Christine Van Blokland, born September 26, 1969, is a Scottish-born American travel journalist, TV host, writer, and executive producer. She created and hosts Curious Traveler, an Emmy-nominated educational travel series airing on PBS, Amazon Video, and CreateTV.
She is also a proud member of Mensa and a three-time National Daytime Emmy nominee.
Who is Christine Van Blokland?
Christine Van Blokland is an award-winning travel journalist, writer, host, and executive producer best known for creating Curious Traveler. The show runs on PBS, Amazon Video, CreateTV, and American Public Television Worldwide, and also airs on select airlines.
She spent 20 years as a feature and entertainment reporter at ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS, PBS, and Tribune stations across the United States before launching her own series. During those two decades, she earned multiple regional Emmy Awards for reporting, writing, and hosting.
Beyond television, Christine writes a monthly travel column for USA Today Travel called “Take Me Away.” She also gives travel lectures through the Smithsonian Associates program and appears on national and local stations as a travel expert, including HSN.
Christine is a member of Mensa and has received honors from the Society of American Travel Writers three times. Her career bridges both journalism and education, with each episode of Curious Traveler structured around the classic journalism questions of who, what, where, why, when, and how.
Early Life of Christine Van Blokland
Christine Van Blokland was born on September 26, 1969, in Scotland. She caught the travel bug early, having traveled across Europe, Canada, and parts of Africa by the age of 16.
Her family’s travels during her childhood played a significant role in shaping her perspective on the world. By the time she pursued journalism, the desire to document and explore other cultures was already well-established.
She later moved to the United States, where she built her broadcasting career before eventually settling and working primarily in the American television market.
Her childhood in Scotland and early travel experiences across multiple continents gave her a genuine curiosity about history and place that would later define the tone and format of Curious Traveler.
Christine Van Blokland Age
Christine Van Blokland is 56 years old as of July 2026, born on September 26, 1969. Her zodiac sign is Libra. In 2026, Curious Traveler continues to air on CreateTV, and she launched Curious Travel Tours, leading groups to destinations featured in the show.
Christine Van Blokland Ethnicity and Nationality
Christine Van Blokland was born in Scotland and holds British nationality by birth. She has lived and worked extensively in the United States, building her entire broadcasting career there.
Her Scottish origins and early travels across Europe, Africa, and Canada directly informed the international perspective she brings to Curious Traveler.
Christine Van Blokland Height and Weight
Christine Van Blokland stands at 5 feet 0 inches (1.52 m) tall, as she herself has noted publicly. Her weight is not publicly confirmed. She has described her one travel challenge as never managing to pack light, despite years of frequent international travel.
Christine Van Blokland Education
Christine Van Blokland studied Broadcast Journalism with a focus on Art and Religion at the University of Florida. She later attended the Vancouver Film School, where she studied Classical 2-D Animation.
Her journalism training at the University of Florida gave her the structural foundation for the question-based format she uses throughout Curious Traveler.
Her motto when it comes to travel is “Never Stop Learning,” a philosophy that directly reflects her academic background and the educational intent of her show.
Christine Van Blokland Career
Christine Van Blokland spent two decades as a feature and entertainment reporter before launching her own travel series. During that period, she reported for top ABC, FOX, CBS, NBC, PBS, and Tribune stations across the United States, covering everything from Broadway shows to Disney World to American Idol to the Grammy Awards.
Channel / Account Launch
Her dream had always been to create a PBS series in the tradition of Charles Kuralt, the iconic American road journalist. She developed and pitched Curious Traveler herself before it was picked up by American Public Television for national distribution.
Curious Traveler launched as an Emmy-nominated educational travel series built around a simple premise: explore destinations through genuine curiosity, digging into the history and story behind every place visited.
Christine serves as the show’s creator, executive producer, writer, and host, making her one of a small number of American women to hold all four roles on a nationally distributed PBS travel series.
Breakthrough and Emmy Nominations
Her work on Curious Traveler earned three National Daytime Emmy nominations. The 41st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards recognized her in the Outstanding Travel Program category as Executive Producer. The 42nd Annual Daytime Emmy Awards nominated the show again in the same category.
In 2016, she also earned a personal nomination for Outstanding Travel Host at the Daytime Emmys.
