paid travel blogger

13 Clever Ways To Boost Your Travel Blogging Income [Podcast Episode 23]

Want to boost your travel blogging income ? Have you ever wondered how to actually travel and make money, or asked yourself how to become a paid travel blogger?

Then you’re in the right place, as that is exactly what we’ll be covering in this episode of The Profitable Travel Blogger Podcast.

Specifically, you’ll learn:

• How to earn money blogging — including the five main ways I monetize my website
• 13 additional smart strategies for making money from a blog
• 13 platforms that make it way easier to make money from a travel blog — or simply to make money online while traveling

Basically, if you’re interested in learning how to become a blogger and make money this podcast episode has the answers you’re looking for.

Table of Contents

13 Clever Ways To Boost Your Travel Blogging Income – Podcast Episode Audio

…or click the links below to tune in on your preferred audio platform:

Click here to listen on Apple Podcasts/iTunes

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Grow + Monetize Your Travel Blog With These Free Resources

To help you really jumpstart your blogging success, I’ve added 55+ blogging resources like printables, video tutorials, and workbooks into a FREE resource library for travel bloggers.

These resources are meant to help you grow your traffic, community, and income faster and with less overwhelm.

I’m all about implementation and I really want to make sure you don’t just listen to the episode and forget about it, but that you actually use what I share to make your blogging life easier. Inside the library, there are a number of printables and tutorials that will help you take what I share in this episode, and efficiently implement it.

How To Get Paid For Blogging – Episode Transcript

Starting a travel blog, growing a blog , building traffic, growing an email list by creating opt-in freebies , being active on social media, creating your blog business plan . Ultimately, all of these different actions have one common goal:

To boost your travel blogging income.

That’s why I think you’ll love this episode because I’m going to be sharing how to become a travel blogger that makes money — including specific platforms that can help you increase your blogging revenue quicker and easier.

How much do travel bloggers make?

To kick things off, let’s talk about what a travel blogger income looks like.

Honestly, it can vary anywhere from $0 to millions. It really depends on how many revenue streams you have, how well you promote these streams, and if you’re able to scale.

I think a realistic goal when starting out is to aim for $2,000-$4,000 per month and then work to scale to $10,000+ per month. In my opinion, this is very doable, especially if you have your own products or a lot of traffic you can drive to blog posts optimized for affiliates. Here are some creative ways to promote affiliate links .

Once you reach $10,000 you’ll likely have a good sense of what strategies work to scale beyond that.

Automated income streams — like running display ads or having evergreen funnels runnings — is a great way to go beyond the $10,000/month mark.

How do bloggers get paid?

Wondering how to become a travel blogger and make money ?

To answer this, I’ll share the main revenue streams that allow me to make money from my travel blog. These include:

• In terms of how to make money blogging, the above is one of my favorite strategies that is also one of the most underrated
• Want to increase sales? Try showcasing certain products in a tripwire marketing funnel !
• Working with brands and tourism boards on paid blog, email, and social media campaigns as well as paid press trips for travel bloggers
• blog content (like writing a gift guide )
• product lists that promote Amazon affiliate links
• a free challenge that promotes an affiliate partner
• a resources page that promotes your top recommendations with affiliate links
• Running display ads on my website with Mediavine
• Selling a blog for profit
• Crafting content for brand platforms — for instance, I might write for a hotel’s online magazine or help an app fill up their content library with original lists and photos

So hopefully that gives you a quick and general idea of how to monetize a travel blog , and answers the question, “Do bloggers get paid?”

Now what I want to do is dive deeper to give you some very specific ideas for how to start a travel blog and get paid.

Just note that at the time of recording all of the platforms I’m about to mention — which are all also linked below, many with affiliate links — were live.

Of course, that could change, but the tactics still work in terms of helping you become a paid blogger.

This means if you listen to this episode in the future and one of the platforms I mention no longer exists, simply keep the strategy in mind but try to find an alternative platform.

On that note, here are 13 ideas for how to monetize your travel blog.

1. Earn money blogging by creating an email course with Highbrow.

Highbrow is an email course membership site that covers a wide range of topics from travel to writing to health & fitness to entrepreneurship and beyond.

If you have an interesting idea that they haven’t covered, you can create a 10-lesson email course for them, and earn commissions every time one of their paying members takes it.

It’s a really simple way to make some money, as you create the course once, it gets uploaded, and then you’re done and you can start earning an income.

In terms of how to be a blogger and earn money , I recommend making the course relevant to your blog’s topic so that you can promote it right on your website.

2. Get paid to blog by creating an online course with Teachable.

In my opinion, this is one of the most profitable digital products you can sell as a blogger, especially if you follow a product launch marketing plan template to increase sales or pre-sell your online course to validate your idea.

Teachable is what I use to create and host my online courses and membership. That link gets you a two-week free trial, no credit card required!

I’m a huge fan of their platform, as it really has everything you need to run a professional and secure online school.

They have tons of features, so I won’t list them all, but a few I love include:

• built-in discussion forums
• secure payments
• the option to add quizzes or award certificates
• student and school progress reports
• coupon functionality
• affiliate tracking and payouts
• conversion pixel tracking so you can see, for example, if your Facebook Ads are working
• the ability to add and create custom school pages beyond the sales page, curriculum, and checkout page and just a really user-friendly interface

They even have an app so your students can do your course modules right on their phone.

Keep in mind, as a blogger you’re already educating your audience on a topic. Therefore it makes a lot of sense to package your knowledge into a course that further helps them.

3. Become a paid blogger by creating an online Udemy course.

As you’re probably starting to see, when it comes to blogging for money creating courses can be a smart option.

Now personally I prefer Teachable to Udemy because with Teachable I have 100% full control over my content, pricing, and sales.

I also am able to get the email addresses of my students and pitch them to opt in to my email list when they checkout.

In my opinion, with Udemy you do give up quite a bit of control. You have to follow their course creation guidelines and they often run sales that I think devalue the work of the course creator.

That being said, their platform works like a search engine. So if you are at a point where you just want to test out course creation or you don’t want to put 100% of the promotion in your own hands, Udemy can be a good option that also allows you to get started quickly.

I just personally think if you really want to maximize your earning potential, Teachable can be the better option, or even Thinkific , which is also really good. I just prefer the user experience and aesthetic of Teachable.

4. Become a paid travel blogger by joining Perlu and applying for brand campaigns.

There are so many influencer networks out there, but they certainly aren’t all created equal. I’m an advisor for Perlu , and it is one of my favorite influencer networks for a few reasons.

For one, you can collaborate with other bloggers and content creators in groups, or what Perlu calls Packs, to help each other grow.

Moreover, you can simply click into their Collabs section to find paying blogger opportunities to apply for. No waiting around necessary.

By the way, I created a free list of influencer networks here . The list offers 31 networks that make it easier to make money traveling by working with brands as a blogger. They make it easier to land your first brand collaboration !

Additionally, you can join my Perlu Collaborative Posts Pack here .

5. Optimize your website for affiliate links with Skimlinks.

If you’re wondering how to become a blogger and earn money the easiest way possible, you’ll love this idea.

Skimlinks is a set-it-and-forget-it affiliate marketing option for bloggers.

Instead of manually creating affiliate links and adding them to your content, you place Skimlinks’ code into your website. From there, Skimlinks will automatically turn your non-affiliate links into affiliate links — helping you to increase your passive blogging income.

If you’re wondering how to monetize a WordPress blog , installing Skimlinks is a wise idea.

Just note that for this service Skimlinks does keep a portion of the earnings, though I personally still find this platform extremely beneficial and love the true additional passive income each month.

Besides Skimlinks, another option is joining white label affiliate programs , which can also help you automate your affiliate efforts!

6. Become an Ultimate Bundles affiliate and contributor.

Want to know how to be a travel blogger and get paid?

Strategic travel affiliate marketing !

You should absolutely be making sure that a portion of your travel blog post ideas include affiliate-optimized posts promoting partners you love.

Like Ultimate Bundles.

Ultimate Bundles is a company that sells limited-time themed bundles, typically with bonuses, at incredible price points. You may have heard of the Genius Blogger’s Toolkit, for example, which typically sells for 95%-98% off.

No matter what your blogging niche is, it’s likely you’ll find a bundle that you can promote. They have bundles on everything from blogging to travel to self-care to creativity to meal-planning and beyond.

As an affiliate, you earn 40% per sale, and because their bundles are sold at wildly discounted prices the bundles can be quite easy to sell.

Additionally, you can create a product to put into a bundle to increase your affiliate income to 70% — plus you get a contributor bonus.

The other benefit is their bundles are extremely popular. This means even if you don’t make a ton of sales you’ll be bringing loads of new people into the community as they gain access to your bundle product.

You can click here to join their affiliate program .

7. Sell a tour using PeekPro.

Wondering how to be a travel blogger that earns a sustainable income ?

As a travel blogger, selling tours — either local or abroad — is a natural fit. Consider the travel style, interests, and budget of your audience, and go from there.

I recommend adding in some VIP options; as in, experiences that make the tour more valuable. This doesn’t need to be going behind some velvet rope at a club. It can be as simple as getting to go behind the bar at a coffee shop to see how they make the perfect cappuccino.

By the way, if you’re wondering how to start a tour company I’ve linked a free cheat sheet that can help.

In terms of set up, I use PeekPro to sell my tours, which you can connect to your blog.

Their software has a ton of embedded features for upselling and bundling tours, and they even have an abandoned cart feature that automatically emails potential customers who didn’t complete the checkout process.

While PeekPro is free, they do charge a setup fee; however, they have a referral program where current PeekPro users — like myself — can refer others to help them get their software set up for free or at a steep discount.

If interested, please send me an email to jessie (at) jessieonajourney (dot) com.

By the way, I also recently interviewed Kelly Lewis, the founder of Damesly, about how to start a multi-day tour company . This is another great strategy for increasing your income as a travel blogger!

8. Become a travel blogger and get through doing an apparel campaign with Bonfire.

Bonfire shirts are super high-quality. No joke, I had to hide mine because my fiance kept stealing it.

Anyway, what I love about Bonfire is you can design your own shirt for free and then they’ll ship your products directly to your buyers.

You keep the profits — basically the price of your shirt minus the base costs.

You can run the sale as a limited-time campaign, or even open your own store and promote it on your blog.

9. Sell your creations on Creative Market.

If you’re curious how to make money traveling , here is an idea for the creatives:

Creative Market is an online marketplace for design assets like fonts, graphics, themes, social media templates, mock-ups, and more.

I’ve made loads of purchases from this site over the years — honestly, their resources have helped me feel creative and remember how to enjoy social media — though along with using it as a buyer you can also use it as a seller if you’ve got some design skills.

This can be a great way to earn extra money, and you can promote your Creative Market shop on your own website.

10. Create and sell a subscription box through CrateJoy.

Like Creative Market, CrateJoy is a marketplace where you can choose to buy or sell, though their focus is subscription boxes.

They have subscription boxes related to everything from travel to beauty to art to gaming and beyond.

As a seller, you’ll benefit from using their platform from a tech perspective as well as from their traffic — they get 4 million page views per month — and their popularity, as they see about 30,000+ monthly sales.

11. Get paid to travel blog by creating an online shop for relevant products using Sellfy.

The secret to how to blog and make money doing it:

Selling products that help your audience.

Sellfy is an alternative to the well-known platform Shopify, though it’s more budget-friendly, allowing you to create an online store and connect it to your blog without spending a fortune. They even offer a 14-day trial.

If you’re not sure what to sell, consider your blog’s mission. Who do you help and how? What product could further help your audience beyond your free content?

Keep a spreadsheet of all the questions people ask you via email, DM, and in blog comments. This offers good insight into what people want from you.

Also, remember that products don’t need to be complicated. It can be as simple as a well-thought-out printable that helps your audience solve a problem.

12. Host a workshop on WebinarJam.

WebinarJam is a webinar hosting software that can also help you grow your income.

Let me share two ways to go about this:

First of all, if you want to make money with free webinars you can create a free workshop that’s relevant to your paid product, and then pitch your paid product at the end. This works well, as the free workshop allows you to attract the people who would benefit from your paid offer.

It also allows you to show off your teaching style and empower your audience who may have previously thought they weren’t skilled enough to benefit from your paid offer.

For instance, if you have a course on making professional travel videos, you might use the first module as your webinar to get people started and get them excited to learn even more.

Keep in mind, you can also charge for webinars. Just note if you go this route it’s recommended to make it extra special since many people are used to free webinars. Really make sure the content is premium and potentially limited in terms of how many people can attend and how many sessions there will be.

Click here for a free trial of WebinarJam .

By the way, if you need help with your webinar strategy check out this video:

13. Find remote work on FlexJobs.

If you’re a blogger looking for remote work opportunities that pay well while you build up your business, FlexJobs is your answer.

Their subscription service is reasonably-priced and lists loads of interesting work-from-anywhere job opportunities and gigs that pay.

Many of them also include travel as an additional perk. I’ve also seen loads of writing and content creation jobs on their site.

Now I hope you enjoyed this episode on how to make money blogging.

I hope you feel inspired and empowered to start monetizing your blog.

Don’t forget to grab access to the free travel blogging resource library . There are a ton of resources in there on increasing your blogging income.

And of course, make sure to subscribe so you don’t miss future episodes sharing these bite-sized strategies for bloggers who want to turn their blogs into profitable full-time blogging businesses.

Happy blogging!

Increase Your Travel Blogging Income With These Helpful Past Episodes:

How To Grow Your Travel Blogging Income With A Tripwire Funnel

Create A Challenge That Grows Your Email List & Business Income

How To Make Money With Affiliate Marketing As A Blogger

Monetize Your Email List With 4 Smart Strategies

Create A Profitable Automated Email Sequence (With Template!)

Press Trips 101: How To Get Paid To Travel As A Blogger

How To Create & Monetize A Blog Series

How To Grow Your Blog Fast With 12 Clever Strategies

How To Create A Gift Guide For Your Blog

How To Host & Promote Your Blog Giveaway

How To Write Better Emails With Email Storytelling

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I’d also be extremely grateful if you’d leave a review right here and let me know your favorite part of the episode or a takeaway you walked away with. By leaving a review, you help the show be seen by more people, helping the episodes to have a greater impact.

Each month, I’ll be choosing one reviewer at random to win a FREE seat inside one of my masterclasses.

Winners can choose from:

• How To Grow Your Blogging Income Through Facebook Ads
• How To Land Paid Press Trips As A Travel Blogger
• How To Make Money (Fast) With Affiliate Marketing
• How To Start A Tour Company In Your Own Backyard
• How To Start A Blog, Grow An Audience & Make Money
• Build Your Blogging Profit Plan Masterclass

Winners will be chosen at random from the reviews and will be notified via email, so make sure to send me — jessie (at) jessieonajourney dot) com — your email address so I have it. 

Do you have any other tips on how to create a blog and make money?

Related posts:.

Emma Higgins | 15 April 2015

Get paid to travel – become a travel blogger.

Could you build a successful career as a travel blogger? This expert guide could help you on your way...

Becoming a travel blogger seems like a great idea in theory, but as you get the ball rolling the process can get increasingly overwhelming. To be full time and make a living from your travel blog, it's not quite as simple as just throwing up a few posts and having a Twitter account or Facebook page. Being successful in blogging takes a lot of strategy and good business sense, as well as talent for telling stories and presenting them in a way that inspires people to see the world. From finding your niche to website design, social media tips, and knowing your audience inside and out, this guide is designed to take you from the beginning stages right up to how to make money from your blog, with advice from some of the most successful travel bloggers in the industry.

1. Start with your passion

Consider what you enjoy about travelling – people, food, wildlife, history – and make that the central theme of your blog. Passion is at the root of great writing, and making that shine through in your blog will keep readers interested. Sticking to what you love will keep your enthusiasm and motivation up, too. Remember, you don't have to cover everything about travel on your blog. If you don't go to museums when you're travelling, don't bother writing about them; if you love camping but hate hostels, stick to camping advice. You don't need to catch everyone in your net – do what you love to speak to the people who love it too.

2. Experiment

You might not have a blog topic that you want to fully commit to right away – and that's fine! In these first stages, the most important thing is that you're writing something. Don't be afraid to experiment and play around with different ideas. Write often and about a range of different things – what you find the most enjoyable will quickly make itself known. "Finding your niche sounds really complicated, but it's really just about finding your passion and distinctive voice, and then pursuing that relentlessly,” says Bret from Green Global Travel . “It's OK if you don't find it right away, or if the path meanders a bit along the way. It's more about following your instincts, trusting your gut, ignoring all of the noise that says 'successful bloggers have to do this or that', and blazing your own trail. “It takes time, energy, experimentation, passion, patience and persistence to build a brand you truly believe in. But once you do, it makes all of the other elements that make up the business of blogging fall into place a lot more easily and organically." Bret and Mary from Green Global Travel are some of the industry's most influential voices on the topic of deciding a focus for your blog, having spoken and written about blog branding many times.

3. Put some thought into your design

First impressions are key – and this philosophy also applies to websites. Creating a strong design for your blog – one that's easy to navigate and understand – is important as this is one of your first chances to hook in a reader. And this is the travel industry: visuals are key. Travel bloggers Charli and Ben from Wanderlusters have put a huge amount of work into their own blog design, giving them plenty of top tips to share... “A unique and engaging design can set you apart from the wealth of new travel blogs vying for a place in the industry. Stand out from the crowd with a distinctive logo or cutting-edge blog theme, publish engaging photography and video within your posts, and construct a concise and navigable menu to catalogue your content. “Make it easy for your readers to interact with your articles by activating a social sharing plug-in and commenting system if they're not already implemented within your chosen theme. And put together a captivating ‘About Me’ page to grab your readers' attention and inspire them to follow your adventures.”

4. Identify your audience

Knowing exactly who you want to speak to will help guide your every blogging move – from the kind of stories you're writing and which social networks you're most active on, to which brands you partner with in the future. Having the reader in the forefront of your mind is an effective way to stay focused. I've personally found a lot of success in having a specific idea of my audience for my own blog, Gotta Keep Movin' . My first piece of advice would be to start by asking yourself a lot of questions: How old are my audience? Are they mostly male or female? What kinds of things interest them when they travel? How do they behave on the web – do they like long stories or quick posts? What other travel publications do they enjoy reading? Try to answer questions like these as precisely as you can, and create an ideal reader profile. Use this profile to guide your content, blog design, social media strategy... everything. Your reader should be the first thing you consider when making any decision for your blog.

5. Don't get bogged down in the technical stuff

As you become more experienced with blogging, you'll start to hear words like 'Google page rank', 'affiliate marketing', and 'SEO' (search engine optimisation). Running your own website is quite technical behind the scenes,  and that can be overwhelming for beginner bloggers. It's tempting to try to learn it all, but getting too deep in all the technicalities will draw your attention away from your writing and readers and towards Google slavery instead – not a place you want to be. Stay focused on publishing outstanding travel content, but reserve just a small chunk of your blogging time to learn the tricks of the trade. Moz's Beginners Guide to SEO is a strong starting point – work through it bit-by-bit and begin to implement the strategies into your work.

6. Social media

Social media is the means by which you get your content out there, so setting up social profiles once you have a few posts up is key. Dave and Deb of The Planet D were among the very first travel bloggers in the industry, having started their blog in 2008. The adventurous duo have since won awards for their inspiring website, and worked hard to build a huge social media following. “To start building your following, concentrate on quality and consistency”, says Deb. “Don't get caught up in quick ways to build followers, but be patient and let your audience grow organically and naturally. It takes a lot of dedication to get your work noticed on social media: interact with influencers and brands, and consistently share quality information with them. Over time, they will begin to notice your work. “Post daily on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, tweet regularly, and join Twitter chats to meet new people and followers. Post on social media a little bit each day, using scheduling tools like Buffer, Tweetdeak, or Hootsuite to help make it easier. Use insight tools like Commun.it and ManageFlitter (Twitter), Iconosquare (Instagram) and Facebook analytics to learn more about your followers and when they're online. But don't rely on tools entirely – listen to your readers and try new things for yourself, too. “Most of all, have fun with it! Write and share the things you love, and your readers will feel that energy. People want to be inspired – so inspire them.”

7. Be knowledgable and research

One of the most aggravating travel blogging myths is that because it's a less established form of 'new media' and can include a personal perspective, the quality of the content doesn't need to be as polished as a newspaper or magazine. With that outlook, you may as well send the world of blogging down the toilet and flush it away forever. Quality needs to be a top priority, and as the industry is becoming more crowded, it's needed more than ever to make you stand out. Take the time to research the subject you're writing about – look at it like a reporter or journalist would (because you are one, remember?) Be informed and authoritative to attract readers and potential industry partners who trust you as a source of travel information. Assume your readers' intelligence and come up to their level with engaging, useful, and creative posts.

8. Work with the suitable brands

Once you've got the ball rolling and built an audience, you can start thinking about working with other travel brands. Successful partnerships rely on pitching to brands that share your values and travel style, so you have to be strategic about who you choose to work with (instead of taking anything you can get!) Becki Enright has been a consumer brands PR consultant for 13 years, and is also a British Travel Press award-winning blogger for her site Borders of Adventure . Having working in both worlds, Becki has developed expert knowledge in working for and with travel brands. “A professional blog is a media outlet – treat it as such,” Becki explains. “Don’t chase after a brand for a quick freebies, but instead formulate a campaign idea and mutual relationship that has longevity. Make sure your pitch includes a solid overview of how your blog aligns with the client, and that your idea is on-point with the key messages of the destination or product, i.e. don’t pitch for luxury brand if you write about budget travel. “Do your research and know that brand in its entirety: browse their website and social accounts, find previous campaigns, and familiarise yourself with their product – show this knowledge in your pitch. Golden rule: the blog and brand should complement each other, and offer mutual benefit to a shared audience.”

9. Monetise your blog

The big question on everyone's lips: 'How can I make money from my blog?' Money won't come quickly, in huge amounts, or without doing any of all of the above, but it will come if you've taken the steps to create an engaged, loyal audience. There are a number of ways you can leverage that audience in order to make you some cash – affiliates, brand partnerships, freelance writing work, consultancy, creating your own products... to name a few – and the most successful monetisation techniques will always keep that audience in mind. Full-time adventurers Dan and Audrey of Uncornered Market have worked hard over the years to build their blogging brand, allowing them to live off the opportunities their website has lead them to.  "We look at monetisation strategically and holistically: monetise not only your blog, but your platform, your brand”, the pair explain. “Take a look at your strengths and consider ways to turn those into income generation opportunities – publish an ebook on a subject where you've got expertise, pursue freelance writing opportunities that fit with your brand so you can use your blog as a portfolio, or pitch partnerships and ambassadorships with travel brands that complement your blog and are a good match with the interests of your audience. “With brand ambassadorships be sure that there is a strong alignment in values between your blog and the company as these are long-term and deep relationships (We've been part of the Wanderers in Residence brand ambassador program with G Adventures for almost five years). Assemble a strong media kit for approaching brands, including not only your numbers (blog traffic, social media statistics, newsletter subscribers), but also your niche/story angles and the products you offer."

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How Travel Bloggers Make Money: 17 Proven Strategies in 2024

WONDERING HOW DOES A TRAVEL BLOGGER MAKE MONEY?

As a profitable travel blogger — I made $272,569 from blogging in 2022 🤯 — this article shines a light on how to make money as a travel blogger.

The most well-known ways of making money online include affiliate marketing, advertisements, and press trips.

👩‍💻  If you’re serious about making money from a travel blog, I highly recommend taking a course . Head here for info on the  best travel blogging courses . If you want to read a full review about the best one I’ve done,  head here .

Still, in an increasingly content-driven society, there are more ways to make money through travel blogging popping up every day. So, if you are wondering how to make money from a travel blog , you are in the right place.

Here are 17 of the most common ways to make money travel blogging, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box and get creative within the business of travel blogging.

17 Ways Travel Bloggers Make Money

1. creating quality content  — a lot of it.

Quality content is essential for a successful travel blog.

As the saying goes, “content is king 👑,” and travel bloggers understand the importance of this like no other. 

If you are wondering how to start travel blog and make money, this is where you should start. 

🤔 how to generate page traffic

Travel bloggers who make a lot of money understand search intent, keyword research, and SEO optimization pe to ensure their content reaches the right audience and generates traffic.

Without traffic, there is no monetization. So when it comes to how much money can you make from a travel blog, the more quality content you have, the more potential money you can earn. 

To create quality content that will bring in the most revenue, travel bloggers should learn the ins and outs of keyword research, SEO optimization, and email marketing to connect with their niche audience.

How Travel Bloggers Make Money

2. ad networks.

After creating lots of content, how do travel bloggers get paid?

One of the most common ways to make money through travel blogging is by joining an ad network.

Ad networks act as a middleman between the advertiser and the publisher (the travel blogger).

By signing up with an ad network, travel bloggers can easily place ads on their travel blogging websites. How much do travel bloggers get paid depends partially on each pageview.

🏆 popular ad networks

Three of the most well-known Ad Networks are Mediavine, Adthrive, and SheMedia, but these higher-paying ad networks have a minimum traffic requirement to be accepted into the program. For example;

• Adthrive – 100,000 monthly pageviews
• Mediavine – 50,000 monthly sessions
• SheMedia – 20,000 monthly pageviews

If you are a smaller travel blogger, there are other ad networks, Google Adsense and Ezoic , that don’t require a minimum amount of traffic, but you will find the ePMV (pay per 1000 pageviews) is much lower. 

Now, it was a lot of hard work, and I invested in travel blogging courses so I could get on these ad networks. (The best course I took was Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures — and yes, I have scaled to multiple six figures.)

3. Affiliate Marketing  

Affiliate marketing is when a travel blogger promotes another company’s products or services and receives a commission every time someone purchases the product/service through their link.

It’s one of the most lucrative strategies for how to get paid as a travel blogger, and the highest-paid travel bloggers usually credit this as their most profitable income stream. 

Many travel companies like DiscoverCars, Booking.com , SafetyWing , Expedia , Get Your Guide , and Viator have excellent affiliate programs.

👩🏻‍💻 I teach bloggers how to find keywords with big potential to earn affiliate income in my  How to Find Affiliate Marketing Keywords Class . You can read more about my class in this  Best Courses for Travel Bloggers  article.

Once accepted into an affiliate program, bloggers place links in their blog posts leading back to products/services.

These links have cookies 🍪 that follow the user to the company’s website, and the blogger receives a commission if the user purchases something on the website. 

These cookies can last anywhere from one session to one year. 

For those wondering how to become a successful travel blogger, how to monetize a travel blog, or how to become a travel blogger with no money, affiliate marketing is often the quickest and most lucrative method for how to get paid to travel blog.

🤔 How much do I make with affiliate marketing?

A lot — Using a combination of the companies listed above, my affiliate income in 2022 was $163,706 .

💡 Note: Affiliate marketing is based on trust, so it’s essential only to promote products and services you have personally used or would recommend anyway. Your audience is WAY more likely to purchase the product or service if they trust you.

4. Paid Press Trips 

Paid Press trips are another typical result when googling how to earn money from travel blog.

A paid press trip is when a travel company or destination pays a blogger to visit a location and create content around it.

This arrangement usually involves posting on social media multiple times throughout the trip and writing a blog post about the experience upon returning.

🤔 How do TO get press trips for travel bloggers?

Typically, when you go on a press trip, you’ll receive free accommodation, meals, activities, and transportation costs in return for your services. You can also receive monetary compensation on top of that.

These opportunities can be hard to find if you’re a new blogger. They are generally reserved for more famous travel bloggers, as companies prefer to work with bloggers with a large social media following and lots of website page views.

To get started with press trips, connect with tourism boards or local businesses in the area you wish to visit. You should also create a media kit that details your blog’s statistics and potential reach when making a pitch.

So, if you are wondering: how to get free trips as a travel blogger , then press trips are definitely the way to go. But remember, it’s work too, so make sure the exchange is fair

5. Ambassadorship 

Ambassadorship programs are when companies give travel bloggers free products or services in exchange for promoting them. This benefit could be anything from a free hotel stay to free travel gear or clothes.

In exchange, bloggers usually need to post about the brand or product on their social media channels and their blog – every agreement is different. 

To become a brand ambassador, research companies that fit your niche and contact them directly.

📝 Pro Tip : Create content around a specific brand before contacting the company. This content will show the brand that you are serious and will give them an example of the quality content they would get by working with you.

6. Sponsored Posts 

Sponsored posts are articles a travel blogger (or another person/company) writes about a particular product, experience, or service in exchange for payment.

