In this article "Where Are They Now" we're excited to interview Raymond Cua, the award-winning creator of Travelling Foodie & Journey Traveler. Since launching the publication in 2014, Raymond has inspired readers to explore the world through travel, food, and cultural experiences. Recognized as Best Food Creator in Canada at the 2016 Confluence Awards, he shares detailed travel guides, restaurant recommendations, and culinary discoveries that encourage people to "Taste Life. Enjoy the World Around You."
We first featured Raymond Cua in our Featured Foodie series several years ago, and we're excited to reconnect with him to learn about his journey, accomplishments, and what's new with Travelling Foodie & Journey Traveler.
Please introduce yourself and share how your passion for food and travel evolved into the award-winning platform you run today.
Based in Toronto, I'm a full-time travel and food writer, YouTuber, and the award-winning publisher behind Travelling Foodie and Journey Traveler.
Started in 2014, Travelling Foodie is a digital publication specializing in culinary travel, featuring things to do, where to eat and stay, including local cuisine, culinary experiences and the people behind them. I find you can learn so much about a destination’s culture, history and natural surroundings just based on food.
I also share recipes both from my cooking and from travels (e.g. from chefs and restaurants) so readers can "travel at home" in their kitchen.
I've been featured on Travel + Leisure, Reader's Digest, Global News, CP24, CTV News, Philippine Daily Inquirer, and other major media outlets worldwide. I also serve as an industry expert and judge to various prestigious global travel and food awards, including The World's 50 Best Beaches.
What have you been working on over the past few years, both with your blog and in your personal or professional life?
In the past few years, I have visited more new countries like Turkiye, Costa Rica, Ireland and UAE. I try to set a budget for my own unsponsored travel projects every year, and the biggest one I did was a month-long trip to Turkiye at the end of 2023 where I explored Istanbul, Cappadocia and a road trip along the Turkish Coast.
To supplement detailed articles on the website, I also started publishing long-form videos on my YouTube Channel which are more traditional vlog-style that virtually takes viewers along on the trips and dine with me at the table. This was a great way for brand recognition as I’ve had people come up and tell me they recognize me from my videos.
I also set up a Travelling Foodie store offering various merch with cute travel and food-related designs and quotes.
In life, I went back home to Manila for 2 months in 2025, the first time since COVID. I got to spend quality time with my parents and go on food trips with them. It was a great way for them to see how I worked, and they even made their first appearance on my vlog!
A project I was proud of that connected personal and professional life was my trip in Berkeley in partnership with Visit Berkeley in California. My dad graduated with a master's at UC Berkeley so it was very special for me to explore the grounds my dad walked on. I even asked him to send me some old photos so I could recreate them.
I was also invited as an international media delegate to my first travel conferences, IPW and Tianguis Turistico, which are the largest travel conferences in the US and Mexico, respectively.
In the culinary world, I’ve been attending Michelin Guide ceremonies in Toronto and The Best Chef Awards, where I had the immense pleasure of meeting chefs, journalists and industry peers from all over the world. I even got to meet legendary chef Massimo Bottura.
What have been your latest achievements?
In March 2026, I received the biggest achievement and recognition for Travelling Foodie: winning Best Food Content Creator in Canada at the Confluence Awards, out of hundreds of nominations. This award is incredibly meaningful because it is Canada’s first national creator awards program.
The Confluence Awards highlight diverse and multicultural voices shaping the digital landscape. The jury included leaders from brands like Estee Lauder and IKEA. They looked at content quality, authenticity, and cultural impact instead of size of followers. I was so excited to be recognized as a creator to watch in 2026.
We know this industry is a rollercoaster of algorithms and metrics. But finally having a national stage dedicated to celebrating the cultural impact of creators is a massive win. It validates this entire space, and it will only get better. We all won that night.
And as cherry on top, I was featured by GMA, the Philippines' leading news outlet, for the award. Growing up in the Philippines watching GMA News and TV shows to being on their news feature was a full circle moment for me.
Another major achievement for me was being featured by Google for in-depth culinary storytelling across Canada and internationally. I was also featured as a travel expert on Travel + Leisure’s story on travel hacks that can save you hundreds.
Is there anything new you’d like to share about your recent projects, experiences, or upcoming plans?
I started dabbling in Substack to see how it can supplement my brand: Journey Traveler and What I Ate & Drank by Travelling Foodie.
Since attending TBEX in summer 2025, I have learned to take my newsletter seriously and have been consistently publishing every month after the conference.
Follow Raymond and Travelling Foodie:
- Website: https://travellingfoodie.net
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@travellingfoodie
- Food Instagram: https://instagram.com/travellingfoodie
- Travel Instagram: https://instagram.com/journeytraveler
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/travellingfoodie
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@travellingfoodie
- X: https://x.com/travellinfoodie
- Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/travellingfoodie
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travellingfoodie/
MORE READING FROM THE SERIES "WHERE ARE THEY NOW"
You can unsubscribe any time!
Leave a Reply