Christine has won multiple regional Emmy Awards over the course of her career, along with the Thomas Lowell Travel Journalism Award, the National Telly Award, and honors from the North American Travel Journalists Association. Her celebrity interview highlights include Bill Murray, Julie Andrews, and Kermit the Frog.
Recent Work
Season 6 of Curious Traveler began airing on KLCS on Saturday, March 2, 2024. The show continued to run on CreateTV in January 2026, with new episodes distributed through American Public Television Worldwide.
In 2026, Christine launched Curious Travel Tours, a guided travel program she participates in directly alongside groups of viewers. Each tour draws from destinations covered in the show, and Christine joins the groups in person.
She continues her monthly “Take Me Away” column for USA Today Travel and gives travel lectures through the Smithsonian Associates program. Both channels extend the educational mission of Curious Traveler beyond the television screen.
Christine Van Blokland Channel Stats and Achievements
Curious Traveler airs on PBS, Amazon Video, CreateTV, American Public Television Worldwide, and on select airlines, giving the series one of the widest distribution footprints of any American travel show on public television.
Christine has received three honors from the Society of American Travel Writers. She is also a member of Mensa, reflecting her academic discipline alongside her on-screen work.
Her show’s longevity across six seasons and multiple platforms speaks to steady audience loyalty built through the educational and historical depth that sets Curious Traveler apart from standard travel programs.
Christine Van Blokland Brand Deals and Collaborations
Christine Van Blokland regularly appears on HSN as a travel expert. Her appearances connect her audience with travel-related products and services in a format consistent with her on-screen identity.
She has also partnered with a small tour company to offer Curious Travel Tours. These partnerships allow her to take viewers directly to the European destinations they have watched on screen.
Her “Take Me Away” column for USA Today Travel functions as an ongoing media collaboration, extending her brand across print and digital audiences outside of the PBS viewing market.
Christine Van Blokland Net Worth
Christine Van Blokland estimated net worth of $10 million as of 2026.
Her income comes from her work as creator, writer, executive producer, and host of Curious Traveler, from her USA Today Travel column, from her Smithsonian Associates lecture engagements, and from her HSN appearances.
The Curious Travel Tours program represents an additional revenue stream launched in 2026.
Her career spans more than 25 years across television, print, and public broadcasting, reflecting a long professional track record rather than a single high-profile income source.
Christine Van Blokland Social Media
Christine Van Blokland maintains an active presence on Instagram under @curioustravelertv and on Facebook under @CuriousTravelerTV. Both accounts focus on the show’s destinations, travel tips, and episode updates.
Her social media content extends the educational approach of Curious Traveler into shorter, shareable formats for fans between episodes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Christine Van Blokland’s real name?
Christine Van Blokland’s real name is Christine Van Blokland. She uses her full name professionally across all platforms and productions.
How old is Christine Van Blokland?
Christine Van Blokland is 56 years old as of July 3, 2026, born on September 26, 1969, in Scotland.
When did Christine Van Blokland start Curious Traveler?
Christine launched Curious Traveler on PBS, Amazon Video, and CreateTV after spending 20 years as a television feature reporter across major U.S. networks. The show earned its first Daytime Emmy nominations in 2014 and 2015.
What is Christine Van Blokland’s net worth?
Christine Van Blokland estimated net worth of $10 million as of 2026.
Who is Christine Van Blokland dating?
Christine Van Blokland’s relationship status is not publicly confirmed. She has not shared details about a partner through any verified public source.
What is Christine Van Blokland famous for?
Christine Van Blokland is famous for creating and hosting Curious Traveler, a three-time National Daytime Emmy-nominated travel series on PBS, Amazon Video, and CreateTV.
The Bottom Line
Christine Van Blokland earned three National Daytime Emmy nominations for Curious Traveler, including a personal 2016 nomination as Outstanding Travel Host and two nominations as Executive Producer in the Outstanding Travel Program category.
She was born in Scotland, traveled Europe, Canada, and Africa by age 16, studied Broadcast Journalism at the University of Florida, and later trained in 2-D Animation at the Vancouver Film School. She is also a member of Mensa.
In 2026, Christine launched Curious Travel Tours, joining viewer groups in person at show destinations, while Curious Traveler continued its run on CreateTV and American Public Television Worldwide. We hope you enjoyed reading about Christine Van Blokland. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!