How I Accidentally Became a Travel Content Creator: Ultimate Guide 2025

So you want to become a travel content creator?

When I moved to Australia in 2016 to spend a semester studying abroad, I had NO IDEA that in just over 5 years, I would be a travel content creator.

Before I got to Australia I travelled a bit through South East Asia with a friend and was immediately hooked. There was something about being in a foreign place and hearing different languages and accents that excited me. I also loved the thrill of not knowing who I’d encounter and the stories I’d have to share with friends and family.

If you feel the same way about travel and are always after a new adventure, you might be looking for ways to get into content creation.

So even though I somewhat accidentally became a travel influencer, I always intended to find a job that would allow me to travel.

After some trial and error, I found a few avenues that worked and today I’m here to provide you with the ultimate guide to becoming a creator/blogger/influencer as well!

How I Became a Travel Content Creator

Before I jump into the steps you need to take to become a creator, let’s back it up for a second.

While you can certainly choose to be a content creator as a career path these days, I like many other creators, kind of fell into it. Yes, I had already been travelling for a few years and was blogging here and there but I was also lost…

I’d travel as often as I could and would fund my travels by working alllllll summer long while I was in university.

And when I say I worked all the time, I’m not kidding. I worked the front desk of a gym in the mornings, would come home for a quick nap and then work 4/5 pm – close (1/2 am) at a restaurant.

Then I used all of that money to pay for university but also to study abroad in Australia, go to Iceland for a week, travel around Europe with friends for a month, do a Working Holiday Visa around Australia for a year and then travel for 3 months straight around New Zealand, the Philippines and Sri Lanka on my way home.

I kept coming back to my gym and restaurant job in between and after I graduated because I still wasn’t quite sure how to make travel a career. When 2019 rolled around, I started taking my blog more seriously and had rebranded from ‘Dreaming of Elsewhere’ to ‘Spellbound Travels’.

By the end of the year, I had planned to teach English in Vietnam and had even secured a job there. So I packed up and travelled through Hawaii and a bit more of Australia before landing in Hanoi, Vietnam at the start of February 2020.

Becoming a Creator During the Pandemic

By now, you can probably guess where the story takes a turn. The pandemic got in the way of my plans, as it did for everyone else in the world and I reluctantly came back to Canada by the end of March 2020.

At that point, I had no job, wasn’t eligible for government relief money and needed to get out of my parent’s house.

I somehow landed a job at a well-established hotel chain, as their social media manager. While I was thrilled to have a job in the travel sector, I wasn’t loving the day-to-day corporate life and wanted more.

I had already started making some TikToks for fun and started to take things more seriously once I saw a video about freelance writing. I began writing for different clients and simultaneously making videos for a growing audience on TikTok. A few months later, I already hit 50K followers and realized I didn’t have to stay at a job I hated.

And guess what, you don’t have to either!

Is It Easy to Become a Travel Content Creator?

Wondering how to become a travel content creator?

It’s not actually that difficult to do.

People talk about there being ‘too much competition’ but I think that’s the wrong way to think about it.

If you’re open to showing your personality on camera, sharing info, tips and things you think your audience will enjoy seeing, it’s not a difficult job.

In all honesty, I think the hardest part of being a travel content creator is being self-motivated. When you’re a creator, your income is entirely up to you!

So you need to set working hours and deliverables you want to hit each month in order to achieve your goals and earn a living from your content.

Difference Between Travel Content Creator and Influencer

If you’re a little unsure about the difference between a travel content creator and an influencer, let me break it down for you!

Travel Content Creator = Someone who creates content for brands to use on their own channels, websites, etc. You don’t need a large following to be a travel content creator, you just need to know how to create eye-catching content.

Travel Influencer = Someone who has a large audience and uses their platform to influence people. They usually rely on brand deals where they promote a product or service in the form of an ad on Instagram or other social channels.

Travel influencers can simultaneously be travel content creators but creators aren’t usually influencers unless they grow their audience.

If you want to know how to become a travel influencer, we’re going to get into the details below!