These deals involve either the blogger or a third-party person writing an honest and unbiased review of the item/experience while providing their opinion, usually in favor, and a personal recommendation to readers. 

How much do travel blogs make from sponsorships? It depends. 

Companies typically pay bloggers per post or negotiate a monthly rate based on website traffic.

To get started with sponsored posts, you’ll want to create a media kit and outreach to brands in your niche. You can also join influencer networks such as TapInfluence (IZEA) to promote your services.

📝 Note: If you do a sponsored blog post, it’s essential for SEO to mark it as a sponsored post on the back end of your website and check that all links are no-follow.

7. Sponsored Links 

Sponsored links are a type of affiliate marketing , but instead of getting paid for clicks or purchases, you get paid for each link you place on your website.

Initially, this is hard to do, but if you have any popular blogs that make money, these deals are relatively easy to score.

Bloggers can use banner ads and hyperlinks or include the links in their email marketing campaigns.

🤔 how bloggers make money from sponsored links 

Generally, brands will reach out to bloggers ranking for keywords for which their company meets the demand. 

So, if you are ranking for the keyword “Renting a Car in Miami,” car rental agencies may reach out and ask if they could pay to place a link to their company within your post.

You can also contact those companies directly and ask if they would be interested in promoting their business on your blog post. 

Note: Again, for any sponsored links, it is very important that this like is marked No-follow and Sponsored. Make this clear when agreeing to sponsored links.

8. Organizing & Hosting Trips 

Organizing and hosting trips for your readers is an excellent way to nail down how to be a travel blogger and make money on your travel blog.

This monetization method involves researching destinations, choosing accommodations, planning activities, and setting up travel itineraries to places you have been and are familiar with. 

Some bloggers simply set up itineraries and help people plan their trips, but others will host the holiday themselves.

People love this because they get to travel with an expert who knows all the best tips and tricks for enjoying a destination to its fullest.

✈️ how to organize trips

The best way to find people interested in traveling with you is through your email list. These people already like you, trust you, and have taken action on your blog in the past.

You can charge a fee that covers the cost of their trip, a portion of your trip, and compensation for your time. You can also use your affiliate links to make bookings for the group and receive extra commission.

⚠️ Remember to always make sure all your attendees have travel insurance!

9. Selling Travel Photos or Videos 

If you’re a talented photographer or videographer, another strategy for how to make money travel blogging is by selling your travel photos or videos.

It’s possible to work directly with companies for their marketing campaigns, but an easier way to break into selling travel photos is with stock images.

📷 where travel bloggers Can contribute images

You can become a contributor on stock image websites like Shutterstock , iStock , and Foap . Other people can purchase and use your image royalty-free, and then you earn a commission for each image sold/downloaded. 

Or, you can also start your own online store to sell digital downloads of pictures, video clips, and even physical prints that people can buy directly from your website.

10. Monetize Your Social Media 

A website is usually the most significant income stream, but how do travel bloggers make money on social media? If you have a large social media following, you can absolutely use it to make money.

It usually involves ambassadorships and sponsored content . We have already touched on this, but creating content specifically for brands or companies and getting paid to post it on your social media channels is a great way to make money.

Whenever you post sponsored content, it’s essential to be transparent. Mark the post as sponsored and if you can use hashtags like sponsored or ad, so everyone knows the brand paid for the content.

11. Monetizing a YouTube Channel

Another way to make money as a professional travel blogger is by starting a YouTube channel and vlogging (video blogging) about your experiences.

I don’t personally have a YouTube channel, but I know a ton of travel vloggers who make a living from their travel videos. It’s a great way to earn income if you’re wondering how to make a travel blog and make money.

📷 how bloggers can make money on YouTube

Travel blogs that make money on YouTube do so through sponsorships and allowing ads to play in their videos.

The catch is you must be a part of the Youtube Partner Program to begin monetizing your channel, which requires at least 500 subscribers and either 3,000 watch hours in the previous 365 days or 3 million shorts views over the previous 90 days.

At least three public uploads in the last 90 days are also required.

12. Monetizing a Travel Podcast 

Podcasting is hard work. I know firsthand from when I started travel blogging podcasting with my podcast, Dream To Destination , in 2020.

But I also learned one of the best travel blogger tips: podcasts help your reach and domain authority. Plus you can make money with a travel podcast.

Podcasts have become extremely popular over the last few years for many reasons. People love to listen to their favorite hosts talk about their experiences and discuss the world of travel with experts from various fields.

I wrote a detailed guide, How to Start a Travel Podcast for Free (Like I Did) , so if you want a deep dive into this topic, you can check it out.

You can monetize your podcast similarly to how you monetize travel blogs, including advertisements and leaving affiliate links & promo codes in the description.

Then, if your podcast is successful enough, you may find sponsorships from travel companies who want to feature their products or services on your show.

If you don’t mind public speaking, this is an excellent option, but it also has one of the highest upfront costs since most people need to buy recording equipment before they can begin.

13. Selling Digital Projects 

Selling digital products is an excellent way for travel bloggers to monetize their content.

By creating digital products such as eBooks, printable travel planners, travel guides with travel tips, courses, and calendars, bloggers can earn a steady passive income stream from the sales of these items.

You can feature these products on your site, but highlighting them in your email list can be much more profitable. That’s because you already have a grasp on what your audience enjoys.

Digital products are great because you create them once, and then you can set up systems to sell them passively with hardly any additional work or product creation (although updating/optimizing these products regularly will increase sales)

Many bloggers use platforms like Canva to create their digital products quickly and easily; although the free version may be sufficient for some, the paid version is well worth the $13 USD per month. ▶︎ Sign up for Canva here .

Then for processing the sale of the product, I love using Gumroad and ThriveCart .

14. Selling Merch 

Selling merchandise is another strategy to get income from and have travel blog success.

You could sell anything from t-shirts and hats with your logo to reusable water bottles and notebooks. You can also create custom artwork with your logo or quotes from your blog to put on stickers or patches.

Bloggers also use their merchandise in giveaways to help build their email list or social media following.

While dipping your toes into selling physical products is a big step, there are ways to do it these days that require very little overhead with services like Printful , which will handle the printing and shipping for you.

15. Developing Travel-Related Products

If you’ve been blogging for a while and have become a successful travel blogger, you can consider creating your own product or service.

You could create an online course teaching people how to start their own travel blog or how to be a travel blogger on Instagram. You could even design custom itineraries for clients with specific interests. Be creative with it!

It’s important to understand that creating your own product or service requires more effort than other ways of making money as a travel blogger, but it can be very rewarding to provide personal coaching or travel planning for your audience. 

16. Offer VA Services

If you’re comfortable working with clients, becoming a virtual assistant (VA) is another great option for monetizing your travel blog.

It’s also a great way to continue growing your blogging skills since you will be working in close quarters with bloggers who are already successful.

VAs are in high demand and provide services like social media management, website maintenance, content writing/editing, email marketing, and more.

The great thing about this approach is that it allows you to be flexible with your schedule and work from anywhere. You can also choose which clients to take on, your working hours, and your location.

Rates vary depending on your experience and the client’s needs, but if you have been running your own blog for a couple of years, you probably have all the necessary skills to be a great VA.

You can then start to look for clients through job boards like Upwork , Freelancer , and Fiverr, but the best way to find gigs is to join Facebook blogging groups and offer your services.

17. Freelance Writing 

Freelance writing is one of the most popular travel blogger jobs for anyone who is at the beginning of their blogging journey.

It involves ghostwriting for other bloggers and businesses who are trying to publish a lot of content on their websites (typically more than they have time to write themselves). 

You will need to write from the perspective and in the voice of your client, as well as know how to write an SEO-optimized blog post to be a great freelance writer. 

👩🏻‍💻 freelance writing enhances your skills

The best part is that if you’re a current blogger, you already write a travel blog and therefore have a resume for freelance writing.

A travel blogger who sees and loves your blog is likely to hire you over another candidate because they want you to do the same for them.

Writing is one of the most popular ways travel bloggers make money before their own blog has an income high enough to sustain themselves. 

You can find freelance writing jobs on job boards such as ProBlogger , Fiver , and Contently , or you can also contact bloggers directly and ask if they have any writing projects available.

How much can you earn from a travel blog?

The sky’s the limit when it comes to making money through travel blogging. There is no set travel blogger salary. It’s similar to asking how much artists make – while some may become millionaires, others are content with a small Etsy shop. 

Successful travel bloggers achieve a high income by taking the proper steps toward monetizing their blogs. This travel blogger success often comes through coaching and courses that specialize in becoming a successful travel blogger. 

Making money from a travel blog is a lot of work, so successful bloggers regularly invest in learning to optimize their blog for SEO, learn affiliate marketing, and use their skills as leverage to score partnerships & freelancing opportunities.

What’s the average travel blogging salary?

Some bloggers have provided yearly income reports of over 1 million dollars, while others only make a couple hundred dollars each year.

 Since most bloggers do not disclose their travel blog salary, it’s hard to know the average travel blogging salary.

🏆 Here are My Blogging Stats

• I made $ 272,175 USD in 2022.
• I made $40,106 USD from blogging in December 2022 — $24,151 from affiliate marketing, $9,382 from ads on my site, and $6,572 selling my own products, like this Affiliate Marketing course .
• My main website (not this one) received 205,000+ page views in December 2022, and more than 2.6 million page views in 2022.
• Want to know how I did it? Join my email list , where I share tips on how I make such a crazy amount of money after just 2.5 years of blogging.

How to Become a Travel Blogger

Like most things, I believe there’s a right and wrong strategy for how to start a travel blog and make money.

If you want to learn how to become a travel blogger and make money, I highly suggest investing in a travel blogging course with step-by-step instructions so you start it off right.

The best blogging course I’ve done is Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures — and I’ve done quite a few courses .

There is a system to travel blogging success, and you either know the system or you don’t. 

You’re either writing SEO-optimized content with high volume, low competition keywords that will rank on Page 1 of Google, or no one will see your content. In fact, stats say only 25% of users even go to Page 2 of Google.

Through travel blogging courses, I learned that how to become a travel blogger and get paid means I need to write the articles that people want to read, not just the articles I want to write.

I learned how to get my content on Page 1 of Google with search engine optimization (SEO) — in fact, that’s likely how you found this article!

The way I see it, you can spend time, or you can spend money.

You can either spend your time trying to find good free content, which could take years and still not pan out, or you can pay a professional to learn what they’re doing, so you can simply replicate their success.

Ready to invest in a travel blogging course? 👉 Head here to see the best ones!

How Travel Bloggers Make Money: FAQs

Ready to make money blogging? Here are some frequently asked questions about how much does a travel blogger make and how to earn money from travel blog. Ready?

How much money can you make as a travel blogger?

There is no ceiling to how much money you can earn. Travel bloggers can make anywhere between zero and seven figures, depending on their monthly traffic, the products/services they recommend, and how well their affiliate links convert to customers.

Do travel blogs really make money?

Yes — travel blogs really do make money through various sources like affiliate marketing, joining ad travel blogger networks, selling digital products, and paid sponsorships. 

It takes dedication and hard work to build up an audience and monetize your blog, but it can make you a lot of money over time.

Who is the highest-paid travel blogger?

It’s hard to know who the highest paid travel bloggers are, but some of the top travel bloggers like Matt Kepnes (Nomadic Matt) , Dave & Deb (The Planet D) , Kiersten (The Blonde Abroad) likely make upwards of $100 000 per month from their travel blog and services.

Is it hard to make money as a travel blogger?

Making money as a travel blogger is hard work. It’s a marathon, not a sprint, and it often takes a couple of years before you have an established travel blog making a lot of money. 

However, with the right strategy, it is absolutely possible. The best way to speed up the process is by hiring an experienced blogging coach like me — I offer 1 on 1 coaching services.

Is it too late to start a travel blog?

No — It’s never too late to start a travel blog. The travel space is constantly evolving, and there are always new opportunities for aspiring bloggers. 

Established blogs are better positioned for gaining traffic and making money from their blog, but there are millions of keyword opportunities, and new bloggers rank #1 on Google every day!

Final Thoughts: How Travel Bloggers Make Money

And there you go. Those are the most common strategies travel bloggers use to make money! Now you know how travel bloggers earn money and that there is no limit on the question, how much money do travel bloggers make?

Whether you are in travel blogging for beginners or an expert looking for more travel blogging tips, there are many different ways to monetize a travel blog.

In the end, don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Ready to make money from travel blog? Good luck!

Ready to invest in a travel blogging course? 👉 Sign up for the FREE live webinar to meet my coach Laura, who has helped me grow my blog fast!

✈️ How To Start a Travel Blog That Makes Money In 2024

Starting a travel blog is an exciting way to share your travel experiences.

Not only do you get to explore the world, but you also have the opportunity to build a community of fellow travel enthusiasts — and make a substantial income while you’re at it.

At Authority Hacker, we’ve guided over 14,000 students in creating profitable blogs, many of whom are in the travel niche.

We’ve also found unlocked the secrets of turning blog visitors into cash – check out this sampling of affiliate commissions we’ve earned over the years.

To help you find similar success, we’ve distilled our expertise into this 10-step guide.

Why Start a Travel Blog

Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or just setting out on your first adventure, creating a travel blog can be a fulfilling path.

For starters, the travel industry is booming right now, and starting a travel blog lets you capitalize on that popularity. More than 90% of Americans plan to travel in 2024 , and the global travel industry was estimated to rake in a whopping 7 trillion  dollars .

Travel blogging also empowers you to make a positive impact   on aspiring travelers. By sharing your experiences and insights, you can help people achieve their travel goals.  

But the best part of starting a travel blog is getting paid to travel . With just a laptop and internet access, you could grow your travel site anywhere. And with affiliate marketers in the travel niche earning an average of $13,847 per month , there’s ample opportunity to make good money.

Successful Travel Site Examples

The best way to learn how to start a travel blog is by studying other accomplished travel bloggers. Here are a few great examples:

SANspotter documents Scott Leazenby’s travel adventures, with a particular focus on airlines, airport lounges, and specific flight routes.

The Hawaii vacation Guide

The Hawaii Vacation Guide helps people make the most out of their vacation to the Hawaiian islands. They share itineraries, recommendations, reviews, and more.

SV Delos teaches aspiring sailors how to travel the world on a sailboat. They share sailing videos, safety tips, and sell their own merchandise.

How To Start a Travel Blog in 10 Steps

Here is a foolproof guide to launching a successful travel site in ten easy steps:

1 Narrow Down Your Travel Blog’s Niche

A niche is a specific, focused area within a given topic. You can cover broad niches — in this case, the travel industry — and smaller sub-niches. For example, some sub-niches in the travel space could be:

• Family Travel: Tips on traveling with small children or a growing family.
• Voluntourism:  How to volunteer your time in exchange for lodging and experiences.
• Regional Food Tourism: Food or beverage guides across different regions.
• Van Life Travel: Tips for living and traveling in a van.

At first glance, you may think it’s a good idea to keep your niche broad, but there are two big reasons you should narrow down your niche:

• It’s much easier to be seen as an expert in a smaller sub-niche than in the broader “travel” niche. Being seen as an expert can help your branding and make it easier to grow a following.
• Google rewards sites that focus on small corners of larger niches with higher search rankings.

You can widen your niche as your site grows, but starting with a narrow focus will help you grow your audience and start making money faster.

Ready to find a sub-niche? Here’s how:

First, make a list of all the potential niches you’re considering within the travel space, as well as some competing websites within those niches.

There are a few ways to do this.  One method involves searching Google for keywords related to your topic (like “family travel tips”) to find blogs specializing in that niche.

👉 Check our list of Travel Blog Examples

You can also search through blog aggregators like Detailed to find high-traffic sites within your desired sub-niche.

One of our favorite tools for finding competitors and analyzing site traffic is Ahrefs . It lets you type in a competitor’s website and click on the Organic Competitors  tab on the left sidebar.

This conveniently brings up a list of that site’s top competitors; add any that seem relevant to your list.

Once you have a list of competitors, the next step is to check the traffic volume for each competing website in the niches you’re considering to get an idea of that niche’s traffic potential.

You can check a website’s organic traffic using the Competitive Research tool on SE Ranking , which offers a free trial.

You can further narrow down your selection by using Google Trends  to compare the search traffic of each potential niche.

Choosing your niche is a big decision, and it’s important to feel confident before moving forward. But don’t dwell too long on the decision-making process — chances are, you already know which niche is calling your name the loudest.

If you still need some guidance, check out our in-depth guide to choosing a successful niche:

2 Choose a Blogging Platform

The next step in becoming a successful travel blogger is choosing a blogging platform.

Free social blogging platforms like Blogger and Medium are great for casual bloggers, but they have some major downsides if you’re serious about building a successful travel blog. They severely restrict customization, limit the types of content you can post, and significantly reduce blog monetization options .  

Instead, I recommend building your own website. Here’s why:

• You’ll have full control over your site and won’t have to adhere to strict rules and lack of customization options.
• No one can delete your content or shut down your blog.
• You’ll have the flexibility to earn money through affiliate marketing, display ads, and other revenue sources.
• You can use search engine optimization (SEO) to target specific keywords and send traffic to your blog.
• It’s easy to integrate your blog with your social media accounts.
• You can build an email list to create another traffic source and protect your blog from negative Google algorithm changes.

To build your website, I recommend using WordPress.org   (not to be confused with WordPress.com) . It’s free to use and offers complete control over your site’s design and functionality with thousands of themes and plugins.

3 Choose Your Domain Name

Your domain name is essentially your website’s address on the internet. It includes your website’s name and a domain extension.  

A good domain name is important because it builds credibility with your audience and helps them remember you.

So, what should you look out for when choosing a domain name?

• Keep it short and simple . Short domain names are easier to remember. Aim for no more than three words.
• Keep it broad and relevant. You want a domain name that is relevant to your sub-niche but allows for expansion into other areas of your broad niche later on.
• Check social media availability. If you plan on using social media, make sure the name you want is available on all platforms. You can quickly check for username availability on the most popular platforms through Brandsnag .
• Research trademarks: Avoid legal issues by ensuring your domain name isn’t trademarked through the Trademark Electronic Search System .
• Choose a .com domain: A .com domain is familiar to users and provides higher trust than other extensions. If your domain is taken, you can consider using a .com alternative  like .org, io, or .net.
• Avoid confusion: Your domain name should be easy to spell and pronounce so users can share your site via word of mouth. Also, avoid using random numbers, underscores, and dashes.

If you’re having trouble brainstorming the perfect domain name, use the free Brandsnap  tool to get AI-generated domain suggestions.

Once you’ve found the perfect domain name for your travel site, it’s time to purchase it.

I recommend using Namecheap . They offer domain names for as little as $10 per year.

4 Buy Web Hosting

The next step in becoming a travel blogger is to find and purchase web hosting.

While your domain name points users to your site, a web host stores and makes your website’s content accessible online.

Bluehost is a popular option, as it’s quite inexpensive. However, if you’re aiming for speed, reliability, and top-notch performance, SiteGround  is our recommendation.

They offer a steep discount for first-year users, making the price difference between Bluehost and SiteGround negligible.

Here are 7 easy steps to setting up web hosting through SiteGround:

Step 1: Go to SiteGround’s WordPress hosting page

Step 2: Choose the cheapest hosting plan. The StartUp plan offers more than enough features to get you going on your travel site.

Step 3: Enter your domain name and click Proceed.

Step 4: Enter your account information.

Step 5: Add payment info and choose your package length. The 12-month option generally offers the best deal.

Step 6: Skip the extra services since they are unnecessary for a new site.

Step 7: Point your domain name to SiteGround . This is done through the DNS settings on Namecheap (or wherever you purchased your domain name). If you have any issues, just contact SiteGround’s support team.

Congratulations! This wraps up the more tedious side of starting a new site.

5 Choose a Theme for Your Travel Blog

Choosing a theme is the first step in curating your site’s aesthetic.

Your theme will affect almost every aspect of your site, including user experience, mobile responsiveness, functionality, and even security. You can always change it later, but we highly recommend choosing a great theme from the beginning.

I recommend choosing a free theme that offers a premium upgrade option . Free themes are fine for starting, but they have limitations that will hamper your blog’s growth.

A “freemium” theme lets you save money at the beginning and avoid the complexities of switching themes later on.

You’ll also want your theme to be visually interesting and convey the right message to your audience. However, most themes make it easy to change colors, branding, photos, and layout, so this isn’t a huge factor.

Therefore, you should prioritize features like speed, customer support, seamless plug-in integration, and easy customization.

Our favorite free themes for new sites are Astra, Kadence, and GeneratePress. They offer premium upgrades and are remarkably fast, easy to customize, and have great support teams.

Ultra-fast and compatible with all of the most popular no-code page builders.

Versatile and highly customizable design great for many use cases.

Boasts total design freedom through an easy-to-use drag-and-drop system.

Once you’ve decided on the perfect theme for your travel blog, it’s time to install it. There are four easy steps to have your theme up and running in just a few minutes:

Step 1: Go to the WordPress dashboard.

Step 2: Go to the left sidebar and select Appearance  > Themes

Step 3: Click “Add New”

Step 4: Search for the name of your chosen theme and click “Activate.”

6 Decide on Design & Branding

Design and branding will help your WordPress site stand out and provide a much-needed personal touch. This will include customizing a color palette, creating a logo, and ensuring your site has a cohesive design.

Your color palette should reflect the vibe of your travel sub-niche. For example, an eco-tourism travel blog can use earthy tones like forest green, deep brown, and muted clay to echo the natural environments that the content focuses on. Alternatively, a luxury travel blog might use a palette of rich gold, elegant black, and crisp white to evoke a sense of sophistication and opulence.

Our favorite tool for choosing harmonious and beautiful color palettes is Coolors .

Just tap the spacebar, and it’ll curate beautiful color palettes in seconds. You can save entire palettes or individual colors. Jot down the six-digit color code for each of the colors you choose.

Next, you’ll need a logo.

It’s important to create a logo that is professional, relevant to your niche, and sets the tone for what your audience can expect from your site.

Canva  makes creating a beautiful logo quick and easy. Their free tier has tons of great logo templates you can use.

From here, you can customize your logo with your site’s name, color palette, and any other necessary tweaks to reflect your brand’s image and unique personality.

7 Create Essential Pages

Next up, you’ll want to create the essential pages for your travel blog. This will help give your readers a way to contact you, learn more about you and your brand, and cover some important legal information.

Your homepage is the “home base” for your blog. It should help your audience easily navigate your site, and it’s a great place to showcase content, build trust, and reinforce your brand identity.

Your About page is where you’ll share your story and what prompted you to start a travel blog. The more personable and relatable you can make your about page, the better.

Share your background, photos, personal stories, and anything else that will instill trust in your readers.

This is one of the most important pages on any site, so it’s best to take your time to make it shine. Here are some killer about me page examples  for inspiration.

Contact Page

This is where readers and potential collaborators can directly contact you. At the least, this page should include either a contact form or your email address.

This is also a great place to include links to your social media accounts.

Privacy Policy + Terms and Conditions

Did you know that you’re legally required to outline how a website collects, uses, discloses, and manages the personal information of its users?

To comply with this, make a Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions page using PrivacyPolicies.com .

Creating a new page in WordPress only takes a couple of seconds. Just log in to your account and click Pages > Add new on the left-hand side of your dashboard .

8 Start Creating Content

Now that you’ve created your site, it’s time to start creating content.

The best way to do this is to create keyword-focused content  that people are searching for on Google. If you can rank well for search terms, you’ll get traffic that you can convert into revenue.

However, you can’t simply write about the highest-traffic keywords and expect to rank. The higher the traffic potential, the more competition from big websites. A new blog will have a hard time competing for the best terms.  

That’s why I recommend finding low-competition keywords  with decent search volume . You won’t get as much traffic as the biggest keywords, but your new travel blog actually stands a chance of ranking.

Tools like Ahrefs  make this super easy to do.

Let’s say you want to create a site that teaches people how to live in a van. If I type “van life” into Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer tool, I get matching terms and topics like:

You can then use these keywords to develop article ideas that have a shot at ranking.

For example, based on the keywords above, some of your first article titles could be:

• “The 10 Best Vans For Vanlife”
• “50 Van Life Essentials You Don’t Want To Forget”
• “The Best Van Life Shower Ideas For Your Build”

Once you’ve come up with 10 article titles, it’s time to start writing the content. Here are a few tips to help you write engaging, search-optimized content for your travel blog:

• Know your audience. If you specialize in budget backpacking, you want to promote products and experiences that resonate with that purpose. You likely wouldn’t promote luxury hotel experiences or high-end gear.
• Share personal photos. You don’t need to be a professional photographer. Google loves original images, and your iPhone is more than capable of capturing quality images. Share your relevant photos that you’re proud of wherever you can.
• Stay on topic. Your readers will love to read about your adventures and stories, but remember that they clicked on your article to answer a question or find a solution. Make sure you give your readers the answers they’re looking for in an easy-to-digest way.
• Go the extra mile. People want the best tips, insider knowledge, and up-to-date information. Be sure you create quality content so your readers know they can look to you as an expert.
• Be conversational . Talk to your readers as if they’re a next-door neighbor.
• Make it scannable . Readers looking for specific answers tend to scan the page. Use headings and bold words to help your audience find information quickly, as they might click away if they can’t locate the information they need.
• Share stories. The beauty of having a travel blog is that your readers likely have a severe case of wanderlust, too. Personal stories are a great way to stoke that fire and keep your audience coming back for more.
• Travel. Visiting travel destinations allows you to share firsthand tips, photos, and insights.

Hopefully, this inspires you to create the most engaging and helpful content you can. Not only will Google reward you with front-page rankings, but it’ll keep your audience regularly coming back for more.  

9 Promote Your Travel Blog

There’s so much more to building an audience than clicking “post” and crossing your fingers. It’s important to start spreading the word about your site and getting eyes on your content.

Here are five actionable ways you can promote your site today:

• Collaborate with the community: If you’re writing in the van life niche, you can make a blog post sharing beautiful van builds or telling stories from other van lifers on social media. Be sure to send them an email and tag them in your post. They’ll likely be excited to share your article with their own followers.
• Engage in travel forums : Find Facebook groups and Reddit forums in your niche and share any of your content that can help answer a question someone may have.
• Leverage social media: Platforms like TikTok and Instagram push content to the people they think will benefit from a post. Share helpful tips and tricks, stories, and inspiration that lure readers to your site. Videos tend to outperform photos or text posts on these platforms.
• Build an email list: Offer incentives like a free travel guide or exclusive tips to prompt readers to sign up for your newsletter. Since you own your email list, it’s one of the best long-term growth strategies for any blog.
• Write guest posts: Find other websites in a similar niche and offer to write a guest post. This will encourage their audience to visit your travel blog, and backlinks can boost your SEO.

However you promote your blog, ensure you’re being helpful and not just posting your content to promote it. People don’t like spammy, unsolicited promotional tactics.

10 Monetize Your Travel Blog

There are a few ways to start making money with your blog. It will likely take several months of diligent posting, but you can make money on your WordPress blog if you stick with it.

Some of the most popular ways to monetize your travel blog are:

Affiliate Marketing

Promote other people’s products and earn a commission when someone makes a purchase.

Why It’s Great: You can earn from products your audience is interested in without having to deal with the complexity of selling your own product.

Get Started: One of the easiest ways to start affiliate marketing is through Amazon Associates , but there are plenty of travel affiliate programs  you can join to start earning money.  

Affiliate marketing is as easy as signing up, promoting products, and getting your audience to buy. Read our guide on how to start affiliate marketing  if you want to learn more.

Display Ads

Show advertisements on your blog and earn money every time your audience views or engages with an ad on your site.

Why It’s Great: As long as you drive traffic to your site, you’ll make money. Ads are a great supplement to other monetization methods and can earn a substantial amount on their own if you get enough visitors.

Get Started: The Ezoic  ad network is a good option for new blogs, as there’s no traffic minimum to sign up. However, you should switch to a better network like Mediavine (50,000 minimum monthly pageviews) or Raptive (100,000 minimum monthly pageviews) once you meet their traffic requirements.

Selling Your Own Products

Develop and sell digital or physical products your audience is interested in.

Why It’s Great: Selling products is usually much more profitable than other monetization methods. Once you’ve built up a base of income from ads and affiliate recommendations, launching a product is a great way to take your revenue to the next level.

Get Started: You can consider selling travel guides, printable maps, travel budgeting spreadsheets, photography prints, courses, and more. You can sell these directly on your website or through a third party like Etsy  or Teachable .

