travel blog workshop

10 Best Travel Blogging Courses in 2024 (Blogger Review)

Do you dream of blogging about travel?!

As a multiple six-figure, profitable travel blogger — I made $ 327,270 USD in the first half of 2023 alone , and $272,569 in 2022 🤯 — this guide will direct you to the best travel blogging courses available today.

Since your time is valuable, I want to make sure you immediately see my pick for the Best Travel Blogging Course in 2023. The one travel blogger course I recommend above all is Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures .

You can learn more about the Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures Course in this FREE Webinar led by the course creator, Laura.

Whether you’re a beginner blogger, or want to up your blogging game, you’ve landed on the right article. In it, there are blogging courses for all levels.

🤔 Are Travel Blogging Courses worth it in 2023?

But, isn’t blogging dead? That’s something I see a lot, and a question you may have as well.

I’m personally making $40K+ per month ( click here to see how), and I know plenty of other travel bloggers making way more — so if blogging is dead, we didn’t get the memo 🤷‍♀️

There are, however, many bloggers who don’t have a solid plan to monetize their blog, and just keep publishing content, hoping something goes viral. (Spoiler: It very likely won’t.)

What will work are solid SEO strategies and lucrative affiliate marketing keywords , which you’ll learn in any great travel blogging class. Ready for a rundown about the best travel blogging classes in 2023? Let’s get to it!

Best Travel Blogging Courses

Quick guide: top 3 travel blogging courses in 2023.

Don’t have time to go through the whole article? No problem! I put together some cliff’s notes on the courses I recommend.

Click on any of the links to learn more and/or buy the course, or keep scrolling for my full review of each one.

1. Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures

✔️ If you’re totally new to blogging — this is the course for you .

In SYTB, you see how to set up a blog the right way, going step-by-step with video modules. You’ll also learn blogging best practices so you start out the right way from day one, and won’t waste time having to re-do things later.

✔️ If you’ve been blogging a while, and it’s going nowhere fast — this is the course for you .

For those who started a hobby travel blog, any now want to get serious about making money from a travel blog, sign up for this free SYTBTSF webinar to see how to scale your blog into a profitable business.

2. How to Find Affiliate Marketing Keywords

Ready to take your affiliate marketing to an income level you’ve never dreamed of? Then you need to be in my How to Find Affiliate Keywords (That Will Make You a Ton of Money) Course .

I made more than $163,000 in 2022 from affiliate marketing alone, so when I say my course will help you take your affiliate marketing to an income level you’ve never dreamed of , I’m not kidding!

3. SEO Roadmap for Travel Bloggers

This course is taught by the person I pay to do my site’s SEO audits. Not only do I love the course, but I know Nina Clapperton is a true SEO guru because she’s worked her SEO magic for me personally.

Nina’s SEO Roadmap for Travel Bloggers is the best class I’ve ever done that’s dedicated strictly to understanding search engine optimization, or SEO in the travel niche. For travel bloggers struggling to get page views, this one’s a must.

Top 10 Best Travel Blogging Courses

1. scale your travel blog to six figures: best overall travel blogging course.

Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures … What an enticing name, right? Do you read that and think, Nope. No way. Not me . I could never make money blogging like that. 😵

If so, I have scaled my travel blog to six-figures — and I did it from January-July 2022 alone. While I’ve done other blog courses, this is the hands-down best course for blogging I’ve done because it is the most complete.

Read my full review of Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures course here

🔍 Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures Review

This is the most easy to follow, and easy to consume course of the 15+ travel blog classes I’ve taken.

While some of the biggest travel bloggers out there today have courses, Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures is still better, and definitely the best travel blog course I’ve taken.

If you want to be a successful travel blogger, you need to think about your audience. Not yourself. —Laura of SYTB

What I liked most about Laura is that she’s a more recent success story in the travel blogging world.

I found that learning from the big name travel bloggers who “made it big” in 2010-2015 no longer have a clue what it’s like for travel bloggers starting out in 2023.

🤔 What’s included in Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures?

It is an eight-module course with video lessons — which are so much more convenient than written lessons, amirite?!

The modules include setting up a WordPress blog the correct way, mastering SEO for travel blogs, affiliate marketing , email marketing, sponsored posts and more.

🤔 Is Scale Your Travel Blog right for me?

Personally, I think it’s for everyone, at any stage — the course modules will show you how to set up your blog the right way, and the 1:1 coaching will help you level up fast and make money.

If you’re struggling with any of the following, sign up for the FREE webinar to learn more:

•  Finding the motivation to start your travel blog
•  Setting up your travel blog the RIGHT way
•  Sending consistent organic traffic to your travel blog
•  Earning consistent money with your travel blog

🤔 How much is Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures?

The course plus private coaching with Laura is $2,497 USD , and totally 1000% worth every penny.

As someone who’s done a good amount of courses, private coaching was the ultimate game changer for me — and I know it’s the only reason I hit multiple six-figures with my blog in 2022 ($272,569 to be exact)!

Now, there’s likely an amount of sticker shock to that price. I know most travel bloggers start with a budget of $0.

As I mentioned, this is an investment , which means you temporarily pay an amount of money for something, knowing and believing it’s 100% coming back to you.

If you’re ready to level up with my coach, Laura, attend one of these free webinar trainings , and find out how she can help your blog scale to six-figures — like she did for me!

🤔 Why choose 1-on-1 blog coaching?

As mentioned, this is the best travel blogging course I’ve taken. However, it was the one-on-one coaching that locked everything in for me.

The course is ideal for all bloggers, but having a pro like Laura put her eyes directly on my blog to identify my unique struggles , is why I have success.

BEST TRAVEL BLOGGING COURSES

2. how to find affiliate keywords: best affiliate marketing course for travel bloggers.

Since late-2022, I’ve been helping bloggers  just like you  in 1 on 1 mentorship sessions.

Well, my 1 on 1 sessions sold out in 30 seconds (yes,  seconds ) so I created the  How to Find Affiliate Marketing Keywords Class  to get my strategies into the hands of as many bloggers as possible, in the fastest way possible.

I’ve achieved a lot of success as an affiliate marketer — as in  I made over $163,000 from affiliate marketing alone in 2022  — and I want to help you see numbers like that too.

More than wanting to, I know it’s possible for you. How do I know? Because I’m not special. If I can , you can.

…and I’m going to help you get there by teaching you everything I know about finding lucrative affiliate keywords that you can 1) rank for fast, and 2) make lots of money from.

3. SEO Roadmap for Travel Bloggers: Best SEO Course for Travel Bloggers

If the $2,497 price tag of Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures is simply out of your price range, I want to offer a more budget-friendly blogging course option.

The best mid-price course available today is SEO Roadmap for Travel Bloggers , which is a fraction of the cost of Scale Your Travel Blog. In SEO Roadmap, you’ll learn the single most important thing for blogging: SEO.

🤔 What is SEO ? In case you’re unfamiliar with SEO, it stands for Search Engine Optimization. SEO is essentially how you’ll show up #1 in Google results and get tons of FREE traffic to your website.

SEO Roadmap is a travel blogging class from established blogger Nina Clapperton of Nina Out and About and She Knows SEO. Nina is a personal friend and also an SEO guru.

I took her course, and even though I’ve been blogging for a while now, I learned a lot from SEO Roadmap. If you’re just starting out and this will be your first travel blogging class, it will give you a solid foundation to build upon.

🤔 What’s included in SEO Roadmap for Travel Bloggers?

There are 10 modules in the course, and a few more bonuses. If the number of modules intimidates you, don’t worry! These are micro-modules, and most of them run only 10-15 minutes in length, so they’re easy to digest.

🤔 How much is the SEO Roadmap Blog Course?

The SEO Roadmap is $1,197 USD , with a payment plan option at $249 USD per month for six months.

I have taken several courses on SEO specifically, and this one has been the easiest to follow for me. If you know absolutely nothing about SEO for blogs, you will know absolutely everything by the time you complete SEO Roadmap.

4. SEO Fast Track by Digital Nomad Wannabe: Best Cheap Blogging Course

The SEO Fast Track Course is by Sharon Gourlay of Digital Nomad Wannabe. I respect and admire Sharon a lot, and in fact, her Build Blog Freedom Fast Track course was one of the first blogging courses I took.

Sadly, she had pretty much shut that course down — but I hope she reopens it one day. For now, you can enroll in SEO Fast Track , the abridged version of the full blogging course.

With an abridged course, comes an abridged price tag. The full Build Blog Freedom Fast Track Course was $597 when I purchased it, but SEO Fast Track is just $97 USD .

🤔 SEO Roadmap vs SEO Fast Track: Which is better?

I am recommending SEO Fast Track as a budget-friendly alternative to the SEO Roadmap I mentioned in the previous section, which costs $697. If you have the extra money, please get the SEO Roadmap Course , and here’s why:

SEO Freedom by Sharon Gourlay is a general SEO course, so it is intended to cover a variety of niches, from travel to finance to gardening to cars. In reality, SEO tips, best practices and strategies vary a lot by niche.

In short: Nina Clapperton’s SEO Roadmap Course is dedicated solely to teaching SEO for travel blogs. If you want to know how to make Google love your travel blog, you want to learn SEO for the travel niche specifically.

As most peoples’ bottom line is price, and when you’re first starting out as a travel blogger, your budget is usually $0 — the SEO Fast Track Course is still a great choice so you at least understand the importance of SEO in blogging.

5. Travel Blogging Prosperity: Best Cheap Blogging Course for Beginners

When you’re starting out as a travel blogger, you likely don’t have a huge budget. In fact, it wasn’t too long ago I was right there with you!

For those whose budget is basically no budget at all , here is one final option for a cheap travel blogging class. While it’s not exactly a free online course for blogging, it comes close.

The most budget-friendly course option I know of is Travel Blogging Prosperity by Jessie on a Journey.  It’s just $9 USD to get started  for my readers only — but you must use code TRAVELMEXICOSOLO at sign up.

Travel Blogging Prosperity is hosted by established blogger Jessie Festa AKA Jessie on a Journey. This was the first travel blogging class and networking group I was in, and it helped shift my blogging life into gear.

🤔 What’s included in Travel Blog Prosperity?

Jessie does live monthly trainings, and for $49 USD per month ( $9 for your first month  with code TRAVELMEXICOSOLO), direct access to an established blogger is invaluable.

Travel Blogging Prosperity is a monthly membership that you can cancel at any time, no questions asked. If after your first month you find it’s not for you, you can cancel and you’ll only be out $9 USD.

Note: You must use code TRAVELMEXICOSOLO to get your first month for just $9 USD. If not, you’ll be charged the regular price of $49.

🤔 How much is the Travel Blog Prosperity Course?

Though doors to Travel Blog Prosperity are currently closed — Jessie is allowing my readers to gain access for a short time — and for just $9 for your first month ($49 value). After that, you’ll pay $49 USD per month.

Head to the Travel Blog Prosperity site , and use code TRAVELMEXICOSOLO for instant access. Note: You must use my code to get the discount. If not, you’ll be charged the regular price of $49.

📝 My Travel Blog Prosperity review

In the spirit of full disclosure, I was only in Travel Blog Prosperity for three months. While I think it has a lot to offer new bloggers, I’m mostly recommending it as a value course if you don’t have a large budget (yet).

Here’s what I didn’t like about Travel Blog Prosperity:

The Travel Blog Prosperity course has a lot of content and blogging lessons, with additional content added monthly. The modules weren’t as step-by-step as I needed them to be, and I found myself a bit overwhelmed.

However, you should  check it out for just $9 and make up your own mind. At that price, you have nothing to lose. Note: Remember to use the discount code TRAVELMEXICOSOLO to get your first month for $9 USD.

6. Anastasia Blogger: Best Pinterest Course for Travel Bloggers

Is Pinterest Still worth it in 2023?

In years past, nearly all travel bloggers integrated Pinterest and social media into their blogging strategy. Nowadays, some do and some don’t — and many deem Pinterest unnecessary.

I personally don’t do any social media, as it takes too long, and has the worst monetary conversion.

The nail in the coffin for Pinterest specifically came in 2020. At this time, Pinterest went from super easy to get a lot of free traffic to your blog, to nearly impossible. Many bloggers I know abandoned the platform completely by 2021.

👎 Why I abAndoned Pinterest

In 2020, there was a big Pinterest algorithm change. During this time, many bloggers lost all their Pinterest traffic overnight when Pinterest started prioritizing paid ads and became pay-to-play ( more info here ).

My first travel blogging course was actually a Pinterest course, as I was all in on growing my site through Pinterest. Well, the course has been shut down completely, so I can’t even link to it here.

Think about that: A course creator spent months or years making the course, only to shut it down completely in 2022 because Pinterest became less viable as a means to grow traffic.

I completely abandoned using Pinterest in 2021, instead choosing to spend my time focusing on affiliate marketing and SEO (search engine optimization).

As a multiple six-figure blogger, that move clearly paid off.

Many bloggers today call social media platforms “leased land” because you don’t own your audience — the platform does. It’s hard to run a blogging business when you don’t have real access to your customers and biggest fans.

Personally, I’d steer bloggers away from social media in general, but I know many want Pinterest traffic. For that reason, I’m mentioning the best Pinterest courses for bloggers that I know of — but I’d still say to learn SEO instead.

🏆 Best Free Pinterest course: Anastasia Blogger

Now, other travel bloggers still put some time and energy into Pinterest. However, I won’t suggest you spend time on Pinterest when I don’t even do so myself.

What I can do is recommend Anastasia Blogger’s free content on YouTube , to see how she gets Pinterest traffic. When I was still doing Pinterest, she had the best FREE Pinterest classes around.

Prefer podcasts? You can also binge the Simple Pin Podcast by Kate Ahl of Simple Pin Media.

