Volunteering gives you unique access to places most people never see. Like a private island with its own helicopter pad and a golf course - a place off-limits to the public. Unless, you're an A-list celebrity... or an ecosystem restoration...
read moreKaterina Mukhina
Travel writer. Researcher. Adventurer
Avid traveller, passionate about snowboarding, kayaking, hiking and mountain climbing
A tourism developer and former hotel manager with a journalist’s storytelling craft and mental health background – now using those insights to share insights about meaningful tourism, cultural differences, mental wellbeing, and authentic human nature.
What am I doing here?
Here I write about my trips and share everyday stories that most people never find themselves in. I use both academic grounding and lived experience, whether I explore meaningful tourism, mental health, immigration, adapting to a new culture, as well as love, loss, and the transformative power of travel.
My goal is to share my experiences in a way that inspires others, sparks new travel ideas beyond the guidebooks, and helps people see themselves in my stories.
How We Can Work Together
I research, I write, I tell stories that make people see the world – and themselves – differently
Tourism Research | Destination Audit | Public Speaking
My topics are meaningful tourism, authentic destination development, and the emotions of travellers; tourism as a region driver.
Journalism
I write stories about trips I’ve made that mix adventure, destination highlights and history. I cover travel worldwide (especially Vancouver Island), mental health, art, culture, and the fun side of being human.
Author
I’m working on publishing books, with finished chapters already waiting for readers.
The Journey
I’m a journalist and researcher with roots in Russia and a heart that now belongs to the wild, rugged beauty of Vancouver Island.
Moscow
In Moscow, I worked as a TV/radio journalist covering travel and social issues. I devoted myself to exploring small and authentic destinations in Russia. In partnership with local communities I contributed to the increase of visitors through storytelling, articles and publications on social media.
I collaborated with Geo Magazine, Glamour and Elle Russia and Russia Beyond The Headlines
I prepared families for relocation by teaching not just English and French, but also the history, geography, art, and cultural nuances of the countries where they were planning to live.
In 2021, I left behind a comfortable, luxury-filled life in Moscow to pursue a Master’s degree in Tourism Management at Royal Roads University.
Canada
Starting over in Canada was a profound shock. But I needed a huge change as I felt trapped and stagnant. Stepping far outside my comfort zone, I faced the realities of immigration, mental health issues, and reinvention. I started from the beginning: front desk agent at Marriott, Accor, and Best Western, then a Starbucks supervisor.
Those sometimes-gritty experiences fuel my stories, blending humor with sharp social insights.I prepared families for relocation by teaching not just English and French, but also the history, geography, art, and cultural nuances of the countries where they were planning to live.
Academic Background
Royal Roads University (Canada)
specialization in cultural analysis, RRU
Higher School of Journalism, Moscow / Paris
Moscow State University, Faculty of Journalism
Achievements
Sooke Destination Development
I prepared a “destination audit,” the first step in improving a place so it can attract more tourists, be rebranded, generate sustainable income, and reveal its strengths and weaknesses. To collect the necessary data, I reached out to the Chamber of Commerce, local businesses, residents, and tourists—using surveys, interviews, and pre- and post-trip questionnaires, as well as my journalism skills to get honest insights. By comparing and analyzing these perspectives, I created a full picture of the destination’s opportunities and challenges.
Major Research Project at Royal Roads University (Master of Arts in Tourism Management), supported by Sooke Region Tourism Association. The project explored gaps between tourist expectations and actual experiences in Sooke. The findings were presented to the mayor and the Chamber of Commerce and were taken into consideration during the development of the destination strategy.
This project was featured all over the news and shaped my second specialty – authentic destination development. It’s about discovering what makes a place truly special (its ‘heart’), then creating tourism plans that highlight this uniqueness. When destinations build on their real strengths instead of copying others, they stand out and attract the right visitors.
Ocean Clean-up Initiative
This innovative project – a partnership between Tourism Vancouver Island and Royal Roads University reimagined beach cleanups as transformative travel experiences focused on raising awareness of ocean pollution on Vancouver Island by engaging tourists through meaningful, responsible tourism and voluntourism initiatives.
Canada Comeback Challenge
For this national initiative empowering post-secondary students to develop innovative solutions for Canada’s COVID-19 recovery I developed a recovery plan to help Vancouver Island’s rural communities use tourism during COVID-19.
Volunteering
Beyond Beach Cleanups: Measuring the Dual Impact of Volunteer Tourism on Conservation and Cultural Education
I organized and participated in the Esquimalt Lagoon cleanup on Vancouver Island as part of a research project exploring whether volunteering can serve as a meaningful travel experience. This event perfectly demonstrates how environmental work doubles as cultural immersion –...
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National Indigenous Peoples Day Canoe Landing Protocol
Royal Roads University, Victoria, Canada | 2023-2024 I participated in the canoe landing ceremony with members of the Lekwungen and Xwsepsum Nations. I learnt how to paddle these traditional canoes with a group and also helped plan and carry out...
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