Sponsored Content

Partner with brands to promote their products in your blog posts or other content.

Why It’s Great: Sponsors will pay you upfront for the privilege of publishing a favorable post on your blog. They’ll often write the post for you as well, making it an easy way to earn extra cash.

Get Started: Make a “Work With Us” page on your blog that advertises you’re open to sponsored content. Share basic information about your readership, such as demographics and monthly traffic. Check out Pinch of Yum’s Sponsored Content page for more information.

Starting a travel blog is an exciting journey with real earning potential.

But let’s face it: the steps outlined in this article are just the beginning.

To truly excel and turn your blog into a profitable business, you’ll need to dive deeper.

That’s why we’ve created a free training packed with advanced strategies. You’ll learn seven key secrets that can boost your blog’s success rate by 83%.

Ready to level up your travel blogging game?

Join the free training now.

Do Travel Bloggers Get Paid?

Travel bloggers get paid quite a lot. In fact, the average travel blogger earns $13,847 per month . The most common ways to monetize your blog include affiliate marketing, display ads, and selling your own products.

How Much Does It Cost To Start a Travel Blog?

It can cost as little as $35 to start a travel blog. The only mandatory purchases are a domain name and web hosting, though expanding your blog’s functionality will add hundreds to the overall cost.  

How Do Travel Blogs Make Money?

A professional travel blogger can earn money through affiliate marketing, display ads, selling digital or physical products, and making courses for other travelers.

Who Is the Highest-Paid Travel Blogger?

Nomadic Matt is regarded as the highest-paid travel blogger, earning more than $750,000 per year . He is a New York Times best-selling author, affiliate marketer, course creator, and devout traveler.

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6 steps to become a successful and profitable travel blogger

May 21, 2019

If you've got the travel bug, get this guide on how to start and grow a travel blog, plus key ways to earn significant income as a successful travel blogger.

You’re sitting at your desk daydreaming about being on an island somewhere in the south Caribbean.

Just a fun little cliff dive will do.

And when you need a break from waterfalls, your mind takes you on a quick plane ride to a quaint cafe in the middle of a historic European town with cobblestone roads running through it.

Ah, the joys of travel, adventure, and hopping between different cultures.

How do you make traveling while working a reality?

If you’ve ever dreamt about becoming a travel blogger, here’s a reality check -- you can make it happen and get paid to do it, but it isn’t a cakewalk. You have to be willing to put in the hours and hustle to monetize your blog .

Is it worth it? Definitely. Is it as easy as writing a few blog posts and calling it a day? Not quite.

Today, we share with you the realities of being a travel blogger and the steps you need to take to join their ranks as a well-paid traveler.

Let’s get to the important bits first: Just how worth it is becoming a travel blogger?    

How much can you make as a travel blogger?

You can make as little as nothing, or you can earn a substantial income as a travel blogger. It all depends on your persistence and having the right monetization plan set up.

After all, the demand for reading travel content online is growing. Digital travel content sees double-digit growth year-over-year.

When you’ve got your foundation properly laid out, you can earn over $3,000 per month , just like these fellow travel bloggers:

Nora earns over $3,000 per month from her The Professional Hobo travel blog. Nora has been traveling full-time since 2007 and has stepped foot on over 55 countries.

At the mid-range, Monica earns $10,000 in monthly income from her The Travel Hack blog, which she started in 2009.  

Finally, on the far side of the revenue scale, Matt Kepnes pulls in over $50,000 a month through his Nomadic Matt site. Matt has been trotting the globe since 2006.

Pretty impressive, right?

Don’t worry if a decade of blogging sounds daunting to you. If you continue to publish valuable content regularly, your audience will grow, and so will your love of the craft.

The main takeaway is to build up your stamina for the long-term. If you do, you’ll be miles ahead of the norm, where a whopping 59.3% of bloggers start a blog and then abandon it.

With a bit of perseverance, running your own travel blog can be profitable because the startup and maintenance costs are relatively minimal. Still, some costs to take into consideration are:

Additional folks to help with your production as you grow and hire virtual assistants , freelance writers, and so on

Website maintenance, like hosting and domain registration

Automation and management tools, like your platform or email service

All in all:

You can earn a significant income as a travel blogger with today’s growing demand for digital travel content. So long as you keep up your blog over the long-term, you’ll be successful at it.

As for how to get started, check out our simple, six-step system below.

6 steps to start a travel blog

Step #1. find a theme based on your travel passion.

Your first step is to find an angle based on your travel passion. You don’t have to cover everything travel-related. Instead, narrow in on a niche or theme.

To whittle it down to one travel theme, ask yourself:

What is it about traveling you enjoy the most?

When you travel, what do you gravitate toward most? Is it the people, culture, food, natural environment, or history?

As an example, blogger Dan focuses on traveling solo and capturing the world’s scenic wonders through his professional photography, which is featured in his Dan Flying Solo blog.

Couple Megan McDuffie and Michael van Vliet focus on a completely different theme, and spotlight on their Fresh Off the Grid blog delicious foods and easy recipes you can make while camping and traveling to outdoor destinations.

As you can see, you can get creative while selecting your theme and choose from a wide array of niches within the travel category.

The key is to get specific so you can focus on one niche audience. Once you’ve done that, and only when you’ve settled on a niche, you’re ready for the next step.

Step #2. Research and learn about your niche audience

Once you’ve selected your niche topic, it’s time to conduct market research . This step isn’t optional: market research is vital for understanding your audience and gaining clarity on what they’re interested in.

After all, your goal is to deliver to your blog audience precisely what they want and need. Good business is about solving people’s problems, ideally before they’re aware of those problems.

As for an effective way to conduct your research, start by diving into online forums, discussions, and social media groups to uncover popular points of interest within your topic.

For instance, a quick query for “travel photography” in Reddit pulls up several Subreddit threads within the 2.7 million large online community.

This serves as a great place to glean some useful insights for your blog. You can brainstorm ideas on how to educate and solve some of your audience’s related problems based on what you glean from social communities.

Better yet, take it a step further and join these groups to start engaging with members to learn first-hand what they’re biggest struggles are and how they talk about those struggles.

That way, you can address their needs in your blog articles and provide valuable, educational content to your audience using their own words.

In a nutshell:

The only way you can serve your niche is by getting to know them. Use social communities and one-on-one conversations to dig into people’s problems and find ways that your blog can solve them.

Then, begin writing.

Step #3. Start writing regularly (and imperfectly)

When people ask writers how they produce so much content, the answer is always a little disappointing, but true: we just start writing.

You need to do the same. Because your blog is something you need to keep up over the long-term, don’t let your perfectionism slow you down at the starting line.

Your style, voice, content, formatting, and et cetera will organically develop over time. The important thing is to start writing a blog , not writing it perfectly.

Curious about which topics to cover in your first articles?

Use the info you gathered from your market research and focus on educating your readers about how to overcome their challenges.

The more specific and useful your content is, the better. 57.2% of people who thought the content was meant for someone else claim the content wasn’t useful.

Your first few attempts to write for your audience probably won’t be perfect, but the sooner you get started, the better you’ll become at writing for your niche.

Plus, the more you get to know your audience as you build relationships through your blog, the more you can cater to your readers’ needs, which means the better your content will be.

It’s a nicely self-sustaining cycle that way.

OK, the writing part is the bulk of the work, but if you’re just starting out, you’ll need to do some extra hustle with logistics.

Step #4. Purchase your domain name and choose a blogging platform

Your next step is to purchase your domain name and choose a blogging platform.

To purchase your domain name, check out these top five domain registrars :

As far as blogging platforms go, there are numerous platforms to choose from, including Blogger , WordPress , and Squarespace .

Keep in mind, your bigger goal is to monetize your site, so look out for the ability to integrate your blog with a product page, or use an all-in-one platform like Podia, which allows you to manage everything from a streamlined dashboard.

You can check out the platform’s ease of use by signing up for no-obligation free trial , where you’ll find an editor dashboard that has a convenient left-hand editing bar and corresponding real-time updates displayed in the right frame.

Pretty easy to navigate, yeah?

Regardless of the domain registrar and platform you choose, be sure to select those that work best for your budget and business goals over the long-term.

Many hosting packages boast attractively low prices for the first year, but significantly higher premiums once the promotion expires, so it’s worth checking out what your post-discount price will be for the coming years before signing anything.

After all, you’ll want to keep up your travel blog and grow your business over time, and that’s far harder to accomplish if you’re hit with unexpected fees midstride.

Once hosting and domain names are taken care of, it’s time to dig into the fun part of setting up your blog -- the design.

Step #5. Keep a simple design

Keeping with the theme, I’ll say it plainly: Use a simple design for your travel blog.

94% of first impressions are design-related, and 88% of visitors are less likely to come back if they have a bad experience. The more complicated your design is, the more chances you have for something to go wrong.

To keep your visitors coming back, we recommend keeping a clean and simple blog design, which means:

Lots of white space

Easy to navigate

In other words, something like Chris and Rob Taylor’s 2TravelDads site.

By following in Chris and Rob’s footsteps, you’ll create a positive user experience (UX) for your audience, which is essential for building your business.

Design-driven businesses have outperformed the S&P by 228% over the last decade, so keep that in mind as you continue to expand and grow your own.    

The big lesson is:

Maintain a simple design for your travel blog that’s easy for your readers to navigate. This will create a great UX for your visitors and strengthen your business growth overall.

Step #6. Upload and publish your blog content

At this stage, it’s time to upload and publish your blog articles.

Since you’ve already written your articles, publishing your posts is the easy part. Depending on your platform, you simply upload your written content in the form field and include a featured image.

If you want to get more advanced, you can set up different blog categories, include tags , write a meta description , and customize your URL slug .

Whatever you use, ensure you’re using it consistently. Publishing posts regularly is vital to the success of your blog.

Why? Your readers will get acclimated to anticipating your new content and relying you as the expert on your topic, especially as you accumulate emails and send out announcements about your latest article posts.

As for the nitty-gritty of frequency, bloggers who publish weekly are 2.5x more likely to report “strong results” than those who post monthly or less.

So, make it a habit to maintain a regular posting schedule over time to grow your blog.

Now that you have your blog page all set up, it’s time to grow your audience and start monetizing your site.

Let’s dive into some tactics on how to promote your blog and grow your audience.

How do you grow your blog audience?

#1. tap into social media.

Use social media to publish posts about your travel blog articles and reach new readers.

66% of marketers use blogs in their social media content, so it’s worth using your social platforms to spread the word about each of your published articles.

If you’re wondering which channels to focus on, continue researching your niche market to find out where your target audience hangs out the most.

Most likely, your audience will be on Facebook. 61% of marketers claimed Facebook as the most important channel for the fifth year in a row.

Note, however, that Instagram is on the rise and can make for a great social channel for expanding your travel blog audience, especially because the platform is visually based.  

Like with all of your published content, be sure to post regularly, so your audience gets used to hearing from you as the expert on your travel topic. The more followers you accumulate for your content, the greater your industry authority will become.

Of course, getting a little outside help with said industry authority wouldn’t be a bad idea, either.

#2. Guest post on other prominent blogs

Another way to expand your audience reach is to guest post on other blogs that receive more traffic than yours.

It’s an effective way to get in front of a broader related audience, while also contributing your valuable knowledge by forcing you to write for a new audience, so it’s a win-win for both parties.

To guest post, follow five simple steps :

Find relevant blogs to target

Prep your guest post

Send your pitch

Write your guest post

Well-established travel blogs that accept guest posts typically have writing guidelines for you to follow, like Practical Wanderlust’s site.

For a list of travel blogs that accept guest posts, you can check out these two lists by WritersInCharge or Effective Business Ideas , to see if they fit your niche.

Note, however, that while guest blogging is a viable strategy and good for building your audience, it's not as easy as it used to be and the return isn’t super impressive.

So, keep in mind this strategy may be a good supplement for audience growth, but it’s not ideal for driving the bulk of your outreach.

As for what is ideal for driving your outreach, check out our next strategy.

#3. Create a lead magnet to attract new readers

Use a lead magnet to entice new readers to opt-in for more of your content and join your email list.

A lead magnet, if you’re unaware, is an incentive you offer your visitors by giving away content for free in exchange for their email address so you can continue to communicate with and warm up your audience to your brand and other paid offers.  

Lead magnets come in a wide array of formats, including cheat sheets, templates, assessments, guides, how-tos, checklists, ebooks, whitepapers, video tutorials, and et cetera.  

For instance, founder of travel blog Backpacker Banter , Chris, offers a free guide at the top of his travel blog, where subscribers can opt in for his travel planning guide in exchange for their name and email.

By collecting his readers’ contact info and email, Chris can then send subsequent emails to nurture his audience further.

In other words, he can email content that continues to educate his audience, touch on their problems, and help to solve their biggest needs, through more blog articles and paid offers.

Fortunately, the secret to making lead magnets work is pretty simple -- be clear about your offer. When you give your subscribers a good idea of the kind of content they’re signing up for, you can boost your opt-in rate by almost 85% .

Offer a helpful lead magnet to grow your blog audience and nurture them toward your additional valuable content and paid offers through your email list.

Now, let’s look at our last audience-builder for the day.

#4. Use SEO to build organic traffic

Using organic inbound marketing, like search engine optimization (SEO), to attract visitors to your blog is one of the most powerful ways to expand your audience.

Bloggers who earn over $50,000 annually rate unpaid organic Google traffic as the most important marketing channel for their blog.

It’s no wonder when over 50% of traffic to websites in the travel industry comes from search.

What are some search engine optimization tips to use?

Use keyword research - You can try tools like Ahrefs and BuzzSumo to find out which keywords and terms are the most popular. If there is a lot of traffic and low keyword difficulty competing for those terms, that’s a good recipe for an article topic.

Match your content intent with your keywords - It doesn’t matter how many keywords are mentioned in your article if the intent behind those keywords doesn’t match up, so be sure to prioritize the humans behind the keyword volume.

Be mobile-friendly - Searches on mobile have far surpassed desktop searches, which means it’s imperative your blog content is optimized for mobile devices.

An important takeaway is to focus on serving your audience relevant, useful content on your travel blog, which helps you become a credible expert on your topic. As people search for more info, your goal is to rank as the top resource within your travel niche.

OK, with audience growth under your belt, it’s time to leverage your growing audience and earn money from your travel blog.

How do you make money as a travel blogger?

#1. participate in affiliate marketing programs.

Looking for a simple monetization method? Use affiliate marketing to earn income as a travel blogger.

Affiliate marketing, if you need a refresher, is when you promote an outside business’ product or service on your blog and earn a commission for each sale you make on their behalf.

With 20% of publishers’ annual revenue being generated through affiliate marketing, it’s a profitable channel for monetizing your travel blog.

Top travel affiliate programs to consider are:

Amazon Associates

Booking.com

Cruise Direct

Sandals Resorts

TripAdvisor

If you’re curious about how much you can earn using affiliate marketing, founder of Living the Dream travel blog, Jeremy, earns about $25,000 per year through his travel affiliate programs.

As you explore affiliate programs, keep in mind anything you promote should align with your brand and serve your audience (are you noticing a theme?).

After all, you’re doing all this work to build your credibility as a trusted resource, so it’s best to protect the credibility and loyalty that you’ve grown with the same audience-first approach to monetization.

The same is true for the next monetization method, as well.

#2. Partner with related brands

Another way to get paid as a travel blogger is by partnering with complementary brands.

Similar to affiliate marketing, in a brand partnership, you also promote an outside business’ product or service on your blog.

Rather than earning a commission on each sale, you earn income based on an agreement between you and your brand partner, which means the expectations and pay levels vary.

For instance, creator of Expert Vagabond blog, Matthew Karsten, earns $4,000 – $20,000 per deal with brand partnerships and influencer marketing, depending on what’s involved.

For a frame of reference, Matthew’s travel blog overall pulled in over $250,000 in 2018.

Brands can pay you for a wide variety of travel-related gigs from guest posting to taking over their Instagram account to going on an all-expense-covered trip to one of their destinations.

To find brand partnerships, you can follow these five simple steps :

Reach out to brands that share your audience

Create content within a set timeframe

Understand the expectations

Be true to your brand (even if it means turning down freebies)

Build a relationship with the brand

Note that partnerships aren’t usually available for newcomers in an industry -- they’re often reserved for influencers -- so while this is one of the most lucrative ways to monetize, it’s also one of the hardest to land.

Fortunately, ads and sponsored posts are far more beginner-friendly.

#3. Use paid ads and sponsored posts

Another way to earn revenue through your travel blog is to use paid ads or sponsored posts.

Because your SEO is your most powerful way to attract organic visitors, we recommend using Google AdSense if you’re going this route. Google AdSense naturally aligns with your SEO tactics and complies with most adblocking suites' “ acceptable ads ” policies.

How does it work?

Basically, advertisers pay Google AdSense to show relevant ads on your blog pages that complement your content. Ads are displayed as text-only, image-only, or text and image ads.

Here’s an example of text and image ads displayed in one of A Broken Backpack’s travel blog articles.

In exchange for the ad being displayed on your site, you get paid, though the amount varies depending on these factors :

Your blog’s traffic volume

The type of traffic

The number of advertisers competing in your niche

The type of content published on your blog

The position of your ads

Paid ads come with a fair warning, however. 92% of online ads aren’t even noticed, and 64% say ads today are annoying or intrusive, so you may not want to rely on paid ads alone.  

Another way to drive revenue to your blog site is through sponsored articles, where an outside entity pays you to include a mention of their product or service on your blog.

For instance, successful travel blogger, Raphael Alexander, dedicated an entire article on his Journey Wonders blog to his post sponsor Tep Wireless.

It’s important to note it’s a legal requirement to include a disclosure for any paid sponsored content on your blog, which Raphael does at the end of his post.

While you can earn a significant amount from sponsored posts, this one also comes with a caveat -- 54% of your readers don’t trust sponsored content, and 57% of readers prefer you run banners ads instead of sponsored articles.

If paid ads and sponsored articles don’t sound ideal to you, our final tactic is a more trusted way to monetize your travel site.

#4. Sell digital products online

You can also sell digital products on your own website, such as online courses and ebooks, to earn a significant income from your travel blog.

Creating online courses and publishing ebooks are great examples of how you can share your travel expertise while pulling in revenue, but don't just take my word for it. Let's look at some examples.

First up is Taylor Jackson, who sells his Make Money with Your Travel and Landscape Photography online course for $90, where he teaches students how to sell travel and landscape photography.

Another example is Nomadic Matt’s series of online travel courses , which teach his audience how to follow in his footsteps and become a successful travel writer, blogger, photographer, and vlogger.

Nomadic Matt also sells a wide selection of travel budget and tips ebooks directly on his site, including The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking ebook.

Online courses and ebooks aren’t your only option, though.

You can create other info products to sell , like guides, mini-courses, bootcamps, audiobooks, video tutorials, or even flashcards. The main ingredient, as ever, is to provide something of educational value.

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As you can (hopefully) see, you have a variety of options when it comes to selling digital products to your blog audience.

As always, offer your audience valuable solutions to their problems regardless of the format you decide to go with, and you’re as good as gold.

Your destinations and blog audience await your arrival

Getting paid to work while traveling is definitely doable. If you have dreams of exploring the world, you can become a full-time travel blogger and earn a significant income with these tips.

Let’s recap it for you:

Income levels for travel bloggers vary from zero to thousands of dollars per month, depending on how much effort and consistency you put toward your blog.

To start your own travel blog, find a theme based on your travel passion and conduct market research to learn more about your niche audience.

Once you begin to write regularly, you’ll have a consistent flow of content to publish, which means you’re ready to purchase your domain name. Choose a blogging platform that allows for a simple design when you’re shopping around.

After designing your blog site, upload and publish your articles regularly.

To grow your audience, use social media, guest post, create a lead magnet, or use SEO tactics.

Four ways to earn income as a travel blogger include affiliate marketing programs, brand partnerships, paid ads and sponsored posts, and selling digital products.

Ready to become a paid blogger and live the nomadic life?

Safe travels -- the world awaits.

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How to Become a Travel Blogger: 8 Steps for You to Follow

Travel blogging is becoming increasingly popular, as it can provide so many opportunities, including six figures in passive income. If you are wondering how to become a travel blogger, the good news is blogging, just like traveling, has become much easier over the last few years. In this post, you will learn all that you need to know in order to become a successful travel blogger.

What is a Travel Blogger?

Many travel bloggers start their career by simply documenting their adventures and sharing them with friends. With time and perseverance, these bloggers grow their blogs into successful ventures. Travel blogging is not exactly a vacation, but if you enjoy writing and are ready to put in some effort, it won’t feel like a full-time job either. You don’t need to fly across the world to exotic destinations. In fact, for starters, you can create a blog to share the best places in your own city and the surrounding area.

Many bloggers earning high incomes today started with the goal of simply documenting their adventures, but their persistence allowed them to grow their blog into full-time businesses. For example, Brittany Sawyer from Travel the Brit started her blog to share her travel experiences and is now a full-time travel blogger. Katarina from Adventour Begins started her blogging journey by sharing her experiences working on cruise ships and is now earning over $1,000 per month from her blog without needing to quit her main job. To learn more about the life of travel bloggers, check out their success stories on our blog .

How to Become a Travel Blogger

Blogging is popular across many niches, but if you want to become a travel blogger, it is important that you enjoy traveling and sharing your stories. It will also require some writing and photography skills, which you can grow as you go through the process. Before you get paid to leisurely travel the world, you will need to put in some work and establish a strong online presence. Below, you will find a step-by-step guide on becoming a travel blogger and starting to make money online.

Find Your Passion

Many beginner bloggers choose trending niches with huge audiences in hopes of taking advantage of the hype within those niches. However, you should actually consider your own passions and choose a niche accordingly. This is only reasonable, as you will spend hours and days researching and preparing content on your selected topic. It can be a while before you see your first results, but your natural interest will prevent you from giving up too early.

For these reasons, it is pretty easy to start a travel blog, as traveling along with outdoor activities is one of the most popular hobbies for many people.

As a result, there is a high chance of finding an interested audience as well. However, be sure to identify what you most enjoy about travel, such as your favorite destinations, types of trips, activities, etc. Writing about travel in general is too broad a topic and will not allow you to grow your authority and build a community.

Pick Your Niche

To blog efficiently, you need to pick the right niche. As discussed above, it is important to choose topics you feel passionate about, so that blogging does not feel like a hard job and you do not lose interest.

In addition, it is great if you already have some knowledge in your chosen niche. Preparing content about things you are unfamiliar with will take some time, while sharing your existing expertise will not only save you time on research, but will also allow you to create in-depth content and bring real value to your audience. To learn more about picking a niche as a content creator, watch this video.

Make sure to research the competition in the niches you are interested in. You should not be discouraged if the competition is high. Instead, be sure to take the time to study your competitors and find out what they have missed, so you can fill in those gaps.

Choose a Blog Name and Set Up Your Website

Naming your blog can be overwhelming. To select a reasonable option, you need to consider several factors that make a good blog name. Essentially, your name should convey what your blog will be about, be memorable, stand out from the competition, and be able to rank well on search engines. In addition, make sure to check that the corresponding domain and social media handles have not been taken.

This step is so important because choosing the wrong name can cost you a lot in the long term. If you end up needing to change your name later on, you might lose direct traffic and will have to build brand recognition from scratch, let alone confuse existing readers, creating a new logo, and so on.

There are plenty of tools that can help you choose the best domain name. With blog name generators , you enter one or a few keywords and find inspiration from suggested names, which are often also SEO optimized. Furthermore, such tools usually allow you to check whether the domain you like is available and can even help you buy and register it. Here are a few great tools:

●      Blog Tyrant is a free tool that will help you find domain names based on your keywords and check their availability with the BlueHost hosting provider.

●      123Finder is another free blog name generator with advanced search options that allow you to discover related keywords, add extensions, set the minimum number of characters, and more.

You can buy and register a domain name either on domain registrars or directly on blogging platforms. Domain registrars are platforms that handle the reservation of domain names and assign IP addresses (for example, BlueHost , GoDaddy , Domain.com , and more).

You can also buy a domain directly from a website builder, which is a tool that allows you to create your own website. Website builders offer all the necessary features in one place, including hosting , website themes, plugins, etc. One of the most popular blogging platforms is WordPress . This platform is a great option for both novice and experienced bloggers, as it features an easy-to-navigate and intuitive interface that allows you to create a blog for free. WordPress also offers hosting services and a great selection of optimized themes, plugins, and other add-ons. You can find more website builders in this post .

Watch and Research the Travel Market Before You Start

Changes in the travel niche happen fast and can be provoked by many factors, such as politics, global economic situations, technology development, and more. Some changes happen quickly, while others can take years. So, it is always a good idea to do research to define current and upcoming trends in the niche and use common sense when building a blog strategy. If the financial situation is not so bright, you can still promote travel by focusing on budget trips, for instance. It is an even better idea to look for destinations or verticals with low competition, so you can start growing a community and income as fast as possible.How can you check your competition? The best option is to take advantage of keyword research tools, such as Ubersuggest . With this tool, you can see the volume of any given keyword (the number of searches this keyword has during the month), cost per click, paid difficulty (estimated competition in paid search), and SEO difficulty (estimated competition in organic search). Based on this data, you can find trendy topics and write content that will attract more traffic to your site.

You can also check the interest in your chosen topic over time with tools like Google Trends .

Proper keyword research will help you understand market trends and develop an efficient content marketing strategy.

Define Your Objectives and Goals

To achieve success, it is important to set the right goals and measure your campaign along the way. By aligning your content and marketing efforts with your objectives, you will be able to produce the materials and marketing campaigns that attract readers and generate sales. Without goals, your business will be like a ship lost at sea without a destination.

Some of the objectives you should seek to achieve for your blogging business are building brand recognition, growing organic traffic, creating a loyal community, establishing authority in your niche, etc.

When setting goals, make sure they are:

●  Specific (desired traffic volume, income, posting frequency, social media coverage, etc.)

●  Measurable (such goals can be measured with analytic tools , such as Google Analytics , etc.)

●  Achievable (blogging takes time and effort, so if you set goals that are too difficult to achieve, you may simply lose enthusiasm)

●  Relevant (choose goals that make sense for your blog)

●  Time-bound (set reasonable deadlines that you can meet)

You can learn more about how to set goals for your blog and make them happen with a free course from Travelpayouts Academy .

Based on what you want to achieve with your blog, you can develop a content marketing strategy .

Write Regular Blog Articles and Publish Frequently

Blogging regularly takes time, but is advantageous in many ways:

●  Consistent and fresh content appeases Google and helps you increase your organic traffic.

●  By regularly publishing new high-quality posts, you will position yourself as the industry expert.

●  More content means more keyword ranking opportunities.

●  Creating new blog posts will give you something to share on social media.

●  Posting regularly allows you to retain your audience, as they will know when to expect new content. This will help you build trust with your audience and grow a community.

●  Posting regularly also allows you to evenly distribute your workload throughout the month.

To find an ideal posting frequency, you need to define how much content you are able to produce and distribute during the month. For example, if you have enough time to write four blog posts, you can publish one post per week. You should also consider how often your competitors post content.

To attract traffic and build your audience, try to publish as often as possible. You want to make sure there is always something new for your visitors to come back to. Learn more about how often to publish a blog post on our blog.

Include Good Content and Answers to Questions

Content is king when it comes to growing a blog. High-quality content helps you attract the right audience to your website and engage with them, especially if you enrich that content with relevant keywords. If you bring value through your blog materials, visitors will be more likely to share your posts with others and come back for more information. High-quality posts also demonstrate to Google that your website is an authoritative source that is worth driving traffic to.

Before you start writing, get familiar with SEO and keyword research. This will allow you to identify trending topics, create posts that precisely answer users’ questions, and drive more targeted traffic. Make sure to establish a content-publishing schedule and produce blog posts accordingly, so that your visitors know there is always something to return to see.

Many bloggers recommend creating pillars of content. For example, instead of writing one long travel guide, you can prepare a cluster of smaller posts, including the best things to do, top museums, different guides for different seasons, and so on. This will show Google that you are an expert on the topic and increase opportunities for internal linking on your blog.

Basically, there are two types of bloggers when it comes to content strategy. The first type creates journal-style blogs and shares their adventures, the routes they have taken, personal photos, and videos. The second type focuses on informational posts similar to travel how-to guides in a bookstore. The latter type may attract traffic for longer and get seen by more people. However, it is important to balance bringing value through your content and sharing personal perspective so it is both useful and interesting for readers.