She has recorded hundreds of episodes, so you have plenty of free Pinterest course content to consume. It’s where I learned about some cool Pinterest tips, tricks, hacks and tools, like the awesome Tasty Pins Pinterest plug-in.

🏆 Best paid Pinterest course: Pinteresting Strategies

I’ve never done this course and can’t recommend it personally, but a lot of people swear by Pinteresting Strategies . This popular Pinterest course comes from Carly Campbell of Mommy On Purpose, one of the top mom blogs.

Again, I have not done this course, but at $97 USD , it’s affordable and I’ve heard many call it the one of the best Pinterest courses for bloggers. If that’s in your travel blogging course budget, I hope it lives up to the hype for you.

BONUS: 4 Additional Courses for Travel Bloggers

I’m also going to list a few other options that I don’t necessarily recommend, but wanted to let you know about. In fact, the only course I have taken from this list was Superstar Blogging by Nomadic Matt.

These include Blogging Fastlane by Adventure In You (Anna and Tom), Travel Blog Accelerator by Kristin Addis of Be My Travel Muse, Jonny Melon’s Blogging Academy , and Nomadic Matt’s Superstar Blogging Course .

If you’re only looking to learn a few things about blogging in a short amount of time, you might also consider online learning platforms like Udemy, MasterClass, Coursera and Skillshare.

🔍 Nomadic Matt Superstar Blogging Course Review

Of the travel blogging courses listed above, the only one I have taken is Superstar Blogging (formerly Travel Blogging Success). While I don’t have terrible things to say about it, I also don’t recommend this course. Here’s why:

Nomadic Matt is one of the biggest travel blogs in the world, if not the biggest . It’s been around since 2008, and I just felt he isn’t able to relate to the struggles new bloggers face in the 2020s.

In short, he’s too successful to teach beginner bloggers at this point — not such a bad thing, really .

The one thing I liked was that Matt Kenes (AKA Nomadic Matt), personally reviews one of your blogs each month, and that did improve my travel writing. After decades of blogging and travel writing, he’s got that part nailed down.

Update: Nomadic Matt retired from blogging in February 2022, and seems to have scaled back his courses as well. I saw a recent webinar he did for SafetyWing where he said he shifted focus to writing more books.

🏆 why I recommend Scale Your Travel Blog instead

After Matt’s course, I signed up with Laura and Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures in July 2021.

In 2022, I made $ 272,569 USD , so I actually scaled to well over six figures 🎉 thanks in large part to this course.

Laura grew her travel blog in 2019, so she absolutely knows the struggles of someone like me, who started their blogging journey in 2020.

Best Travel Blogging Courses: FAQ

Do i need to invest in online blogging courses.

No — You are in no way obligated to buy a travel blogging course to start blogging!

However, if you care about having financial success any time soon, you’ll certainly want to so you can have the travel resources you need for success right at your fingertips.

For me personally, I had a blog for one year that went absolutely nowhere — probably because I wasted time trying to find the best free blogging course, rather than putting my money where my mouth is and investing in myself .

The first year I invested in a travel blogging course, I started to get traffic and a bit of income. At the end of 2021, my first full year as a travel logger, I made $8,490 USD.

By year two, 2022, I had a multiple six-figure blogging business and I made $272,569 in my second year blogging! Not a bad travel blogger salary if you ask me 💅

I’m in several online blogger groups, and I see so many people in travel blogging forums online who have had blogs for five years and still aren’t making money, and have hardly any traffic.

Sadly, no random stranger in a forum or FB group is going to swoop in and save your blog.

I’m not a beginner blogger: Do I need a travel blogging course?

I’m not a beginner blogger either — and I purchased two travel blogging courses the same month I wrote this article! In total, I’ve spent more than $15K on blogging courses since I started blogging in 2020.

Why so much? , you might be wondering. I’m always trying to level up, and the fastest way to do that is by learning from someone who’s doing what you want to do.

For travel bloggers who are a bit established and making some money, I can’t recommend one-on-one blog mentorship enough.

This goes beyond a class that will help all bloggers, to a custom-tailored plan of action for you specifically .

If you’re ready to level up, invest in private coaching with my coach, Laura! She hosts a free webinar training every week to show you what it’s all about! (On a side note, six of my non-beginner bloggers friends have joined this course, and love it . )

Are there any free courses on blogging?

Yes — There are some, but there better question would be, Are there any good travel blogging courses? For me, that answer is no .

As the old saying goes: You get what you pay for .

While there is a ton of free content, it’s up to you to figure out which free content is good free content, and which isn’t. All this while having to piece together which steps you should do in which order — it’s a recipe for why blogs fail.

While free things are great, paying for a course gives you accountability, and since you paid for it, that payment helps motivate you to actually complete it.

Think of the last internet freebie you got — Do you value it as much as something similar you paid for? Do you even use it?

Ever heard the saying People who pay, pay attention? When you have skin (and money) in the game, you care more.

If the cost of a travel blogging course is your concern, consider joining Travel Blog Prosperity — your first month of the membership is just $9 USD with code TRAVELMEXICOSOLO. If you don’t like it, you can leave the next month.

If you have the budget, I can’t recommend Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures enough, especially given these incredible results I’ve had.

Travel Blogging Guide & Frequently Asked Questions

What is a travel blog?

A travel blog is a website with information on traveling. It is usually written by someone who travels often, so they have a lot to say on the subject.

There are many niches, or sub-genres of travel blogs. Mine is focused on Mexico travel, while some travel blogs focus on Paris travel, or Africa travel, or camping travel, or cruises, or solo travel; the list goes on and on.

How do I start travel blogging?

When it comes to how to start travel blogging and how to become a travel blogger , you’ll want some guidance from someone who’s done it — so a travel blogging course will help.

As someone who went one year with no direction, then invested in travel blogging schools (some great, some not), and now has $40K+ months — I have some further insights into this question’s answer.

For me, I only see two two ways to start a blog:

• 💚 The right way : Investing in one of the best travel blogging courses , so you build a solid foundation, step-by-step.
• 🛑 The wrong way : Creating a non-optimized website, writing blog posts about your personal experiences with no SEO in mind, and hoping you make money. Spoiler: You won’t.

👩‍💻 If you’re ready to start blogging the right way , join this free webinar training with my blogging mentor, Laura, and find out how she can guide you too!

There is a system to blogging success, and it’s not common sense. In fact, you either know it, 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 ever see your content.

🗣 I wasted one year blogging the wrong way — Don’t be like me!

When I first started, I wrote about my experiences in Mexico, thinking they were so amazing that everyone would care.

Spoiler: No one cared (except my mom; hi mom! ).

When many hear the word blog , they think of a diary. However, blogging for profit in 2023 is a different animal.

Through travel blogging courses, I learned that I need to write the articles you want to read, and 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.

What’s the average travel blogging salary?

According to ZipRecruiter, it can average between $13,500 to $228,000. However, I personally know travel bloggers who make WAY MORE than that.

In short: When it comes to making money travel blogging , there’s really no average amount.

Some bloggers have published what they make, like The Blonde Abroad and One Step 4 Ward , both have $1 million+ per year blogs, and Nomadic Matt , who also likely makes seven figures.

By contrast, some bloggers make $0.

When I got serious about monetizing my blog, I decided I will absolutely hit seven figures one day, and I started taking steps to do so — like investing in the best travel blogging courses I could find.

I mean, if The Blonde Abroad can, so can I! In fact, I’m well on my way. In 2022, I made $272,569 USD from my blogging business . It turns out I make more than what ZipRecruiter calls the “average travel blog salary.”

Here’s a breakdown of my income:

• From blogging specifically, I made $248,837.
• Of that, $162,872 came from affiliate marketing , and $85,130 from the ads on my site.
• I made $22,328 from selling my own products in 2022, and $1,403 in miscellaneous income.

What’s the earning potential of travel bloggers?

When it comes to a travel blogger salary, the numbers are all over the place. Some people who blog full time make $15,000 per year, and some make $1,500,000+.

This really is a better question to ask than How much do travel bloggers make? , or Do bloggers make good money?

I look at this blog (and my other blogs, Travel Mexico Solo , Travel To Merida , Travel To Oaxaca and Tulum Travel Secrets ) as small businesses, and with your own blog business, the sky’s the limit on how much you earn.

For me, I only want to work 20 hours a week. If I were working a full time 40 hour workweek, I could make a lot more money than I am right now.

In short, when you’re a small business owner (yes — bloggers sure can be one! ) you set your own glass ceiling on earnings.

How do you ​​make money travel blogging?

There are a few common travel blogger jobs and ways to make money as a travel blogger — but the highest-earning bloggers also think outside the box.

For a deep dive, head to How to Make Money With a Travel Blog . If you don’t have time to read another article, here are some ways to make money from a travel blog:

• Affiliate marketing
• Ads on your website
• Selling digital products
• Paid press trips
• Sponsored blog posts
• Sponsored links within blog posts
• Selling your travel photos
• Job leads from other bloggers (see below)

Travel Bloggers Networking Groups

Another one of the best ways to make money blogging is with leads from other bloggers about paid opportunities.

Once bloggers gain an audience or large social media following, companies will approach them with paid opportunities, and if they can’t, they may pass those leads on to you.

One of the best perks in the Travel Blog Prosperity course membership is a monthly email with paid jobs in travel blogging.

👩‍💻 Considering a travel blogging course? You can try Travel Blogging Prosperity out for just $9 USD for your first month with code TRAVELMEXICOSOLO ▶︎ Join now!

👯‍♂️ Private Facebook Groups

One benefit to all the travel blog courses I’ve taken is access to a private Facebook group.

In these, you can both ask the teacher or mentor questions you have about the course material, and also network with your fellow classmates, who just so happen to be travel bloggers!

I am in a few, and can attest that the quality of information you get in private Facebook groups for travel bloggers is much better than what you get in public groups.

People also tend to be nicer since the teacher has a presence in the group, and no one wants to get in trouble. There is a private group for a few of the travel blogging courses I recommended in this article.

👯‍♂️ Best Free Facebook Groups

If you want to check out some free blogging travel groups, there’s Affiliate Marketing for Travel Bloggers , which is my group, and SEO For Travel Bloggers , which is my friend Nina Clapperton’s group.

Looking for the best SEO course for travel bloggers? Check out Nina’s SEO Roadmap , which I can’t recommend enough.

There’s also Women Travel Bloggers , Women Travel Creators and Digital Nomad Wannabe , and all five of these are some of the best and most active Facebook travel blogging groups out there.

As with most Facebook groups, you’ll want to take all the info you get with a grain of salt.

🏆 Best Travel Blogging Conferences

As I started my travel blog during Covid, I’ve never actually blogged when the world was fully open. When it finally is, I can’t wait to attend some travel blog conferences.

The best ones I know of are Travel Blogging Summit (where I was a speaker in 2022), TBEX , Women In Travel Summit , and TravelCon by Nomadic Matt. Note: Sadly, 2022 was the last year for TravelCon.

Does it cost money to start a blog?

You can start a hobby blog for free, but if you ever want to make money from your blog, it’s not free to start. The good news? You decide how much you spend.

The cheapest way to start a blog is by signing up for A2 Hosting (famous for their cheap website hosting), set-up WordPress , and get started blogging.

Of course, that’s the simplified version, but know you can start a blog for cheap . You can also start a blog for free on Blogger , but it will always be a hobby blog.

Unlike with a website on A2 Hosting , you don’t own your Blogger site (Blogger does), and you therefore can’t make money from it.

If you want a blog that’s also your business, you need to own your site. The cheapest hosting that many beginner bloggers start with is the Startup Plan with A2 Hosting , which is just $4.99 USD per month.

🤔 A2 Host vs Bluehost: Which is better?

I used to recommend Bluehost here, but now suggest A2 Hosting which is comparable in price, but so much better overall. For a few dollars more per month, you get better site speed, performance and customer service.

If you’d like, you can still sign up for Bluehost — famous for their cheap website hosting at just $2.95 per month, though not famous for much else.

🏆 Lyrical: The Host I Use and Love

If you have more of a budget, sign up for Lyrical Hosting . This is the company I use for hosting, and I’m so thrilled to be with.

Their support is amazing and they have gone above and beyond, to even solve tech issues for me. My site speed is super fast with them as well.

🤑 Lyrical Host Discount Code: Use code TRAVELBLOGGING101 to get 10% off all Lyrical hosting plans.

Is it worth starting a travel blog in 2023?

As someone who makes a full-time income from my travel blog, works only about 20 hours per week, from any location on Earth I want to — FU+K YES it is!

However, setting up a WordPress blog and learning how to blog properly takes time. Blogging is a marathon, not a sprint.

My blog did nothing in year one; it was basically a place to hear crickets.

In year two, I invested in the best travel blogging courses I could find, and made $7,762.22 dollars.

Year three was great for me — I made $272,569 from my blogging business in 2022. Note: That is my gross income, but I did net $177,125.

While my numbers may seem impressive if you’re making $0 from a blog, I’m still a small (well, maybe medium ) sized blogger.

There are so many bloggers who make more than me, but since I know blogging is a marathon, not a sprint , it’s only a matter of time before I get there too.

Who Am I? (And Why Should You Care?)

Hi, I’m Shelley, and I’m a travel blogger — as in, I earn a full-time living from this blog. ( Note:  I have three blogs now, but this one brings in the bulk of my income.)

As far as the  Why should you care  part, hopefully the stats below speak for themselves 

If you don’t care about me or my story at all, no hard feelings! You can jump to the reviews of the best travel blogging courses 2023 has to offer, and one I don’t recommend, with  this link .

