Skift hires Girma as global tourism reporter

Lebawit “Lily” Girma has been hired by travel industry news site Skift as its global tourism reporter.

She will start on Nov. 2. She succeeds Rosie Spinks, who left Skift at the end of September to pursue a book project

Girma has been freelancing for Skift this year. Her work has appeared in BBC, CNN, AFAR, Sierra Magazine, Lonely Planet, The Guardian, and in-flight magazines, among others. Forbes magazine earlier this year featured her as one of “15 Black Travel Writers to Read Now.”

Her work in the tourism industry – with a focus on the Caribbean region – includes authoring books for Moon Guides, to content marketing, editorial leadership and copywriting for travel brands and tourism boards. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law and is fluent in four languages, including Amharic, French and Spanish.