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Needing little introduction, Richard Branson – entrepreneur, island-owner and adrenaline junkie – is arguably one of the most powerful men in business. While the grey-haired wonder has his finger in many pies – from media to music – it is his knack for travel that truly affords him influence. And we’re not just talking about his fleet of Virgin aircraft or his travel writing. His blog – on the Virgin website, naturally – has become a must-read, with travel anecdotes interspersed with not-so subtle Virgin plugs. However, it is the ‘Ask Richard’ function that truly dazzles. Almost like asking God something, avid followers tap out questions, click ask and then wait for Sir to respond with as much authority as is humanly possible for a mere mortal.

Visit Richard Branson's blog on Virgin | Follow @richardbranson on Twitter

As the founder of Wallpaper* and now the man behind Monocle magazine and creative agency Winkreative, it’s no surprise that FT.com has hired Tyler Brule as an on-site columnist. His blog posts – covering plenty of far-flung travel – have us hooked, and whatever he says is high-impact, highly-influential stuff. He’s such a powerful tastemaker, in fact, that his decadent jet-setting has even inspired an anonymously-written travel blog, BeingTylerBrule.com. Imitation is the best form of flattery, as they say.

Visit Fast Lane

Because he doesn’t accept free transport or accommodation – in the recession? How?! - travel journalist and broadcaster Simon Calder is known as ‘the man who pays his way.’ He’s also regarded as the best travel writer in the UK – quite the accolade, as you can imagine. His full-time gig is behind the travel desk at The Independent, but his true power lies with outside the prestigious paper – including, no less, his musings on London’s Biggest Conversation, where he also has a radio show. Using both blog posts and podcasts, Simon uses his signature wit to deliver good old-fashion travel journalism. An increasingly rare, underrated thing indeed.

Read Simon Calder on The Independent | Follow @simoncalder on Twitter

Blonde-haired Beverley Fearis is more than just a pretty face – and her photographer boyfriend, with whom she usually travels, would probably agree. Aside from contributing to the Observer, the Daily Express, the Telegraph and the Guardian – what else is there?! - Fearis has also put together books such as A Hedonist’s Guide to Madrid for independent publisher Hg2. She now heads up travelmole.com, which dubs itself an online community for the travel and tourism industry. It is here that she and her team publish trade travel news to over 450,000 travel and tourism industry professionals, as well as 30 million consumers in 132 countries. With such great responsibility comes great power, and Fearis wields it well.

Visit TravelMole

As something of an online travel bible for 'urban travellers', Gridskipper has one of the widest editorial scopes on the web - with copy on everywhere from Paris and Berlin to Miami and New York. What we like about Gridskipper is its no-nonsense, chatty way of approaching travel news, typified by writer Zachary Feldman. Pumping out posts faster than is seemingly possible to touch-type, the ambitious young voice cuts through carbon-copy press release crap to bring us the bits of news that really matter - often with a cheeky, irreverent tone and unusual selection process. His countdown of the best saunas in Barcelona to find a little, er, man-on-man time is particularly amusing, and his tongue-in-cheek ways have rightfully earned him legions of engaged fans across the Web.

Visit ZachFeldman.com | Follow @zachats on Twitter

Food is a big part of travel – in fact, a destination’s cuisine is half its appeal. Which is why Britain’s most feared (and, arguably, funniest) restaurant critic A.A. Gill is a huge influence on jet-setting. His permanent gig is at The Sunday Times, which means most of his write-ups are London-based, but occasionally he branches out and books a table a little further afield – whether in the country, or in another country. Either way, his signature style – laugh-out-loud humour, mixed in a with an obligatory dose of professional critiquing – works well, and his made him a famous name on reservation books across the world. His reviews on the thesundaytimes.co.uk, called Table Talk, make for persuasive reading indeed (that is, if you pay the recently-implemented subscription fee).

Read A.A.Gill on The Sunday Times

As the darling of Condé Nast Traveler, Wendy Perrin has been rightfully given her own surname in a Condé Nast URL. While her official job title at the publishing giant is Director of Consumer News and Digital Community, her unofficial role is reigning queen supreme; her self-penned Perrin Report is one of the most authoritative features on consumer travel issues, while The Perrin Post has been hailed as one of the world’s best travel blogs by anyone who matters. She’s got heaps of accolades and awards under her belt, and her writing just gets better and better.

Visit Perrin Post | Follow @wendyperrin on Twitter

Self-confessed ‘airline dork’ Brett Snyder proves that geek is chic over at Cranky Flier, where he posts tips on how to get from a to b without getting so stressed that you’ll need to be admitted to the local hospital once you get to your final destination. Blog posts include everything from how to survive Heathrow’s Terminal 5 to reviews of airline lounges, all of it catering to cost-conscious consumers. With no airs and graces, nor any aspirations for fame or fortune, Snyder’s blog is all the more influential for it.

Visit Cranky Flier | Follow @crankyflier on Twitter

Print editors used to be the taste-makers that reigned supreme, but the power has now shifted to online, and that’s certainly the case with Bill at The Cool Hunter. As the number-one reference point for industry insiders across the globe – including editors, PRs, designers, photographers and anyone else in the creative industries – his edit of what’s hot and what’s not in the realms of travel, design and art has shaped our world. He doesn’t even need a public face to be influential – now that’s power.

Visit The Cool Hunter | Follow @thecoolhunter on Twitter

As the daughter of one of the most powerful men in the hotel business, it's hardly surprising that Ivanka Trump is more than just a pretty face. Her Twitter account has more than 1,000,000 followers, with musings on everything from her high-flying business meetings across New York to insights into international travel and superstar-worthy jet-setting. Refreshingly so, her Tweets aren't the voice of a travel journalist or other industry insider; they are the voice of someone who's been lucky enough to jet-set her entire life, someone who still appreciates the finer things in life, and someone who can connect with mere mortals through an online medium, despite being top of the food chain. And for that, we salute her. That, and the super-cool travel photos she posts when she reaches a new destination. It's like being taken along in her carry-on, only not.

Follow @ivankatrump on Twitter