Here are my six-figure blogging stats

• Note: This was last updated in December 2022.
• I made $ 272,569 USD in 2022.
• I made $40, 499 USD from blogging in December 2022 — $24,986 from affiliate marketing, $9,382 from ads on my site, and $6,131 selling my own products, like this Affiliate Marketing course .
• My main travel blog received 212,452 page views in December 2022, and more than 2.66 million page views in 2022.

🤔 Want to know how I did it? Join my email list where I share weekly tips on how I make such a crazy amount of money after just 2.5 years of blogging.

Why I promote paid travel blogging courses

The thing with free courses is, well, you get what you pay for .

That’s not to say you won’t get good tidbits here and there, but you can’t execute on long term travel blog monetization goals unless you have a solid, step-by-step plan, and a great teacher or mentor; mine was Laura .

Thanks to investing in myself, by investing courses, I made multiple six-figures with my blogging business in 2022 (see my stats above). With that momentum, I set a seven-figure goal for myself in 2023.

Sadly, I know people who started blogs around the same time as mine, who are still making $0 per month, and writing great blog posts no one will ever read.

How am I doing so much better? I’m not special; I can tell you that much.

I did, however, believe in myself enough to invest in great travel blogging courses , so I could live my dream life as a digital nomad and travel writer.

If you’re ready to do the same, I suggest investing in the courses for travel blogging mentioned in this article:

• Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures (Best general blogging course)
• How to Find Affiliate Keywords that Will Make You a Ton of Money (Best affiliate marketing course)
• SEO Roadmap for Travel Bloggers (Best SEO course)

💡 Take a moment to think about the word Invest

The best travel blogging courses will cost you money. Buying one and investing in yourself should be an easy decision, and you should be excited to do it!

You must believe in yourself so much so that you know this money is coming right back to you, like a boomerang.

🙋‍♀️ Here’s my personal example

I invested a good chunk of money for 1:1 blog coaching with Laura . She did a deep dive on my site and suggested some tweaks, which I did over about a month. Three months after starting my coaching with her, I was accepted to Mediavine .

As one of the highest paying online ad networks, I made back my initial investment for coaching in just one week, thanks to my lucrative Mediavine ad income.

Just who is this Laura I keep mentioning?

She’s the creator of Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures , one of the best courses for bloggers. I was in her one on one coaching program, and believe she’s the best travel blog coach you’ll find.

Laura also hosts this FREE webinar about her blog coaching and Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures, so you can hear it all from her.

Final Thoughts: Best Travel Blogging Courses 2023

My top choice is Scale Your Travel Blog to Six Figures (SYTBTSF) for those who are ready to get serious about making money travel blogging.

I would not be where I am today — I made $ 272,569 from blogging in 2022 — without this course and Laura’s private blog coaching.

SEO Roadmap for Travel Bloggers is a great option for those who don’t have the budget for SYTBTSF. It is run by my friend Nina Clapperton, but honestly one of the best SEO classes I’ve ever done.

Out of the 15 or so ( and counting! ) travel blogging courses I’ve taken in the last few years, these are the ones that have helped me go from clueless, to someone who’s making money travel blogging.

I hope they will help you as you monetize your blog as well.

7 Online Travel Writing Courses to Take Before Starting Your Travel Blog

If you're intrigued by the idea of starting a travel blog and getting paid to share your adventures with the world as you explore, then guess what? You're far from alone! 

Thousands of people are setting up travel blogs in hopes of making a living typing up the tales of their incredible journeys. After all, could any job possibly be more fun? We highly doubt it. 

But how can you make sure your travel blog stands out and has the key features needed to catch the eye of the right/enough followers? Get in here and see our top 7 online writing courses you need before you start your travel blog.

TravelCon is an annual travel industry conference (2018's festival is September 20-22 in Austin, Texas). While the in-person events sell out pretty quickly, you can usually purchase virtual tickets to attend online.

Hosted by Matthew Kepnes, aka Nomadic Matt , TravelCon will feature speakers and presentations by a plethora of knowledgeable travel writing gurus, as well as networking events, writing sessions, photography tours, and more. Want to really learn how to turn your travel blog into a business? You need to be here.

All TravelCon's content will be available virtually including video of all keynote and breakout sessions, which you can store on your device and watch again later, tomorrow, or whenever you want!

Get your TravelCon virtual ticket here .

Price:  $149 (check current price here ).

Length of course: This is a 3-day conference.

What you'll learn:  This is a conference on travel blog writing, hosted by a bevy of seasoned, successful travel blog writers and other such related professionals. Presented in both beginner and advanced sections, you'll get tips from pros at various levels of the business, participate in workshops and sessions intended to fine-tune writing skills, brush up your photography know-how, get the goods on tech tips, and much more.

Instructor facts: Here are some of the folks who will be presenting:

Get expert travel blog writing tips from Kristin Addis of Be My Travel Muse , Derek Baron of Wandering Earl , Nathan Barry of ConvertKit , James Bradbury-Boyd of Singapore Airlines , Paul Brady of Conde Nast Traveler , Carol Cain of Girl Gone Travel , and many more impressively informed and highly skilled travel bloggers. To see all speakers and presenters, go here .

TravelCon pros:

• Lots of well-informed, seasoned travel blog writers presenting guidance-filled sessions and workshops
• Concise 3-day conference
• Downloadable to your device, so you can view it repeatedly at your convenience

TravelCon cons:

• Expensive 
• In-person tickets sold out, only virtual tickets left available

Bottom Line:

TravelCon is travel blog writing gold. Learn from the pros and do what they do. Although it's sold out in person, virtual tickets are available and you can download the event to your device and watch it whenever you want. We think you should do it, if you don't mind the price.

Superstar Blogging — The Business of Travel Blogging

You needn't fret if you miss the TravelCon conference detailed above — Nomadic Matt's got a few more classes on travel writing you can join on Superstar Blogging !

Superstar Blogging features these great online travel writing courses:

We like this one the best: The Business of Travel Blog Writing

Here's the course syllabus to give you an idea of what to expect:

As you can see, it includes things like:

• Setting up your website
• Hearing Matt's success story with travel blogging
• Building your brand
• Writing viral, engaging travel content
• How to grow your social media network

Plus, you get 10 hours of expert interviews from top bloggers, writers, marketers, and others to help you get your travel blog in super shape super fast!

You'll also get personalized feedback, membership in a private FaceBook group, monthly Q & A seminars, downloadable cheatsheets, special discounts, and updates for a lifetime.

Another nice touch is the money-back guarantee, shown below, which assures students a full refund after a test-drive of 30 days to see if they like the course.

Price:   $249.00. You can pay it all at once, or split it into 3 payments of $99:

Interested in more than one class on the subject? There's 'How to be a Travel Writer', 'The Art of Travel Vlogging', and Capture the World' photography course as well. Sign up for them here and get 50% off:

Length of course: 10 weeks

What you'll learn: 

This course will teach you how to start your blog, technical skills, creating your brand, optimizing SEO, social media growth, how to get press coverage, and more.

Instructor facts:  Your instructors are Matt Kepnes (aka Travel Blogger Nomadic Matt) and WordPress Guru Chris Richardson, shown with their respective bios below:

Superstar Blogging pros:

• Taught by travel blogging and WordPress experts
• Available online, so you won't need to rush to class - you can log in anywhere
• You'll get feedback, monthly webinars, tech support, Q&A sessions, etc.

Superstar Blogging cons:

You'll get lifetime access to your courses when you purchase them here , and the deal on 50% off seems nice if you think you'll want to do more than one. Nomadic Matt definitely knows what he's talking about with over 1.6 million monthly views to his travel blog.

Skillshare — Being a Travel Blogger (even when you're not traveling)

As you may already know, Skillshare is a learning platform offering over 22,000 classes taught online by professionals in their fields, ranging in price and length with many offered free of charge.

This course gives guidance on different kinds of blog posts you can create for your travel blog, brainstorming techniques to help with ideas, and ways to create content for your blog — even during the time when you aren't traveling.

There are 37 different tasks, assignments, and ideas for projects here , and you can do them anytime you wish.

Price: If you sign up here, you'll get a free month of premium classes (more than enough time to watch all the videos and complete all the suggested projects for this class!)

Length of course: There are 9 videos for a total of 33 minutes in all. Suggested projects and tasks may take you longer, but there is no deadline.

What you'll learn: You learn how to create consistent content and several different types of blog posts for your travel blog even when you aren't traveling

Instructor facts: 

Theresa Christine is the instructor, and her bio states she is a freelance writer and blogger who has written for Culture Trip, The Examiner, HOW Design Magazine, Wanderful, The Dieline, LunaLuna Magazine, the Burning Man Organization, has had appearances on HuffPost Live, HPL Podcast, and the Women in Travel Summit.

Skillshare pros:

• Short videos encompassing 9 lessons in a total of 33 minutes
• Recommended by 156 out of 159 previous students
• Taught by experienced instructor

Skillshare cons:

• No certificate of completion offered

Skillshare is a good way to learn about topics related to your field of work or hobbies in your spare time at home — or anywhere you can get internet and a quiet space to view the videos or do the assignments. Skillshare also has a Writers Group for aspiring travel bloggers to join in on networking and discussion.

Pink Pangea — Travel Writing Workshop

For all the aspiring female travel bloggers out there, we may have just found your next favorite thing in the world.

Aside from their International Writing Retreats in Switzerland, Costa Rica, Spain, Italy, Israel, and Greece, during which participants write, tour, and indulge in the food, art, and culture of the regions,   Pink Pangea also gives online writing courses and workshops — like their Travel Writing Workshop , their Intro to Travel Blogging Workshop , their Travel Writing Intensive Course , and more.

We thought we'd start with the first things first, but take your pick of any of them!

For a beginner blogger's intro to online travel writing, the Travel Writing Workshop stood out for us. (It's only $12, which helps it stand out for us).

As described below, this workshop is designed for both avid travelers and those who do more exploring closer to home. Participants will engage in interactive writing activities to uncover and develop skills for writing about their adventures in a way that conveys the experience appropriately to others.

When you've completed the online writing course, you'll be able to publish your travel experiences on Pink Pangea, gain exposure for your writing, get feedback from Pink Pangea's editor, gain access to a Pink Pangea FaceBook group, and receive a recording of the workshop.

Previous workshop participants have successfully launched their own blogs, written for major publications, and more.

Price: The Travel Writing Workshop is $12, The Intro to Travel Blogging Workshop is $29, and the Travel Writing Intensive Course is offered in 4 parts, all online, for a total of $360.00.

Length of course: You can take your time with this pre-recorded class. After you pay, you'll receive the link to use anytime from anywhere in the world.

What you'll learn:  You'll learn through interactive activities how to write about your travels in a way that engages readers, and you'll get feedback from Pink Pangea's editor for guidance.

Instructor facts:  Jaclyn Mishal, co-founder of Pink Pangea, is a writing teacher and inspirational public speaker who has worked with Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Wagner College, REI, Google, and Hostelling International. 

Pink Pangea pros:

• Interactive activities to develop your writing skills
• Qualified editor provides feedback on your writing
• Access to Pink Pangea FaceBook group
• Exposure for your writing on Pink Pangea's travel site
• Go at your own pace

Pink Pangea cons:

• Can't think of any

For $12, you'll get a series of interactive writing activities to hone your skill, a recorded lesson you can keep, and feedback from a qualified editor - this class is a steal. Previous workshop participants have gone on to launch their own successful blogs, write for major publications and more. For info on all the workshops and courses available from Pink Pangea, go here .

Gotham Writers — Travel Writing Course

Gotham Writers offers both online and in-person writing courses in New York City in just about every type of writing imaginable. 

Since 1993, they've been helping writers develop their skills in business and creative writing.

The Travel Writing course is offered online, and the next one begins October 9th.

The course syllabus is available here for anyone who would like to check it out.

Price: For the online course, it's $409. For returning students, it's $379.00. Registration fees are $25.00, paid once per term.

Length of course: 10 weeks (There's also a one-day intensive offered, but there are no hours or dates posted for any online version of that one yet - only in-person in NYC.)

What you'll learn:  You'll get a strong foundation on the basics of travel writing through lecture, writing exercises, and projects to get you started on a shorter piece or a book. Each student will present projects twice.

Instructor facts:  Instructor Andrew Collins has written for over 200 Fodor's travel guidebooks, and is editor-in-chief of The Pearl, and Love Wins. He's a contributor to Travel & Leisure, AAA Living, Sunset, The Advocate, and New Mexico Magazine, and a graduate of Wesleyan University. 

Gotham Writers pros:

• Offered conveniently online for everyone or in person for those in NYC
• Accomplished instructor
• All review sites carry at least 4 or 5 stars for Gotham Writers courses
• Most student reviews highly recommend Gotham Writers

Gotham Writers cons:

Bottom Line: The Gotham Writers Travel Writing course is a good foundation for writing students who want to take a structured 10-week class with active instructor participation and feedback, discussion forums with other students, etc. You must be at least 18 years old to take this class. If you can handle the price, it's probably worth your while.

Udemy — Travel Writing: Explore the World & Publish Your Stories

Udemy provides the world's largest selection of courses — over 80,000 expertly taught online video courses — with new ones added monthly. 

The description of this particular course, Travel Writing: Explore the World & Publish Your Stories , is as follows, written by instructor Dave Fox, bestselling author and writing coach:

"Lots of people dream of becoming travel writers. This course will help you fulfill that dream. Discover how to write travel tales readers love, and how to sell your stories to newspapers and magazines."

The curriculum includes 32 lectures, equalling 3.5 hours of on-demand video broken into sections like: 

• Traveling Journaling vs. Writing for Publication
• Speed Journaling and Story Hunting
• Crafting the Story
• How to Capture Details
• Your Cast of Characters
• Editing Your Stories
• Travel Blogging
• How to Make Money as a Freelance Travel Writer

Length of course : There's 3.5 hours of on-demand video to view and 9 articles to read.

