural Tennessee, Kristin began her career in consumer media during college before moving to New York City, where she built a strong portfolio through in-house reporter and editor roles. She later spent several years in California, where she authored more than a dozen guidebooks and expanded into content marketing within the food and travel space.
Over time, her career has evolved beyond writing into a multi-faceted business that includes running a successful travel platform, producing large-scale public art projects, and creating visual and editorial assets for communities of all sizes. She is also a sought-after speaker and panelist, regularly presenting at national conferences on destination marketing, storytelling, content strategy and creative placemaking.
Selected publications
Books: Tennessee Curiosities; MTV Spain; Frommer's San Francisco Day by Day; Frommer's California (multiple editions); Frommer's San Francisco (multiple editions); Best Places Northern California, Frommer's Atlanta, Frommer's Memphis
Education
Kristin holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Electronic Media from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. She also studied at Sewanee: The University of the South, the University of Edinburgh, Hogeschool Utrecht in the Netherlands and Danmarks Medie og Journalisthøjskole in Denmark.
She serves on advisory boards for several academic institutions and tourism organizations, including the University of Tennessee's School of Journalism and Media, the Tennessee Hospitality & Tourism Association's Governor's Conference and Middle Tennessee State University's Tourism and Hospitality Management program.
Awards
Kristin has received multiple creative and industry honors throughout her career, including Mississippi's Travel Writer of the Year award and the Daughters of the American Revolution's Public Relations and Media Award, recognizing her commitment to historic preservation and education through her nonprofit work.
