Last updated on March 25th, 2021
Over the years JourneyWoman has been singled out by over 300 media sources around the world. Coverage has been in magazines, newspapers and cyberspace. We’ve been interviewed on Good Morning America, Good Morning Australia, Canada AM, Vicky Gabereau’s radio show and a host of affiliate television stations. We’ve seen JourneyWoman.com in lights on Times Square.
In the time since our inception JourneyWoman has continuously attracted kudos for our women-centred travel tips as well as for connecting and helping women travellers around the world.
The Guardian (UK) named us Website of the Week, BBC Online named us Site of the Day and we were tagged USA Today’s “HOT HOT’ Site.
Some Quotable Quotes
‘The Web’s most comprehensive travel resource for women is JourneyWoman.com.’ (USA Today)
‘Evelyn Hannon of JourneyWoman.com outperformed businesses with million-dollar branding budgets.’ (Toronto Star).
‘Editor Evelyn Hannon has done an amazing job creating the quintessential web site for women with wanderlust’ (Travelers Tales).
‘Evelyn Hannon is way out front with JourneyWoman, a Web site and electronic magazine that is able to attract major advertisers’ (The New York Times).
‘JourneyWoman continues to publish first-rate advice’ (The Globe and Mail)
‘Top tips for the woman traveller.’ (South China Morning Post)
Evelyn Hannon – Winner of the 2009 Griffin Award
Dear Evelyn,
On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Surrey International Writers’ Conference, I am delighted to inform you that you have been awarded the SiWC Griffin Award for 2009.
Named in honour of the Surrey International Writers’ Conference founder, Ed Griffin, it was first awarded in 2003.
We are delighted this honour will be included among the well-deserved awards for your focused work on behalf of writers, encouraging the global safety and independence of women travellers, and the ground-breaking website www.journeywoman.com.
With congratulations and very best wishes with your future works,
kcdyer, Conference Coordinator
On behalf of the Surrey International Writers’ Conference Board In 2009, Marilyn Bicher nominated Evelyn Hannon for The 2009 Griffin Award, an award that recognizes contributions to Canadian society through the craft of writing in the category of writing that furthers the consciousness of women.
In her nomination letter, Ms. Bicher wrote: ‘I teach sociology and I am a member of the Women’s Studies Program at Vanier College in Montreal. I’ve known Evelyn Hannon since we both attended teacher’s college 50 years ago. I’ve watched her grow from a dependent traditional female to an independent woman of vision mentoring other women through her actions and writing. In March 2007, Evelyn was the keynote speaker for our Annual Vanier College International Women’s Day Breakfast. Approximately 100 people — professors, professionals, staff and students attended the breakfast. On that morning I was present as Evelyn received a standing ovation; clearly the women were inspired by her journey and her vision.
Why I believe Ms. Hannon should receive this award…
Through her writing, Evelyn Hannon has changed the way women in Canada and around the world travel. In the Eighties, a woman generally went from living in her father’s home to living in her husband’s home. Similarly, a woman graduated from vacationing with her family to travelling with her new husband. The media at that time mirrored this aspect of our society and all travel writing addressed the complete family unit. Travel advice was never gender specific until Hannon (aka Journeywoman) began in 1994 to look at travel writing from a female’s point-of-view.
After divorcing in the Eighties, Evelyn began to travel solo. She learned then that a travelling woman’s needs and concerns were very different from a man’s. Yet, Hannon could find no travel mentors. There weren’t books written on the subject so Evelyn learned the hard way; her knowledge base grew from going and doing.
From 1985-90 Evelyn studied abroad for a part of each year. Then, she won a CIDA grant and spent time in China looking at ways women practiced Traditional Chinese Medicine. As the production coordinator of an NFB documentary Hannon also worked in the Middle East. Later she coordinated the first Canadian Woman’s Film Festival in Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa. Everywhere she went Evelyn learned ways to fight loneliness, to be culturally correct, how to deal with safety issues, which restaurants welcomed single women and how to act and react in the world of business. Local women became her mentors; Hannon continuously made notes about what she was learning and thinking.
In 1994, Evelyn began publishing a 24-page mini magazine designed to inspire other women to travel safely and well and to connect women travellers internationally. In 1997, Journeywoman.com went online. It is now the largest travel resource for women on the internet with over one million visitors annually.
Foreign Affairs Canada chose Evelyn to write their 24-page guide called, ‘Her Own Way, A Woman’s Guide to Safe and Successful Travel.’ This award-winning publication, first of its kind in the consular world is available free to women in passport offices across the country.
In 2000 TIME Magazine named Hannon one of the ‘100 innovative thinkers of this new century’ for the writing she has done on behalf of women and travel.
In 2006 Evelyn Hannon won a position on the Toronto Star Community Editorial Board. Her writing touched both on women’s issues and her love of different cultures.
Recently Evelyn circumnavigated the globe with Semester at Sea. On board ship, she taught mini classes on travel journaling and she inspired and mentored female journalism students. Anna Hamilton, a student mentored by Hannon wrote, “she opened my eyes to the importance of curiosity, courage, compassion, independence, and self respect”.
In September 2008, Evelyn is the cover story for C.A.R.P. Magazine. Journalist Marcia Kaye writes, Hannon has ‘helped to revolutionize travel for women around the world … she’s inspired countless women to travel – and helped make it safer, too’.
Evelyn Hannon
Evelyn started Journeywoman in 1994, and unknowingly became the world's first female travel blogger. She inspired a sisterhood of women, a grassroots movement, to inspire women to travel safely and well, and to connect women travellers around the world. She passed away in 2019, but her legacy lives on.
WOW ! … such amazing information to inspire one another, heart & soul, thank you !