What you'll learn:  This course will teach you how to write professional quality travel stories consisting of great settings, characters, events, and other elements woven together with masterful techniques. You will understand the difference between travel journaling and travel writing for others to read. You'll learn, most importantly, how to "travel with a writer's eye for stories."

Instructor facts: Dave Fox is a professional writer and bestselling travel author, writing and humor coach who has worked as a Public Radio news anchor, a tour guide for Rick Steves'  Europe, an international cruise ship lecturer, and opening speaker for Princess Märtha Louise of Norway. 

He currently lives in Vietnam, where he works as a correspondent for TTG Asia and freelances for the Straits Times of  Singapore and Singapore Airlines' magazine and website. His work has  also appeared in books by Rick Steves, Lonely Planet, Travelers' Tales,  and the 2014 Moon Guide to Burma.  

Udemy pros:

• Students rated this course 4.6 stars out of 5
• Classes are kept lively, at a great pace
• A fun and engaging, comprehensive writing course
• Currently on sale for $11.99

Udemy cons:

• Original price might be too expensive for some students

Bottom Line : This is a lively, very comprehensive writing class taught by an energetic and well-informed, accomplished instructor. You may want to watch the videos straight through first, then go back and watch them again while doing the suggested activities and assignments. Some lists given via video by instructor make a great reference to use later, so take good notes.

Travel Writing Workshop, London

The Travel Writing Workshop instructed by Peter Carty is traditionally offered as a one-day workshop for those in London. However, this article is about online classes, and we're in luck. For those who prefer distance learning , there is an online workshop option for those outside of London.

Designed for beginners with no professional training, as well as writers with a journalism background or otherwise who would like help getting into travel writing, the Travel Writing Workshop of London is very focused with a clear goal in mind to get your work published. 

Price: For those who prefer distance learning , the online course is £225 . Details on booking the distance learning course can be found here . The fee for the one day course is £115 , including unlimited  follow-up coaching and support. The workshop is also offered in the evening over four dates in October 2018, which is £125 , including unlimited post-course advice and coaching.

Length of course:  The main workshop is a one day event, but there will be important workshop feedback available afterward as well. There are also the evening and distance learning workshops detailed above.

What you'll learn:

In the workshop, you'll learn how to select subject matter, the secrets of travel research skills, how to pitch successfully to travel editors, ways to improve your travel writing prose, how to write travel content for the internet, how to make money blogging, how to structure your travel features, how to get trips sponsored by travel companies, airlines, etc., how to develop your travel writing career, how to get travel features published.

You'll also receive unlimited follow-up support and coaching for the weeks and months after the workshop ends.

Peter Carty has written for The Guardian, The Independent, The Telegraph, Conde Nast Traveller, Esquire, The Financial Times, and also broadcasts travelogues for the BBC.

He has been giving travel writing courses in London since 1999, delivering unlimited support post-course, fantastic value for the price of the courses, and clear, well-constructed course content that provides sound guidance in a short amount of time.

Travel Writing Workshop pros:

• Available online, as a one day event, or over 4 evenings
• Designed for anyone wishing to learn about travel writing; no need for prerequisites
• Unlimited follow-up afterward 
• Taught by well-known and accomplished writer
• Lots of rave reviews from previous students

Travel Writing Workshop c ons:

• Maybe not affordable for some students

This is a popular and well=known travel writing course which is taught in London regularly since 1999. Choose the online option, or if you're near London, opt for the one day event, or several evenings. We think it's definitely worthwhile!

And — There ya have it! What do you think? Do any of them look good to you? Did you sign up for TravelCon already? Let us know!

Also, if you don't have time for a class but just want to read some tips from other successful travel bloggers, you can hit the links I shared early on in this article (speakers and presenters at TravelCon) and search their blogs for advice - or if you're strapped for cash, do a browse for some free online travel writing courses here and here . Here's a piece from Wandering Earl on the subject, and here's a bit and a half on how the Young Adventuress does her thing. And in conclusion, I wish you the very best in your blogging endeavors! Please share them below if you get a chance - I'd love to read your latest posts!

13 Best Online Blogging Courses for Travel Bloggers

Table of contents

• Introduction 
• Travel Blogging as a Career Options
• Why Invest In Online Blogging Courses
• Travel Blogging Courses :
• Travel Blog Prosperity
• Travel Blog Accelerator 
• Complete SEO Course
• Digital Empires 
• 3 Secrets To Triple Your Traffic From Pinterest (FREE TRAINING)
• Nomadic Matt’s The Business of Travel Blogging Course
• 4 Weeks to Better Photography
• Being a Travel Blogger (Even When You’re Not Traveling!)
• Travel Writing 101
• Travel Blogging as a Career
• Travel Photography – Passion to Profession
• Blogging; Travel Writing; Travel Content Writing Certificate
• Professional Freelance Travel Journalist Course

Skills Travel Bloggers Need to Have

Final thoughts, key takeaways.

602 AD saw the birth of  Hiuen Tsang, who later became a Buddhist monk. He spent 17 years traveling across India learning about Buddhism. Surprisingly, this man kept a travel journal, recording his experiences and observations of everyone he met, their customs and cultures, the places he visited, etc. This journal is famous for Hsi-Yu Chi or Great Tang Records. This was probably one of the first travel documents ever. 

Thereon, early travelers have documented their travels, and that continues till date. 

In 1994 Jeff Greenwald, a best-selling author, photographer, and intrepid traveler, circumnavigated the globe with a battery-powered laptop, through which you can acquire online blogging course from pretty much any place around the world, back to Jeff Greenwald, in his own words, “I set off to travel around the world – from Oakland, California to Oakland, California – without stepping on an airplane. Along the way, I accomplished a minor miracle: I uploaded the first travel blog posts ever published on the World Wide Web.” And thus began the journey of travel blogging.

The advent of the internet further expanded the scope of travel blogging. According to a study, over 80 % of travel planning is done with the help of the internet. However, thanks to the social media frenzy that took over the whole world, everything you ever wanted to share became a cakewalk and could be put out there for the world to see. Now, travelers can share their experiences virtually in real-time with their friends through ‘Travel Blogs’. 

But that’s not all! Even non-travelers can learn travel blogging from the free blogging course, which is readily available to every internet user in the world. Invest in writing engaging content and capturing narratable pictures because, at the end of the day, that is what is going to drive traffic to your blog or website.

Journals and memoirs have been a platform for exhibition and creative stimulation for as long as we can look back. Photographs, videos, travel details, and creative write-ups of experiences have made these audio-visuals a medium for everyone to see the world through the blogger’s eyes. To be successful in the travel blogging career, one must master these skills to strive to excel in the competitive era. The surest way to do so is to learn first and then implement it to collect your own experience and again learn from it, and a great way to start learning is to opt for the best blogging courses which are freely available in the marketplace. 

Travel Blogging as a Career Option

Travel blogging can be a part-time or full-time career option. The industry is growing, and travel agencies, wildlife associations, the food industry, the tourism industry, and many more industries promote their products and services globally. This requires travel blogging, making it quite a lucrative career option. Without any doubt, this industry has a higher potential and will surely boom in the next couple of years. Remember, there is no right time to start. You will never be ready to start if you wait for the right time to come, so start today, along with the travel blog success course running parallel to it, and you will thank your past self. Get the online blogging course today to prepare yourself for all the challenges and obstacles about to come your way and create a roadmap for yourself to shine skillfully.

You travel the world, click pictures, write about your experiences, and make money out of it… Can a job get any better than this? Travel blogging seems like a dream job, and it is if you can master the systematic workings behind it. And to do this, it is important to gain some working knowledge; here, we introduce specially curated travel blogging courses, free and paid.

Why Invest in Online Blogging Courses

Undoubtedly, there are many free online courses, YouTube videos, and magazine articles to read if one wants to know more about blogging. But if you are serious about it, these all are just quick fixes and not a long-term solution. A financial and mental commitment is important to learn a new skill, both for yourself and the teaching platform. And even if you are not sure about it yet, try the free blogging course and analyze yourself if you are a fit choice for it or not. If the odds are in your favor, then you must learn all the necessary skills from a travel blogger course in India and start as soon as possible to aspire in this field very soon.

An online blogging course will help you become a certified travel blogger and help you monetize your blog because that is how you will make some money. The most important thing here to keep in mind is that the amount you will earn would be very small at the beginning. So to make travel blogging your full-time career, you need to have patience and consistency for a considerable duration of time to build your brand and strive through the roof. It surely will take some time, but it will be worth every second you spend.  

13 Best Travel Blogging Courses

1. travel blog prosperity.

You will learn all the fundamentals of setting up your own blog , such as designing, branding, SEO, affiliates and delves deeper into topics. This course will help you turn your blog into a profitable business through a complete roadmap filled with easy steps to incorporate into your blog to enhance its value quickly, without any stress. This is a paid course, but this course will help you develop and grow your venture whether you are a first-time or an experienced blogger. It is filled with ideas and techniques to benefit you efficiently.

Type: Paid, $49/month

2. Travel Blog Accelerator

The course is more like a brainstorming session where you will meet in a group around 3 to 4 times a month via Zoom. Each month of the course is centered around a specific topic such as branding, SEO, etc.  This ultimate course on growing your travel blogging business answers all your doubts and queries to turbocharge your blog growth. It is based on research and experience by some of the world’s top bloggers, whose insights will surely convince you to grow your blog as fast as you can. This accelerator course, as the name implies, will accelerate your blog growth and provide you long-term values that will be beneficial even after a couple of years from now. Get this travel blog writing course and accelerate your career.

3. Complete SEO Course

By the end of the course, you will learn everything about SEO that you need to boost your travel blogs, like setting google analytics, writing SEO-rich content , keyword research, and more. For those of you who don’t know, SEO can help you build better relationships with your audience and drive more people to your site. SEO is the key power in this industry because the majority of search engine users are likely to click on one of the top 5 to 6 suggestions by the search engine. Therefore if you can manage to be on the top 5 suggestions on your particular niche, you can have the power to drive more traffic to your blog, which means more sales, more loyal customers, and more growth for your business. Get this course today and learn the most valuable element in the internet world.

4. Digital Empires

This seven-module course will teach you everything you need to know about a Pinterest strategy to promote your travel blog, from SEO tricks to designing attractive pins. The benefit of having pins is to help filter quality traffic to your site. Pinterest can be an amazing traffic source, but consistency is the key. Although it takes some time to learn how to use Pinterest effectively, this course will help you 100x your traffic & sales from Pinterest. It is effective and pretty simple once you understand it. Get access to the step-by-step roadmap to generate traffic and sales from Pinterest and resound your career.

Type: Paid, $120/month

5. 3 Secrets To Triple Your Traffic From Pinterest (FREE TRAINING)

This 50-minute session gives you three no-nonsense tips on how to increase your Pinterest traffic and sales, how to maximize the Pinterest potential for your business plan, the latest algorithms, and stepwise formulas. This free blogging course is the perfect course for you to start with. Through this free training, you can increase the recognition/traffic of your blog by promoting your content and get triple traffic from it.

6. Nomadic Matt’s The Business of Travel Blogging Course

This is an excellent course for beginners or someone who is an absolute novice. It teaches you details on how and where to start. It gives overviews into various domains and WordPress. This course is mainly to understand this sector from a business point of view. If you are uncertain about how you can generate income through full-time blogging, this course will clear all your doubts and motivate you to take action. It is beneficial for all individuals who want to understand the business side of blogging, and it is flawlessly explained by Nomadic Matt. 

Type: Paid, $79/month

7. 4 Weeks to Better Photography

A good travel blog requires good visuals, and this course teaches you how to enhance your blog with gorgeous photography. It includes lessons and challenges. Because photography is as crucial as the writing of any blog. Photography is a medium through which your visitors can visualize and connect to your blog. This is an underrated yet powerful skill that surely will enhance the blog quality and traffic.

Type: Paid, Streaming: $29 and Download:  $49

8. Being a Travel Blogger (Even When You’re Not Traveling!)

This course teaches you how to make each post interesting and offers various brainstorming techniques to regularize your content. It teaches you to keep your blog updated when you are not traveling. This course is perfect for travelers who do not travel all the time. This ultimate free blogging course helps you create ideas and skills to regularly post interesting articles even when you are not traveling. This skill can also help you in situations like Covid, where you can’t travel but can post interesting articles in a fixed duration of time.

9. Travel Writing 101

If you want to learn how to become a full-time travel writer, this course teaches you the nitty-gritty. It covers all aspects, from how to find clients and publishers, how to handle the finances and administration, how to pitch, how to write uniquely, and the perks and perils of the job, and more. This free course includes 15 lessons and is filled with detailed highlights to strive for to improve your writing skills . Get the free blogging course and build a full-time career as a travel writer.

10. Travel Blogging as a Career

This course focuses on how to set up a travel blog and make money out of it. This travel blogger course in India is to help you start as a free blogger and turn it into a money-making machine. There are some important undertakings that you need to observe as a travel blogger to build a full-time career. 

Type: Paid, 2 days Live/INR 99

11. Travel Photography – Passion to Profession

This is a two-day workshop that teaches you the basics of a camera, operating a camera, and the scope of different photographic gadgets. This blogging course is mainly about travel photography which is the reason behind the engagement of your blogs. This course will help you enhance your blog growth and help you take your passion for photography into a profession.

Type: Paid, 2 days/INR 99

12. Blogging; Travel Writing; Travel Content Writing Certificate

This course by Crystal Hutchinson Tummala gives you first-hand tips on travel blogging, how and what to write, bettering your presentation skills, and the best tools you need to optimize your vlog. This travel writing course includes ideas and coverage of the business side of being a writer. Take this course with a 30-day money-back guarantee to secure the necessary and sufficient skills for travel blogging.