You can join a free course from Travelpayouts Academy and learn how to create top-quality content step-by-step.

Decide on Your Social Media Platform

Social media and messengers are no longer just a way to connect to your friends and family. Today, these tools also help achieve marketing and sales goals, as they offer a wide reach, plenty of advertising opportunities, and various types of content to share. Social media can help you achieve affiliate marketing success if you harness them properly, considering your target audience, blog niche, goals, and more.

Consider the following features when choosing a social platform:

●  Facebook is often used to promote products and services, engage with your audience by sharing posts, photos, and videos, as well as provide customer support.

●  Instagram helps boost brand visual recognition.

●  Twitter is known for short posts and is often used to establish yourself as a thought leader and share news. Here, text tweets perform even better than image and video-rich content.

●  YouTube is perfect to for sharing video content, demonstrating product benefits, and providing tutorials.

●  Pinterest is one of the largest social traffic sources for many bloggers, as it includes built-in e-commerce features.

Do’s and Don’ts Of Travel Blogging

Here are a few tips that will help your blogging career start off more efficiently.

Do’s of Travel Blogging

●  Invest in your blog. A good domain name, hosting, professional theme, and top-quality content with great visuals are crucial for blogging success in any niche. Investing in your blog will help you attract an audience and grow organic traffic much faster.

●  Learn about SEO as early as possible. Search engine optimization is one of the main factors for blog growth, as it helps you rank better on search engines and drive more traffic. To deepen your understanding of SEO in the travel industry, take a free course led by expert Sharon Gourlay.

●  Think about monetization from the start. This will influence your content and marketing strategies, while allowing you to start earning profits early on. You do not need a huge follower count or volume of traffic to generate your first earnings, so choose monetization methods as soon as possible.

●  Improve text readability. The easier your content is to read, the more likely visitors are to read until the end. Use headings and subheadings, divide text into smaller paragraphs, add bullet lists to show multiple options, and more.

●  Add visuals. Images and videos catch attention easier and help illustrate your point more clearly.

Don’ts of Travel Blogging

●  Do not plan, just do. Some novice bloggers feel overwhelmed when starting a blog as there are so many things to do. Trying to plan every little detail and create a perfect blog can be too stressful. It is more efficient to take one step at a time and avoid stressing out over the process.

●  Do not give up. It takes time for you to see the first results of your travel blog.

●  Do not overuse keywords, which will make your page look spammy and unprofessional.

●  Do not link to low-quality websites. Every webpage has some kind of value, and by linking to untrustworthy pages, you will show search engines that your page is no more reliable.

●  Do not copy content from other sites. Google frowns upon plagiarism, so copy-pasting posts of other bloggers not only violates copyright, but also decreases your chances of ranking highly in the search results.

Making Money as a Travel Blogger

There are various monetization opportunities for travel blogs . You can use one or a few of them depending on your content, audience, and business goals. Here are the most popular ideas:

●  Advertising: One of the most common ways to make money and earn passive income with a travel blog is through contextual advertising via platforms like Google Ads. Usually, there is an entry barrier to start placing ads on your site, such as the desired amount of traffic.

●  Selling Your Product: Many bloggers develop their own product as they grow a loyal community. It can be a detailed guide, video tutorial, premium subscription, and more.

●  Affiliate Marketing: You can earn online by promoting relevant products and services of other brands on your blog or social media page and earning commissions on all sales made through your link. To start monetizing your travel blog with affiliate marketing, join Travelpayouts.

BUSINESS STRATEGIES

How to make money as a travel blogger

• Rebecca Tomasis

The allure of turning a passion for travel into a sustainable livelihood has captivated many adventurous spirits. Making money as a travel blogger not only offers the opportunity to share your experiences with a global audience but also provides a potential income stream to fund further escapades.

The motivations for starting a travel blog and business are as varied as the destinations awaiting exploration, from the desire for a nomadic lifestyle and the love of storytelling to the pursuit of financial freedom and the need to build a personal brand.

Start a blog today.

How to make money as a travel blogger: getting started

There are things you can do to increase your chances success as a travel blogger:

Understanding your audience

A deep understanding of your readership is paramount. Identifying who your audience is, what they seek and how they engage with content will guide your blog's direction and the monetization strategies you adopt. Tailoring your content to meet their preferences, answering their questions and inspiring their travel dreams can foster a loyal following that is essential for generating a steady travel blogger income.

Create a travel blog with the Wix Blog Maker.

Quality content

The cornerstone of a successful travel blog is high-quality content that resonates with readers and ranks well on search engines. By optimizing your posts for SEO, you increase the visibility of your blog, attracting more visitors and potential revenue. Using AI to write your blog posts ? Make sure to always edit well for quality and originality.

Consistency and branding

Consistency in posting and maintaining a cohesive brand image helps in building trust and recognition among your audience. A consistent content schedule keeps readers returning, while a strong branding strategy ensures your travel blog stands out in a crowded online space. This can lead to increased opportunities for monetization through brand partnerships and other travel blog business ideas.

Diversifying income streams

Relying on a single source of income is risky, especially in the competitive world of travel blogging. Diversifying your income streams can provide financial stability and maximize your earning potential. From affiliate marketing to selling digital products, there are numerous ways to monetize a travel blog. By exploring different revenue channels, you can create a resilient business model that withstands the ebbs and flows of the travel industry.

14 ways to make money as a travel blogger

Creating a profitable travel blog requires a strategic approach to monetization. Here are fourteen diverse methods to generate income as a travel blogger, each with its own potential and approach.

Affiliate marketing

Sponsored posts

Digital products

Travel consulting

Online courses and workshops

Advertising

Freelance travel writing

Merchandise sales

Paid partnerships and collaborations

Travel tours

Crowdfunding

YouTube channel

Blog flipping

01. Affiliate marketing

Partner with companies by featuring their products or services on your travel blog and earn a commission for every sale made through the referral links you place in your content. Travel-related affiliate programs you can join can include bookings for accommodations, flights, gear and insurance.

For example, if you’re writing a blog guide to a specific city, you can partner with hotels, mention them in your article, encourage your reader to then click through to an affiliate link to book the hotel and earn a commission for completed bookings.

Affiliate marketing is a very popular way to make money as a travel blogger, just be sure to only endorse services that fit your readers' needs and ensure quality. They need to trust your suggestions and recommendations.

02. Sponsored posts

Collaborate with brands that align with your travel niche to create content that promotes their offerings. Sponsored posts must be disclosed to your audience but they can be a significant source of travel blogger income when done authentically.

Work with brands that align with your travel and business values, first and foremost. If you believe in a product or travel service and use it yourself, so even better.

You can create this content on your blog and share on social media.

Learn more:

How to make money on Instagram

How to make money on TikTok

03. Sell digital products

Make money as a travel blogger by creating and selling digital products such as e-books, travel guides or photography presets. These products can provide a passive income stream, as they require no inventory and can be sold indefinitely. You create once and sell forever, with updates along the way to make sure the travel content is relevant.

04. Travel consulting

Leverage your expertise to offer personalized travel planning and consulting services beyond just starting a blog . You can help others craft their dream trips for a fee, drawing on your extensive travel experience and use your blog to promote your consulting services . This is a great way to take a blog and turn it into a way to promote your travel business even further while diversifying the ways in which you can make money as a travel blogger.

05. Online courses and workshops

Develop and sell online courses or conduct workshops on topics like travel photography, blogging or destination-specific insights. This can attract an audience willing to invest in learning from a seasoned travel blogger. You can earn money from ticket sales, or use the events to promote your blog or other travel services. You could also look to be hired to speak at other people's workshops and to lead their courses on travel or blogging.

06. Advertising

A common and well-known way to make money as a blogger is by displaying ads on your blog through networks like Google AdSense or by securing direct ad placements with relevant brands. Advertising can provide a steady income, especially as your blog's traffic grows. Once set up it’s also relatively easy to manage and it makes for a good investment of time vs income ratio.

07. Freelance travel writing

Use your writing skills to contribute articles to other travel publications or blogs as another option for making money as a travel expert. Freelance writing can not only supplement your income but also increase your blog's exposure as you might be able to include links to it.

08. Selling merchandise

Make money as a travel blogger, on top of your blog, by designing and selling branded merchandise such as apparel, travel accessories or souvenirs. This can turn your brand's fans into customers and promote your blog offline as well as generate extra income.

To sell merchandise you’ll need to use an eCommerce website builder to make a site to sell.

Learn more: How to start an eCommerce business , best ecommerce platforms .

09. Paid partnerships and collaborations

Engage in paid partnerships with tourism boards, travel companies or other brands. You can offer to promote their services or products on your travel blog, either through sponsored content or guest blogging - where they write content for you to publish on your site. You can combine the sharing of blog posts, with social media posts and videos too in order to reach as many people as possible.

10. Host travel tours

Consider making money as a travel blogger cum travel guide by organizing and leading travel tours to your favorite destinations. This immersive experience can be lucrative and provide more content to write about and publish for your blog. It takes a lot of organization and time to host travel tours, so make sure you understand the investment and risk involved before initiating.

11. Crowdfunding

Consider crowdfunding, through platforms like Patreon to receive recurring financial support from your audience. You can then offer exclusive blog content or deals on travel services in return for their patronage. This can be a great way to bootstrap your travel blog in the beginning but is not necessarily a scalable way to make money as a travel blogger.

12. YouTube channel

Expand how you make money as a travel blogger by also planning video content and creating a YouTube channel. This can then be monetized in much the same way a travel blog can - ad revenue, sponsorships and affiliate links within your video content.

Learn more: How to make money on YouTube

Check out the following travel bloggers making an impact on YouTube:

Vaga brothers : 1.2 million followers

Viatravellers : 10.6K+ followers

13. Podcasting

Beyond making money with a travel blog you can consider starting a travel podcast to share stories, interviews and advice. Monetization of it can come from sponsorships, affiliate marketing or premium content for subscribers.

14. Blog flipping

If you grow a travel blog to a point where it's profitable it can then be sold for a profit. This requires a deep understanding of building and scaling online businesses, specifically a blog and it can take time and resources but can result in a significant one-time payout.

How to get started with making money as a travel blogger

Embarking on the journey of starting a travel business around a blog involves several key steps. From setting up the blog to building an audience and implementing monetization strategies, here's how to lay the groundwork for a successful venture.

Setting up your travel blog

Begin by choosing a memorable name that reflects your travel niche and registering a domain - website builders , like Wix, include a free domain name . Select a reliable hosting provider (Wix sites come with free, reliable web hosting ) and design your blog with a user-friendly interface. Ensure that the blog's aesthetics align with your branding and that it’s optimized for mobile users. Focus on your site’s SEO, website performance and website security .

Building an audience

Focus on creating valuable content that resonates with your target audience. Use social media platforms to promote your blog and engage with your followers. Network with other travel bloggers and participate in online communities to increase your visibility. Implement SEO best practices to drive organic traffic to your blog, utilizing keywords like "travel blogging business" and "travel blog business ideas." You might also consider writing blog posts in multiple languages based on your audience. Learn how to start a multilingual blog and exapnd your reach.

Implementing monetization strategies

Once you have a steady stream of traffic and an engaged audience, start implementing monetization strategies. Begin with methods that align with your audience's interests and your blog's strengths. For example, if you have compelling travel photography, consider selling prints or offering photography services . Monitor the performance of each income stream and adjust your strategies accordingly. Always be transparent with your audience about sponsored content and affiliate links to maintain trust.

By methodically setting up, growing and monetizing your travel blog, you can establish a robust online presence that not only shares your passion for travel but also supports your entrepreneurial aspirations and money-making goals.

How to make money as a travel blogger FAQ

How much can i realistically make as a travel blogger.

The income of a travel blogger can vary widely based on factors like niche, audience size, engagement and monetization methods. Some bloggers make a few hundred dollars a month, while others earn six-figure incomes. Success typically comes from diversifying income streams and steadily growing your audience.

Do I need a large blog following to start making money?

How long does it take to start earning money from a travel blog, how much does it cost to start a travel blog, is it better to focus on one monetization strategy or several, who is the highest paid travel blogger, is starting a travel blog worth it, what do you need to start a travel blog, how do i think of a name for my travel blog, do travel bloggers travel for free, is making money from a travel blog easy, how many hours do travel bloggers work, other ways to make money you might want to consider.

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20 Highest paid travel bloggers – How much do travel bloggers make?

Can you imagine becoming a millionaire simply by writing for a travel or just by traveling? It might sound strange that someone could become a millionaire simply by travel blogging, but that’s because it is. Okay, listen up…

Getting started with travel blogging is the first step toward earning money. Many bloggers, like Matthew Kepnes, Mark Weins, Johnny Ward, Heather Delaney Reese, Sharon, and others, are among the 20 highest-paid bloggers. They are estimated to make 7 to 6-figure incomes per month. 

If you dream of creating your own travel blog and want to know more about the highest paid travel bloggers, you can read this article to the end. This will give you a clear idea of how you can become a travel blogger.

But before we move any further…

Table of Contents

How do travel bloggers make money? 

Blogging isn’t easy because there’s so much competition online, so you’ll need some strategies to raise your site above the noise. 

Travel bloggers’ earnings vary significantly depending on several variables, including their audience size, niche, and monetization strategies. To make money from their blogs, many travel bloggers use the following strategies:

Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing can make a big difference for your travel blog. 

Also, if you’re unfamiliar with affiliate marketing, it works like this: whenever a blogger recommends a product they are using, they include a link to the product’s sales page. 

If they are part of the brand’s affiliate program, they get a cut of the sale when someone clicks on their link and purchases the product. But don’t worry, the buyers won’t have to pay anything extra, and you will only gain from this.

“Brands Ads” is the partnership between bloggers and companies that sell travel-related goods and services while keeping their audience’s trust by posting honestly. 

In these partnerships, the bloggers promote content about the brand’s products or services in exchange for compensation. You can sign up for the following websites to find brands interested in working with bloggers.

• The Blogger Programme 
• Webfluential
• Tap Influence 

Brands will contact you directly to promote their wares when your site has sizable followers. You can market those brands and services through sponsored articles, social media campaigns, and display ads on your website.

Also, remember when forming business relationships with the companies you are working with, you can meet your blog niche and the needs of your readers. 

Brand ambassadorship

While comparing the two terms, “Brands Ads” and “Brands Ambassadorship,” the latter is the more profitable option since it provides you with a long-term partnership with companies. 

As a travel blogger, you can create high-quality, engaging content that appeals to your target audience to establish a solid online following and readership to gain brand ambassadorship.

You should also reach out to tourism boards, travel brands, and other relevant businesses to pitch them on ways to work together to attract brands that will connect with your audience and match your niche.

Once you secure a position as a brand ambassador, you can count on consistent income for the foreseeable future.

Paid press trips

The term “Paid Press Trip” refers to when a blogger is invited to a destination to try out a hotel’s or travel agency’s services, and the host organization or company pays for the blogger’s travel expenditures. This covers all of the travel expenses and amenities of a blogger.

It frequently leads to long-term partnerships and paid collaborations later on, which benefits your blog, too.

Freelance writing

Through freelance writing, you won’t be making money directly from your blog, but instead, you can increase the number of readers by contracting to write for other magazines and websites, which will, in turn, interconnect back to your blog. 

Selling eBooks, books, and online courses

Nomadic Matt and Wandering Earl, two of the most popular travel bloggers, use this strategy to spread the word about their sites.

The Nomadic Matt is selling his book and blogging course, while the Wandering  Earl is cashing in on the popularity of his e-book on cruise ship jobs.

So, to expand your blogging business with new revenue streams, consider offering online courses or selling products, audiobooks, e-books, etc.

Offering website services

With the right planning, you can increase your revenue by at least twofold!

Offering services on your website, such as writing and editing content, social media management, etc., is one way to take advantage of your expertise and generate twice as much income as you’ve been generating before.

Photography/Videography

If you are good at photography, you have another edge, as photography/Videography can also help you make money from travel blogs. You can either work as a freelance photographer for other travel bloggers and brands for content creation. 

Apart from that, you can also directly license your photographs.

Banner ads (Google Adsense + Ad networks)

Banner Ads are one of the coolest and easiest ways to earn a handsome income on your travel blogs.

All you need to do is activate your Google AdSense account, and you will get paid for the ads displayed on your website every time a viewer reads your blog. 

Isn’t it simply amazing? 

Some of the best ad networks that you can go for are 

• AdThrive 
• Google Adsense 

SEO sponsored posts

Another common way that helps more or less all the travel bloggers earn is sponsored posts. 

So what happens is that as you post more frequently and the blog starts to gather traffic, your website’s domain authority starts to grow. The more the DA of your blog, the better your website’s SEO health. 

As a result, more potential advertisers start contacting you and paying you to post their links on your site.

However, the best SEO practice is to mention on your website that it is a paid link. 

Some of the easiest ways to find sponsored posts are social media groups and your email. 

Apart from that, there might be several other ways to opt for, like monetizing YouTube channels and Instagram, making traveling products, running tours, etc. So, make sure to look for those ways on your own.

20 Highest paid travel bloggers – Our top picks  

Travel bloggers are new entrepreneurs in the breed of digital nomads who have intertwined the art of vlogging and blogging. They do it by sharing their travel experience with the audience, and in turn, they earn a profit. 

So, let’s unleash the list of the most successful travel bloggers and their mystery to high-income levels.

1. Matthew Kepnes from Nomadic Matt 

When enlisting the highest paid travel bloggers worldwide, the young Matthew Kepnes deserves to be on the top. He is the highest paid blogger in the world.

He is a full-time content writer and travel blogger who has traveled to more than 100 countries and earned a lot of money through it, too. 

It was only in 2004 when Matthew Kepnes went on his first trip, and that enriched his soul with a thirst to explore the whole world. Therefore, after completing his MBA, Nomadic Matt stepped out to explore the world and make his passion his source of income.

Today, he runs a successful travel blog named Nomadic Matt that attracts millions of organic audiences monthly. Additionally, he wrote a famous book, “How to Travel the World on $50 a Day,” that was sold in hands.

His known sources of income are:

• Travel blog and media school
• Destination Specific Guides
• Affiliate marketing 

2. Mark Weins

Mark Wiens is a well-known blogger, vlogger, and YouTube personality.

He enjoys exploring new places and trying new meals; he became famous and among the highest-paid bloggers in the world when his two passions came together.

From the blog Matrationology and YouTube channel, the known Social media sensation has earned more than $9.5 million.

Most of his blogs are based on visiting and reviewing the local cuisines across the globe. 

Apart from landing a successful blog, he runs a restaurant in Thailand and an e-store to sell his goodies.

3. Johnny Ward from One Step 4Ward

A known entrepreneur and travel blogger, Johnny Ward is a living example of becoming a millionaire by pursuing his dreams with full determination. 

Soon after completing his education, Johnny Ward embarked on the journey to achieve his dream life. Inspired by Matthew Kepnes, Johnny Ward kickstarted the process with a travel blog, and within no time, he grew the website so much that he started to earn $1000 per ad. 

The known Irish traveler has visited every country and is on a mission to climb the seven summits and Mt. Everest.

His website, One Step 4ward , involves different segments related to travel, adventure, crazy travel stories, travel tips, blogging to earn, and endless opportunities to become a successful millionaire.

4. Heather Delaney Reese from It’s A Lovely Life

Heather Delaney Reese and her family are the jet-setters who run a successful blog called It’s A Lovely Life for the last 20 years, worth several millions.

The whole journey of Heather Delaney Reese started in 2000 when she set to travel and enjoy life after completing her degree in journalism. 

Today, the family travels throughout the year, and on the days when they don’t travel, they live in California, teaching people how to earn by simply blogging, reviewing food and products, etc.

5. Sharon of Where’s Sharon Family Travel Blog 

Sharon is a high-paid travel blogger behind Where’s Sharon Family Travel Blog . 

Her blogs are all based on traveling with family and living a quality life. Most of her blogs are based on luxurious adventures, and she lets her audience have a glimpse of both luxurious and low-budget insights. 

Today, she is earning not only from her blog but also through affiliate marketing, sponsored ads, brand partnerships, etc. 

6. Katie and Ben from Two Wandering Soles

Katie and Ben from Two Wandering Soles are yet another Highest Paid Travel Bloggers who know how to turn their passion into a paycheck.

The process started when the two lovers got married at the age of almost 25. They settled out of the daily 9 to 5 grind to enjoy a holiday of 3 months, and from that, they went on the mission to make traveling their prime source of income.

Today, the adventurous couple has traveled to several countries and run a successful travel blog called Two Wondering Soles . In it, they mostly share their adventurous traveling experience, how it is to travel and live in a van, practical tips about traveling in a van for days, travel photography, etc.

They mostly earn through marketing, free trips, brand partnerships, etc.

7. Esther and Jacob from Local Adventurer

Esther and Jacob are also famous social media sensations which are loved by people all across the world for their unique traveling adventures. 

Initially, the process started when Esther started to post about traveling on her wedding website, and later, she gave it a try by visiting the local areas of the country and featuring them. 

Fortunately, that turned out to be a great success, and since then, Esther and Jacob have been exploring new areas. 

They are a team of 6 members, and their blog has been counted as one of the top 5 travel blogs running in the U.S.

Indeed, a remarkable achievement!

And the best thing is that the team plans to give 50 percent of their profits to an NGO.

8. Greg and Holly Johnson from Club Thrifty

Next, meet Greg and Holly Johnson, an American couple who started a blog back in 2003 called the Club Thrifty to pay their debts. Today, it has become a treasure-evolved blog based on travel tips, savvy credit card reward strategies, and lifestyle travel advice. 

Initially, the blog was primarily based on financing, banking, and budgeting. But with time, as they paid their loan, they started to travel to different countries and share their epic journey with the audience through their Club Thrifty blog. 

Since the couple has faced money challenges, they try to help others break free from debt. In fact, they have written a book, Zero Down Your Debt, too.

9. Dariece and Nick from Goats on the Roads

Dariece and Nick are a lovely couple who run a successful travel blog and YouTube channel called Goats on the Roads .

For years, they have been working as a travel blogger and freelancer. Their YouTube channel and blog primarily focus on travel adventures, traveling tips, and freelance writing. Additionally, they do freelance photography and offer online courses about travel blogging and monetization.

10. Dave and Deb from The Planet D

Dave and Deb are an unstoppable duo who have visited more than 1150 counties.

They run a successful travel blog called The Planet D , in which they share their funny yet exciting travel experiences. Their blogs are so perfect that Forbes claimed them among the world’s top 10 travel bloggers. 

Apart from running a blog, they do sponsored posts, partner with brands, affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, tourism campaigns, etc., to get their adventure and trips paid off to the fullest.

Additionally, they have won the Society of American Travel Writers Award two times.

11. Amanda Williams from Dangerous Business

Amanda Williams is a wanderlust travel blogger who started the travel blog Dangerous Business to chase her passion for writing about dreams. 

She is a copy editor by profession, but with time, her job let her realize that she loves writing about traveling. 

Since then, she has visited more than 60 countries and six continents and shares about their adventurous trips and solo inspirational stories.

The unique fact about Amanda Williams is that despite being one of the Highest Paid Travel Bloggers, she hasn’t quit her job. And that’s the message she wants to spread. You can become a travel blogger and continue your job. Most of her blogs incorporate methods in which you can add travel to your daily lifestyle.

12. Derek Baron from Wandering Earl

Derek Baron is another name that has gained much recognition as a travel blogger. He is an English teacher turned travel blogger.

He has been traveling since 1999 and has visited more than 118 countries. 

He has run a blog called Wandering Earl since 2009 and posts on it regularly about the unique areas he visits. His main aim is to show people that long-term traveling is not a crazy thing to think of. You can try it out and live your life to the fullest. 

He also has a trip-arranging company called Wandering Earl Tour that arranges small tours for people and takes them to unique world areas.

13. Lia and Jeremy from Practical Wanderlust 

Lia and Jeremy are known vlogging and blogging couple who do joyous traveling throughout the year and make their viewers laugh to the fullest.

The two run a successful blog called Practical Wanderlust and a YouTube channel sharing details about their traveling and adventures. Apart from this, they run another successful travel site in which they help other bloggers earn more than a full-time job by merely traveling. They offer travel guides and tips, budget management, and travel counseling to help blooming bloggers reach new heights.

Their prime source of income are:

• Sponsored posts
• Affiliate programs 
• Advertising 

14. Monica from The Travel Hack

Next, meet Monica, the travel expert behind the successful travel blog “ The Travel Hack “.

She is a married woman and a joyous mother of three who has been blogging since 2009 and shares the adventures of traveling to different countries on her blog, including travel advice, consulting, and tips. 

However, after COVID-19, her priorities changed, and she started to enjoy life’s small luxuries.

Since then, she has traveled locally instead of engaging in far-flung travel and is happy making many unforgettable family memories.

15. Matt Karsten Expert Vagabond

Matt Karsten is a known digital nomad, photographer, and travel blogger. 

He is one of the travel bloggers who was clear since day one that he is not made for a regular job and that traveling is his only means of living and earning. That is why Matt Karsten saved for one year from event photography and freelance skills to go on a 1-year trip to Guatemala. 

And guess what? It turned into a more than a decade travel trip that continues to date. 

In this period, he traveled and explored more than 50 countries and initiated a blog called Expert Vagabond to share his memories. 

In the blog, he shares his professionally photographed pictures of different areas, funny traveling experiences, adventures, low-budget travel guides, etc. 

Some ways he earns while traveling are influencer marketing, freelance travel photography, affiliate marketing, selling travel courses, brand ambassadors, etc.

16. Kach from Two Monkeys Travel Group 

Kach is a known nomad Filipino blogger who has traveled to more than 140 countries in the past ten years and has a long list of other countries to visit.

It was only in 2013 that Kach understood that she was not made for a regular 9 to 5 job, and thus entered the world of traveling and blogging.

And she can visit so many countries despite her weak passport only because of her passion. 

Today, she runs a successful travel blog named Two Monkey Travel Group , featuring adventure and luxury travel guides, itineraries, destination travel blogs, etc., thus earning by offering services like travel consulting, trip planning, brand ambassador, paid Press Trips, and sponsored posts.

She lives in a stone house villa and has a monthly income of $10,000 to $15,000. 

17. Jeremy from Living The Dream

A known traveler and founder of “ Living The Dream “, Jeremy is yet another travel blogger who has been able to turn his adventurous dream life into a source of income.

He has traveled to more than 70 countries, mostly with his wife. Therefore, in their blog, Jeremy and his wife document the best areas to visit in a country, the foods you must try, and some adventure activities. 

He is one of the travel bloggers known and liked more for his adventurous traveling, like scuba diving in the Galapagos, visiting mountain gorillas of Uganda, etc. And that is the reason why his blogs are always a treat to read.

According to the income report, Jeremy earns USD 6000 to 12000 monthly. 

18. James Hills From Mantripping 

The owner of the company mantripping.com , James Hills, is yet another person who earns a handsome amount while travel blogging. He created his blog in 2008, initially focusing on men’s living and lifestyle. But with time, it evolved, and James Hills also started incorporating food reviews and travel stories in his blog.

One unique fact about his traveling blog is that James Hills incorporates his travel stories, interviews other travel bloggers, and learns about their experiences.

19. Brian Kelly From The Point Guy 

Brian Kelly is one of the most highly-paid travel bloggers and one of the best travel influencers.

He kick-started his journey of traveling and became a travel blogger in 2010 by writing a blog in his very own The Point Guy .

The best fact about Brian Kelly is that he focuses on letting people learn how they can experience traveling at a minimal cost. 

And that’s why people love him so much that his website gets 10 million monthly visits.

20. Stephanie of Travel Break

Stephanie of Travel Break is a young girl who has earned fame and financial success through her travel blog. Like others, he also opted for a regular job to earn. 

But things took a turn when she bought a one-way Sydney ticket and became a full-time travel blogger. 

Today, she is a successful travel blogger and an incredibly skilled author.

Related article: Top 5 Travel Bloggers You Should Be Following in 2023

The business of travel blogging – Basic expenses

Are you feeling inspired to become the next highly-paid influential travel blogger? Then wait a minute, as here comes a sneak peek. 

Where travel blogs help you earn more than a 9 to 5 job and help you live your dream life, you need to spend some time in the business to meet the public’s demand. 

Some of these that most successful travel bloggers opt for are:

1. Hosting, domain, plugins, themes, web development and security

Whether you set up a travel blog or fashion blog, you can buy a hosting service, domain, and premium plugins to help your website work better. 

