Viatica is the first French, online and open access journal devoted entirely to travel literature, and its aim is to chart all the trends in this new field of literary criticism that is at the crossroads of literature, history, geography, ethnology, and intercultural studies.

The journal maintains close links with the French Research Center on Travel Literature (CRLV).

Considering the "international" dimension of travel writing, Viatica welcomes articles written in English. The approaches that have contributed to renewing critical perspectives over the past few decades are also welcome, as is interdisciplinary research. Viatica has been designed as follows:

• A thematic collection (“Dossier thématique”) gives each issue its title. It brings together contributions on a theme selected by the editorial board, on the basis of proposals made to it. The collection goes through a double-blind review process, the first focusing on the scientific quality of the articles, and the second on the editorial coherence of the whole.

• The “varia” are a collection of unrelated articles sent to the member of the editorial board in charge of that section, each of which is then subjected to a double-blind peer review.

• The "Art of Travel" section (“Art de voyager”) examines the concepts, approaches, and practices of travel, as well as the advice and methods addressed to travellers as the history of the genre unfolded.

• The section entitled "At the frontiers of travel narrative" (“Aux frontières du récit de voyage”) welcomes reflections specifically focused on the effects produced by intersections, hybridization phenomena, and rivalries arising from the fact that travel writing is very close to all the other narrative forms and practices, in the contemporary editorial field as at all periods of its history. The aim is to open up a space for theoretical reflection on travel literature and the major issues and stakes that arise from it.

• Viatica offers book reviews (“Recensions”), written in French or foreign languages, which significantly enrich approaches to the genre.

• Finally, the "Travel writing" section (“Écritures de voyage”) includes extracts from contemporary works by travel writers.

• Special issues are interspersed throughout the program. They are devoted to the study of a particular author, or attempt to focus on a specific area of research that could not be tackled within the restricted framework of a thematic collection.