Type: Paid, INR 3,200

13. Professional Freelance Travel Journalist Course

This course helps you professionalize your blog. It gives tips on marketing and travel journalism, professional photography, creating podcasts, etc. It’s a comprehensive course for someone who wants to pursue professional travel blogging. The course is about professional freelancing as a travel journalist and includes deep insights to consistently build the workflow while traveling the world.

Type: Paid, INR 8640

• Branding : Once your website is designed and you have started promoting yourself on social media, focus on creating a niche for your brand. Branding a travel blog essentially means having a consistent message, setting core values and a purpose, and building a recognizable image. The clearer your brand, the easier it is to connect to a target audience. 
• SEO & Pinterest marketing : SEO and Pinterest are two main ways to drive traffic to a travel blog. Learning how to create engaging blog posts that are SEO-friendly will increase your chances for Google rankings. 
• Photography and editing : Photography and editing are two very important aspects of travel blogging. Since such blogs are visual, it is important for the blogger to excel in these skills. The photos on your blog should be professional-looking and captivating.
• Social media growth and marketing : Since blogging is all about the internet and social media presence, you must be skilled in marketing on these platforms. It could be a daunting task to grow on all social media simultaneously, so focus on being successful on one and maintaining a presence on others. 
• Sales : If you are looking at travel blogging as a full-time profession and want to make as much money as possible, a good sales pitch is very important . A successful travel influencer requires good collaborations, for which you must up your pitching skills. 

If you are looking at travel blogging as an income proposition, maximize your opportunities by investing and making the most of the guidelines of these 13 best online blogging courses.

• You can learn travel blogging very easily from a wide range of free blogging courses available on the web.
• Be consistent and create a roadmap for yourself to shine skillfully, don’t wait for the right time to come. Start immediately.
• An online course will help you become a certified travel blogger and help you monetize your blog rapidly.
• SEO is the key power in the blogging industry because the majority of the search engine users are likely to click on one of the top 5 to 6 suggestions by the search engine.
• Pinterest is an amazing traffic source that can help you 100x your traffic & sales.
• Photography is a medium through which your visitors can visualize and connect to your blog.
• You can still be a travel blogger even if you are not travelling, just by posting engaging content regularly. 

Yes, without any doubt, if you are interested in this sector and ready to be consistent over a considerable duration of time, you can earn up to lakhs per month.

Yes, certainly, but the word “free” doesn’t fit here because you’re somehow working for it, maybe in exchange for the promotion or you are working for their magazine. It is an exchange, just like in a business partnership.

It depends; if you build your blog properly to create a passive income model, there’s no need to spend too much time blogging.

It doesn’t make sense to save a bunch of money and go on a year-long trip just to blog about it. You can start with the experience of getting tickets or shopping for the perfect packaging for your travel. 

DON’T GIVE UP. Consistency is the key here. You need to have patience and have creative ideas to catch the attention of the visitors to come back to your blog.

It depends on your hustle, dedication, and focus. But to get an idea, it would typically take around 6 – 8 months.

You can’t find the best travel blog success course without trying and implementing them in your blog. Every person has a different taste and strategy, and you must choose according to that only. Find your approach by trying different courses available on the web.

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Part press trip, part workshop…a whole lot of fun!

About Our Retreats

Our travel writing and blogging retreats are designed to help get writers to the next level—making more money and exploring more of the world. Whether you’re looking for more bylines in publications or more traffic for your blog, our small group retreats (no more than 8 writers) allow for the hands-on assistance you can’t get at a big industry conference. Plus, you get to do it all in an amazing destination with time to explore and make new writing friends.

Each trip is different but every retreat includes:

• Private accommodations
• Gourmet dining and craft beverages
• Unique local activities
• Group masterminding and training sessions
• Ongoing support in a private Facebook group

Travel Writing Retreats

Our travel writing retreats are part press trip and part workshop. We partner with destinations to show our travel writers the best their area has to offer, and between fun activities and delectable meals, Noreen and Kristi teach informational workshops that will help you land more paid assignments and all-inclusive press trips.

These trips include:

• Four days, three nights
• Your own private room in a hotel or vacation rental
• Local dining experiences
• Fun activities
• 5 one-hour workshops
• Byline opportunities in our publications

Check out  an agenda  from one of our past retreats!

Travel Blogging Retreats

• Five days, four nights
• A 1:1 session to look at your blog
• Assistance with ad networks, affiliate programs and other money-making opportunities
• An SEO report on your site
• A custom strategy for your blog going forward to increase traffic and income

Kristi was hired away from her law practice by ESPN to become its sports business reporter after the success of her Business of College Sports site. She also earned a book deal from that site, in addition to another book deal from a previous site. Both Chadd and Kristi make a living off their sites and freelance writing and can’t wait to share their decades of blogging experience with retreat attendees to help them achieve their blogging goals.

Happy writers

The travel writers retreat is what I needed to continue with travel writing. It was such an inspirational group to enjoy Breckenridge with. The retreat was the perfect combination of learning and experiencing what a FAM trip is. I got out of my comfort zone and came back energised ready to write articles with new knowledge. I’m so ready to see where the travel writers life takes me and I couldn’t do it without the guidance from Noreen and Kristi.

Noreen and Kristi developed a program designed to build confidence. The retreat content was practical and can be readily used to improve our pitches. The venue was beyond breathtaking, and I developed relationships that will last.  I highly recommend participating and I would happily do it again!

Julie Suman

Kat anderson.

What We Teach at Travel Writing Retreats

Every trip is tailored to the writers on the trip, so this is only a sample of workshops we’ve taught in the past. 

Social Sharing: How to Grow Your Audience on Social Media

Learn exactly what CVBs expect from travel writers press trips and how to over deliver! We’ll also share some inside info on how to grow your following and increase your engagement on Instagram.

Mastering the Subtlety of Creative Writing

Creative writing that draws the editor in is one of the most effective ways of selling a travel story. We’ll teach you our “tricks of the trade” that will have editors clamoring for even more of your stories.

SEO Secrets of Top-Producing Writers

We understand — even just the mention of SEO probably makes your head hurt. But, what if we told you that learning just a  tiny bit could greatly increase your paid assignments? It’s true and we’re going to teach you!

The World of Opportunity: Find Out What You’re Truly Capable Of

If you’re looking to establish a career (or second career!) as a travel writer, this session will give you all the tools you need to maximize your efforts and find the jobs that help you make more money.

Workshop: How to Land More All-Inclusive Press Trips

Whether you’ve been on one press trip or many, you’re likely interested in landing even more. In this workshop, we’ll discuss what destinations are looking for, how to approach them, tips for working with multiple CVBs in one trip and more.

Check out an agenda from one of our past retreats!

2024 Retreats

Join us for a travel writing retreat or travel blogging retreat in 2024!

Ocala, FL Retreat

What better place to be in February than Central Florida in the sunshine? We’re going to be staying at the World Equestrian Center, which is absolutely spectacular. You don’t have to know anything about horses to enjoy this trip, and we’ll be doing plenty of fun outdoor activities that don’t involve horses. Between all the fun, we’ll also make sure we arm you with all the tools you need to take your travel writing to the next level.

• February 19-22, 2024

We’ll be adding more 2024 retreats as we finalize the dates! There will be three more writing retreats and two blogging retreats (both in Amelia Island, FL) added soon.

Past Retreats

Check out some of the great places we’ve been!

Temecula Retreat

Wine destinations are so popular, we’ve added two for 2023! We’ll be headed to Temecula wine country to enjoy the beautiful landscape while sipping award-winning wines and exploring the old town. From fantastic dining to hot air balloon rides, this is going to be a trip to remember. Between all the fun, we’ll also make sure we arm you with all the tools you need to take your travel writing to the next level.

• TBA (targeting early October, 2023)
• Temecula, CA

Sept., 2023

Breckenridge blogging retreat.

Pack your laptop and head for the mountains! This travel blogging retreat is all about taking your blog to the next level. Whether you need backend help, SEO assistance or strategy for the future, this is the retreat for you. We’ll help you get your blog on the right track for more traffic and new revenue opportunities.

• Sept. 11-15
• Breckenridge, CO

Breckenridge Retreat

We are excited to take a retreat to our favorite mountain town for a third time! This retreat always sells out fast, and that’s because Breckenridge is the perfect combination of stunning views, incredible outdoor activities and a historic Main Street with tons of great shopping and dining. Join us in the Rocky Mountains for a workshop you won’t forget!

Interested in working on your own blog instead of your travel writing for publications? Check out our Breckenridge blogging retreat below.

• TBA (targeting late August/early September, 2023)

Paso Robles Retreat

Travel writing retreats in wine destinations always sell out fast, and we’re sure Paso Robles will be no exception. Join us in the beautiful countryside of Central California for wine, history and delectable dining. And, of course, travel writing workshop that will help you start placing more articles and making more money. 

• May 9-12, 2023
• Paso Robles, CA

Savannah Blogging Retreat

This retreat is specifically or those who want a hands-on opportunity to grow their travel blog. Pack your laptop and meet us in historic Savannah for four days of coworking on our travel blogs while we explore the city. We’ll also be able to help you with backend issues, SEO, growth strategy and more.

• Feb. 8-12, 2023
• Savannah, Georgia

Vero Beach Retreat

If you dig the mid-century modern vibe, this is the retreat for you! Between architecture tours and star gazing, we’ll dig in on writing and social media tips, pitching tricks and how to land more all-inclusive press trips.

• Jan 9-12, 2022
• Vero Beach, Florida

Tri-Valley Retreat

We’re heading out to California to Tri-Valley Wine Country to combine our love of travel and good wine! Between wine tastings, we’ll be talking social media, pitching tips and tricks, getting into bigger and better publications and more!

• April 27-30
• Tri-Valley, California

Outer Banks Retreat

North Carolina’s famous barrier islands are a beach and nature lover’s paradise! We’ll stay together in this gorgeous 10 bedroom/11 bathroom home in Duck, NC just a block from the water and enjoy a mix of workshop sessions and fun activities with some delicious local meals in between.

• Oct 13-16, 2022
• Outer Banks, NC

Bryan, TX Retreat

Southern hospitality abounds in Bryan, Texas! Described as “where refined meets rustic” and “history meets community,” this small town is situated at the epicenter of Texas’s five major metros. We’ll stay at The Stella Hotel, voted #3 Hotel in Texas by Conde’ Nast in 2020. Experience Texas hospitality at its best with fun activities between workshop sessions and the best food Texas has to offer.

• Nov 10-13, 2022

Let the altitude change your attitude! Escape to the mountains to learn tips to improve your writing and social media so you can land more paid assignments and more press trips.

• Aug 16-19, 2021
• Breckenridge, Colorado

Flagstaff Retreat

National monuments and nighttime skies make Flagstaff a magical place to retreat! We’ll talk about how to improve your writing, pitch to bigger and better publications and land more great press trips.

• Sept 29 - Oct 2
• Flagstaff, Arizona

Palm Springs Retreat

• Palm Springs, California

Be The First

Want to be notified when we add new locations and dates? Fill out our travel writing retreat application, and once you’re accepted you’ll be among the first to know!

Top Travel Blogging Courses That Will Make You Money [2023]

By: Author Lora Pope

Posted on Published: August 24, 2023  - Last updated: September 28, 2023

This post may contain affiliate links. By clicking and making a purchase through the links, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my disclaimer for more information. This and display ads allow me to keep the site up to date and give back .

Looking for the best travel blogging courses? Let me help! I’m a full-time travel blogger and have taken dozens of courses. I would not be where I am today without these courses, but some propelled my growth more than others.

There are so many courses for travel bloggers out there it can be overwhelming knowing which one to pick, and some are a complete waste of money.

In this post, I’m sharing the best travel blog courses that have actually helped turn my website and brand into a money-making machine that allows me to live my wildest dreams and travel the world full-time as a content creator.

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SEO ROAD MAP

✅ Learn to make $30k/mo from your travel blog

✅ Most comprehensive and actionable SEO course (the key to making money as a blogger)

✅ 14-Day Refund Guarantee

Overview of Best Travel Blogging Courses

Best courses for travel blogging, 1. seo road map.

I wish a travel blog course like this had existed when I started my own blog in 2018. Many of the courses back then were created by OG travel bloggers, and no shade to them, but what worked a decade ago doesn’t work now.

You need to learn Search Engine Optimization (SEO) if you want consistent, exponentially growing traffic. It’s how I got accepted into Mediavine (widely considered the best ad network), and it’s where 90% of my traffic comes from.

SEO is the BEST way to get traffic to your website because it allows you to reach a wide and targeted audience. Millions of people are searching for topics that your blog posts answers, so wouldn’t you want them to find them on search engines?

However, SEO is not the easiest thing to learn (and it changes constantly). There wasn’t a quality course designed to explain it to travel bloggers until Nina took it into her own hands, became a master of SEO, and created the SEO Road Map.

I first connected with Nina when she launched her course in the summer of 2022, and have since watched her scale her travel blog to 30k+ in revenue every month. I was so impressed that I hired her as my travel blog coach to scale my blog, but her course is an excellent place to start.

Topics covered include site speed, keyword research strategies, competitor on-page SEO, how to write SEO content, how to establish your authority, a guide to internal linking, backlink strategies, and how to do a content audit (this is important as your blog ages).

Everything she teaches you are white-hat SEO techniques, which is what you want. Otherwise, you may get penalized by Google.

Nina’s sense of humor and adorable dog make comprehending SEO way more manageable because it can be overwhelming at first.

She breaks it down into several lessons, no more than 20 minutes each, so that you can do the course at your own pace. And as a bonus, she gives super helpful spreadsheet templates for tracking your work!