For a newbie, opting for a CMS like WordPress with cheaper hosting packages, free themes and plugins is an excellent way to go. Once you get some traction for your blogs regarding traffic, you can shift to premium ones.

You can get your domain from Name , Namecheap , GoDaddy and other famous places. Some of the best companies that offer a good hosting package are:

To build and maintain your website with WordPress, you’ll need a theme and some plugins. Luckily, the WordPress ecosystem is full to the brim with free themes and plugins.

2. Virtual assistants and freelance writers

Most successful bloggers hire virtual assistants and freelancers who help them write and create content and publish blogs more frequently. 

Once, a blogger was asked, and he said he had hired a team of VA, graphic designers, and content creators to assist him in running a successful and well-managed travel blog.

However, if you’re new to travel blogging, it’s a great idea to start writing with your own hand. Later, when you profit from your business, you can hire people for your website maintenance.

3. Audio/video gadgets for content creation

Here are some everyday gadgets that travel bloggers may find helpful:

Camera: A good quality DSLR camera and lenses for taking high-quality photos during travels. A mirrorless or point-and-shoot camera can also work well and be more compact.

Laptop : A lightweight laptop is essential for travel bloggers to write blog posts, edit photos, manage their site, and keep up with work on the road. MacBooks and Ultrabooks are popular choices.

Smartphone: Used for taking photos/videos, uploading content, social media, navigation, and as a WiFi hotspot. An iPhone or Android smartphone with a good camera and lots of storage is recommended.

External hard drives To backup photos and videos from trips. SSD drives are fast, durable, and hold lots of data.

Drone: Helps capture unique aerial footage and photography during travels. The DJI Mavic and GoPro Karma are popular compact options.

Gimbal stabilizer: Allows smooth panning and stabilization when shooting videos. Useful for vlogging. The DJI Osmo is a common choice.

Microphone: Better audio when filming videos. A clip-on Lavalier mic or shotgun mic improves sound quality.

Portable charger: To charge devices on the go when access to outlets is limited. High-capacity external battery packs from Anker or RavPower are popular.

Tripod: Used with cameras and smartphones to reduce blur and capture sharper long-exposure photos. Lightweight travel tripods are ideal.

VPN subscription: To access the internet securely and bypass geolocation restrictions while traveling abroad.

The key is finding gadgets that aid content creation and help elevate production value while fitting within a travel-friendly budget. And don’t forget the accessories like SD cards, cables, power strips etc.

4. Online media expenses

Lastly, promotion is expansion. Travel blogging needs a regular advertising backup like any other business to run successfully. Additionally, it helps get you free travel trips.

You can promote your website content through Google ads and Social Media ads as well.

You can consider sending newsletters and updates to your visitors via email services like MailChimp, MailPoet, MailerPoet and ActiveCampaign.

You can advertise by ads, reaching some potential advertisers, partnering with social media sensations, etc.

Tips for newbie bloggers – How can you monetize your travel blog? 

Lastly, let’s wrap it up with a tip segment for newbie travel bloggers that can help them become high-earning travel bloggers quickly.

1. Have business plans and goals

If you want to join the ranks of the most successful travel bloggers, you can’t treat blogging as a hobby but instead treat it as a vocation. It’s important to consider the long-term goals, content strategy, and content creation for your blog.

By laying out a strategy and establishing concrete objectives, you’ll have a clear picture of where you want your blog to go and what steps you need to take to get there.

2. Create a plan for your content, like how you’ll optimize and monetize it.

You need a strategy for your content—what you’ll post, when you’ll post it, what topics will generate the most interest among those in your target audience, etc.

You can also research the various blog monetization methods to ensure your site is properly monetized.

3. Participate in networking events to get added to the PR list.

Another way that travel bloggers and almost all bloggers try is to participate in events and introduce their names in the industry. 

So, you can participate in as many networking events as possible. 

For example, how about starting with the great ITB Asia or WTM London?

4. Find a coach! Take travel blogging and business classes

Guess what? Studying algebra without a tutor? Seems baseless? So is travel blogging. 

To run a successful travel blog, you should take tips from successful people and coaches in the field and pave your way to success.

5. Boost your strengths!

Lastly, focus on your strengths and try something new yet exciting that manages to attract a huge fan base. 

For example, you can start sharing about the culture of areas you visit, help users learn their language, etc. For example, you can visit India and make top-earning travel blogs in India about their traditional foods that are appreciated throughout the world for their unique taste.

Final thoughts  on higest paid travel bloggers

From capturing life-taking adventures to luxury getaways, travel blogging has turned into a passport to a full-time income source. In fact, it is helping people hit 6 to 7-figure income easily, and visionaries like Matthew Kepnes, Mark Weins, and Johnny Ward are living proof.

The best part about travel blogging is that you can chase your dreams, live a dream-like life, and still cash it. Isn’t it amazing?

So, why not dip your toes into the world of travel blogging and open to endless horizons?

If you liked this article, don’t hesitate to share this on social media so that you can help your friends make an informed decision. Finally, don’t hesitate to subscribe to our newsletters to get more exciting news, offers and articles in your inbox.

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What’s the Average Travel Blogger Salary? (+ Income Reports)

How much do travel bloggers make? Let’s take a look shall we? I’ve used my experience and insider intel to work out the average travel blogger salary across the board…

I’m being nosy and have some rare time on my hands so I thought I’d try and work out the average travel blogger salary, just for… research .

To be a paid blogger is now one of the most popular career goals for kids (and adults) in these crazy online times, but how  much can you actually even earn as a travel blogger, really ?

How much does a travel blogger make?

– Be nice to have a strong enough travel blogger salary to get up to the mountains every year, hey?

It’s hard to guess by appearances – if you take Instagram accounts and blog posts as gospel. Sure, holidays, new clothes, cocktails and fancy dinners would usually mean a person was raking it in, but y’know travel bloggers get a lot of this stuff in return for coverage on their blog.

Many holidays are sponsored, clothes are gifted (or ‘borrowed’) and some travel bloggers don’t actually have homes to keep up while they go off gallivanting around the world. 

I’m talking like I’m not one of these travel bloggers, like I’m writing a study of them, but actually, I’m one too. Have been for over nine years now.

Wanna know how much I earn? 

In a minute. Let me guess at the other travel blogger salaries first.

Typical Travel Blogger Jobs

Aka, how does a travel blogger make money?

– I love nosing on travel blogger income reports!

The travel bloggers who make the most have many income streams , I can say that for certain. You can’t just write a travel blog about your thoughts and feelings in a destination and expect the cash to magically come rolling in.

You need to use every ounce of entrepreneurialism you have, every skill, and every bit of knowledge to make travel blogging make money for you. Here are some of the typical ways travel bloggers make money so they can travel the world and get paid for it. 

This is how travel bloggers get their income.

• – Translation
• – Affiliate income
• – Running tours
• – Selling products
• – Running courses
• – Writing courses
• – Presenting
• – Social media management
• – Freelance writing
• – Writing books
• – Marketing

Some of the best travel blogger income reports

One of the best ways to work out how much travel bloggers are earning, is to look at the open and honest income reports around the web. I love how people put this stuff online…

• It’s a Lovely Life March 2018 Income Report – $208,558.17
• Heleneinbetween October 2017 Income Report – $12,026.78
• Living the Dream April 2018 Income Report – $3,984
• WhereverWriter February 2018 Income Report – $3,575.05
• So between $3500 and $209k per month? Niiiice?!

Just to note though, a lot of travel bloggers have an invested interest in leading you to believe they earn more than they actually do. Whether that’s because they’re selling a travel blogging course, a lifestyle, a product or something else.

So just bear that in mind – definitely not saying the travel bloggers responsible for the income reports above do – just, y’know, some people .

Not all travel bloggers earn even close to that much though.

Let’s look at some of the top travel blogger salaries. 

Top earning travel bloggers

Like many industries, in travel blogging there are a few people at the top earning a small fortune, while there are many at the bottom earning just a few dollars a month.

If you’re a travel blogger with a successful course, with affiliates promoting it, a long standing blog, get to work with brands and have over 100k page views a month – the money could be rolling in. 

If you want to know which travel bloggers are earning the most money, check out my friend Kach’s guide over at Two Monkeys Travel.

They’ve compiled a list of the top earning travel bloggers as revealed by the travel bloggers themselves. They’ve listed the top travel bloggers’ income for all to see.

READ MORE: 30+ TRAVEL BLOGGERS EARNING OVER 5,000 USD / MONTH & HOW THEY MONETIZE THEIR BLOGS

– The travel blogger income of some of the top travel bloggers in the world

I think the only British person on that list is Monica from The Travel Hack, apart from the Monkeys, so well done her . She definitely should’ve bought the beers in Finland last month !

These are the kind of travel blogger salary figures you want to emulate hey?

Best travel bloggers earning money

If you want to read more about the top earning travel bloggers, all earning over six figures a year, you can read some of their secrets below.  I scoured some of the top travel blogs for evidence of their finances.

Let’s look at the travel bloggers income reports.

– Caz & Craig make over 6 figures a year over at the super popular family travel blog yTravelBlog.com. – Goats on the Road make over $100,000 / year.  – Johnny Ward is a travel blogger millionaire  and earns $30,000 A MONTH .  – Nomadic Matt makes over $750,000 PER YEAR .

* Just to note, the bloggers have above have entire teams behind them, so they have a lot of spends too. Here’s Matt’s Team for example.

My guesses at travel blogger salaries

So, how much does a travel blogger make per year?

First rule of getting a salary in England is that we don’t discuss the salary. I know what a few of my friends earn, the journalist ones-ish, but even some of my besties I wouldn’t have a clue.

None of my business apparently. 

– How much money can you make as a blogger?

These travel blogger salary guesstimates are based on my own experiences, an insider knowledge of the industry and from what I’ve heard.

1. Started travel blogging in the last three years, a few sources of income and some outside brand presence, at least 100 blog posts = £20,000 2. Travel blogging for a few years, focuses on blog for at least 5 sources of income, works with brands, does it full time = £40,000 3. Travel blogging for a few years, focuses on blog for at least 5 sources of income, plus some sort of successful course or product, does it full time and won’t do anything for free or in return = £60,000 4. Travel blogging since the start, super successful Instagram and / or YouTube presence, numerous sources of income, well known = £90,000 5. Travel blogging since the start, super successful Instagram and / or YouTube presence, numerous sources of income, well known, and American = £100,000+

Practical Wanderlust made $22,000 travel blogging in her first full year , although just $65.07 in her first six months. 

Travel blogger income

The ‘average blogger salary’ is kind of a ridiculous and unmeasurable calculation.. It’d be like saying ‘what does the average singer earn’?

In blogging you have the likes of Zoella reeling in the millions, and then the millions of bloggers worldwide not making a penny. The spectrum of salary has very different ends. 

As for me, with my delightful travel blog? In and around number 2, give or take 10%. I’m British, I can’t talk about my travel blogger salary – my fingertips literally won’t type to reveal the exact amount!

Earning potential of travel bloggers

Travel blogging isn’t like beauty blogging, food blogging or fitness blogging – for most people travel isn’t something they do daily. It’s something they may spend a year or two on, and then it’s back to the once to three times a year when families, jobs and finances get in the way.

This means that travel bloggers sell less through their blogs, but when they do, the value will be higher. They’re more of an information source than other types of bloggers, making it difficult to predict what they earn.

Many travel bloggers work on an affiliate basis, where they will get some sort of kickback if they manage to sell a product through their site, but travel bloggers are inspiration. Even if we do inspire or persuade someone to travel in our footsteps, it might be a year or two until they actually do it. And by then any reference to the fact that it was you who inspired them to go will be erased or forgotten.

Travel bloggers also have to invest a lot to start off, in our travels , before we start making any back. All things to consider if you’re looking at the finances of becoming a travel blogger as a career choice. A travel blogger salary is one thing, but travel blogger expenses are a whole other kettle of fish!

On the flipside though, the earning potential of a travel blogger is totally uncapped .

This excites me greatly.

How much do travel bloggers make?

The harder you work, the more creative you are, the more you think about it, the more you do – the more you can earn. 

Typical travel blogger rates

This is difficult to talk about without naming exact campaigns, bloggers, their audience sizes, and prices – but just to give you an idea…

– Travel blogger earnings totally vary from blogger to blogger

– A friend of mine with around 20k Instagram followers recently went to the launch of a new travel themed food item and was paid £800 to attend and to create an Instagram post on it.  – I’ve worked with different tourist boards for (on average) a week to create social media content, a video and multiple blog posts and been paid between £1000-£2000 a time.  – It’s normal for a travel blogger with an audience size of around 50,000 U/Vs to be paid £500 to do a product review on their blog and receive the product for free. – Travel bloggers can be paid upwards of £200 to takeover a company’s Instagram Stories for the day. – Many bloggers I know wouldn’t even consider going to a destination for a week unless they were paid at least £1000 in return for the content they produce.

But, also, they’re asked, expected and have done, loads of stuff for free.

EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. 

One of the most annoying aspects of trying to earn money as a travel blogger, is that you will constantly and repeatedly be asked to work for free. It really is infuriating. 

– Most travel bloggers will plough their earnings back into their travels

7 steps to earning a good travel blogger salary

Many bloggers earning good money from their travel blogs are in that lucky position because they started early, obviously . Their blogs and sites have gained traction from years of hard work and attention online. They deserve their place on the top earning travel bloggers score board.  When it comes to the question of how much do travel bloggers make, they’re making the top dollar.

Don’t let their rich history put you off though, there are still ways to make money as a travel blogger if you start your blog now…

1. Invest your time

You’ll need to be  willing to invest your time , for no financial return. For at least two years I ran my blog as a labour of love and to practice what I was learning at work.

2. Do a highly regarded course

Get ahead and learn as much as possible. It might seem silly to pay when you can get the information online for free, but at least this way it’ll be set out in an easy to follow way, and you can just do the steps.

3. Stand out

There are so many travel bloggers now that it’s no longer enough to just be ‘a travel blogger’, you need to have a niche and some sort of direction. Think of a way to stand out from the crowd to make you the go to person for that topic.

4. Skill up

Be reeeeally good at one thing – photography, writing, Facebook, videomaking etc – and then keep working on everything else. Back up there ^ somewhere, I said how the highest earning travel bloggers have multiple income streams – remember that.

You need to be always learning, always thinking and always executing.

5.  Do cool stuff

The world does not need another  guide to Barcelona , trust me. Have some sort of gimmick, or do cool things, or go to awesome places and do cool things in those places, that no one else does, to really try and stand out.

Do something to write home about. 

6.  Have a business mind

Many travel bloggers are creative, but to make money they need to be business minded too. If you’re serious about making a lot of money from travel blogging then every decision you make needs to be business minded, even if the decision you make for your business isn’t to be business minded to look like some carefree traveller.

Read books, read well written sites, and learn about the professional side of travel blogging to give yourself the best chance.

7. Celebrate the small wins

Congratulate yourself on the small wins. As a travel blogger every day you are working towards building something bigger. You cannot expect to be the highest earning travel blogger in a few months – Nomadic Matt has been working at it for over 13 years, me, nine.

As you slowly build your empire, remember to congratulate yourself when things go right and keep your eye on the bigger picture.

Is it easy to become a travel blogger?

I 100% believe that with hard work, knowledge and enthusiasm you can come and join us mid-earning travel bloggers , earning a decent salary, working from home and travelling for a career.

Once you’ve got that nailed, then you can start thinking about bringing in those glorious six figures. 

How soon will I start earning money from travel blogging?

Anybody else happily accepting that they’re NOT going to make an income from ‘travel blogging’? Regardless of all the inspirational memes you see saying otherwise! ? #traveltribe — Steve Biggs (@biggsytravels) February 17, 2020

I started earning money after about six months – we’re talking a few quid though, not much. It took about three years – could’ve been two but I was reluctant to give up my job – for me to start making a basic full time income of it. My travel blogger salary soon eclipsed what I was earning in my job, and I knew it was time to leave so I could reap the benefits of all the travel I was being offered.

Since then I’ve travelled the world for three years and managed to top up my savings to buy a house by myself through what I’ve earned from my travel blog.

I started my blog in February 2012, back when no one really knew what they were doing and we were just muddling through. Now there are so many courses on how to make money travel blogging, and so much information and many opportunities out there, that with some hard work and a bit of luck you could be earning quicker than I did.

Or, you could set it all up, all gung ho, and then slowly drift away from it once you realise how much hard work it is to maintain. Up to you.

“Most travel blogs will be lucky if they last longer than a year”. –  Expert Vagabond

It’s impossible to say how soon you’ll start earning money from travel blogging, it depends how much work you put in, how much you know and how lucky you are. A travel blogger jobs salary is difficult to pinpoint.

Questions about travel blogger income 

1. What is the salary of a travel blogger? 

A travel blogger income varies from a big fat zero, to over a million a year. The highest earning travel bloggers I know are Nomadic Matt, The Blonde Abroad and Two Monkeys Travel. They’re all earning a blummin fortune! 

2. How do travel bloggers get paid?

Travel bloggers get paid through affiliates, brand partnerships, freelancing in writing or photography and advertising. They can also charge appearance fees, social media fees, and develop courses and speaking fees too. 

3. Can you get paid for travelling? 

Yes, as a travel blogger you can get paid to travel. I am living proof.  

4. Can anybody be a travel blogger? 

No, unfortunately not. No matter what those ads on Facebook tell you. To be a paid travel blogger you need to be resilient, hard working, good at writing and SEO, and have some sort of funds to travel in the first place. 

It takes a lot of hard work to be a travel blogger. 

5. Can you believe travel blog income reports?

I love reading travel blog income reports, but that’s just because I’m super nosey. Seeing how much travel bloggers get paid is very interesting to me, and can also give ideas of how you yourself can earn more in different markets too. I do tend to take travel blog income reports with a pinch of salt though – years in the travel blogger business has taught me you can’t believe everything you read!

Travel blogger salary

Good luck with it all. I hope one day I’ll be writing about you as one of the highest paid travel bloggers in the world. Let me know if you have any questions, and how you get on!

Pin this post on travel blogger salaries for later

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Hi, I'm Vicky! I wrote this. You can find me on all the social media @VickyFlipFlop. I love a bit of adventure, will try anything once, and have a strong passion for the local food and drink, whatever it may be. I'm here to help inspire you to travel to places a little out of your comfort zone, or at least to explore the usual destinations in a different way. Stay, have a look around, and if you have any questions – let me know below.

18 Comments

very inspiring, I’m finally making some income after blog post number 47 YAY!

Really interesting post. I remember reading about a travel blogger once who claimed to be earning a certain figure, turns out she had like you said 5 different avenues and another blog which was getting more hits! I’d like to think that one day I’d be earning enough to make a living. I’ve just started it full time so the next year will tell.

Oh good luck! I hope you’ve been ok during this difficult time. To be honest, I take everything I read with a pinch of salt as there’s a lot of exaggeration! I think this year is difficult for us all.

Nice to read and gain more knowledge – no blog yet but thinking about it – and the information helps. Really great for all the pointers

Hi VickyFlipFlopTravels, this content is an encouragement to future bloggers. It is very informative. Thanks for this.

No worries. Interesting to see hey?! I’m happy to say my income has gone up since I wrote this post but it’s been a long road!

Hi Vicky, this article is an encouragement to future bloggers. It is very informative. Thanks

Oh I hope it’s helped inspire you! As we know travel blogging isn’t all about the money, but you’ve got to be able to pay for your flights somehow!

• Pingback: Ways to Earn Money Traveling - CleverLeverage.com

Thank you, very informative. Even though you don’t want to share exact numbers, maybe you could share a range of how much earning you’ve reached at Y+1, Y+2, … ?

You’ve done your research and posted huge amount of travel blogger contents. I’m really a fan of your writing these days. Would you mind if i share this article to my students?

Hello Michel, if it’s just IRL then yeah, sure, share away! If you’re sharing online it’d be great to know where exactly you were sharing it to. Thanks!

Sorry I hadn’t replied earlier Steve, don’t know how I missed that. Are you happy with what you’ve earned? I think there are a lot of people earning a little pocket money from their blogs, which is great. Helps with the costs. I guess it’s only if you plan to pursue it as a full time job that you need to start thinking about how to bring in the big bucks, if you’ve got your main job then there’s no need to put so much pressure on yourself to perform. Just enjoy it!

No worries, I’m glad you found it helpful. So interesting to see what people are actually earning from travel blogging isn’t it?

This is so insightful and pretty thought-provoking! It’s mad to think some bloggers are earning such huge amounts from their sites and videos etc. I think like you say, it’s good to remember they will have started small and done a lot for free!I’m starting to get lots of local attractions for free and glamping stay which I find super exciting!

Oh that IS exciting! I think it makes sense that people are earning so much, when they have such big audiences. Some bloggers’ audiences are bigger than magazines. I think as people have moved to getting their information online the blogger were ahead of the curve. It’s all interesting to watch and observe – I guess we’ll see!

This post is packed with some really fascinating insights. Thanks a lot for writing this!

Let’s start with a low bar 🙂 I’ve been travel blogging purely as an enjoyable sideline to my FT salaried digital analytics career job since the start of 2016. Blog earnings to date = £800. Directly £500 for a video I posted on Jukin Media and £75 for a sponsored blog post … & then indirectly £150 discount off a Stockholm hotel rate and a £75 free tour in Paris (both of which I was going to pay full price for anyway). £0 so far from my Amazon affiliate links.

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30+ Travel Bloggers Earning Over 5,000 USD / Month & How They Monetize Their Blogs

There’s a big difference between having a ‘popular’ vs. a ‘profitable’ blog. You can be a very popular blogger but you might not be monetizing your site properly, or you may be a blogger who doesn’t have a huge audience but still earns a decent amount of money with a optimised, niche website.

There are still many out there who think travel blogging is just a hobby, rather than a ‘real job,’ or a ‘real business.’ This may be true for some, but there are many bloggers out there for whom their travel blogs are a serious business, entirely supporting themselves and even their families, not just their travels and a few beers!

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To demonstrate this, we found 30 travel bloggers who were willing to share with us how much they earn and how they do it!

In this article, we’re going to talk about the various ways that travel bloggers make money, including the self-submitted Income Profiles of 30 travel bloggers earning more than $5000 USD per month, topics include:

• PART 1 – Surveyed Travel Bloggers and How Much They Earn
• PART 2 – Travel Blogging Expenses – What are we Paying For?
• PART 3 – How do Travel Bloggers Earn Money –  Travel Bloggers Income Reports!
• PART 4 –  Tips for Newbie Bloggers – What Should You Do To Monetize Your Travel Blog?

(Please note that this article does contain some links to affiliated companies)

Table of Contents

Surveyed Travel Bloggers and How Much They Earn

*All figures in USD. All income information is based on data supplied by each blogger excluding all travel expenses (unless stated otherwise). For a detailed breakdown of each bloggers income check the bottom of the post.

• Matt Kepnes of Nomadic Matt (more than 50,000 USD per month)
• Johnny Ward of  OneStep4Ward.com  ($20,000 to $25,000 p/m)
• Dave & Deb of  The Planet D  ($15,000 to $20,000 per month)
• Earl of  WanderingEarl.com  ($12,000 per month)
• Monica of  The Travel Hack  ($10,000 per month)
• Nick & Dariece  Goats On The Road  ($10,000 to $12,000 per month)
• Sharon of  Where’s Sharon Family Travel Blog  ($10,000 per month)
• Milou of Explorista.net  ($10,000 per month)
• Jon & Kach of Two Monkeys Travel Group  ($10,000 to $15,000 p/m)
• James of Mantripping  ($4000 to $6000 per month)
• Tim Leffel of Cheapest Destinations Blog ($6500 to $9000 p/m)
• Brett of  Green Global Travel   ($5000 to $7000 per month)
• Yoshke & Vins of  The Poor Traveler  ($4000 to $6000 per month)
• Kristin Addis of  Be My Travel Muse  ($4000 to $5000 per month)
• Jacob & Esther of  Local Adventurer  ($6000 per month)
• Stephanie of  TravelBreak  ($5000 to $15,000 per month)
• Christy of  Ordinary Traveler  ($5000 to $7000 per month)
• DJ Yabis of  Dream Euro Trip  ($7000 to $9000 per month)
• Samantha & Yeison of  Mytanfeet  ($5000 to $8000 per month)
• Bethaney of  Flashpacker Family  ($5000 to $10,000 per month)
• Jarryd & Alesha of NOMADasaurus  ($3500 to $6000 per month)
• Cory of  You Could Travel  ($5000 to $8000 per month)
• Flavio of  Guiajando.com  ($6000 to $14,000 per month)
• Bethany of  Flashpacker Family  ($5000 to $10,000 per month)
• Sher of SherSheGoes.com  ($7000 to $8000 per month)
• Amanda of  MarocMama.com  ($6000 to $10,000 per month)
• Brian of  The Travel Vlogger  ($5000 to $8000 per month)
• Rachel of  www.RachelTravels.com  ($5000 per month)
• Eileen of www.crookedflight.com  ($3000 to $6000 per month)
• Yulia of  Misstourist.com  ($4000 to $5500 per month)
• Nora of The Professional Hobo  ($3000 +)

If you’d like to add your income profile and share your pro travel blogging tips, feel free to fill out this form .

The Business of Travel Blogging – EXPENSES

It would be great if travel blogging were all about income, but as with any business, the reality is that there are expenses (and huge taxes!). And just like in any other business, growth and increased income often come with greater expenses! If you’re not a blogger and wanted to be one, here’s my article on how you can start a travel blog .

According to our travel blogger income survey, those travel bloggers who earn more, also invest more into their business.

Here are some examples of the kinds of expenses that travel bloggers pay out for:

1. virtual assistants + freelance writers.

Some bloggers have expanded and hired more people, like we have, to create great content for their websites. Hiring a writer is perfect for creating the type of content that doesn’t need to be personally written by you, but provides a different type of value to your readers.

As well as content writers, another way to grow your blogging business is to hire a team to support you with work that distracts you from what you do best. I have three full time, freelance virtual assistants working for me, focusing on graphic design, social media management, article submissions, and marketing. Outsourcing costs money, but done correctly it allows you to focus on what you do best (and the things that directly increase your income!)

2. Hosting, Domain, Plugins + Themes, Web Development, Security…

Any blogger at any level of income has to pay for at least some of these, and if you want to grow, then you’ll find that you definitely usually get what you pay for.  When you’re just getting started, it makes sense to start with cheaper packages, but i f your traffic is growing and you’re starting to earn money, then it pays to invest in a higher standard of hosting and technical support. 

We started Two Monkeys Travel with Bluehost (because it was the cheapest), then we moved to Siteground (amazing support team), before finally moving over to Performance Foundry when we realized we needed a fully managed service so we could focus on running and growing the business. This is a perfect example of investing in growth – pay experts to do what they do best so that you can do the same!

Budget Hosting Companies:

• Bluehost  – Mixed reviews, but from $3 per month you get what you pay for!
• Hostgator  – another cheap hosting and same owners as Bluehost

Hosting for higher traffic sites or simply more support:

• Performance Foundry  – Managed WordPress Hosting that we use for Two Monkeys Travel. As well as the hosting, they have a great technical support, they monitor the site, check plugins, improve site speed and keep it secure as well. Highly recommended!
• Siteground  – A good range of options. More expensive than the budget options and still self-managed, but they have an amazing support team 24 hours.  They won’t do it all for you, but they’re very good at hand holding!
• WPEngine – No personal experience, but we’ve heard good things about them

3. Automation & Management Tools 

Outsourcing is one way to take time-consuming tasks off your hands, but another option is automation. In blogging, especially when starting from the bottom, the list of repetitive tasks just seems to get longer and longer, sucking up your valuable time and draining your motivation to do what you loved about blogging in the first place. Social media is usually the biggest culprit! The good news is that for every new repetitive task, there is always someone who will design a program or an app to do it for you. Some are great, while many are utterly shit, so read reviews and take advice from blogger groups and forums!  Here are some automation tools that are popular with bloggers and which we use on Two Monkeys Travel.  This is only a limited selection; there are dozens out there!