How to Start a Travel Instagram

About 6 months ago (July 2024) I started a new Instagram account when my original one (@spellbound.travels) wasn’t getting great engagement.

I wanted to see what would happen with a brand new account so I created @spellboundtrips and it’s currently at 4.8K followers.

Should you start a new Instagram this year?

While my new account is still at under 5K followers, I think it’s been 100% worth starting a new account.

Steal my Instagram growth strategy here:

• Decide on a Niche: My focus was on group travel so I could sell my group trips on this new account! Just make sure you choose something more specific than ‘solo travel’.
• Start a Series: People love coming back day after day for a series. I did a 30 day series for my first month to kick off my content. My series was ‘Big Sister Travel Advice’ since I’m in my late 20s and thought younger women could benefit from things I’ve learned over years of travel.
• Set a Posting Schedule: I stuck to posting 1 Reel every single day for the past 6 months, giving myself the odd day off here and there. You don’t need to post every single day but that’s how you’ll see the fastest growth. I’d always recommend having a schedule with stories as well to connect with your audience.
• Engagement: I always pin a comment as soon as I’ve posted on Instagram to encourage engagement. Then I keep an eye on incoming comments so I can reply to them. After I check old comments on different posts and like them or reply to them if I’ve missed any. Finally, you can go onto Reels and engage with other accounts by leaving meaningful comments on their accounts.
• Analytics: Set up a Google Sheet to track your analytics as you grow your account. Then you can come back to it to see what content performed well and when you should make changes.

How to Make Money as a Travel Content Creator

Here are some of the best ways to monetize as a travel content creator or travel influencer!

1. Brand Collaborations and Sponsored Content

Collaborate with brands for paid partnerships on social media posts, videos, or blogs.

Examples: travel gear companies, tourism boards, airlines, hotels, and travel insurance providers.

Negotiate not just for free products or trips but also for monetary compensation for your time and creative work. Learning how to negotiate is SO important and can be the difference between landing a gifted campaign or a 5-figure campaign!

2. Affiliate Marketing

Earn a commission by promoting products or services with affiliate links.

Platforms like Amazon Associates, Booking.com, and travel-specific affiliate programs can be lucrative.

Example: Sharing a packing list with links to your favourite gear or hotel recommendations.

I’ve personally had great success as an affiliate for Worldpackers – a platform where you can find work trades around the world!

I also use TrustedHousesitters regularly, offering a discount to my followers.

*Make sure you only choose to promote products and services you personally use to build trust with your audience!

3. Selling Digital Products

Create and sell digital guides, itineraries, or eBooks.

Example: A guide to hidden gems in a destination or travel budgeting tips. I started a Digital Nomad Guide for my first eBook.

You can host these on different platforms like Stan or your own website.

4. Ad Revenue from Blogs or YouTube

Place ads on your blog through programs like Google AdSense or Mediavine. I’m still working towards the requirements to get accepted to Mediavine for this blog but recently got accepted to YouTube’s Partner Program and am officially earning some ad income on my YouTube channel.

Monetize YouTube videos once you meet the platform’s eligibility requirements (e.g., 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours).

5. Offering Services

Provide freelance services like photography, videography, or social media management to travel businesses.

This is a great way to start monetizing right off the bat but it requires some work to pitch to companies who might need your services. I’ve done social media management for a couple of different brands over the years!

Offer consulting services for aspiring travel creators or brands looking to improve their online presence.

6. Group Travel and Tours

Organize and host group trips where you handle logistics and bring like-minded travellers together.

Example: Curated trips to destinations you know well, like South Africa or Europe.

I hosted my first group trip to Iceland in March 2204 and I’m about to head off to another trip in Costa Rica this coming February!

I will say, promoting group trips is not for everyone. I absolutely LOVE being on the trips but the amount of videos you have to create to encourage people to book isn’t usually worth the money you earn in commission.

So I’m not sure if I’m going to continue running group trips after 2025 but who knows!

7. Work with Tourism Boards and Hospitality Brands

Partner with tourism boards to promote destinations via campaigns.