Since launching her course, she has expanded it to include modules on affiliate marketing (which, combined with SEO, is $$$), plus covers other topics like writing with AI, which is essential in 2023. You’ll also get access to AI-infused blog templates that I’ve been using throughout this post.

While the price tag may seem steep if you’re starting, you’ll get that back in one month once you get accepted into Mediavine (and you will if you follow her advice in the course ).

Plus, you get to be part of her private Facebook membership, where she shares the latest SEO advice.

2. Travel Blog Prosperity

by Jessie on a Journey

If you’re new to the blogging world and unsure where to start, a general blogging course covering all the different ways you can make money is a great place to start. That way, you can decide which ones you want to focus on further.

My first course was Nomadic Matt’s superstar blogging course, which he no longer runs. But don’t worry – there’s an even better course.

Travel Blog Prosperity is an in-depth blogging course taught by Jessie Festa , who runs two successful travel blogs: Jessie on a Journey and Epicure & Culture.

Travel Blog Prosperity goes far beyond what most general travel blog courses teach you, covering everything you could want to know about building a brand and making money. I’ve written an in-depth review of the course here and how it helped me become a professional travel blogger.

Jessie walks you through all the fundamentals of setting up your blog, including branding, tech, design, affiliates, SEO, Pinterest, Instagram, and so much more.

One topic I think Travel Blog Prosperity covers we ll, which some courses lack, is working with Brands and Tourism Boards. Jessie has done several successful paid campaigns with huge brands and helped me get my first partnerships.

There is an entire module on working with brands as a blogger (and getting paid), including some invaluable pitching templates that I have successfully used.

Travel Blog Prosperity also covers many topics I don’t see covered in other online blogging courses, such as legal issues, avoiding burnout, and creating e-books, podcasts, and online courses.

There are almost TOO many topics covered – I never found the time to go through them all. But at a price point of just $49 a month ( and you can get your first month for $9 using code EXPLOREWITHLORA ), it’s a no-brainer.

Jessie is a very ethical blogger, and all her advice is about building a genuine, sustainable, and profitable business.

There aren’t any get-rich-quick schemes here, just practical advice that will set up your blog for success in the long run. Plus, you get these other perks for being a member:

• VIP opportunities: Every Monday, Jessie sends out five opportunities related to blogging. These could be a press-trip opportunity, sponsored posts, a remote job, etc. I have gotten many press trips and sponsored posts because of these e-mails, which have more than covered the cost of the course.
• Private Facebook group to ask questions
• 3 Monthly Calls – There is a Q&A twice a month, plus one goal-setting workshop. I like these calls because there are usually only five or so people on the call, so you get all your questions answered and get a chance to network with the other members.

While general blogging courses are extremely valuable for getting started, I would suggest taking separate SEO and affiliate marketing courses if you want to make passive income. Nina covers both topics in SEO Road Map.

3. Affiliate Marketing Superstars

When it comes to my blog’s income, ads and affiliate sales are my two biggest earners. Affiliate marketing is when you promote a product or service through an affiliate link, as I am doing with this affiliate marketing course . If you decide to enroll in it, I’ll get a small commission on the sale.

But affiliate marketing is not as simple as dropping a few links in a post; you need a strategy. I made almost no money from affiliates for the first two years of my blog because I didn’t have one. Now, it’s my biggest source of revenue.

I bought this course at the end of 2019 but then got busy with life moving to Barbados , and never got around to completing it. Then, about a year later, I met the creator of the course, Leanne, at a travel blogging conference, and she gave me a bunch of helpful advice (she’s also a lovely human).

That meeting inspired me to finish the course, and now I wish I had earlier because it is PACKED full of helpful strategies and resources that will help you become a master of affiliate marketing.

Affiliate marketing is one of the best ways to make money blogging because it’s PASSIVE income, meaning you can still earn money even if you’re not actively working on your blog. If you want to make passive income blogging, you need to learn about affiliate marketing. It’s magical.

If you want to understand Leanne’s teaching style first, check out her FREE training on this 5-day e-mail course.

Nina also teaches affiliate marketing in her SEO road map course.

4. Pitching To Brands Masterclass

Working with brand and tourism boards can be an extremely profitable way to make money if you have a strong social following. Honestly, most brands aren’t interested in blogs these days – they want to see you have an engaged audience on your social media platforms.

To me, influencer marketing and blogging are two different worlds. You can be an extremely successful blogger without a substantial following, and vice versa; you can be an influencer without a blog. Or you can have both – but it’s a lot to manage!

It’s really up to what feels most authentic to you. I’m primarily a blogger and don’t do a lot of brand campaigns, but I do take part in many press trips (“free trips” that are hosted and or paid) by tourism boards. I would never get these without my social media following.

That said, influencer marketing is the wild west. There are micro-bloggers getting 4-figure deals and influencers with huge followings only getting comped products. The secret to making money? Pitching and negotiating.

Unless you have a massive following or are an authority in a specific niche, DO NOT expect brands to come to you. You need to go out and pitch them, and there’s an art to this.

I have never had much success getting paid brand deals, so I enrolled in the Pitching to Brands Masterclass by Sidewalker Daily.

This travel influencer course was a complete game-changer for me. I learned so much, including making a media kit, pitching, what to charge, how to negotiate with brands, analyzing contracts, and more.

If you’ve ever wondered how influencers make money or what to charge, THIS is the course for you . It’s completely changed my perspective.

Since joining, I pitched and negotiated my first 4-figure collaboration, so the course has already paid for itself.

Why you should invest in blogging courses

It seems like everyone and their dog has a travel blogger course these days. How much value can you really get out of one? Can’t you learn everything for free online?

These are all valid questions! When I started blogging, I wasn’t taking it that seriously and didn’t see the value in investing in a course.

I also had about 100 page views a month and even less income. I’m happy to say that those days are far behind me now, but it’s because I invested in courses on blogging!

Being a successful travel blogger   requires knowledge and skills in MANY different areas, from SEO to affiliate marketing to photography and managing brand partnerships.

My page views and income have skyrocketed since investing in the best blogging courses and tools. Not to mention getting paid to have once-in-a-lifetime experiences working with dream brands.

While I understand that as a brand new blogger, it may feel discouraging knowing the market is so saturated, there’s also a flip to this. Before, you were on your own if you started a blog.

There weren’t readily available courses you could take to learn the necessary skills. But now, so many successful bloggers are making over six figures, and they are sharing their secrets!

Blogging is a skill. Like any skill, it requires a lot of time to learn. You can significantly speed that up by enrolling in a blogging course.

Yes, there is a ton of free information out there. But much of that information is incorrect, outdated, and confusing. Having all the information in one place from a reliable source is well worth the cost.

If you want to make money blogging, you need to treat it like a business. Do you know any successful companies that had no money invested in them? Probably not.

Investing in myself and my blog is the best money I’ve spent on my business. And I say investment because I’ve already had that money spent come back to me 10x over.

Now, I can travel the world full-time because of my blog and work with brands and tourism boards that I used to dream about!

What type of blogging courses should you invest in?

Before investing in a travel blogging course, you should consider your blog’s goals.

If you want to earn money passively without worrying about social media, you should focus on affiliate marketing and search engine optimization (SEO).

With proper SEO techniques, you can get hundreds of thousands of people visiting your blog every month without ever showing your face on Instagram (yes, really)!

Once you reach 50,000 sessions a month, you can apply for Mediavine, widely known as the best ad network for travel bloggers. I got accepted in 2022, and it was a game-changer for me.

There are ad networks that you can join with fewer pageviews, but they aren’t nearly as good. I was with Ezoic before, and let’s just say I don’t miss them.

I would wait until you have at least 10,000 page views before adding ads to your site; the dollar amount you’ll earn won’t be worth the impact it will have on your site speed.

While waiting for your page views to increase (because SEO does take time), focus on creating targeted affiliate posts. I have posts with less than 200 page views monthly that still generate monthly income because they are for a specific buying intent.

If your goals are to work with brands and tourism boards, that can also be very lucrative – but it is an entirely different beast of its own (and a lot of work – it’s not all pretty bathtub pics).

If you want to work with brands, you’ll need to have a heavy presence on social media, but more importantly, know how to pitch and negotiate with brands. Spoiler alert: I know influencers with less than 10k followers getting 5-figure deals.

Or maybe you want to be a travel writer for the world’s top travel publications – there are courses for that, too.

All of the above are part of my business. Had I just focused on one area, I’d probably be making more money than I am. But there’s also something to be said about having multiple income streams – never put all your eggs in one basket.

How do you make money as a travel blogger?

Turning your passion for travel into a profitable business is not just a dream; it’s very much attainable!

As a professional travel blogger who’s been in the field for over five years, I know firsthand that monetizing a blog requires creativity, persistence, and the right strategies. Here’s how you can start making money with your travel blog:

1. Affiliate Marketing : Partnering with brands and promoting products you trust can be a lucrative way to earn commissions. By including special tracking links within your blog posts, you can earn a percentage of the sales made through those links.

Almost every major travel brand, such as Booking.com , Viator, VRBO , and more, offers an affiliate program. By promoting their services, you can earn a commission on each sale made through your unique affiliate link.

If you want to work with multiple brands, joining a travel-specific affiliate network like TravelPayouts can be a great place to start. These networks provide access to various affiliate programs in one place, simplifying the process of finding and managing partnerships.

2. Display Advertising : By placing ads on your blog, you can earn money based on the number of views.

Mediavine is widely regarded as the best ad network for travel bloggers. The company offers excellent customer support, user-friendly dashboards, and higher earning potential. It’s what I use. However, it’s important to note that Mediavine requires a minimum of 50,000 monthly sessions.

Before hitting the 50k sessions mark, you can consider joining SheMedia or Monumetric. Both networks are reputable and allow bloggers to start monetizing with as little as 10,000 sessions.

I’ve worked with Monumetric on my niche website and found them to be good, with my RPMs sometimes as high as Mediavine (although I have a much larger US audience on that site). Don’t waste your time with Ezoic.

3. Sponsored Content : Working with travel companies, hotels, or tour operators on sponsored posts can be a great way to earn income. Just be sure to choose partnerships that align with your brand and disclose them to your readers.

4. Selling Products or Services : Create and sell your own products such as eBooks, online courses, travel guides, or photography.

5. Travel Photography Sales : If you have a knack for photography, consider selling your travel photos through platforms like Shutterstock or directly to magazines and tourism boards.

6. YouTube and Video Monetization : Expand your blog into video content, and monetize your YouTube channel through ads, sponsorships, and affiliate links.

7. Utilize Social Media Platforms : Platforms like Instagram and TikTok offer monetization opportunities through collaborations, sponsored posts, and even affiliate marketing.

8. Freelance Travel Writing : Many travel magazines, websites, and publications pay for well-crafted travel articles. Pitch your story ideas to editors, focusing on unique angles and personal insights. I did freelance writing for my first few years as a travel blogger, which really helped improve my writing skills.

Remember, consistency and authenticity are key to monetizing your travel blog successfully. Focus on providing real value to your readers and align your monetization strategies with your blog’s mission and your audience’s interests.

It may take time to see significant income, but with dedication and the right approach, your travel blog can become a profitable business.

Travel blogging tools for beginners

Here are some other tools/resources that have helped my blog grow:

Keysearch – a fantastic tool for doing keyword research, which is essential for SEO success. There are free tools to do this, but they are not nearly as accurate or useful as the information Keysearch can tell you. You can get 20% off your subscription to Keysearch by using coupon code KSDISC.

Ubersuggest – a free tool that gives you insight into what your competitors are ranking for – great for keyword research.

Interact – the best platform for making quizzes to generate e-mail leads

LinkWhisper -An easy way to internal link, which is essential for SEO.

Siteground Hosting . If you want to have your own website like this one, you need a hosting provider. I started with HostGator and switched to Siteground after becoming increasingly frustrated with my website speed.

After switching to Siteground, my page speed became 3x faster, which helped with SEO. Siteground also has excellent live chat support; I never have to wait more than two minutes to talk to someone.

Facebook Groups For Travel Bloggers

Facebook groups have been so helpful in my blogging journey. There is a Facebook group for just about everything regarding travel blogging, such as collaboration opportunities, link building, guest posts, and social media sharing.

Not only are Facebook groups great for networking and advice, but it provides a sense of community. If you are new to blogging, I highly recommend joining Facebook groups related to your niche. Here are some of my favorite Facebook Blogging Groups:

• SEO for Travel Bloggers
• Affiliate Marketing For Travel Bloggers
• Women Travel Creators
• Digital Nomad Wannabe
• Travel Collab Post Opportunities

Travel Blogging Conferences

In addition to taking blogging courses, attending travel blogging conferences and networking with other bloggers has greatly impacted my business. I’ve written a separate post about the best conferences for travel bloggers , but here’s a quick overview:

• Traverse (UK-based group; conferences are held in Europe)
• Women In Travel Summit (US and Europe)
• TBEX (all over the world)
• Propel (Small conference, have to apply and be selected to go)

While conferences are traditionally seen as places to hone skills and learn from industry experts, they can be so much more than that. For travel bloggers, these gatherings are a vibrant hub for networking, community building, and forging lifelong friendships.

Many of my best friends today are creators I met at conferences. These connections go beyond business; they become part of your support system and tribe, sharing the same passion and understanding the unique challenges of blogging.

The blogging community is incredibly supportive and collaborative. Conferences foster this sense of community, offering a space to share experiences, seek advice, and encourage one another. It’s this community that often becomes the foundation of your success.

FAQ: Travel blogging courses

Are travel blogs profitable.

Yes, travel blogs can be highly profitable through affiliate marketing, sponsored content, and other monetization strategies.

How to become a travel blogger?

Start by choosing a niche and domain name, setting up a blog, and consistently writing engaging and informative content about your personal experiences.

Which blogging course is best?