• Tailwind – To automate Pinterest
• Convert a Kit – Newsletter management
• Grammarly – For automated proofreading/grammar checking

4. Advertising

Blogging is the same as any other business – You need to tell people that you exist! Just because you build it, doesn’t mean they will come. The internet is a big place; it’s hard to get seen, and the big players like Facebook know it.  We all know how it feels when Facebook decides to suddenly stop showing your posts to you followers. Basically, they want you to pay to boost your posts, so they’ll show them to more people. This can be a very effective way to get traffic when done correctly, but done incorrectly is just a big fat waste of money! It seems that every platform wants us to pay these days – Instagram Promotions; Google Adwords; Twitter Ads; there are probably more. We can’t tell you how to do this, or even if you should bother. Do some research and expect lots of trial and error…Good luck! 

(Please note that travel expenses like hotels, flights, food and other things are not included in the listed expenses above! This can be where most of the expenses go, unless your trips are sponsored! For taxes, it depends on the country where the business is registered, on our case, we pay it in the United Kingdom.)

How do Travel Bloggers Earn Money from their Blogs?

According to our personal experience and from the blogger income survey, there are at least ten different ways you can earn money from travel blogging if you really want to dig into it. Here we’ll explain all the different ways our surveyed bloggers earn money with their blogs. (You can also read my article here on how we started monetizing our blog  during our first year blogging)

But first… How Long Will it Take to Start Earning Money from Travel Blogging?

Before we get into this next part, we know a lot of new bloggers are asking this question…

On average, most of our surveyed bloggers took 1 to 2 years before they started monetizing their website, but in reality, if you started blogging already knowing everything, then you could start earning a lot faster. But who starts out already knowing everything, right?! There are exceptions to this, however, like us – We had our first $1000+ month with Two Monkeys Travel after just three months, but that came out of working 12 to 16 hour days on the laptop for those first three months. We don’t have to do that now, but you definitely get out what you put in! 

1. Affiliate Marketing

This is the best passive income model you can use for yourself and your blog, so please start this right from day 1! In short, affiliate marketing is recommending a brand, product or service to your readers, so that when they go to that website and buy something you are rewarded with a small share of the profits. There’s a lot more to it than that; like a supermarket putting the powdered milk next to the beer, if you’re doing it wrong you’re not gonna sell much-powdered milk!

If you want to learn more about Affiliate marketing and how to do it right, I suggest enrolling in the Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Course . The creator is not a travel blogger, but a Finance blogger who is earning almost 100,000 USD per month! We make $5000 to $6000 USD per month through affiliate marketing , and this course taught me a lot (some of them I already knew!) ! 

Amazon Associates is a great affiliate program for selling products, but there are many brands that register with an affiliate marketing network to handle their affiliates for them. There are a few good ones, some bad ones and new ones popping all the time. It’s worth joining a few of these to cover a range of brands. Here are the ones we work with (and one we don’t!)

• Affiliate Window – One of the best and 1/3 of our Affiliate earnings are from here! You can also create a customized campaign with the advertisers listed on their platform. They do ask for a credit card when you sign up, so they can charge $5 as an anti-fraud measure, then it is immediately refunded. If you would like to try to avoid this, email me directly and I can try to assist with a referral, but this is at their discretion. Email at [email protected] with subject: Affiliate Window Invitation Code.
• CJ.com  – Marmite – some love it & some hate it! Lots of brands, clunky and time-consuming to use but they have a Content Certified group where you can get sponsored campaigns.
• Share a Sale – Lots of smaller brands and companies on here, also very good. I think we make around $1,000 to $ 2,000 USD per month from this platform.
• Rakuten  – Lots of options here, decent platform.

Other affiliate programs that are well worth joining for travel bloggers are anything to do with accommodation (Direct with Booking.com/ Agoda / Hostelworld/ Hotels.com and a lot more), tours, transportation, equipment. Just think about what you would spend money on to go traveling, find a company you would be happy to recommend to your grandmother, then check their website for a Partners or Affiliates section!

2. Brand Campaigns

When you have an audience and a following, companies will approach you to promote their products and services to them. If those products and services are appropriate to your audience and you would be happy to use them yourself, then you can promote them through sponsored posts, social media campaigns, ad banners on your website and more.  You can join these websites to help you find brands looking to work with bloggers:

• Webfluential
• Izea – you get sponsored post for your social media channels, some people earns $300 to $3000 per month from here!
• The Blogger Programme – if you are from the UK or Europe based!
• Tap Influence  – the sponsored campaigns that we get here are usually around $800 to $ 4,000 USD! We once run a campaign that paid us $3,000 for a blog article + Facebook post.

Again, more are popping up every day, so keep an eye on the blogging groups to see what’s being said about them.

3. Brand Ambassadorship

What’s the difference from Brand Campaigns vs. Brand Ambassadorship?

In a Brand Ambassadorship, you’ll be promoting brands in the same way as you would for a brand campaign, but longer-term basis. It’s far more beneficial to both parties to form a long-term brand partnership, providing greater exposure for their brand and demonstrating a higher level of trust in their products. Of course, this also means that you’re securing a longer term, more reliable income. You need to be picky here, though because you’re choosing to become a supporter and spokesperson for that brand. Make sure the brand, its practices, and its values are aligned with yours and those of your audience.

Remember when Dennis Rodman became a public supporter and practically a spokesperson for North Korea? Remember how bad that was? Don’t be a brand ambassador for North Korea!

4. Paid Press Trips

Ah, the mythical golden paid press trips at the end of the blogging rainbow! Not at all mythical, you just need to be able to prove you’re worth what you’re charging and be on the right PR lists! The latter is a question of time and networking; it takes practice.

When you have those two things pretty much sorted, then you need to be very clear what you will provide in exchange for your fee. Put a lot of effort into this and design something that looks great. If you just type it out as an email, it implies that you might just make up your fees and deliverables on the spot. Of course, there is nothing wrong with free press trips, they’re great to build up your portfolio and network.

5. Freelance Writing

This is not directly making money from your blog, but it is leveraging your blog to get paid work writing for other websites and publications who then link back to your blog to expand your audience, so it’s all connected. Prices vary massively but you can get more tips from Goats on the Road or The Professional Hobo who get a good chunk of their income from freelance writing.

6. Selling Own Products – Ebooks / Books / Tshirts

Selling products are a great way to add new income streams to your blogging business. Ebooks can be made from repurposed blog content and photography. Audiobooks can be made to up-sell the Ebooks. You can make themed merchandise like mugs and t-shirts using online companies. If you know a lot about a certain subject, including blogging, then you can design a course to teach others. You can check out Nomadic Matt who sells his book + blogging course while Wandering Earl has his best-selling e-book on cruise ship jobs.

7. Providing Services From Your Website

Some travel bloggers have built such an audience and become such an authority on a subject that people are willing to pay them for their expertise. Some of our surveyed bloggers offer food tours, trip planning, and even one-on-one travel and life coaching ! You can check DreamEuroTrip who provides travel planning in Europe and some other bloggers have their Media Agency who does social media management + content creation services.

8. Photography and Videography

Not the easiest way to make money, but if you have the skills, then there are many ways to sell your photos and videos. As well as the obvious method of selling photos through portals like Flickr, you could sell prints from your own site and sell your services directly to brands and hotel properties. The Travel Break , Nomadasaurus , and The Travel Vlogger all make the big chunk of their income from their photography/ videos.

9. Banner Advertising (Google Adsense + Ad networks)

There are not many bloggers who choose this route as a main means of income as the returns are low and the banners don’t look great on the site. Having said that, a limited number of Google Adsense or Ad Networks banners can be a nice supplemental income. Alternatively, some brands will pay directly to have banners on a website, but this is becoming less and less common.

10. SEO Sponsored Posts

Tips for newbie bloggers – what should you do to monetize your travel blog, 1. know your goals and have a business plan.

The fundamental difference between being a ‘hobby blogger’ and a professional blogger is that the aim of the blog is to make money. It sounds obvious, and it is, but so many bloggers have conflicting ideas about blogging and money, even to the point of feeling guilty about earning money from their website and audience. Unless you get over that, then every decision you make thereafter is going to be conflicted as well. Creating a business plan can help to focus your goals and help you keep direction and motivation.

2. Plan your Content and How you can Optimize and Monetize it

Once you have your business plan, you can use it to make decisions about the kind of content you want to include on your blog and how to monetize it. 

3. Attend Networking Events to be added on PR List

Networking events and travel trade shows are an important way to start getting your name out there in the industry, especially with tourism boards and PR companies. The events below are a great start:

• ITB Asia – http://www.itb-asia.com/
• New York Times Show – http://nyttravelshow.com/
• ITB Berlin, Germany – http://www.itb-berlin.de/en/
• WTM London – http://wtmlondon.com/

4. Get a coach! Enroll on Travel Blogging and Business Courses

If you do everything by trial and error, then you’re going to take a very long time to progress. It makes sense to learn from people who have already learned the hard way and made a success out of what they do. Here are some good ones to get you started:

• Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing   

5. Focus on What You’re Good At – Optimise What You Have!

Social Media is great but don’t put all your effort into growing your numbers for the sake of it! Some of the bloggers above are not huge on some platforms on social media, but they are earning a lot of money from campaigns and from the traffic they do have. They know where to focus their efforts, and they have a very engaged audience!

 Blogger Income Profile Infographic

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56 thoughts on “ 30+ Travel Bloggers Earning Over 5,000 USD / Month & How They Monetize Their Blogs ”

Hi, Congrats! Ka galing! Travelling while earning money!

I love reading your blog. They are very informative looking forward to read more from you

Great information.definately will get in touch asap for a headstart

I cannot click on the infographics for each blogger showing their individual details. Can you fix this? I see others posted about this problem too

great post for readers.

Really a good and complete full of information and motivation

This is great info, thanks for sharing. I am excited with my travel blogging. Hope one day my travel blog is also on your list 🙂

Thanks! For giving the information to the travel blog. Whenever you go to some another places you can see the historical places.

Marvelous work!. Blog is brilliantly written and provides all necessary information I really like this site. Thanks for sharing this useful post.Thanks for the effective information.

Waow…. great post with great ideas. Thanks so much for putting it all together. Sure that You will help so many people. =)

Really a good and complete full of information and motivation !

This is a good tip especially to those new to the blogosphere. Brief but very precise info… Thanks for sharing this one. A must read post!

Great post about travel bloggers earning 5,000 usd per month. The point you make about travel bloggers monetizing their content resonates well, because it details how bloggers capitalize their viewership into profits. Recently, we wrote something similar: https://www.museuly.com/blog/highest-paid-travel-bloggers/ .

Hey, great article. Thanks for all the useful information.

The infographic has all of the most interesting information (reason why I clicked the link), yet it is blurry, and cut off! I don’t understand why you don’t post that information directly on this post, or at least make it readable??

Monetizing something really challenging these days, It will surely help me in my blogging journey thanks for sharing such deep information. I would really appreciate if you can help me with my blogging.

Hi guys, the infografic is cut, can’t see the whole picture, especially the bottom part of each blogger, which highlights the monthly costs.

Thanks for putting this together and helping us join a few dots! I found the most reassuring part of this post was when you mentioned “On average, most of our surveyed bloggers took 1 to 2 years before they started monetizing their website, but in reality, if you started blogging already knowing everything, then you could start earning a lot faster. But who starts out already knowing everything, right?!”

I feel that is us! It’s taken us 12+ months to realize we can let go of a few things; e.g. Social media, to concentrate on other things more likely to lead to monetisation.

Also glad to see some bloggers are offering services as part of their income streams as we’re now seeing we have valuable skills, e.g. SEO, email automation, video editing etc, that many business owners don’t.

Good Luck to all but why do you think everyone has a “how to become a course” because there’s very little money actually producing travel content. 10 years ago it was a different story and making six to seven figures was possible. Now count yourself successful if your paying for your travels. Happy Travels, Destination360

What a great post! Very inspirational and I love the cold hard facts and numbers. I’ll return again and again for all the great links and resources too.

Kach, just saw this post. Full of information and bookmarking this. Dreams do come true!

Loved your article. I wanted to make sure you knew about influence.co. We are a free influencer discovery tool and we also publish lots of free data about the industry. Let me know if we can ever be useful and supply information for future articles you write.

Faith Marketing and Community at influence.co

It’s a great article 😉 It should have been hard to collect all the data. Thanks a lot!

Great information for expanding the blog and turning it into something important on an international level. Thank you for sharing! Good luck! 🙂

I started in blogging year 2015 from free hosted blog.Then purchased a domain year 2017 even though i don’t have huge audience but still earned big bucks of money.Its about hardwork like Kach Medina-a popular travel blogger na nakilala ko.Inaaway nga ako ng girlfriend ko dahil may time na ayaw ko matulog dahil sa pagsusulat ng blog infront of my laptop.Ha…ha…ha…

wondering how you earned money po?

Love this, So much great information to use for my new blog and journey 🙂

Glad to hear that The Sport Backpacker 🙂 Wish all the best 🙂

This is very useful information for someone just getting started. As for myself I wish I started this ages ago when I was actively traveling around Asia. Now I have blogs I can write and pictures to share. This gives me some inspiration and hope of something I can work my way up to

very informative. i’m not yet at that level but who knows what the future holds. ^_^

That’s the spirit grasya 🙂 Be positive and you’ll succeed 🙂

WOW! What a great topic! I appreciate the information and know it took a while to compile. This year I’m focusing on monetizing my blog so this is a timely post!!

This is an insane guide! As a newbie I am in the blogging world I am going to start to follow some of those tips. Pinning it for later. Thanks so much for sharing!

This is such a great post! So many useful ideas for a newbie like me. I think I’m going to look into this course!

Such an inspiring post! It’s great to see what can be done when you put your mind to it and work hard!

Thanks for sharing this. I always feel bloggers just dish out how much they make per month, but (not always) mention how much they need to invest to make that much money. For me, I know each month I get a certain amount in my bankaccount and it is all mine to use as I need to. Thanks for sharing some more details on expenses too!

This is very informative! I’ll definitely have to study this in detail. I definitely have a lot to learn!

So interesting!!!! I’m definitely bookmarking this to study more. I monetise a little but there’s so much to learn and so many different ways to do it!

A great post, I found all the information useful! I have noted down a few of the links. Thanks for sharing this.

This is such a great resource for taking a travel blog to the next level. I am still in the beginning stages of my blog but there’s a ton of great ideas in here to help me step it up a notch. I’ll definitely be bookmarking this for future reference- thank you!!

This is a handful helpful! Thanks for this =)

Fantastic resource! Thanks so much for taking the time to put this together. Inspires me to keep going 🙂

It’s an informative post. Thanks for sharing your findings and suggestions. Finding a good advertising network is something I’m working on at present and I’m looking for closer cooperation with fellow bloggers over the months ahead.

Great roundup! I was earning little bits of money from my sites for a year or so before things started to increase to the point where blogging is now my main source of income. I’m not at $5000 a month yet, but I’m working on it and hopefully I’ll get there soon! I’m actually starting to share income reports on one of my site as a way to show others that it can be done, and as a way to hold myself accountable for actually improving my sites. Certainly an interesting and ever-changing way to make a living!

Excellent post. Very informative with some great stats. It sort of confirms what i was expecting already, but it’s nice to see it put down so detailed and professional.

Thanks Claus! Appreciate the feedback and happy that some bloggers were happy to participate! I reached out to a lot of them but some are hesitant to share the details (maybe because of taxes or it’s just too personal etc). But I think having 30 bloggers is enough to make a personal analysis! =)

Such an extensive in-depth post! Kudos for curating all the info. The post and the effort that has gone behind it is highly motivating and inspiring 🙂

Thank you for taking the time to reach out to all the bloggers mentioned and for putting out such an in-depth article. This is priceless information and tips that my blog could use as well. I’ve been blogging for about a year now and only recently decided to be serious about it. Thanks for motivating me further.

YAY excited for you Talia! When you finally decided to take it seriously and have business plan in mind.. then you’ll reach there! =)

Great post! I also earn an income by speaking at conferences and summits. Travel bloggers have lots of insight that is VERY valuable for brands, tourism boards and other businesses.

Oh that’s true! No one on the bloggers surveyed mentioned that they earned from Public Speaking.. maybe other bloggers who didnt participated! But yes, I could update the article in the future about that one! Thank you!! <3

Wow, Kach, this is such a pool of information! I’m bookmarking this! Thanks so much for putting it all together, great role models to follow 🙂 And now off to work on the blog! 😉

Thanks Veronika! 2017 is the year!! I know you’ll do great! =)

whoa! what an in depth post. This must have taken you forever to do put together. Thanks for the wealth of information!

It took me 2 months – a lot of people wanted to be in it then backed out then I had to contact more people again! haha! <3

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DISCLOSURE: Please note that some of the links above are affiliate links. So when you make a purchase we sometimes make a small commission, at no extra cost to you. The cost to you remains the same, sometimes even cheaper if we have negotiated a special deal for our readers.We use all of the companies we have listed here and that’s why they are in this list, but of course we need to keep Two Monkeys Travel Group running as well as it can, which is exactly what you’re helping with if you do decide to buy or book something through an affiliate link! If you have any more questions about the companies we use or any other companies you’re looking at, just email us and we’ll be happy to help. Please see our full disclaimer page for more information.

Written by Kach Umandap

Founder of Two Monkeys Travel Group. Since 2013, Kach has visited all the 7 continents (including Antarctica) and 151 countries using her Philippines Passport. In 2016, she bought a sailboat and went on sailing adventures with her two cats - Captain Ahab & Little Zissou in the Caribbean for 2 years. She now lives in Herceg Novi, Montenegro where she's enjoying her expat life and living on a gorgeous Stonehouse. She writes about her experiences traveling as a Filipina traveler with a PHL Passport. Also tips on backpacking trips, luxury hotel experiences, product reviews, sailing & adventure travel.

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Be a Freelance Blogger

Make REAL money blogging for hire.

By Sophie Lizard

Travel Blogging: Paid Writing Gigs for World-Wandering Freelancers

You think travel blogging went down the plughole back in January 2020 when Covid-19 made governments start cancelling flights and quarantining travellers?

Because guess what happens when people can’t travel as much as they’d like?

They want to read about travelling so that they can dream and imagine and plan their next trip. 😉

And guess what happens when people are finally allowed to travel wherever they please? Yep, they’ll want to read about it then, too.

So travel blogging is a pretty good opportunity right now for any writer with halfway decent experiences to share!

Before we get into this, lemme answer the question a lot of writers ask me:

Want more blogging gigs on other topics? Check out our Ultimat e List of Better-Paid Blogging Gigs here.

Is Travel Blogging Paid Well Enough to Cover All Your Expenses?

I dunno… how expensive are you?

I mean, if you normally live on a shoestring and sleep in a hammock, then I expect a few good travel blogging gigs a month would cover your living costs, your business costs, AND your random buy-it-because-you-like-it costs.

If you’re used to sleeping in the fanciest of hotels and being concierged to within an inch of your life, then… maybe? If that’s the experience you bring to the table, then you could probably get hired by luxury travel brands that can afford to keep you in penthouse suites.

On average, most of the travel blogging gigs I see pay about $200 per post, although there are some that pay $1,000 or more for the right piece. (And if your article gets accepted by a travel magazine for publication in print as well as online, you could earn $1+ per word.) It’s up to you to decide how many posts you can create, which sites to pitch them to, and how much you need to earn!

And now for the other big question:

Do You Have to Travel a Lot to Be a Travel Blogger?

Welllll, kinda, but also no.

If you live somewhere that other people travel to, then you can write posts about that place for those people. As a local, you have knowledge that visitors don’t have. But as a non-traveller, you might also overlook some of the little things that only outsiders notice.

If you used to travel a lot but now not so much, that’s not unusual. And you can still get gigs writing about places you visited a couple of years ago, as long as you can make the post itself relevant and up to date for someone reading it today. (Some blogs have rules about how long ago your trip can be; some of those blogs relaxed the rules back in 2020 to let writers mine older trips for blog post content. And some of them may have tightened up their window of acceptability again by now, so check with the editors to be sure.)

Travel Blogs That Pay Freelance Writers:

1859 oregon magazine.

How much do you know about passing the time in Oregon? 1859 Oregon Magazine is looking for interesting ways to entertain its readers while in their state. For locals and visitors. Stories about local food, wine, history, culture, and outdoor adventures are all good places to start.

• Homepage: https://1859oregonmagazine.com/
• Contributor info: https://1859oregonmagazine.com/think-oregon/business/writers-guidelines/
• Pay: 30 to 50 cents per word for most travel stories.
• Contributor byline: Yes.
• Contributor bio: No.

Adirondack Life

Adirondack Life Magazine publishes stories about its six-million-acre natural park in New York State. So it’s all about outdoor fun from hiking and kayaking to backcountry skiing (and everything in between). They also love articles about the wildlife, history, places, and people of the Adirondacks.

• Homepage: http://www.adirondacklifemag.com/
• Contributor info: http://www.adirondacklifemag.com/blogs/magazine/writers-guidelines/
• Pay: 30 cents per word for features and news stories (1,000-3,500 words).

Adventure Cycling

If road or mountain biking gets you excited, pitch your dream biking travel ideas to Adventure Cycling. They are especially interested in first-person stories about bike travel. So make sure to include all the details about how to do it along with your story about the amazing spots you visited (and take lots of fantastic pictures too).

• Homepage: https://www.adventurecycling.org/blog/
• Contributor info: https://www.adventurecycling.org/adventure-cyclist/adventure-cyclist-submissions/
• Pay: 25 to 50 cents a word for your biking adventure travels. 2000-3000 words for feature stories.
• Contributor byline: Yes with a link to a writer profile.
• Contributor bio: Yes, on a separate page, a few sentences with a link.

Afar Magazine and blog want interesting stories about travel for their bi-monthly printed magazine and the blog. You can pitch them for reported stories, essays, opinions, features, short articles, and more in the magazine. As for the website, they prefer to commission work, so send them a letter of introduction (LOI) with a few great samples to get their attention.

• Homepage: https://www.afar.com/
• Contributor info: https://about.afar.com/pitch-guidelines/
• Pay: Starting at 50 cents per word for online articles and $1 per word for magazine work usually.
• Contributor bio: Yes, usually on a writer’s page.

Alaska Magazine

Alaska Magazine and blog will consider your pitches or completed articles (although they strongly recommend you read the magazine and blog before sending anything). If you’re a freelance photographer and writer, you can get paid for photos as well. For your first contact, send a few great portfolio pieces.

• Homepage: https://alaskamagazine.com/
• Contributor info: https://alaskamagazine.com/contributor-guidelines/
• Pay: We hear $100 to $1000.
• Contributor bio: Yes, a short one.

If you’re a freelance writer who also loves mountain climbing, take a look at Alpinist Magazine and blog. They’re very interested in pitches from their readers and writers who love this subject. You can write about your own experiences, others’ stories, or intriguing topics climbers can’t resist. The best way to send a winning pitch is always to read the magazine or blog (depending on which one you want to pitch).

• Homepage: http://www.alpinist.com/
• Contributor info: http://www.alpinist.com/p/magazine/contribute
• Pay: We hear 25 cents per word.

American Angler

If fishing is the reason for your travel passion, you could make some good money writing about your expertise, adventures, and journeys while doing what you love. American Angler Magazine and website will be happy to find another great freelance writer who loves to fish. Tell them about all your secret local knowledge, great places to eat, and your favorite travel destinations for fishing.

• Homepage: https://www.americanangler.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.americanangler.com/submissions/
• Pay: We hear $200 to $600.
• Contributor bio: Yes, a few sentences with links.

Arizona Highways Magazine

Arizona Highways Magazine and blog are part of the Arizona Dept of Transportation. This magazine has been around since 1925 and has a long tradition of high quality photography and writing (think Ansel Adams). Flip through the blog or digital version of the magazine for clues to sending in a winning pitch.

• Homepage: https://www.arizonahighways.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.arizonahighways.com/index.php/contact-us
• Pay: We hear $50 to $900 (usually $1 a word).

Atlanta Parent

Have you got family travel stories or ideas? Well, if you live near Atlanta GA, you could pitch a few interesting travel articles to Atlanta Parent , a locally owned online and print magazine. They’re also interested in personal essays and practical articles about parenting from locals.

• Homepage: https://www.atlantaparent.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.atlantaparent.com/writers_guidelines/
• Pay: $100+ for feature articles with 800-1200 words. Shorter pieces of 300-600 words pay around $25-50.
• Contributor byline: Yes, but no links in the byline.

Dying to write about your backwoods hiking trips? Go talk to Backpacker , an online and print magazine that specializes in “foot-based” travel. They’re ok with the occasional other “human-powered” propulsion systems too (like canoeing or cross country skiing). Just try to keep it in North America and get off the typical trails. They’ll consider everything from day hikes to week-long trips.

• Homepage: https://www.backpacker.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.backpacker.com/page/guidelines
• Pay: From about $150 to $2,000 or more; typical pay starts at 40 cents per word, with article lengths ranging from 400-600 words to 1500-5000 word destination feature articles.
• Contributor bio: Yes, on a separate page, no links.

Bay Area Parent

Bay Area Parent Magazine and blog are looking for locally-focused article pitches for their magazine. You can also write for the blog, but payment is for magazine stories only. They’re always looking for family-oriented local travel ideas if you’re in the greater San Francisco area. Take a look at previously published travel stories for inspiration and tips on getting your pitch accepted.

• Homepage: https://www.bayareaparent.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.bayareaparent.com/writers-guidelines/article_33299728-0c40-5a1c-925e-da0557e98a52.html
• Pay: 25 cents per word for most articles (600-1800 words typically).
• Contributor bio: Yes, but no links.

BBC Travel wants to hear about your travel story ideas. But read their submission guidelines very closely and study up on some of their best travel articles before you contact them with ANY queries. You’ll need one hell of a story idea to get them to say yes (and remember the photos to go with it).

• Homepage: https://www.bbc.com/
• Contributor info: http://www.bbc.com/travel/story/20160106-bbc-travel-author-brief
• Pay: $350 to $600 for 800-2000 word feature articles.

Blue Ridge Country

Attention freelance writer: Blue Ridge Country Magazine and blog are accepting pitches for paid articles and photography on travel topics in Western Maryland, the Shenandoah Valley area, Northern Georgia, and the mountainous parts of Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Read through the site or magazine for inspiration on topics like traditions, history, legends, local foods, unique or intriguing places, and more.

• Homepage: https://blueridgecountry.com/
• Contributor info: https://blueridgecountry.com/business/editorial-guidelines
• Pay: Up to $250.

British Airways Highlife

Want to write for British Airways inflight magazine High Life ? We hear they’re accepting pitches for the now mostly-digital magazine, but don’t expect to find any clear writer guidelines. They want writers who’ve been to or live in the topic’s area and as for locations, only if British Airways flies there. You’ll have to do your own research to nail your pitch and get it accepted. Speaking of getting your pitches accepted , we wrote a handy book on it to help you get a yes a little faster.

• Homepage: https://bahighlife.com/
• Contributor info: https://bahighlife.com/about-us/
• Pay: We hear around $1 per word.
• Contributor bio: Yes, a nice one with a photo.

British Columbia Magazine

British Columbia Magazine wants your travel articles. But be prepared to show them a few great portfolio pieces first. First-person stories about day trips and lesser-known locales. History and famous (or infamous) figures are also intriguing ideas. And do I need to say it? Only about travel in British Columbia Canada.

• Homepage: https://www.bcmag.ca/
• Contributor info: http://cdn.agilitycms.com/british-columbia-magazine/guidelines/Sp13-Writers-Guidelines.pdf
• Pay: 50 cents per word for most stories (from 500 to 1300 words on average).
• Contributor bio: Yes, a few sentences.

Canadian Geographic

Write for Canadian Geographic Magazine , the blog, or its travel supplement section on mostly wildlife, nature, travel, and culture in Canada. Read through the magazine and blog to get ideas for your pitches. This publication will consider new (unpublished) writers with great pitches. We hear they’re often looking for travel and photo-heavy stories.

• Homepage: https://canadiangeographic.ca/
• Contributor info: https://canadiangeographic.ca/about-can-geo/
• Pay: We hear $1 a word (Canadian)
• Contributor bio: Yes, on a separate page with a photo.

Charlotte Parent

The Charlotte Parent Magazine and blog are always looking for great things-to-do and travel articles for their audience of parents looking for something to do on the weekend or during school holidays. Take a look at all the published travel and family fun idea stories on the site for inspiration.

• Homepage: https://www.charlotteparent.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.charlotteparent.com/about-us/
• Pay: We hear $50 to $150 for articles with 500 to 1200 words usually.

Chesapeake Family Life Magazine

How well do you know the Virginia, DC, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania area? Got lots of ideas for family travel fun? Then get in touch with Chesapeake Family Magazine and website. They are really interested in great family travel ideas. You can also send proposals about any of the challenges parents face (from a local perspective of course).