Work with hotels, hostels, or coliving spaces in exchange for free stays, plus payment for creating content.

This is something I’ve yet to be paid for but have only done as an exchange. The above photos are from when I worked with a local tourism board in the South of Wales!

In 2025 I’m working on making this another income stream by offering high-quality photo and video content!

8. Membership Platforms

Launch a Patreon or similar membership program for your audience to gain exclusive perks, like behind-the-scenes content, private Q&A sessions, or travel planning help.

9. Licensing Content

Sell your photos and videos to stock libraries or directly to brands.

Examples: Shutterstock, Adobe Stock, or directly licensing to travel publications.

This sounds easy but I don’t know many people who earn a significant income from licensing images unless they’re professional photographers. It’s an income stream I’m interested in but don’t know much about yet!

10. Public Speaking and Events

Share your expertise at conferences, workshops, or online webinars.

I hosted a free webinar with a travel insurance company and was paid by them to create the content and speak to a live audience for the webinar!

Host events or meetups for your audience, charging a fee for attendance.

11. Sponsored Travel Opportunities

Negotiate trips where all expenses are covered, and you’re paid to document the experience.

Leverage your audience size and engagement rate to secure these opportunities.

12. Creating UGC (User-Generated Content)

Produce photos, videos, and captions for brands to use on their social media or advertising platforms.

UGC focuses on creating content for the brand, not necessarily posting it on your own channels.

This is a great option if you have strong content creation skills but want to work behind the scenes rather than growing a public profile.

Diversifying your income streams is key.

By combining multiple revenue sources, you’ll create a more stable and reliable income while pursuing your passion for travel.

Actionable Tips for Becoming a Travel Content Creator

Now that you know a little more about your journey, let’s get into the good stuff! These tips contain everything I wish I had known when I got started as a creator so you can get started on the best possible foot. Follow these steps and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t find success.

Following Your Passions

Travel came to me at a time when I had no idea what I wanted out of life.

Other than writing, it became the one thing that consumed me entirely. I don’t even want to know how many hours I’ve spent researching travel information, writing blogs, posting on Instagram and eventually TikTok before I started to see any success.

Long story short, you need to be passionate about what you’re doing because if you’re not, you’ll likely give up before you find any success.

I’d recommend writing out a list of all the things you’re passionate about and seeing how you can pair that with travel.

Since I’ve always loved writing and was working remotely while travelling, it made sense to start giving tips for digital nomads. I even created an ebook with my best tips for getting started as a digital nomad, including finding a remote job, choosing a place to live and work from, making friends, dealing with taxes, etc.

Find What Makes You Stand Out

It seems like everyone wants to be a travel content creator or travel influencer on Instagram, TikTok or YouTube these days. With so many people chasing the same dream, you need to think about what’s going to make you stand out in a crowd.

I used to struggle with knowing how to stand out or what I could provide my audience that was different from what everyone else was doing.

Eventually, I discovered that a lot of people were coming to me for content that was specific to certain locations I’ve spent a good amount of time travelling through or living in. While living in Toronto, I showcased cool hikes and provincial parks close to the city.

In Cape Town, I showed the best spots to watch the sunset, great cafes to work from etc. I’ve slowly realized that ‘standing out’ often boils down to not being afraid to be yourself. Authenticity resonates and if you share things you’re genuinely interested in while thinking about what your audience wants to see, you’ll be on the right track!

Don’t get me wrong, I still struggle at times.

I can get caught up with what’s trending instead of staying true to my own voice. It’s when I decide to show up face to face with the camera (or usually my phone) and talk about travel and the things that interest me most, that I get more eyes on my content.

This is something I’m constantly reminding myself to do because social media is all about engagement. Answer people’s questions, share your hot takes and be helpful.

Choose Your Platforms Carefully

When starting as a travel content creator, it’s essential to choose your platforms wisely.

It’s tempting to try to be everywhere—Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest—but spreading yourself too thin can lead to burnout and inconsistent content quality.