The best blogging course depends on your needs and goals, but some of my favorites include the SEO Road Map and Pitching to Brand Masterclass.

How much does the average travel blogger make?

The average travel blogger’s income can vary widely, from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars per month, depending on their strategies and audience reach.

Is travel blogging hard?

Travel blogging can be challenging and time-consuming, but with hard work, dedication, creativity, and persistence, it’s a rewarding endeavor.

Is it too late to start a travel blog?

No, it’s never too late to start a travel blog. The key is to find a unique angle or perspective that resonates with your target audience. And learn SEO!

How much does it cost to start a travel blog?

The cost to start a travel blog can range from $50 to $300 per year, including domain registration, hosting, and any premium themes or plugins you might need.

Can I start a travel blog without traveling?

You can write about local experiences if you’re not actively traveling, but I would not write about somewhere you haven’t been.

What are the disadvantages of being a travel blogger?

Some disadvantages include the time and effort required to create content, the uncertainty of income, and the potential challenges in balancing travel with work.

How often should you post on a travel blog?

Consistency is key, so aim for 2-3 times a week to start building up your content.

Is a travel blog considered a business?

Yes, a travel blog can be considered a business if you earn income and treat it as a professional endeavor.

Do people read travel blogs?

Absolutely! Many travelers and travel enthusiasts rely on travel blogs for inspiration, tips, and detailed insights into various destinations.

How many blog posts do I need to make money?

There’s no specific number, but building a solid foundation of quality posts (around 20-30) can help you start monetizing through affiliate links and other methods.

Do travel bloggers get paid?

Yes, travel bloggers can earn money through affiliate links, sponsored posts, advertisements, and other revenue streams.

Is travel blogging worth it?

While it requires hard work and dedication, the opportunities to explore new places, connect with a community of like-minded individuals, and achieve financial success make it a fulfilling endeavor.

Final thoughts: What is the best travel blogging course?

If you’re ready to invest and make your blog a profitable money-making machine, the best course is the SEO roadmap. If I were to start my blog today, this is the course I would buy.

If you aren’t sure where to start or ready to invest, take a month of travel blogging prosperity.

If you don’t even want to blog and would rather be an influencer, take the pitching to brands masterclass by Sidewalker Daily.

If you have any questions about these courses, feel free to message me on Instagram . I’m happy to chat about them!

Like any worthwhile pursuit, travel blogging requires commitment, continuous learning, and a genuine connection with your audience. Whether you’re just starting or looking to take your blog to the next level, these courses will help you succeed as a travel blogger.

Lora is a full-time digital nomad on a quest to visit every country in the world and pet as many dogs as she can along the way. Over the last 15 years, she has traveled to 70+ countries and six continents solo. She currently calls Puerto Vallarta, Mexico home and enjoys ending each day with sunset and tacos on the beach.

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very informative post.

Hello blogger! Such a useful blog. Thank you for sharing with us. My motivation to keep going is increased by your guide, which I started my travel blog. We are YouTubers Adriana and Dylan, a couple of wanderers from Sweden & Wales. We are pursuing our dream lives of travelling and exploring the world together because we love adventure and each other. Our website also provides hotel tips & tricks and where to stay for your next trip. Visit our site to learn more.

Thank you for sharing this beautiful information about travel

Thank you for all this useful information. I just started a new blog and your guide motivates me to keep going. I love to travel Blogging and I want to see the world. You inspire me with your blog posts and pictures.

So happy to hear the blog inspires you! Keep blogging and traveling!

The Best Travel Blogging Course 2024 – REVIEWED

Posted on Last updated: April 22, 2024

Chances are you found your way to this blog post because you are looking for the best travel blogging course to take? Well, you are in the right place. In this post, I have reviewed my top travel blogging courses, the ones with expert tips on how to become a full-time blogger (yes even during a pandemic). Each one of these best blogging courses I have personally taken… I’ve actually taken WAY more courses than I’ve written about in this post. These are just the good ones!  

These online travel blogging courses work. But you have to also be fully committed and prepared to put in the work.

Blogging is not dead, a lot of people are just doing it wrong! I personally make 90% of my income from blogging as a profession and I know many other bloggers just like me. I may have taken a hit during the second half of 2020, but I’m pleased to say that by 2021, I made more than triple my pre-pandemic income, and my traffic has more than doubled.

So what’s the secret to my success? Well, it’s a combination of these things:

• SEO – Search Engine Optimization
• A killer affiliate marketing strategy
• Building a network
• Mastering Pinterest

If you can crack these 4 things you will be well on your way to being a 6 figure a month blogger.

The Best Travel Blogging Courses in 2024

Just here for the referral?

No problem, we’re all busy. Here are the courses I recommend. Click on the link to learn more, or keep scrolling for my full review.

1. Travel Blog Prosperity

• Quick Take: Transform your blog into a business with a supportive community and step-by-step growth strategies.
• Who’s it for : New and experienced bloggers.
• Cost: Subscription-based, $9 for the first month with code CLAIRESITCHYFEET.
• Why I love this course: Comprehensive curriculum, actionable advice, and vibrant support network. Ideal for bloggers seeking to monetize their passion.

2. Pinteresting Strategies 2.0

• Quick Take: Master Pinterest with updated strategies for 2024 to significantly boost your blog’s traffic.
• Who’s it for : Bloggers of all niches aiming to leverage Pinterest.
• Cost: $97, includes bonuses valued over $173.
• Why I love this course : Offers practical, actionable Pinterest techniques with real results in traffic growth.

3. Scale Your Travel Blog

• Quick Take: A complete coaching program to scale your blog’s traffic and income, with personalized support.
• Who’s it for : Bloggers at any stage of their journey.
• Cost: $2497; includes a 14-day money-back guarantee.
• Why I love this course: Tailored site audits, keyword strategies, group coaching and a community-focused approach for holistic blog growth.

4. SEO Roadmap

• Quick Take: Comprehensive SEO mastery course to skyrocket your blog’s Google rankings and traffic.
• Who’s it for : Travel bloggers from beginners to pro bloggers focused on enhancing SEO.
• Cost: $1,197
• Why I love this course: Beginners to advanced SEO strategies, proven success stories, and extensive personalization.

Why invest in online blogging courses

If you are wondering why you should even bother paying out your hard-earned cash for an online blogging course when you can learn pretty much everything on YouTube , I get you. But there is a big difference.

I love a free course and YouTube is amazing for so many things, whenever I have a technical problem or need to figure out how to do something in photoshop, for example, I turn to YouTube. It never lets me down.

YouTube is for quick fixes when you need to learn something small and fast. But if you want to learn a whole new skill it’s not so great. Mostly because with YouTube there is no real order and no accountability.

When you invest financially in an online blogging course or any online course, you have committed to doing it. If you don’t complete the course you lose your money. Therefore you are more likely to actually do the course if you have paid for it. It’s that simple!

If you want to make money from blogging, then you NEED to invest in the best training to help you achieve your financial goals.

Each of the courses I recommend in this post will pay for itself within a few months. They did for me!

What if you’re not a beginner?

Blogging courses aren’t just for beginners. They are also for you if you want to scale your travel blog.

I’ve been blogging since 2017, and every few years I hit a wall.

The first time it happened I was hardly making any money, and after 2 years I knew it was make-or-break time. 

I either needed to get my act together and start making some money, or I needed to quit because I was putting in way too much work to be making so little.

Time to scale your travel blog, Claire!

That’s when I did Nomadic Matts’s course “The Business of Blogging”. It was great and it got me refocused and encouraged me to start looking at my blog as a business.

It felt like a big investment at the time, but 6 months later I was earning over $1000 most months (from $50 to $1000 wasn’t so bad), and then a few months later I hit the magic 25k and was accepted into Mediavine.

My point is, that the course was worth the investment.

Even though I thought I knew what I was doing as I’d been blogging for several years, what I learned through that experience was that you NEVER stop learning in this industry.

Especially as things (technology) are changing so fast.

So I have a new rule, I invest my time and money in at least one big blogging course per year to help me to keep growing as a blogger, and of course, so I can also keep growing my monthly passive income!

If you are interested in Matt’s course, you can check for more info here.

The Best Travel Blogging Course 2024

Travel Blog Prosperity

Travel Blog Prosperity : Turn Your Passion Into Profit”

• Detailed Overview: Offers comprehensive coverage from SEO to monetization, with over 68 course collections, monthly masterclasses, and a vibrant community for support.
• Target Audience: Ideal for both aspiring and established bloggers aiming to transform their blog into a lucrative business.
• Pricing: Subscription model allowing for affordable entry and cancellation anytime. 
• Special Offers: Use the discount code CLAIRESITCHYFEET for first-month access at $9 USD.

“Travel Blog Prosperity,” spearheaded by Jessie on a Journey, offers a unique blend of educational content and community support, setting it apart as a premier choice for travel bloggers looking to turn their passion into a profitable venture.

I joined this blogging course in 2019 and I’m still in there now in 2024! The course is created by Jessy from Jessy on a Journey and thanks to its subscription model it’s perfect if you are on a very tight budget. In fact, if you use my code CLAIRESITCHYFEET you can get the first month for just $9 USD .

One of the things I love about the membership is that Jessy sends out weekly emails that include paid opportunities to write.

Key Benefits:

• Holistic Curriculum: Spanning a wide array of pivotal topics such as branding, SEO, and affiliate marketing, this course is crafted to amplify both your blog’s audience and its financial returns. My ongoing journey through the course material underscores its comprehensive nature, offering deep dives into essential blogging strategies.
• Practical Implementation: Monthly masterclasses paired with actionable guides and workbooks facilitate the direct application of learning. The course’s structure has empowered me to implement strategies at my own pace, witnessing tangible growth in my blogging endeavors.
• Expert Guidance: The course is further enriched by live coaching calls and strategy workshops, providing a platform for personalized advice. My interactions in these sessions have offered invaluable insights, directly influencing the success of my blog.
• Community Support: Perhaps the course’s most distinguishing feature is its vibrant community. Jessie’s weekly emails, brimming with exclusive writing opportunities, have not only been a source of motivation but also a testament to the nurturing spirit of this blogging community.

Who Is This Course For?

Designed for bloggers at varying stages of their journey, Travel Blog Prosperity is particularly beneficial for those seeking to elevate their blogging game without the pressure of substantial initial investments. I think its particually great for beginners as it will teach you everything you need to know to set up your blog from scratch.

The subscription model, allowing for cancellation at any time, and an initial offer through my code ‘CLAIRESITCHYFEET’ for a discounted first month, underscores its accessibility.

What’s Included:

• Access to an extensive range of course materials, constantly updated to reflect the evolving digital landscape.
• Engaging video masterclasses, comprehensive guides, and practical workbooks.
• Opportunity for live interaction with experts and fellow bloggers through coaching calls and workshops.
• A supportive and active community facilitated through a private Facebook group and weekly opportunity emails from Jessie.

Travel Blog Prosperity is not just a course but a gateway to a thriving blogging career, marked by a supportive community and continuous learning.

Jessy is a lovely human, as well as being a great blogger and she has created more than just a blogging course, this is a blogging community. If you want to nurture and grow your blog and be part of a community of other bloggers striving for success while supporting each other. 

The only negative thing I have to say about the course is that there is so much material in there and it’s not really in any kind of order. So it can feel a bit overwhelming, to begin with. So if you are a type A who needs order, maybe this isn’t the best blogging course for you.

Pinteresting Strategies 2.0

Pinteresting Strategies 2.0 : Unlocking the Power of Pinterest

• Detailed Overview: Updated for 2024, this bundle includes the original course plus extras like “Pin Title Traffic Hacks,” providing a complete toolkit for Pinterest success.
• Target Audience: Bloggers across niches looking to leverage Pinterest for traffic growth and increased page views.
• Pricing: Priced at $97, offering tremendous value with potential for significant ROI in blog traffic and income.
• Special Offers: Includes 15 pin templates and exclusive bonus content, enhancing the course’s value.

In the dynamic realm of social media marketing, Pinterest stands out as a powerful tool for bloggers aiming to drive significant traffic to their sites. Pinteresting Strategies 2.0,” revamped for 2024, emerges as a vital resource for harnessing this platform’s full potential. This review delves into the course’s key benefits, target audience, included materials, and my personal experience, adhering to a structured format for clarity and ease of navigation.

• Comprehensive and Current: Updated in mid-2023, the course offers a thorough understanding of Pinterest’s evolving landscape, from foundational setup to mastering advanced algorithm strategies.
• Practical and Actionable: It excels in translating theory into practice, providing step-by-step guidance on profile optimization, algorithm engagement, and pin creation, aimed at maximizing visibility and engagement.
• Proven Success: Success stories from the course creator and students showcase dramatic increases in blog traffic and income, highlighting the tangible outcomes of applying the course’s strategies.
• Valuable Resources: Beyond the core content, the course includes bonuses like pin templates and deep-dive modules into niche site development on Pinterest, offering students a competitive edge.

Pinteresting Strategies 2.0 is designed for bloggers across niches looking to amplify their blog’s reach and revenue through Pinterest. Whether you’re a novice seeking to understand the basics or an experienced blogger aiming for the next level of Pinterest mastery, this course provides the tools and insights needed for success.

• The original “Pinteresting Strategies” course, coupled with new modules for 2024.
• Bonus resources including “Pin Title Traffic Hacks” and “Pin Design Rules to Break.”
• An exclusive training video and 15 customizable pin templates.
• Access to a Facebook mastermind group for ongoing support and networking.

My Pinterest was STUCK.

Me and Pinterest have a love-hate relationship and it is mostly because I don’t really like doing the work.

Then two good friends both had pins going viral on Pinterest, so I asked what happened and they told me about this course.