• Homepage: https://www.chesapeakefamily.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.chesapeakefamily.com/writers-guidelines/
• Pay: $75 to $200 for 750-1000 words. ($35 for reprints.)

Chicago Parent

If you live in or near the Windy City (also known as Chicago IL), you could pitch Chicago Parent on local family activities or travel articles. They’re also interested in personal essays and feature articles on any of the usual challenges of parenting (education, child care, and managing it all).

• Homepage: https://www.chicagoparent.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.chicagoparent.com/archives/write-chicago-parent/
• Pay: $50-100 for essays, $25-50 for short articles, $100+ for feature stories typically 800-1500 words.
• Contributor byline: Yes, and links to a writer profile with your other articles.

If you’re a climbing enthusiast and a writer, both the Climbing Magazine and blog pay freelance writers. For the quarterly printed magazine, check the writer guidelines for a good fit for your ideas in one of the departments. If you’re also a great photographer, you can also get paid for photos. The blog is always looking for pitches and new writers for their almost-daily publishing schedule.

• Homepage: https://www.climbing.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.climbing.com/page/contact-us/#section_5
• Pay: We hear 35 cents a word for a 2000-word article (usually paid as a flat rate, not per word).
• Contributor bio: Yes.

Coastal Review Online

Coastal Review Online is a nonprofit online publication focused on the North Carolina coast. They want articles about protecting and preserving this natural area mainly. But they also like “green” travel, culture, or history articles about interesting places.

• Homepage: https://www.coastalreview.org/
• Contributor info: https://www.coastalreview.org/about/submissions/write-cro/
• Pay: $75 to $200 for articles of 800-2000 words.
• Contributor byline: Yes, which links to your writer profile on the site.
• Contributor bio: Yes, a very nice-looking one, but no links.

Cross Country Magazine

Cross Country Magazine is all about flying. You know, like paragliding, hang gliding, paramotoring… you get the idea. If it involves humans in the air with or without motors, Cross Country will be interested. And it goes without saying, photos are extremely important for any article.

• Homepage: https://xcmag.com/
• Contributor info: https://xcmag.com/contribute/
• Pay: About $300 for 1500-2000 words (and 20-30 photos).

Are you into desert travel in North America? You could be making some money writing for DesertUSA Magazine , an online publication focused on all things desert. Geology, wildlife, adventure, even photo essays could make the cut. They are also interested in the culture, history, arts, and crafts of the different desert-dwelling peoples in the southwestern USA.

• Homepage: https://www.desertusa.com/stories/
• Contributor info: https://www.desertusa.com/who/du_submissions.html
• Pay: $50 for 1200-1500 word articles on adventure, culture, or travel stories in the North American deserts.

Earth Island Journal

Have you travelled to somewhere environmentally important? Earth Island Journal is a print journal that also publishes articles online, covering issues ranging from wildlife and lands conservation to innovations in science and technology, public policy, environmental protection, animal rights, public health, and environment-related film, music, and books.

• Homepage: https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/
• Contributor info: https://www.earthisland.org/journal/index.php/page/writers-photographers-guidelines
• Pay: $100 for online posts; 25 cents a word for print articles.

East Bay Express

If you’re in the Berkeley, Oakland, or East Bay areas, you could do some paid local freelance writing for East Bay Express . They want to know about local restaurants, events, cultural happenings, and music too. They sometimes do travel articles that fit the vibe of the magazine.

• Homepage: https://www.eastbayexpress.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.eastbayexpress.com/oakland/WritersGuidelines/Page
• Pay: We hear $120 to $600 for news or feature stories.

Edible Seattle

Edible Seattle gets most of its articles from freelancers. So if you’ve got a great local food-based travel story, send your query in. They are most interested in your first-person road trip articles (with a food theme obvs). But they won’t turn down other nontravel local food story ideas (if it fits their submission guidelines of course).

• Homepage: https://www.edibleseattle.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.edibleseattle.com/contributors-guidelines/
• Pay: 20 to 30 cents a word for local food travel articles.

Escapees RV Club

The Escapees RV Club blog publishes posts on anything and everything about the RV lifestyle – from the RVs themselves to traveling, to parenting on the go, to transitioning from recreational to full-time RVing. So if you’re got an RV and love going places in it, write it up and send it to them. That’s right, they do NOT accept pitches, only completed articles. They also love stories about life in an RV.

• Homepage: https://www.escapees.com/blog-feed/
• Contributor info: https://www.escapees.com/images/pdfs/WritersGuidelines.pdf
• Pay: $50 to $200.

Ft Myers Magazine

Ft Myers Magazine wants pitches and completed articles about local topics on the arts, culture, travel, entertainment, and food & drinks for visitors and residents in Southwest Florida. You can read through the digital magazine here for more inspiration.

• Homepage: https://www.ftmyersmagazine.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.ftmyersmagazine.com/aboutus
• Pay: We hear 10 cents a word.

Great Escape Publishing

Great Escape Publishing publishes home-study programs and leads workshops that help its members get paid to travel. Travel writing and blogging, photography, and tour-guiding are their main areas of focus. So if you know something about how to make money writing about travel or other travel-related business, send them a pitch.

• Homepage: https://greatescapepublishing.com/
• Contributor info: https://greatescapepublishing.com/writers-guidelines/
• Pay: From $50 up to $200.

GuestLife publishes 3 different hotel room travel magazines for New Mexico, Monterey Bay, and El Paso . You can flip through each digital version to get an idea on what to pitch them or send a letter of introduction with portfolio samples.

• Homepage: https://www.guestlife.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.guestlife.com/about-guestlife/
• Pay: We hear $50 to $500.
• Contributor byline: Depends on article type. Features, yes. Shorts, no.

Hemispheres

Hemispheres is United Airlines’ travel magazine and they are accepting freelance queries. Have a look at past stories to get an idea of what they want and what they’ve already published. Like most airline mags, they pay pretty well.

• Homepage: https://www.hemispheresmag.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.hemispheresmag.com/writers-guidelines/
• Pay: We hear $1 per word.

Hidden Compass

Hidden Compass wants a different kind of travel story. They are much more interested in a great story than the destination. So a cute little article about how much fun Paris is… that’s not going to cut it here. But a story about Javanese miners harvesting sulfur could get their attention.

• Homepage: https://hiddencompass.net/
• Contributor info: https://hiddencompass.net/contributor-guidelines/
• Pay: $400 to $650 for stories or photo features.

Hit the Road

“Road” is the key word if you want to write for Hit the Road. We’re talking about road trips in Australia, New Zealand, or North America. They’ll be even more thrilled if your story involves a rented campervan or motorhome (because that’s their business). And remember to include photos and videos to make your story even more irresistible.

• Home page: https://hittheroad.rentals/
• Contributor info: https://hittheroad.rentals/contributors-guidelines
• Contributor byline: Yes
• Contributor bio: Yes, includes one link to your website. You can also put a link to your site on your profile page.

Honolulu Magazine

Honolulu Magazine and blog are more focused on helping their local residents find fun things to do, eat, or drink as well as other local lifestyle topics. You can also send them article pitches about other areas in Hawaii (just don’t send anything targeting a non-local tourist audience). This publication uses both staff and freelance writers on a wide variety of topics, so read through the blog and get inspired.

• Homepage: https://www.honolulumagazine.com/
• Contributor info: Read their freelance writer guidelines here   and see their editorial staff contact info here .
• Pay: We hear $100-1800.
• Contributor bio: Yes, a nice one on a separate page with a photo.

Hudson Valley Parent

Got family fun ideas for the Hudson Valley area in NY state? Pitch them to Hudson Valley Parent . This publication wants travel articles about local fun only (preferably first-person stories). But they also love articles about camps, schools, health, and anything related to kids.

• Homepage: https://hvparent.com/
• Contributor info: https://hvparent.com/Pages/WritersGuidelines.aspx
• Pay: Typically pays $80 for 700-800 word locally-focused articles. $90-120 for 1200 word articles.
• Contributor byline: Yes, but no links.

International Living

International Living Magazine and its popular blog publish articles about retiring overseas, foreign investments, travel deals and real estate bargains outside the U.S., how to start a business outside the U.S., items from overseas that may sell well in the U.S. market and anything that involves saving or making money outside of the United States.

• Homepage: https://internationalliving.com/
• Contributor info: https://internationalliving.com/about-il/write-for-il/
• Pay: $75 to $450 for stories about living overseas as a digital nomad, small business owner, or retiree on any of IL’s different websites or publications.

Kentucky Monthly

Kentucky Monthly Magazine and website are looking for freelance writers for travel, history, and other intriguing stories to give locals and visitors a reason to explore the state. If you’re also a creative writer, they’re also interested in fiction with a strong connection to Kentucky.

• Homepage: http://www.kentuckymonthly.com/
• Contributor info: http://www.kentuckymonthly.com/contact
• Pay: 15 cents a word (negotiable) for 1000-2500 word features normally.

Yes, you can write a travel article for the LA Times . But they’re super picky, so read the submission guidelines carefully. They will not accept ANY sponsored trips. Nope. Nada. Not even a little bit. Have a good hard look at previous articles too. They want something original and different. Pitch them a story they can’t resist (and you’ll need some great photos to go with it).

• Homepage: https://www.latimes.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.latimes.com/la-trw-guidelines-story-story.html
• Pay: $75 to $750, depending on whether it’s a blog post, online article, or print destination feature. From 400 to 1300 words on average.
• Contributor bio: Yes, a few lines with links.

Literary Traveler

Have you taken a trip inspired by a work of literature? Then Literary Traveler wants to hear from you. LT focuses mainly on travels related to literary artists (or their works of art) but also welcomes articles focusing on composers, storytellers, and poets. They like to hear about the creative process and its relationship to location and travel.

• Homepage: https://www.literarytraveler.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.literarytraveler.com/contact/submissions/
• Pay: We’ve heard $50.

Metro Parent

Got ideas for fun family trips in Michigan and the Midwest? Pitch them and any other locally-focused family friendly article ideas to Metro Parent. Easy day trips, weekend trips, and creative ways to entertain and educate your kids outside are good places to start. Check their detailed writer guidelines for more tips.

• Homepage: https://www.metroparent.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.metroparent.com/write-for-metro-parent-magazine-and-website/
• Pay: From $50-75 for short articles, up to $150-350 for 1,000-2,500 words.

Midwest Living

Midwest Living is happy to work with new writers (especially those living in the Midwest) on travel, food, and other regionally-relevant topics. For your first contact, send them a letter of introduction (LOI) with some of your best published work (online or print) plus a few article ideas you’ve got that could fit their publication. Make sure to read the blog or magazine beforehand too.

• Homepage: https://www.midwestliving.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.midwestliving.com/travel/around-region/midwest-living-writers-guidelines/
• Pay: We hear around $150 for your first short assignments (you can make more once they get to know you better).

Monterey Bay Parent

Monterey Bay Parent Magazine and blog are looking for freelance writers ready to write about local family activity ideas and travel in Central California. You can also pitch them ideas for other parenting-relevant stories. Send them an email introducing yourself with any already published work you have and an article idea or two.

• Homepage: https://www.montereybayparent.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.montereybayparent.com/opportunities
• Pay: $50 to $75.

National Geographic

National Geographic Magazine and website hire freelance writers (usually with great portfolios and top-notch research, interview, and investigative journalism skills). If that’s you right now, pitch away! If you’re new to freelance writing, start pitching your great ideas to smaller blogs and magazines to build up your skills and portfolio. Read their blog regularly and practice coming up with pitches. You’ll be ready to write for this internationally-known magazine or blog in no time.

• Homepage: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/a r ticle/how-to-write-for-nat-geo
• Pay: starting at 50 cents a word.

National Parks Conservation Association

You’re probably thinking of Yosemite and Yellowstone right now. But the National Parks Conservation Association includes ALL the national parks in the US. Yep, all 400 of them. So that includes urban parks, historic sites, battlefields, trails, and a few more. The NPCA especially likes stories about conservation, wildlife, history, news, and travel. Essays, long and short features, and news stories are all acceptable.

• Homepage: https://www.npca.org/
• Contributor info: https://www.npca.org/resources/3151-magazine-submission-guidelines-for-writers-and-photographers
• Contributor bio: Yes, one sentence.

Nevada Magazine

Nevada Magazine is the official tourism magazine for the state. They’re looking for stories written from personal experience and research. You don’t have to live in Nevada, but your story won’t get a “yes” if your research is strictly web-based. They like stories about the cities, the rural towns, interesting restaurants (or other businesses) and stories about its history.

• Homepage: https://nevadamagazine.com/
• Contributor info: https://nevadamagazine.com/about/writers-guidelines/
• Pay: $100 to $200 for 500-1500 words.

New Jersey Monthly

New Jersey Monthly   Magazine and website only publish stories about New Jersey and mainly written for local people. They’re interested in articles that give locals a reason to explore their state (on topics like food and drink, travel, things to do, and new perspectives on local attractions).

• Homepage: https://njmonthly.com/
• Contributor info: https://njmonthly.com/writers-guidelines/
• Pay: We hear $750 to $2500.

New Mexico Magazine

The New Mexico Tourism Department wants your stories for its monthly magazine and online blog. They especially would love first-hand stories about an interesting part of New Mexico. Simple and earthy, upscale and refined, old and historic. If it makes their readers want to learn more about New Mexico, they’re interested.

• Homepage: https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/
• Contributor info: https://www.newmexico.org/nmmagazine/contributor-guidelines/
• Pay: 35-40 cents per word for articles about experiences, stories, and places in New Mexico.
• Contributor byline: Yes, which links to a writer profile.
• Contributor bio: Yes, a few sentences, no links.

Oregon Coast Magazine

Do you know about anything fun to do on the Oregon coast? The Oregon Coast Magazine wants to hear from you. They’re looking for stories about how to get to interesting destinations, easy day trips, great places to eat, driving tours, and more. Practical information and entertaining stories about how to pass the time on the Oregon coast.

• Homepage: https://oregoncoastmagazine.com/
• Contributor info: https://oregoncoastmagazine.com/general-guidelines-for-writers-and-photographers/
• Pay: $100 to $650 for 400-3000 words.

Outside Online

Do you have a lot to say about the outdoors? Outside is an online and print magazine that publishes mostly long-form content (2,000-10,000 words). They want to hear about your travel stories with an active outdoors focus. They really love the more extreme sports too if that’s your sweet spot. National parks, road trips, and new adventure travel spots are just a few ideas to mull over.

• Homepage: https://www.outsideonline.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.outsideonline.com/2415584/how-to-pitch-freelance-outside-magazine
• Pay : starting at 50 cents a word for online features.
• Contributor byline: Yes, with a link to a writer profile
• Contributor bio: Yes, one sentence with links.

Paddling Magazine

Paddling Magazine is the merger of three different publications, Adventure Kayak , Canoeroots , and Rapid . So that already gives you an idea of what they’re looking for. If you are an avid fan of the kayak or canoe paddle, you could make some money freelance writing about it. So get to it, so you can afford to buy even more gear!

• Homepage: https://paddlingmag.com/
• Contributor info: https://paddlingmag.com/contribute/
• Pay: We hear 20 cents a word (400-3,000 words).

Paste Magazine

Paste doesn’t accept unsolicited queries anymore, but they do occasionally accept new members to their pool of freelance writers. Travel is just one of the departments at Paste . Have a look at their online magazine and then contact the department you’d like to write for.

• Homepage: https://www.pastemagazine.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles-article-type-features-/writer-guidelines/#writing-guidelines-
• Pay: We hear around 8 cents per word.
• Contributor bio: Yes, with a few sentences and links.

Porthole Cruise Magazine

Porthole Cruise Magazine and blog publish articles to help their audience find the right cruise company and destination. Pitch topics about ocean cruises, river cruises, the destinations accessible by cruise, and helpful advice while cruising. This publication has already published content related to most relevant topics, so make sure to put a fresh spin on your pitch to get accepted.

• Homepage: https://porthole.com/
• Contributor info: https://porthole.com/writers-guidelines/
• Pay: We hear around $400 for an 800-word article.

Raising Arizona Kids

Do you live in Arizona and you’re just overflowing with ideas for local family fun? Then Raising Arizona Kids might pay you to write about it. They’re only interested in locally-based writers. And they want articles that help parents do all the things. So fun activities for kids of all ages, travel ideas, and even local kids and parents-related news stories are a good fit here.

• Homepage: https://www.raisingarizonakids.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.raisingarizonakids.com/writer-guidelines/
• Pay: $50 to $200 for 300-1000+ word articles.

Rider Magazine

Got a motorcycle and love to go riding around the country? Send a query to Rider Magazine and see if they’re interested in your next (or latest) ride. Short day trips and more detailed multi-day rides are both fair game — just remember to take great photos. Anything motorcycle-related is worth pitching too.

• Homepage: https://ridermagazine.com/
• Contributor info: http://ridermagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Edit-Guide.pdf
• Pay: $200+ for travel stories about your rides, day trips, or longer. Typically 700-900 words.

Sacramento Magazine

Sacramento Magazin e and blog publishes articles for their mostly local readership (they also prefer working with writers living in the area). They’re always looking for good local travel pitches to give their readers to explore the area (things to do, special events, food and drink, day trips, etc). No writer guidelines but you’ll find staff contact info on their website.

• Homepage: https://www.sacmag.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.sacmag.com/contact-us/
• Pay: We hear $400 to $800.

San Diego Parent

San Diego Family Magazine and blog pay freelance writers for family-friendly travel articles. Their readers need local fun things to do, interesting events, and easy family activities for their kids. Read through their writer guidelines and send in a query by email.

• Homepage: https://www.sandiegofamily.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.sandiegofamily.com/editorial-guidelines
• Pay: We hear 11 cents per word for an 800-word article.
• Contributor byline: Yes, included with the contributor bio at the bottom of the post.

Saveur Magazine

Saveur wants your food travel stories. Whether it’s about foreign dishes or going somewhere with delicious food. It’s all about the food. Or drinks. Got a good story about a certain drink or beverage producer? How about a fascinating story about a recipe? Take a look at their past articles and recipes first. They’ve already got some really fantastic ones. So go get inspired by them before you send in your query.

• Homepage: https://www.saveur.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.saveur.com/contact/
• Pay: We hear it’s $300 to $600 for most stories.

Seattle Magazine

Seattle Magazine and blog want stories about local travel, things to do, food and drink, or unique events. If you don’t live in the area, you’ll need to give them a compelling reason to say yes to your pitch. They’re only interested in articles about Seattle or the Pacific Northwest. Read their delightfully detailed writer guidelines before contacting them.

• Homepage: https://seattlemag.com/
• Contributor info: https://seattlemag.com/writer-guidelines
• Pay: We hear $50-$1000 depending on the type and length of the story.

Are conservation, the environment, and outdoor adventures your favorite writing topics? Then Sierra would love to hear from you. The biggest thing on their wish list is an adventure travel story that mixes your first-hand experiences with “ecological insights and scientific discoveries” mixed into the story. Sierra is a print magazine. But they’ve also got a nice blog going that accepts guest posts.

• Homepage: http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra
• Contributor info: http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/about-us#submission
• Pay: From $250 to $1,000, or more for a full-length feature article.

Sunset Magazine

Sunset Magazine and website write about the 13 Western United States (Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming, plus a little about Mexico and British Columbia, Canada). It’s mainly a lifestyle site for suburban women with all the usual topics (food & drink, home & garden, travel, and more). For freelance writers, they’re more interested in your travel pitches (and there’s an entire section called Culinary Travel for you food and drink writers). This publication has been around for over 100 years, so do your research before you pitch them an idea they’ve already done.

• Homepage:   https://www.sunset.com/
• Contributor info:   https://www.sunset.com/general/travel-writers
• Pay:  We hear $300 to $1500.
• Contributor byline:  Yes.
• Contributor bio:  No.

Telluride Magazine

Telluride Magazine and digital publication are looking for articles for their mix of locals and tourists about this upscale historic mountain community. Places to visit, interesting food and drink, things to do, and outdoor adventures are just a few popular themes. Flip through the digital version of the magazine and you’ll quickly get the idea.

• Homepage: https://telluridemagazine.com/
• Contributor info: https://telluridemagazine.com/contribute/
• Pay: We hear $50 to $700.

Texas Highways

Texas Highways Magazine (along with its blog) have been the official travel magazine for the state since 1974. Their readers love learning about new off-the-beaten-path small towns and natural beauty. Don’t bother sending them anything that’s not about Texas. Pitch articles with a unique history, Texas culture, and a strong travel angle (and read their well-written, detailed writer guidelines) if you want a yes.

• Homepage: https://texashighways.com/
• Contributor info: https://texashighways.com/texas-highways-freelancer-guide/
• Pay: From 40 to 50 cents per word.

Theme Park Tourist

If you love theme parks, you could get a regular-paying gig writing articles for the Theme Park Tourist blog. They’re not looking for a freelance writer to do a one-off article. This blog wants someone ready to write a few posts a month for pay. Read their clear and informative writer guidelines to see if this blog’s a good fit for you.

• Homepage: https://www.themeparktourist.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.themeparktourist.com/write-for-us
• Pay: $50 for most articles with bonuses for traffic.
• Contributor bio: Yes, a nice one.

The Points Guy

Are you a frequent flyer expert or a credit card points travel junkie? You might have what it takes to write for The Points Guy. They are looking for freelancers and employees with a TON of experience. If you fit the bill, they pay very well for it. (And they have a very unusual and fun application process, so pay attention!)

• Homepage: https://thepointsguy.com/
• Contributor info: https://thepointsguy.com/2015/06/tpg-points-and-miles-jobs/
• Pay: Enough to be included on this list (you’ll negotiate the exact rate with the editor after you pitch).
• Contributor byline: Yes, with a link to a writer profile with more links.
• Contributor bio: Yes, a sentence with some links.

The Smart Set

At the crossroads of culture, travel, and art, you’ll find The Smart Set, an online magazine for those who love to go deeper. So it’s not just about your trip to Yosemite or Santa Fe. And personal essays are kinda their favorites. You can also write about other subjects — intellectual curiosity is their middle name.

• Homepage: https://www.thesmartset.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.thesmartset.com/submissions/
• Pay: We hear around 20 cents per word.

The Smithsonian Magazine

Yes, even the Smithsonian Magazine pays freelance travel writers for articles. You’ll need to provide great writing samples, of course. And one hell of a story idea. Have a look at some of their already published articles to inspire you.

• Homepage: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/
• Contributor info: Submit your ideas for the print magazine or for online articles . Check out the editors and other staff .
• Pay: We hear around $400 for online articles.

Transitions Abroad

A blog about working, living, and studying abroad. Transitions Abroad is looking for articles for culture-seeking holiday travellers, working travellers, and those looking to live abroad either permanently or for school. They are especially interested in stories that encourage off-the-beaten-track locations that teach us more about the world (and the unique people and cultures in it).

• Homepage: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/
• Contributor info: http://www.transitionsabroad.com/information/writers/writers.shtml
• Pay: From $50 for a short article up to $150 for a larger, highly detailed article with 1250-3000 words.
• Contributor bio: Yes, two sentences with one link.

Travel and Leisure Magazine

So you want to write for Travel and Leisure Magazine and blog? Get in line because you’ll be competing with more than a handful of talented freelance writers for a coveted — and well-paid — assignment. Do we need to say it? Read… no, study their published articles, and get a feel for what they want (and what they’ve already done).

• Homepage: https://www.travelandleisure.com/
• Contributor info: https://www.travelandleisure.com/contact
• Pay: We hear it’s from $1 per word, with higher rates for print articles.

Wellbeing Magazine and its blog publish travel stories for their mostly Australian audience. They’re looking for destinations, interesting things to do, and other travel-related stories that help their readers enhance their wellbeing, health, and spirituality. Read their writer guidelines and read the blog for more inspiration into what they want and don’t want.

• Homepage: https://www.wellbeing.com.au/
• Contributor info: https://www.wellbeing.com.au/contribute
• Pay: From $150 to $1700  (Australian) depending on the length and type of story.

This List Needs YOUR Help!

Have you written for one of these blogs? Will you tell us about your experience?

Or do you know of another blog that pays at least $50 per post on travel topics? If you’ve got a tip about a blog that pays writers $50+, please send it to [email protected] in exchange for our undying gratitude — thank you for your service.

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About Sophie Lizard

Founder of Be a Freelance Blogger, creator of the free Ultimate List of Better-Paid Blogging Gigs and the Freelance Blogger's Client Hunting Masterclass . Hello!

February 2, 2021 at 2:23 am

Thanks so much, Sophie! Incredibly useful for me. Will pitch a few of these.

February 2, 2021 at 5:55 pm

You’re welcome, Philipp! Let us know if you get a different rate than we’ve listed here, so we can update 😉

July 10, 2021 at 11:21 am

Hi Sophie and other bloggers – hoping I can provide some feedback to this excellent list!

I have been successful in pitching Earth Island Journal twice for an online post. Both times they paid the above quoted rate of $100 US. It went through a couple rounds of edits, and in the end I would have invested around 4 hours of work for both accepted pieces.

I also pitched the same story idea to Sierra magazine but they passed 🙁

Please note that my pitch was environmentally focused, rather than travel focused.

July 18, 2021 at 2:26 pm

Thanks for letting us know! Always love hearing back about successful (and unsuccessful) pitches and writing jobs.

Get Paid To Travel: 5 Ways To Travel While Making Money

G etting paid to travel might seem like some kind of idyllic fantasy, but it may be more within your reach than you realize. The line between working in travel and getting paid to vacation is a thin one, but there are a few creative ways to get paid to travel. While there’s still no such thing as a free lunch, these opportunities offer the best chance to see the world while earning some dough in the process.

Read: What To Do If You Owe Back Taxes to the IRS

Get Paid To Travel: 5 Best Ways

Sometimes daily work can be difficult, but when the globe is your office, you may feel like you never worked a day in your life. Here are five amazing ways to get paid to travel:

• Work as a travel blogger
• Teach English
• Become a social media influencer
• Work on a cruise ship
• Organize a group trip

Whether you enlist in a full-time travel job or are just looking to do some traveling long-term, you can play to your strengths on the road and get paid to travel the world.

1. Work as a Travel Blogger

If you have skills with a camera or the written word, you can look into how to publish some of the blog posts you create as a digital nomad. Not only can you earn money by following your passion for travel blogging but you could also get access to some top-of-the-line VIP packages offered by hotels and resorts across the world. 

You can start by researching companies that align with the style of your content. Try to reach out in a personal way — generic contact forms are great but they don’t usually set you up for a payday success.

2. Teach English

Becoming an English teacher abroad is another way to earn a salary while immersed in a foreign culture. If you don’t mind public speaking and are confident in your communication skills, the fastest route to a teaching job is obtaining a certificate. Look for one of the following programs:

• Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL)
• Teaching English as a Second Language (TESL)

These certificates can be obtained by taking a short course. Here are some key takeaways to know:

• Although you can teach with a basic certificate, to earn a professional accreditation, you’ll need to complete at least 100 hours of in-class instruction as well as 6-20 hours of live classroom practice. Getting an accreditation will help you get more opportunities and higher pay.
• There are other teacher preparation certifications, but TESL/TEFL are the most universally recognized and accepted around the world.
• You should also expect to invest anywhere from a few hundred dollars for a basic certificate to a few thousand for a complete certification.
• For your time investment, a complete certificate can take up to a year to complete. 
• When you’re considering what country to teach in, make sure to take into account the salary expectations. You should compare this to the local cost of living, which can vary widely by region. 

3. Become a Social Media Influencer

This one might be easier said than done. Influencers typically have thousands of social media followers, primarily on Instagram or YouTube. Tourist destinations and hotels often court them with free travel, with the expectation that they’ll share their experiences with their audience. Here are some things to consider:

• For influencers with large followings , these brands will also pay for content creation on top of providing free travel. 
• You can partake in affiliate marketing to post links to booking websites, hotels and more. Doing this will get you paid directly from companies for your experience and audience reach.
• Individual rates for sponsored posts vary dramatically. If your favorite Instagrammer has 100,000 followers, you can expect they’re making in the neighborhood of $800 to $1,000 per sponsored photo. On the other hand, someone with fewer than 1,000 followers is likely to earn $100 or less. 
• It may sound like easy money, but it can be hard work. Photographers and content creators can spend hours setting up and editing the perfect shot or video. There is also a lot of effort that goes into writing blogs and graphic design to further engage audiences.

