CNN Chance Encounters: Heartwarming Travel Stories with TRAVEL ADVANTAGE and MWR
CNN Chance Encounters captivates audiences online and through its podcast, now in its second season, sharing uplifting stories of travel-inspired romances and friendships.
Authored by digital journalist Francesca Street, the CNN Chance Encounters column celebrates serendipitous connections formed during travel, weaving tales of love and camaraderie.
From timeless epics to contemporary rom-coms, stories of romance and friendship resonate deeply. In today’s uncertain times, these heartwarming narratives offer hope and connection.
Travel creates the perfect backdrop for chance encounters. Free from daily routines, travelers embrace the moment, opening themselves to new people, places, and experiences.
The Birth of Chance Encounters
Francesca Street, a travel journalist, created CNN Chance Encounters.
Based in London, Street shared her journey with me. Starting as a CNN intern, she joined the travel team. During the COVID travel pause, she turned to documenting past adventures.
A Twitter thread about a long-distance couple’s failed surprise trips—he to Paris, she to Edinburgh—inspired her. Their missed connection sparked a story idea.
After interviewing the couple, Street added a submission form to collect readers’ travel tales, leading to an influx of romantic and engaging stories.
Her first column featured a Pan American flight attendant and a CIA officer who fell in love on a 1969 Paris-to-New York flight. They’ve been married for fifty years.
Since then, 140 stories have unfolded, with more to come.
In 2023, five columns, and in 2024, four, ranked on Chartbeat’s most engaging articles list, with two in the top ten, alongside pieces from major outlets like The New York Times and BBC.
A standout 2024 story tells of an Italian woman who planned to meet a fellow passenger at London’s Trafalgar Square. He didn’t show, but she met her future husband, a U.S. vacationer, that day.
Endless Travel Love Stories
At Rome’s Trevi Fountain, stories of love and connection come alive.
I love finding these stories, Street says. Readers submit through the call-out included in every article and podcast episode, while social media provides additional leads.
Interviews are informal video calls, often with couples surrounded by framed photos of their lives together, Street explains. After long conversations, she crafts compelling narratives.
The best stories are relatable yet surprising. We’ve all stressed about missing a flight, Street notes, but few meet their life partner in the process.
CNN’s online archive organizes stories into love and friendship, all with joyful endings.
Chance Encounters: The Podcast
In romantic Venice, stories find a new voice.
The column’s popularity led CNN to launch the Chance Encounters podcast, now in its second season, featuring Francesca’s original audio interviews in 20-minute Friday episodes.
The column’s success inspired us to reimagine these stories, says Steve Lickteig, CNN Podcasts Executive Producer.
With Francesca’s rich interview archive, hearing couples’ stories firsthand made a podcast a natural choice, Lickteig adds.
Audio storytelling lets listeners form vivid mental images, making each episode unique, he notes.
I hope these stories offer escapism, whether read on CNN.com or heard on the podcast, Street shares.
Francesca Street’s Next Chapter
In 2019, Street received the MHP 30 under 30 award for U.K. journalists, followed by further travel journalism accolades and a Washington Post profile.
Chance Encounters captivates travelers and romantics alike. Its future is open, but Street dreams of Hollywood producers taking notice.
Book hotels smartly with TRAVEL ADVANTAGE for exclusive savings.
Join the MWR LIFE team as an ambassador!
Learn how to become an MWR LIFE ambassador today.
Claim Your $100 Guest Coupon Free Become an MWR Ambassador