Instead, focus on one or two platforms where your target audience spends the most time.

Each platform serves a different purpose.

Instagram is ideal for visually stunning photos and short-form Reels, while YouTube is perfect for in-depth storytelling. TikTok has been a favourite for its virality and quick growth potential, but with ongoing bans in the U.S., its future may be uncertain.

By narrowing your focus, you’ll have the bandwidth to create high-quality, engaging content without overwhelming yourself.

Once you establish a strong presence on your chosen platforms, you can expand strategically if needed. Remember, consistency and quality trump quantity when it comes to building an audience and standing out in the crowded world of travel content creation.

Do Your Research

Before diving into travel content creation, take time to research your niche and analyze your competition.

Look at what successful creators in your space are doing—what type of content resonates with their audience, how they engage with followers, and which platforms they prioritize.

Identify gaps in the market where you can offer something unique. For example, is there an untapped destination or perspective you can highlight?

Studying others doesn’t mean copying; it’s about understanding trends, learning from their successes (and mistakes), and refining your approach.

Provide Value

One thing I see a lot of people doing wrong when they want to be a travel content creator is just posting what they feel like posting.

I was guilty of this for a longgggg time and it wasn’t until I started providing value to my audience that I started to see my accounts grow.

I had to start thinking about using the caption to provide information people won’t get just anywhere, as well as creating video content that served a purpose.

My videos that perform best (other than the occasional trendy one) are ones that answer questions or are educational in some respect.

Provide value with each post instead of pushing out a bunch of content that won’t really stick. And remember, value doesn’t necessarily = educational. Depending on your personality, the value could be entertainment or inspiring as well.

Look at my Instagram post above to see how I’ve provided value by sharing places you can’t miss in Budapest!

Consistency is Everything

If you want a career in travel, you have to recognize that it’s truly a numbers game.

Now that doesn’t mean you should necessarily be posting multiple times a day. Instead, work out a schedule that you know you’ll be able to keep up with. You might need to play around with different options until you find what works best for you.

For the longest time, I was posting on Instagram maybe 3 times a week (photos only) and now I try to post Reels every day. If I miss a day, I do my best to forgive myself (because I’m not a robot after all).

Make sure whatever you’re doing, you repurpose content. When I’m posting Reels every day, I’m actually taking the content directly through TikTok and using SnapTik to save the video without the watermark. Later, I share the exact same video on Pinterest to get even more traffic!

After posting Reels every day for a month or two, I saw a HUGE jump in followers which positioned me as an authority figure when pitching my services to brands and locking in more lucrative brand deals.

Batching Content

Batch-creating content is a game-changer for travel content creators.

By dedicating specific days to filming, editing, or writing multiple pieces of content at once, you’ll save time and maintain consistency. This approach helps you stay ahead of your posting schedule, reducing stress when life gets busy or unexpected challenges arise.

YouTube Shorts

YouTube Shorts have been around for a little while now but I only started utilizing it a few months ago. I’m currently on the journey of growing a YouTube channel and trying to become a travel content creator on YouTube and just got monetized at the very start of 2025!

I’m not going to lie to you, YouTube takes a LOT more effort than TikTok or Instagram to grow with long-form content because everyone has a horrible attention span these days.

BUT, YouTube is consistently paying creators well so it’s a good avenue to pursue if you’re in it for the long haul and really enjoy creating content.

YouTube Shorts have helped grow my channel more than any long-form video I’ve posted and the best part is that you can just repurpose any content you’ve made for Instagram or TikTok.

I’m no expert here at the moment but I’ll keep you updated on my YouTube journey as I continue to grow.

Photography & Videography

Now I don’t consider myself a photographer or videographer by any means BUT I’ve definitely learned how to take better photos and videos over time.

If you don’t have experience with photography or videography, hop on YouTube and take notes from those who are doing it well. Once you have some inspiration, you’ll need to practice and as you continue to travel your content will progress!

You can always start out with an iPhone and eventually upgrade to a DSLR for photos but video content on a phone is fine. Eventually, you’ll learn how to pose, how to get other people to take photos for you or do self-portraits with a tripod.