4. Work on a Cruise Ship

What jobs will pay you to travel the world? Many jobs in the travel industry will have you constantly on the go, but cruise ships have one of the lowest barriers to entry. It’s a great job if your goal is to see the world for free.

Here are some key takeaways to know about working on a cruise ship:

• Once hired, employees typically complete training courses for up to 13 weeks that cover various aspects of crew life, including safety and customer service.
• Contracts generally last for up to nine months, with the option of taking a six- to eight-week break during that time.
• Crew members also get time off between cruises, and often have the opportunity to visit different ports or enjoy crew-only amenities on the ship.
• Pay starts at an average of $24 per hour, with many crew members earning significantly more when gratuities are factored in.

5. Organize a Group Trip

While travel agents have become an underappreciated profession, they’re still out there offering valuable travel tips and more. For anyone interested in a job in the field, a great way to dip your toes in the water is to plan a group trip for your circle of friends. Here’s how to start:

• Some tour companies will discount your trip as the leader if you get a certain number of friends to register with you. 
• The best of the bunch will actually comp your trip and pay you a commission on top of that. 

Get Paid To Transport Goods While on a Trip One way to travel while making cash that’s gaining in popularity is transporting items along the way. Grabr, a peer-to-peer marketplace, connects travelers with shoppers looking to acquire items abroad or items that are too expensive to ship. Users make requests for specific products they want and anyone traveling to that country can accept the job. Earnings will vary depending on what you’re transporting and how far, of course.

Final Take To GO 

There are many options if you want to travel but also want to get paid. If you are about to embark on a trip anyway make sure to research what part-time or full-time money-making opportunities are out there.

• Virtual assistant for varying companies
• House sitting abroad
• Social media influencing
• Working on a cruise ship
• Yes, you can win trips to travel if you know where to look. For example, being a brand ambassador and enticing new users to opt into email lists are important for the travel industry, and trip giveaways are a popular way to do so. While there are usually different entry requirements and prizes, at the most basic level, there are two different types: sweepstakes and contests. Sweepstakes are random drawings, whereas contests are skill-based, often focused on writing, video or photography.
• Though they technically don't pay, exchange programs are a great way to see the world without having to pay for airfare, room and board or local transportation.
• If you are a travel blogger or social media influencer, certain hotels or tourist destinations will pay you to travel to visit them. In exchange for the trip, you will have to document your trip and promote the services to your followers.

Lauren Monitz  and Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.

Information is accurate as of Aug. 24, 2023. 

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : Get Paid To Travel: 5 Ways To Travel While Making Money

Protect Your Trip »

What to do if your flight is canceled.

Follow these steps in the event your flight is canceled.

Flight Canceled or Delayed? What to Do

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Key Takeaways

• If your flight has been canceled, you are entitled to a full cash refund per federal law.
• Using the airline's app or calling an international airline number is often the quickest way to get help.
• The DOT Cancellation and Delay Dashboard shows what each major domestic airline will or will not provide in the event of a cancellation or delay.

If your flight has been canceled, read on for step-by-step instructions on how to rearrange your travel plans and/or claim compensation.

What to do if your flight is canceled

1. get on the airline's app – or make an international call.

First, pull up the airline's app on your phone. Most airline apps allow you to easily rebook your flight for free, provided you can supply your six-character reservation code. Getting in line to speak with an agent and calling the airline while you wait is also a good idea (albeit slower than using an app), and social media messaging, texting or WhatsApp may prove helpful. "During times of mass travel disruption, you should try all different avenues for getting help," says Nick Ewen, director of content at The Points Guy.

Ewen also recommends a lesser-known tactic: calling the airline's international numbers. Airlines have offices in Canada, Mexico, the U.K. and more. "While it can be costly, you can often get through to an agent more quickly," Ewen says.

Note that, depending on why your flight was canceled, finding seats on a new flight may alter your travel plans considerably.

2. Book a hotel

Next, determine if you need overnight accommodations. "If you were originally booked on the last flight of the night and there are no other options, grab a hotel room near the airport before they're all taken," Ewen advises.

3. Ask for a refund

If the airline cancels your flight or it's "significantly delayed" (a term currently defined on a case-by-case basis) and you're forced to change your travel plans, the Department of Transportation requires airlines to provide a full refund. Unfortunately, getting a refund can be a lengthy and frustrating process. Most airlines will instead offer a credit for future travel, but be wary of these, since they often come with limitations such as blackout and expiration dates.

When you're able to get a refund, note that it covers the total cost of airfare only and does not include other expenses associated with your trip.

If you believe you're entitled to a refund and the airline denies it to you, you can and should file a complaint with the DOT .

4. Reference the DOT Cancellation and Delay Dashboard

While you're entitled to a full refund, other flight cancellation policies may vary by airline. Go to the DOT's Cancellation and Delay Dashboard to see what each major airline will and will not offer in the event of a controllable cancellation.

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Travel tips, vacation ideas and more to make your next vacation stellar.

What to do if your flight is delayed

In the event your flight is delayed, airlines are not legally obligated to give you a refund unless the DOT determines the delay to be "significant." But here's what you can do:

Research other flights

Investigate what other flights on that airline are headed to your destination and ask an agent if they can get you on one of them (without charging change fees). Also be sure to look into what's available on other airlines: If your original airline doesn't have any flights available on your departure date, an agent may be able to book you on a flight with a different carrier at no additional cost to you. Note, however, that airlines are not legally required to do this.

Inquire about other compensation

If you've been stranded at the airport for several hours, check in with an agent and reference the Commitments for Controllable Delays section on the DOT's Cancellation and Delay Dashboard – regardless of whether you're able to get on another flight. Some airlines may provide amenities such as vouchers for meals or overnight accommodations.

Frequently Asked Questions

"The main causes for flight disruptions are bad weather, understaffed air traffic control, and factors within the airline’s control,"  says Katy Nastro, a spokesperson at Going.com, formerly Scott's Cheap Flights. She explains the following:

• Weather:  This is outside of the airline's control and is the single biggest reason for why we see flight disruptions. We saw this play out over the winter holidays in 2022, and even to some extent during the 2023 holiday season. Even if the weather is accurately predicted, it cannot be controlled, which means at times flight disruptions are unavoidable.
• Understaffed air traffic control:  The U.S. air travel industry has made strides in pilot hiring year over year, but when it comes to air traffic control, we are still down roughly 1,000 fewer air traffic controllers from a decade ago. New York metro area airports specifically have felt the brunt of this deficit, so much so that airlines were permitted to reduce schedules without penalty from the summer until the end of Q4 in 2023. At its lowest, the decrease in flights in the New York metro area resulted in about 11% fewer flights per day. With less trained staff, current air traffic controllers are stretched to the limit, and schedule reductions only temporarily solve this problem. Even with aggressive hiring efforts, training takes time and will not be a quick fix.

It's almost impossible to avoid canceled or delayed flights these days. But there are a few things you can do when booking flights to lessen your chances for travel disruptions.

Keep tabs on your aircraft: On your departure date, check your flight information before heading to the airport. You can keep a watchful eye on the flight's status – including the aircraft scheduled to operate your flight – using the airline's app or a third-party app such as FlightAware Flight Tracker (which also offers a website ), FlightRadar24 or TripIt Pro.

"As an example, if you're flying from Orlando to New York, and your plane is flying in from Chicago, the initial flight from Chicago to Orlando might be delayed (or canceled) before yours is," Ewen explains. "Airlines will try to find replacement aircraft in that case, but if you can identify a potential cancellation before it officially happens, you may be able to get rebooked ahead of the other 100-plus passengers on your flight."

Consider an alternate airport: When booking your flight, you may consider flying out of a different airport than the one you typically depart from. For example, a small regional airport with limited routes may mean less travel delays and hassle overall – or it may be worth driving further to another international airport for a nonstop flight to your destination rather than opting for a connecting flight close to home.

Fly in the morning: While flight disruptions are unpredictable, historically fewer cancellations and delays occur in the morning.

Avoid weekend travel: Fly on off-peak days like Tuesday or Wednesday. You'll often find cheaper flights on these days, too.

Opt for longer layovers: If you need to take more than one flight to reach your destination, book a flight with a longer layover to provide enough time to make your connecting flight. Keep in mind that at some airports you may need to go through security or customs for your connection. For longer journeys, you can reduce the risk of missing connecting flights by planning a city stopover. For example, Icelandair offers Iceland stopovers for no additional airfare.

Consider a credit card with travel protections: You don't need to be a frequent traveler to take advantage of credit card travel protections and perks. Here are a couple options to consider:

• Chase Sapphire Preferred :  This travel credit card ($95 annually) provides coverage for delays and cancellations when used to book flights. It also provides other travel protections such as delayed baggage coverage. "Even someone who travels just once or twice a year can still get phenomenal value from this card," Ewen says.
• American Express Platinum Card :  This card ($695 annually) offers travel insurance that reimburses some nonrefundable expenses like hotel accommodations, meals and other essentials as long as the trip was purchased using the card.

When choosing a travel credit card, you should also pay attention to other benefits. Even the most basic airline credit cards can offer travel perks like discounts on in-flight purchases and waived baggage fees, while premium travel credit cards (which require a higher annual fee) can include access to an airport lounge with food, drinks and Wi-Fi. Some also provide a concierge service to rebook flights or built-in trip insurance to cover unforeseen expenses.

Purchase travel insurance: If your credit card doesn't include travel protections, consider purchasing insurance with flight coverages – even a cheap travel policy can help protect your investment. Covered reasons include a travel carrier delay and loss or theft of travel documents, among other scenarios. If you're interested in purchasing a policy, you can browse the best travel insurance companies here .

Talk to a travel advisor: "Booking directly with your travel advisor provides more leverage and support if something goes wrong," explains Jessica Parker, founder of Trip Whisperer . "We can advocate for a better outcome should there be cancellations or hiccups in the itinerary."

Charlotte French, owner of Cavatica Luxury Travel , agrees, sharing this recent example: "My clients were booked on a nonstop United Flight from Tokyo (HND) to EWR (Newark) in business class, when it was canceled (due to technical issues). The clients were waiting in line to find other options for their return flight home; however, these were very limited. In parallel, I was able to speak to the United Airlines corporate desk (as a travel advisor) and was able to secure them in business class on a flight out of Tokyo the same day."

Avoid checking luggage: Travelers who only travel with a carry-on bag and/or personal item (such as a backpack or purse) that meet carry-on size restrictions will have the most flexibility in rebooking – and will also avoid the chance of lost luggage, another common issue. Some carriers will try to move checked luggage to a later flight for you and will make every effort to keep you and your belongings together. However, when airlines don't have interline agreements with other carriers, you'll have to allow enough time to retrieve and recheck your own luggage.

The number of canceled flights recently fell to its lowest rate in at least a decade — a welcome change for air travelers, especially following COVID-19-era travel disruptions.

Still, flight cancellations will always be inevitable, especially during the busy summer travel season. Summer 2024 is shaping up to be especially busy. "It was the busiest March on record for air travel according to the TSA," explains Nastro. "It also had the tenth busiest day on record, which is pretty significant since it is not a 'peak period' and is generally considered off-season in the Northern Hemisphere. If this trend continues, we are likely in for the busiest summer on record when it comes to air travel."

You might also be interested in:

• The Top Luggage Trackers
• Is a Travel Agent Worth It? The Pros and Cons
• Can I Use My Own Airplane Seatbelt Extender?
• How to Get Airport Wheelchair Assistance
• The Top Cheap Weekend Getaways

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Tags: Travel , Travel Tips

World's Best Places To Visit

• # 1 South Island, New Zealand
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Money latest: Britons buying homes, getting married and retiring later - but one life event is happening earlier

People are paying off their mortgages earlier in life - but every other life event is happening later. Read about this and the rest of today's consumer and personal finance news in the Money blog, and leave a comment in the form below.

Thursday 11 April 2024 10:15, UK

• Spotify to hike subscription price by up to £24 a year
• Minimum income for family visa rises by £10,000
• Britons can now 'work from home' in Italy for a year
• Wendy's creating 400 jobs as part of UK expansion
• Britons buying homes, having babies, getting married and retiring later - but one key life event is happening earlier
• 'WTF is going on with the price of olive oil?'
• Could I build a home gym for less than my gym membership?
• Basically...  Tax codes
• Cheap Eats : Great British Menu legend shares ultimate toastie recipe

Ask a question or make a comment

Every Thursday we look at a different savings option, explain the pros and cons, and reveal the best deals on the market (see table below for that).  This week we're talking about the best notice accounts. Savings Champion founder Anna Bowes  says this...

As with the rest of the savings market, the top notice account rates have started to fall. However, there are stalwarts like the Investec 90-day notice account that are holding steady and as a result offering savers an opportunity to earn a little more, while not having to tie up their cash for too long.

A relatively unused aspect of the savings market, notice accounts offer a bit of a halfway house, with the best rates available generally paying more than the top easy access rates, but will more flexibility of access than a fixed term bond.

Just as it sounds, these savings accounts require you to give notice in order to access your money without a penalty. The usual notice period ranges from 30 to 120 days, although there are some accounts on the market that require six months or even a year's notice.

By Sarah Taaffe-Maguire , business reporter

Another record month for Heathrow. Last month was the busiest ever March for the UK's biggest airport, the second record-breaking month in a row. 

It was also the busiest Easter weekend as Good Friday became the busiest ever direct departure day, when 118,000 people began their journey at the airport. 

It shows, despite cost of living pressures, lots of Britons were going on holiday.

More good news for Heathrow came earlier this week as planned strike action by 600 border force officers was called off to allow for negotiations in its dispute over working patterns. 

Oil prices are still high, hanging around $90. A barrel of Brent crude oil, the benchmark for oil prices, costs $90.66. The last time prices were this high was in the wake of the 7 October attacks and fears of conflict spreading throughout the Middle East. 

On the currency front, £1 buys $1.2538 and €1.1678.

How old is the average Briton when they buy their first home, or finish paying their mortgage, or retire?

These are some of the questions answered in a "Journeying Through Life" data dump from the Office for National Statistics.

Here are some of the key takeaways...

Home ownership - including the one life event that's happening earlier

People are buying homes later in life, perhaps unsurprisingly given how house prices have risen in the last decade or so.

In 2022, more than half of people owned their own home (either with a mortgage or outright) by the age of 36. 

That's a significant increase on 2004's figures - which showed the average age for home ownership was 32. 

This graph shows what proportion of people own homes at what age.

It isn't all doom and gloom on the homes front, however, with the age at which people own their home outright (ie mortgage paid off) dropping from 63 (in 2004) to 61 in 2020. 

This is pretty much the only life event happening earlier, however.

Retiring later

Again, this probably won't come as a huge surprise, but people are retiring later. 

The age where more than half of people were retired increased from 64 in 2011 to 66 in 2021. ​

There has been a bigger increase in average retirement age for women (from 61 years in 2011, to 66 years in 2021) than for men (from 65 in 2011 to 66 in 2021). 

The ONS says this is because the state pension age for women was increased from 60 to 66 during this time to match men.

Gender pay gap shrinking but still present

The latest data shows that men are still, on the whole, being paid more than women - although the gender pay gap is shown to be shrinking. 

For all employees, the gender pay gap was 14% in 2023 - compared with 20% in 2013.

Despite the gap shrinking, this graph shows that men's hourly wages are higher than women's at nearly all ages. 

The grey shaded area represents the pay gap. 

Another part of the data shows that males start work a touch earlier than women - with half of males in full-time employment by the age of 23 (compared with females at 24) in 2021. 

That data could be explained by the fact that more women attend university - some 319,000 females compared with 285,000 males in 2022.  

Moving out, marrying and having children

The age at which young people move out of their family homes is increasing, too.

In 2011, half of people were not living with their parents at the age of 21 - compared with 24 in 2022. 

More men live with their parents than women, with 61% of adults living at home in 2021 were male.

When it comes to having children, the average age at which women have their first baby has risen to 29.

That's up from an average of just 23 in 1970. 

And finally, marriage.

The median age at first marriage has been steadily increasing since the 1960s. 

For opposite sex couples married in 2020, the median age was 32 years for men and 30 years for women. For those entering into same-sex marriage, the median age was older, at 36 years for men and 32 years for women.

As well as getting married older, fewer people are getting married. In 2019, marriage rates had fallen to their lowest on record. For men, there were 18.6 marriages per 1,000 never-married men; for women, there were 17.2 marriages per 1,000 never-married women.

Spotify has announced it is hiking its subscription prices by up to £24 a year.

It is the second time in less than a year that the music streaming giant has increased its prices.

Here's how the prices will change...

Individual: £11.99 a month (up from £10.99 a month)  

Duo: £16.99 a month (up from £14.99 a month)  

Family: £19.99 a month (up from £17.99 a month) 

When will the change kick in?

The subscription price will change from May and if you are an existing customer Spotify will email you and give you one-month's notice of the change.

If you are on a free trial you will pay the old price for one month once your trial ends.

A Spotify spokesperson told Sky News: "So that we can keep innovating and delivering value to fans, the music industry, and creators on our platform, we occasionally update our prices. 

"We've begun communicating with existing subscribers in the UK to explain what this means for their account."

American burger chain Wendy's will be recruiting for over 400 job roles as part of its expansion across the UK.

The chain returned to the UK in 2021 after a 20-year break and has since opened just over 30 sites, including drive-throughs in Colchester, Peterborough, Derby and Brampton Hut.

But the chain, which was founded in Columbus, Ohio, in 1969, plans to open a further nine sites this year in Liverpool, Middlesbrough, and a second location in Sheffield.

New locations will include Liverpool, Middlesbrough and a second site in Sheffield.

Wendy's franchisee GH Burgers will open a first restaurant in Wood Green, London, this year.

There will also be restaurants in Southend-on-Sea, Colchester, Cambridge and Newcastle.

Michael Clarke, UK managing director for the Wendy's Company, told The Caterer : "We've seen great momentum in building Wendy's fandom in the UK, and the love and excitement for this iconic brand grows stronger with each new restaurant opening."

Changes to visa rules costing people thousands of pounds extra "destroy the notion of the UK as a place where families can thrive", campaigners have said.

The minimum income for family visas rises by more than £10,000 to £29,000 today. 

It will rise further to £38,700 early next year. 

Reunite Families UK claimed the values of family and love are being treated as "as yet another political football to be sacrificed in order to receive better poll or electoral results".

The government says the plans offer "an accelerated and comprehensive programme of reforms" to address "unsustainable" levels of legal migration to the UK.

Justifying its plans, the Home Office said the minimum amount had remained unchanged for more than a decade, and the new measures will help ensure families are self-sufficient and not relying on public funds.

'We just want to be with our families'

Argentinian Eugenia Morales said the uncertainty around her and her baby daughter being able to reunite with her husband in the UK had taken a toll.

The 30-year-old has been with her partner Connor White for three years but is unsure whether - after having their daughter in Argentina - she will be able to join him in England.

She said Mr White, who is based in West Sussex, cannot leave his eldest child from a previous relationship and has been working weekends in his construction job to try to boost his income to the required amount to sponsor his wife.

Ms Morales said she would be looking for a job in the UK and would not have access to benefits while applying on the family visa route anyway.

She told the PA news agency: "We don't want to be a burden to the [welfare] system, we just want to be with our families.

"It's an awful situation. We want to be together, we want the girls to grow up together but this is making it totally impossible."

Caroline Coombs, co-founder of Reunite Families UK, said people are feeling "punished" and "excluded" by the new rules.

Ms Coombs said: "This increase, together with the ones which will come into force in the next 12 months, destroy the notion of the UK as a place where families can thrive."

Athletics will become the first sport to introduce prize money at the Olympics this summer.

World Athletics, the international athletics federation, says it will pay Olympic gold medal winners $50,000 at the Paris games.

The athletics governing body said it is setting aside $2.4m (£1.89m) to pay the gold medallists across 48 events at Paris' track and field programme.

Read the full story here ...

The tweet below on the price of olive oil has gone viral - so we thought it was a good opportunity to resurface our feature from March that explains what's going on.

At the time, our  spending calculator  revealed the average price of a 500ml bottle of olive oil had risen from £3.54 in January 2021 to £7.45 now - an eyebrow-raising jump of 110.5%.

We spoke to experts about why - and here's what we learned...

Groves becomes graveyards

We start in Italy, where, according to a  survey by the polling firm Istituto Piepoli , 45% of consumers have rediscovered seed oil in the kitchen, and the industry is facing an existential crisis.

Mike Carlucci, managing director of the Italian food importer  Tenuta Marmorelle , says production in parts of Italy is becoming impossible due to a natural disaster that has nothing to do with the climate.

"The events of the past 10 years have made olive oil production in Puglia [which produces 40% of Italy's olive oil] almost impossible," he said. "This is due to the rising bacteria disease Xylella Fastidiosa."

The disease attacks and kills century-old olive trees, severely diminishing yields.

It spreads about 20km to 25km a year, Mike says, leaving a "graveyard of withered and barren trees which were once stunning beautiful olive groves".

Many producers have been forced to replace their trees with more resilient varieties but...

"Even if the new trees manage not to succumb to Xylella, it will be at least nine to 12 years before they produce a notable amount of oil," says Mike.

While prices are up across the continent, in the UK another factor is in play: Brexit.

"The cost of customs documentation leaving Europe and entering the UK is approximately £95 per shipment," says Mike.

"Transporters have all imposed a Brexit surcharge for extra admin duties performed by them in the importation of goods from Europe."

Pallets coming into the UK from the continent are now subject to more stringent fire resistance rules - meaning the cost of pallets has "tripled, even in some cases quadrupled".

'Never had a shortage like it'

Another issue, as has been widely reported, are the wildfires and droughts in southern Europe last year.

These weather events have lead people to extreme measures, according to Sarah Vachon, olive oil sommelier and founder of  citizensofsoil.com .

"You can ask the elders in the villages in Greece and they've never had a shortage like this," she says.

"I see lots of producers selling their previous harvest's oils, since they're able to get a high price for it and might have held on to it over the year. 

"This means the consumer is not getting fresh EVOO. And when it's not fresh, it not only loses its flavour, but it also loses a lot of the health benefits (namely antioxidants like polyphenols) which drop significantly over time."

On top of climate change, there's a flood of cheap sunflower oil coming from Ukraine - so while the price of olive oil is going up, the cost of alternatives are going down.

200 trees stolen overnight

The result is an industry in crisis - and organised criminals are taking advantage.

"Around half of the farmers I work with have a story to tell about thieves stealing their liquid gold," says Sarah.

"Sometimes it's the oil itself, or the olive fruit at the groves, or even an insane story from one of our producers about thieves coming in the night and uprooting 200 freshly planted trees."

Maria Dawson, managing director of the organic food seller Clearspring, says the industry is seeing "some of the lowest levels of olive oil production for five decades and unfortunately a shortage of supply".

The company has managed to secure a stable supply for the coming year, but Maria expects the market to remain uncertain - with no price reductions in the near future, even if 2025 brings better harvests.

Olive oil sommelier Sarah isn't hopeful, either.

"Olive oil is already facing record prices, and the way the climate is changing across the Mediterranean basin (which is warming 20% faster than the rest of the world), the shortages we've seen will likely continue."

Euan Blair's apprenticeship company Multiverse will use AI to pick prospective job applicants.

The son of the former prime minister Sir Tony Blair has bought talent intelligence platform Searchlight, whose artificial intelligence technology claims to identify candidates for job vacancies four times more effectively than traditional methods, for his firm.

It does this by removing the biases and assumptions that may affect decisions by managers and then shortlisting candidates.

According to Searchlight's website it reduces "unconscious bias" with "impartial AI algorithms designed to catch what the human eye may miss".

It also provides "rigorous analysis" of work experience and hard and soft skills.

Mr Blair said what often held companies back was "the gap between the transformation they want to see, and the skills that will unlock it".

"Searchlight's AI, platform, and exceptional talent will allow us to better diagnose the skills needed within companies and deliver impactful solutions," he said.

Multiverse was founded by Mr Blair in 2016 and has since grown across the UK and US.

It works with more than 1,500 companies, including Microsoft, Citi and Just Eat, and has trained more than 16,000 apprentices.

Premier League club Crystal Palace has come under fire after a bereaved fan was told he would need to pay extra to transfer his late father's season ticket to another member of his family. 

Haris Armstrong said his sister, to whom the season ticket would be transferred, would've had to pay extra for the ticket - something the club later put down to poor communication. 

"I was told that I actually would not be able to renew my dad's seat on the early bird offer and that as it was my sister's first ST, she would be charged at a higher rate," Mr Armstrong said in a post on X.

He was also told that loyalty points accrued by his father over many years were non-transferrable when he asked that they be given to his sister. 

The Palace fan said there was "essentially no mechanism to transfer an ST upon someone's death. The surviving family get penalised and have to pay more money."

Mr Armstrong's post went viral and has been widely discussed by fellow fans online. 

He accused the club of looking to "financially capitalise on someone's death". 

Mr Armstrong labelled the handling of his request "careless, greedy and insensitive" and an "absolute disgrace".   

After we reached out to the club, Crystal Palace spoke to Mr Armstrong, who issued a subsequent clarification. 

He said he was told the "price issue was an admin/staffing error and apparently early bird tickets should always be offered when fans pass away". 

Mr Armstrong also said he and the club discussed bereavement policy "so things like this don't happen again".

Crystal Palace told Sky News: "We are very sorry for the loss of Mr Armstrong's father and we send our condolences to his family. 

"The club's policy in these circumstances is to allow the friend or family member who is part of a group to retain the seat for another friend or family member on the same terms if they want to keep it. 

"Mr Armstrong's father did not take advantage of the early bird discount but paid in monthly instalments; however, if the family member taking the seat prefers to use the early bird discount, then we are happy for them to do so. 

"We apologise if this was not communicated clearly.

"Regarding loyalty points, the policy has been [that] these do not transfer as they are linked to a named individual; however, in the light of these circumstances we will review this. In any event, supporters can buy an away season ticket to guarantee every game."

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WestJet now offering controversial paid 'early access' to overhead bins

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Low-cost Canadian carrier WestJet came under fire last week after hyping up a new seat option that would let flyers get early access to overhead bins — for an added charge, of course.

Last Thursday, WestJet said it would launch the " Extended Comfort " option on April 10.

Now, passengers who book any economy seat (Basic, Econo, or EconoFlex) onboard the carrier's 737 or 787 aircraft can select the upgrade.

"Conveniently located at the front of the economy cabin, guests will benefit from an enhanced experience that is aligned with WestJet's values of affordability and accessibility," said John Weatherill, WestJet Group's executive vice president and chief commercial officer, in a statement.

Booking an Extended Comfort seat comes with the following perks:

• Seats with extra legroom (three to six inches)
• Priority boarding (Zone 2)
• Early access to overhead bin space
• Quicker exit upon arrival
• A distinct section at the front of the Economy cabin
• A complimentary alcoholic beverage during inflight service (based on flight duration, aircraft type, and destination)

A WestJet spokesperson explained that Extended Comfort prices will start at $30 but can vary based on origin and destination, fare bundle purchased, travel date, and seat location.

Canadians reacted to the new seat option on social media, many accusing the carrier of "continuing to gouge customers for even more money" on Instagram.

Some thought the idea was absurd enough to be a late April Fools' Day joke.

Announced on 1 April? — Bill (@BillvLee) April 4, 2024

"It's just another money grab for things that never were a problem before," reads another comment on an Instagram post about the seats. "Why would I pay for a storage problem that's not my problem? They get enough of my money."

In a few years @WestJet will have "Premium Comfort" where you can pay to use the bathroom before everyone else 😡 https://t.co/zCJIEI46mg — NEEZY (@BeLikeNee) April 5, 2024

"Good. Soon we'll be paying for air that we breathe," added another commenter on Instagram.

Other travellers pointed out that the airline might be doing this because "[fewer] people are checking luggage due to high costs."

"Why? Because people refuse to check their bags anymore due to neglect and loss of luggage? So charging them more for the service that should be provided is the way to go?" reads another comment on Instagram.

In response to the backlash, WestJet said in an email statement that it remains committed to increasing the affordability of air travel in Canada.

"Last year, we revealed plans to evolve our seat offerings within our mainline aircraft, giving us the flexibility to serve the diverse needs of Canadians," the airline said.

"The introduction of Extended Comfort is in alignment with this strategy and ensures Canadians are empowered to pick a travel option that best aligns with their travel requirements and budget."

Pascal Huot / Shutterstock.com

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