November 9, 2024, 5:30 am | Read time: 5 minutes
At Germany’s most inspiring award ceremony in the travel industry, the TRAVELBOOK Award, the winners were congratulated for the third time. A jury of eight experts selected the world’s best trending destinations on October 9. The awards were presented at the legendary Axel Springer Journalists’ Club in Berlin. For the third time, the ceremony was hosted by well-known TV presenter Christian Wackert-Brungs. In addition to the trending destinations, the “TRAVELBOOK Personality 2024” was also honored – this year the prize went to travel influencer Josua Wirth, who is also known as “Travell4llove” on social media. Here’s an overview of the unique aspects of his travels.
The TRAVELBOOK editorial team’s panel of experts reached a unanimous decision on the TRAVELBOOK Personality of the Year: German travel influencer “Travell4llove,” also known as Josua Wirth, is the deserving recipient of this honor. Unfortunately, he was unable to attend the TRAVELBOOK Award ceremony on October 9, as he is currently helping to combat the consequences of the flood of the century in northern Thailand.
Reasons and experiences: Why ‘Travell4llove’ Josua Wirth traveled to Thailand on foot
Josua Wirth was born near Ulm in 1999 and set up his own business as a videographer and photographer after completing his business studies in 2021. However, when his girlfriend immigrated to Thailand, he began to question if this was truly the life he desired. Spurred by his heart, he made the bold decision to pursue his love. He sold all his belongings and embarked on an epic journey from the peaceful town of Ulm to Chiang Mai, eschewing the use of airplanes.
On foot, by hitchhiking, by bus, and by train, he covers several thousand kilometers in over a year. His route takes him through countries such as Hungary, Bulgaria, Turkey, Serbia, Iraq, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Pakistan, India, China, and finally Thailand. Time and again, he found himself pushing beyond his physical and emotional boundaries. But at the same time, this journey opens up a world that had previously remained hidden to him. A world full of new encounters, adventures, and foreign cultures. He discovers in himself someone who wants to climb mountains, experience new things, and recognize the true value of life. Through this journey, he came to understand the essence of life: the courage to continually chase new dreams in pursuit of true happiness and love.
From traveling for love to the social media phenomenon
Josua Wirth documents every stage of his journey on his Instagram profile “Travell4llove”, inspiring a steadily growing fan base. As of October 8, 2024, his Instagram following swelled to 539,000, while a staggering 1.9 million people follow his adventures on TikTok. They remained loyal to him even after his successful trip to his girlfriend.
In his videos, Joshua shows, among other things, how he watches the World Cup match between Germany and Costa Rica together with locals in Iraq. Or how he films surrounded by armed Taliban in Afghanistan. For his birthday, he launched a fundraising campaign that raised 23,000 euros for the construction of a school in Nepal. In a remarkable feat in Pakistan, he extracted a crystal from a mountain with his own hands to craft an engagement ring for his girlfriend. It took him a total of 405 days to get from Ulm to his girlfriend in Thailand. She has now been his fiancée since December 2023, following a proposal on his arrival.
Josua Wirth has written a book about his trip and the things he experienced along the way. It has the same title as his Instagram channel: “Travel for Love“. Josua’s guiding principle in his travel reports is always that he wants to show the world as it really is.
He also wants to draw attention to grievances and help where possible. His summary of his trip through Afghanistan is as follows, “If you were to ask me whether I liked Afghanistan, I would say yes. But if you asked me on a deeper level, I would tell you that it tore my heart apart every time I saw a little girl laughing on the street. An innocent child whose dreams will soon be stifled because once she grows up, she will lose her freedom. Because a man whom she may never love will determine her dreams. In a system that puts millions of women in chains, without hope, without a way out, without the chance of a life of their own.”
Josua’s mission: to shed light on injustices and reveal the world’s true face
In another video on the situation of women in Afghanistan, he urges his followers not to look away. “Even if these women can no longer raise their voices themselves, we must make their voices all the louder together. It is up to us to tell their stories, demand their rights, and ensure that the world does not forget them.”
During his trip through Bangladesh, he filmed in a large textile factory, among other places. In his video, he draws attention to the conditions under which the children there live and are exploited. They earn just 1.80 euros a day for nine hours of work. In this video, he also calls on his followers not to look away and to reconsider their own consumer behavior. “Often, children lacking education have no alternative but to provide financial support to their families. This, my friends, is the harsh reality of fast fashion. Cheap clothing has a high price. Children in Bangladesh pay this price. With their health, their education, and their future.”
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Conclusion: ‘Travell4llove’ inspires with its travels
Josua Wirth has not only seen numerous countries and experienced all kinds of things on his journey for love. Nuno Alves, editor-in-chief of the BOOK family, explained in his laudatory speech on the evening of the TRAVELBOOK AWARD ceremony, “Josua travels with optimism, openness, and, above all, impartiality. He is always looking for a common ground. That’s what travel is all about. We are therefore delighted to present this award to someone who forged a courageous plan from a simple idea and embarked on an extraordinary journey with a great deal of openness and confidence. A journey that may seem unimaginable to most of us, yet is deeply inspiring. Heartfelt congratulations to “Travell4llove” on being honored with the TRAVELBOOK Award as Personality of the Year!”