Believe it or not, I only recently acquired a tripod and most of my travel photos are taken by new friends I meet at hostels (with a little training).

If you’re hoping to become a travel content creator, good content is important. You don’t need to be perfect from the start but put in a little effort to make your content stand out!

Don’t be Afraid to Pitch to Brands

For the longest time, I was under the impression that travel influencers had big brands, hotel chains and more flooding their inbox.

While this is true for the big players and for those with years of experience, that probably won’t happen for a while. I spoke to a food content creator with over 300K on Instagram and even she told me that she spends a lot of time pitching to brands.

Before you get discouraged, you should also view pitching to brands as a numbers game. It’s likely that you’ll get 50 ‘nos’ before you get 1 yes. While that can seem a little daunting, you can take each rejection as a step closer to working with a brand you love!

Here’s what you should do when pitching to brands:

• Make a list – Who do you actually want to work with? If it’s a hotel in a specific area, search for all of the hotels and attach their social channels and websites.
• Get a direct contact – I usually use Instagram to DM those brands to ask for their email. I send a small paragraph explaining who I am and the type of services I can provide them with.
• Tailor the pitch – Once you’ve locked down an email, it’s time to do some more in-depth research. While I have a general pitch saved, I never copy and paste. I take the bare bones of my general pitch and change it to suit the brand I’m hoping to work with. Tell the brand what ideas you have in mind for a collaboration, link previous samples of work and attach a media kit as a PDF.
• Create & update your media kit – Your media kit is essentially a portfolio of work, containing specific stats such as engagement, views, etc. You can create one for free on Canva. Remember to update it regularly before sending it out to new brands as your audience size and engagement change!

And if you’re still looking for a little help with pitching to brands, my DM/email script will show you EXACTLY what you should be doing to get responses and lock in deals this month.

Stalk Your Competitors

Okay, don’t take this one literally. When I say stalk, I mean gently stalk them online. You should always keep an eye on what other people in your field are doing.

I often take notes on other travel creators, looking at what type of content is performing well for them, how they approach storytelling and the value they provide their community.

This is incredibly useful when you’re looking to pitch to brands to start getting paid partnerships. I don’t always know who I want to work with and it can be tough to create a long list of dream clients but that’s where the stalking comes into play.

By looking at creators who have a similar size audience to yourself (or slightly larger), you know that if you pitch to that brand, there’s a good chance they’ll want to work with you too!

One thing to keep in mind is that you shouldn’t constantly compare. This can really f*ck with your mental health when you don’t feel like you’re where you should be. If you find yourself getting stuck in a negative headspace, unfollow the people who are triggering you.

Make TikTok Your Best Friend

By now we all know that video content is a MUST. Sure, Reels are great but in my experience, TikTok has a better reach. With that being said, some TikToks will perform better on Instagram as a Reel so you should always repurpose your content.

You’ll want to dedicate a few hours (at least) each week to finding trending sounds and video ideas and keep them as a note you can reference later.

TikTok has the ability to skyrocket your travel content career if you’re willing to give it a try!

Work on being as authentic as possible and finding a few different video styles you enjoy making. It’s great if you’re able to show your face and speak directly to your audience.

Use the Q&A and reply to comment feature to engage and build up your community.

Check out my TikTok here for some inspo!

UGC

One of the best ways to make money as a travel content creator is through UGC (User Generated Content). This is when you create 15-60 second videos for brands and businesses to use on their social channels.

UGC has been all the rage lately because you ‘technically’ don’t need a large following to start. I put quotes around technically because it definitely helps to have a large following when trying to get brands to pay you for UGC.

If you’re just starting out as a travel creator and don’t have a large following, you can still do UGC. It might be a little more challenging to get businesses on board but if you can put together a few sample videos that perform well, you can slowly build up a portfolio.

Mindset

I truly believe that mindset is everything. You have to believe that your success is inevitable. If you’re struggling to maintain a good mindset, it might help to journal, and create specific goals and vision boards so you can picture what you want. I’ve recently been creating monthly vision boards for my screensaver on my laptop and it reminds me of what I’m trying to achieve!

If people that you’re close to don’t think it’s possible and are feeding you negative energy, look at it as a chance to prove them wrong someday. Use that negativity as a driving force and motivation to make your dreams come true.

It’s also so important to be patient while you’re seeing your dream through. You won’t become a travel content creator overnight so you need to remember why you’re doing it on the days that you don’t feel like creating!

Always Learn New Things

No matter how experienced you are, there’s always room to grow as a content creator.

Regularly analyze your performance metrics to understand what resonates with your audience and what doesn’t. Experiment with new formats, editing styles, or storytelling techniques to keep your content fresh and engaging.

Invest in improving your skills, whether it’s through online courses on photography, videography, or social media strategy, or by learning from creators you admire.

Don’t be afraid to ask your audience for feedback—they’re your best resource for understanding what they want. Continuously evolving your content will help you stay relevant and ahead of trends and is more important than you might think!

Most Important Takeaway

Community is EVERYTHING.

You are nothing without the community you cultivate online as a travel content creator. Even if you’re a small UGC creator, you should always nurture your community. Because you won’t have coworkers as a travel content creator, it’s good to connect with other people doing the same thing!

No one will remember or care about you if you don’t have a strong community. Viral content is great but doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t help you earn money as a creator.

So always keep that at the top of your mind!

Travel Content Creator Jobs

Travel content creators have diverse opportunities to turn their passion into income.

Popular roles include creating photo and video content for brands, running social media accounts for travel businesses, or working with tourism boards to promote destinations.

Freelance jobs like writing travel blogs, producing UGC (user-generated content), or selling stock photography are great options for creators who prefer flexibility. Some also host group trips or collaborate with airlines, hotels, and adventure companies for paid campaigns.

These jobs often require strong storytelling, content creation skills, and a solid online presence, making them perfect for those who love creativity and travel.

Travel Content Creator Salary

The income of a travel content creator varies widely based on experience, audience size, and revenue streams.

Beginners may earn a few hundred dollars monthly through affiliate marketing or UGC, while established creators with large followings can make thousands per sponsored post or campaign.

On average, creators charge $100–$1,000 per Instagram post or Reel, depending on reach and engagement.

YouTube ad revenue can range from $3 to $10 per 1,000 views, and blog ads generate income based on traffic.

Diversifying income streams—like selling digital products, hosting trips, or freelance work—can significantly boost earnings, with some full-time creators earning six figures annually.

I personally earned roughly $25,000 USD as a creator with 22K followers on Instagram and 90K on TikTok in 2024.

This was just my content income so it doesn’t include freelance work and because I’m Canadian and didn’t earn and money from views on TikTok, it wasn’t as high as it could be for other creators!

Top Travel Content Creators on Instagram

In the spirit of supporting other travel content creators, let me put you on to some I’ve been following for a while that I truly love!

• @monicaroams – for colourful imagery and content that will make you feel alive
• @pinatravels – for responsible and ethical tourism tips
• @ericandsarah_ – for slow mid-budget travel
• @shetravelledtheworld – for incredible photography & destination guides
• @_postcardsfromayana – for overall travel inspo

Other Posts You Might Find Helpful

• Are you a solo female traveller? Here are 10 countries I felt safe in
• 11 ways I’ve lived abroad without breaking the bank
• Other remote job options & how to start earning money online
• Find your travel community online here
• Get a discounted rate next time you book an Airbnb

Anyone Can Be a Travel Content Creator

I hope this blog showed you that just about anyone can be a travel creator if they want it bad enough! Sure, it’s going to take some work and yes, you’ll probably have to be patient but if you want to make it happen, it’s possible.

If you have any questions about content creation or just travel in general, feel free to DM me on Instagram and I’ll do my best to get back to you quickly!

I’ll be back shortly with a new blog but in the meantime, you can follow my adventures as a full-time traveller and digital nomad on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube! 

Cheers, 

Amy xx