I was very dubious about throwing any more money at Pinterest, but after talking it through with my friend I quickly realized what Carley teaches in her cause is completely different from any course I’d done before. Plus her course is CRAZY low at just $97 USD.

I did the course , deleted Tailwind (for now), and started manual pinning. In just a week with only a few pins my traffic went from being stuck on 20 clicks through a day (it’s been like that for 2 years) to between 60-150 per day. I was shocked!

You have to be prepared to put the work in for 1-2 months before you can start using Tailwind again. But the results speak for themselves!

Pinteresting Strategies 2.0 is all about the power of strategic Pinterest marketing in amplifying blog traffic and income. With its comprehensive content, actionable strategies, and supportive community, this course offers unparalleled value for bloggers at any stage of their Pinterest journey.

The structured, easy-to-follow content paired with the supplementary materials has not only boosted my blog’s traffic but also streamlined my Pinterest workflow, making it more efficient and impactful. The Facebook group has been an invaluable asset, providing a platform for real-time advice, encouragement, and shared success stories, further enriching the learning experience.

My personal experience with the course has been transformative, marking a pivotal shift in my blog’s trajectory and solidifying “Pinteresting Strategies 2.0” as an indispensable tool in my blogging arsenal. If you are ready to grow on Pinterest, this course is a wise and worthwhile investment.

SEO Roadmap

SEO Roadmap : Navigate Your Way to Top Rankings

• Detailed Overview: The course covers beginner to advanced SEO strategies, offering over 10 step-by-step modules, comprehensive site audits, and tailored keyword strategies designed to enhance your blog’s SEO performance significantly.
• Target Audience: Tailored for travel bloggers looking to improve their site’s SEO, from beginners needing foundational knowledge to advanced bloggers aiming to refine their SEO strategies.
• Pricing: Priced at $1,197, which reflects its in-depth content and personalized feedback mechanisms like complete site audits and post reviews.
• Special Offers: non currently

If there is one course I would advise any blogger, new or experienced to invest in right now, it’s; this one. Because, let’s face it, the key to a successful blogging career right now is SEO. And with Google constantly changing the goalposts you need someone like Nina on your team with her experience and insights.

Navigating the complex world of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) can be daunting for bloggers. “SEO Roadmap” emerges as a comprehensive solution, especially tailored for those in the travel niche, aiming to demystify SEO and pave the way for increased traffic and income.

• Illustrated Success: The course kicks off with a compelling personal success story from the creator, who shares how they leveraged SEO to earn $30k in a month from their travel blog. This not only sets a motivating precedent but also illustrates the financial potential of mastering SEO.
• Depth and Breadth of SEO Strategies: From beginner basics to advanced tactics, the course covers a wide spectrum of SEO topics. It promises unique keyword finding strategies not taught elsewhere, providing an edge over the competition.
• Practical and Time-Efficient: Emphasizing actionable steps for immediate application, the course is designed for efficiency. It stays current with the latest SEO trends and offers quick micro-lessons that fit into busy schedules.
• Comprehensive Learning Resources: Apart from the lessons, students receive recommendations for expert tools and gain lifetime access to an ever-evolving video library, ensuring they remain competitive in the blogging landscape.
• Supportive Learning Environment: The inclusion of a private Facebook group fosters a community of support, allowing for the exchange of case studies, guest post opportunities, and direct answers to SEO queries.

SEO Roadmap is ideally suited for travel bloggers at any stage of their blogging journey who are looking to deepen their understanding of SEO and significantly boost their site’s visibility and income. It’s for those committed to investing in their blog’s long-term success through the power of optimized content.

• A personal success blueprint from the course creator.
• A comprehensive curriculum covering all levels of SEO strategies.
• Micro-lessons for learning flexibility.
• Lifetime access to a continuously updated course material.
• Membership to an exclusive Facebook community.
• Real-life testimonials and success stories.
• A 14-day satisfaction guarantee, offering peace of mind to potential students.

The breadth of SEO knowledge Nina has, coupled with the ongoing support from her and the wider community is going to be instrumental in getting your blog’s traffic up aand opening doors to ad networks like Mediavine and Adthrive.

“SEO Roadmap” stands out as an invaluable investment for travel bloggers seeking to elevate their SEO game. Its comprehensive approach to teaching SEO, combined with practical tools and a supportive community, equips students with everything they need to succeed. For those willing to make the investment, the course promises not just a roadmap but a significant leap toward achieving blogging success through optimized SEO practices.

Scale Your Travel Blog

Scale Your Travel Blog : Achieve Growth and Independence

• Detailed Overview: Provides a step-by-step growth blueprint with 10 modules, site audits, tailored keywords, and community support to significantly boost traffic and income.
• Target Audience: Suitable for bloggers at any level, from those laying the foundation to experienced bloggers aiming for significant growth.
• Pricing: $2497.00 – The program includes a 14-day money-back guarantee, highlighting its commitment to value.
• Special Offers: No current offers.

As so many of the courses I’ve done and love over the years seem to have shut their doors or are just old and tired I went looking for the best blogging course in 2024 to recommend to you all. And the one that seemed to come up on top with all the travel bloggers I asked was Scale Your Travel Blog.

This course offers a comprehensive coaching program and distinguishes itself by catering to bloggers across the spectrum, from novices to seasoned pros.

• Accelerated Growth: Emphasizes cutting-edge blogging and SEO techniques to outpace conventional growth tactics.
• Smart Monetization: Teaches how to monetize effectively, ensuring a steady income even with growing but not yet massive traffic.
• Empowering Independence: Equips bloggers with the skills for financial and location independence, aligning with the dream of many travel enthusiasts.

Who is this course for:

Scale Your Travel Blog is a versatile course designed for travel bloggers at any stage of their journey, from beginners curious about how to launch their blog to more seasoned writers aiming to boost traffic and income.

It’s particularly beneficial for those focused on monetizing their blog and achieving location independence, offering comprehensive strategies on SEO, affiliate marketing, and creating digital products. With its mix of detailed modules and a supportive community via a Facebook Mastermind Group, this course suits anyone looking to transform their travel blogging hobby into a sustainable business.

• Comprehensive Learning: With 10 meticulously crafted modules, plus bonus lessons, this program covers the A to Z of travel blogging success.
• Community and Networking: The Facebook Mastermind Group fosters a vibrant community for collaboration, support, and opportunities.
• Tailored Guidance: The course provides a personalized touch with a complete site audit, specific keyword recommendations, and blog post reviews to fine-tune your strategy.
• Expert Coaching: Monthly group coaching sessions and Q&A calls, featuring guest speakers, offer a deep dive into various blogging domains.
• Unique Networking Events: The Coffee Hour introduces an innovative way to network, learn, and share in a relaxed setting.

Unique Offerings:

• Practicality and Actionability: Stands out for its focus on immediate, impactful strategies.
• Community and Support: The program’s community is not just a feature but a cornerstone of the learning experience.
• Success Guarantee: The confidence behind the 14-day money-back guarantee speaks volumes about the program’s efficacy.

While I haven’t personally taken the “Scale Your Travel Blog” program, its comprehensive structure and community-focused approach resonate with my ideals for professional growth in the blogging sphere. The emphasis on actionable insights, combined with personalized feedback mechanisms like site audits and blog post reviews, suggests a hands-on learning environment that can catalyze real progress. The monthly group coaching and unique Coffee Hour events underscore a commitment to not just educate but also to connect and inspire.

The glowing testimonials confirm that this program doesn’t just promise growth and monetization strategies but delivers them. I personally know many bloggers doing very well right now who attribute their success to taking this course.

For travel bloggers at any stage of their journey, “Scale Your Travel Blog” presents a compelling proposition. It promises a blend of community support, personalized coaching, and actionable strategies designed to unlock both traffic growth and income potential.

The Best Blogging Tools

I wanted to include some of the tools in my blogging toolkit that have really worked for me. Most of these are super affordable and just make blogging life soooo much easier!

These best blogging tools facilitate a smoother blogging journey, enhancing everything from SEO and design to email marketing and image optimization.

WordPress: 

The cornerstone of any serious blogger’s toolkit, WordPress.org offers unmatched flexibility and scalability. SERIOUSLY, please don’t use anything else for blogging, trust me if you do, a few years in you are going to want to make the change and then you are going to hit a whole load of issues.

With an extensive selection of themes and plugins, it allows for full customization, ensuring your blog is not only visually appealing but also rich in functionality.

SEOPress Pro: 

Upgrading from Yoast, SEOPress Pro version emerges as a formidable SEO plugin offering a comprehensive suite of tools to boost your blog’s search engine visibility. Its features cater to all your SEO needs, from meta title and description optimization to sitemaps and social media sharing enhancements, ensuring your content reaches the widest possible audience.

Elementor Pro: 

Elevating your blog’s design becomes effortless with Elementor Pro . This WordPress plugin revolutionizes page building, offering drag-and-drop functionality, professional templates, and widgets. It’s designed to enhance the user experience and aesthetic appeal of your blog without needing to code.

Affilimate: 

For those focusing on monetization through affiliate marketing, Affilimate is indispensable. It tracks your affiliate links, providing insights into which content performs best and optimizing your affiliate income. This tool is crucial for bloggers aiming to maximize their earnings through strategic affiliate placements.

Sadly they are not accepting content creators right now. But if they do open up again in the future I’ll let you know.

Ahrefs : 

A powerhouse in the world of SEO, Ahrefs is essential for bloggers serious about outranking their competition. From keyword research to competitor analysis and backlink tracking, Ahrefs offers a treasure trove of data to refine your SEO strategy and discover new content opportunities.

See below for a more detailed review of ahrefs and why I choose it over Keysearch .

MailerLite : 

Forget Mailchimp, MailerLite shines as a user-friendly email marketing solution that’s both powerful and affordable. With its intuitive interface, you can create engaging email campaigns, automate your email sequences, and grow your subscriber list, ensuring your readers stay connected and engaged with your travel stories.

AltText.ai: 

This WordPress plugin uses AI to generate descriptive alt text for your images, enhancing your blog’s accessibility and SEO. AltText.ai is a game-changer for bloggers who understand the importance of image optimization in search rankings and user experience.

AltText.ai is a bit of a game changer. It’s a super useful tool for all bloggers as it uses AI to automatically create alt text for images. If you are anything like me and have neglected this in the past and no you need to address it this is a very easy and cost effective way to do that!It;s also great for new blog posts as a way of saving time while formatting and adding images to your blog posts.

The tool also helps improve a blog’s SEO, which is important for getting more visitors.And of course it makes blogs more accessible to visually impaired users who use screen readers. AltText.ai supports over 130 languages, so it’s great for bloggers all over the world. It’s easy to add to your blog too, with options for popular platforms like WordPress and Shopify. By using this tool, bloggers can spend less time on technical details and more time creating content.

Imagify : 

With Imagify, optimizing your blog images for faster loading times without sacrificing quality becomes a breeze. This plugin automatically compresses images upon upload, ensuring your site remains fast and ranks well in search engines.

Link Whisper : 

A smart solution to improve your site’s internal linking structure, Link Whisper suggests relevant internal links as you write, enhancing your SEO and making your blog more navigable for your readers. It’s a time-saver and a must-have for SEO-conscious bloggers.

I wanted to just add in this at the end as it’s a good alternative if you are broke! It’s not a travel blogging course, but it’s kinda like a well-organized YouTube for creatives. So maybe you will find a travel blogging course in there.

If you don’t know what Skillshare is yet you need to. Anything you want to learn, Skillshare probably has it.

It’s an incredible place where you can learn pretty much anything! They have THOUSANDS of classes on everything from photography to illustration, design, and marketing. You can find pretty much everything you need to know about blogging here.

And the best news is that if you click this link you can get 2 weeks absolutely FREE .

Incorporating these best blogging tools into your blogging strategy can dramatically improve your blog’s performance, from search engine rankings and page speed to audience engagement and monetization. By leveraging these advanced tools, you ensure your travel blog not only reaches but also resonates with a wider audience, turning your passion for travel into a profitable and sustainable online presence.

The BEST Keyword Research Tool: Ahrefs vs Keysearch

I’ve explored so many keyword research tools over the years, dabbling in both free and paid solutions to find what works best for my blog.

Initially, I settled on Keysearch for its unbeatable value. It’s affordable, straightforward, and effectively meets basic SEO needs. If you are just setting out and looking for budget-friendly blogging tools then this is a must.

With features like keyword tracking and a dedicated search tool for YouTube keywords, Keysearch served as a solid foundation for my SEO strategy, proving itself to be a worthwhile investment for those ready to take their SEO efforts to the next level.

Get Keysearch here and use code KSDISC for 20% off your subscription.

However, as my ambition to enhance my blog’s SEO grew, I found myself seeking a tool that could offer more depth and breadth in its capabilities.

This led me to invest in Ahrefs , a decision that marked a significant turning point in my blogging journey. The transition from Keysearch to Ahrefs was because I wanted/ needed a more robust tool capable of not only supporting but also expanding my SEO endeavors.

Ahrefs has been instrumental in transforming my approach to SEO. With its comprehensive suite of tools, I’ve been able to delve deeper into keyword research, uncovering high-value keywords that I previously overlooked.

In particular, it’s these features that have been game changers for me:

• Site Audit: This indispensable feature identifies SEO issues that, once addressed, significantly improve site performance.
• Backlink Analysis: Offers deep insights into my site’s link profile, guiding my link-building strategies to enhance site authority and rankings.
• Competitor Analysis: Sheds light on my competitors’ strategies, allowing me to adapt and refine my tactics to maintain a competitive edge.

Investing in Ahrefs has been unequivocally worthwhile. The monthly subscription is a small price to pay for the wealth of data and insights it provides, which have been pivotal in elevating my blog’s SEO. I’ve taken my blog from 60,000 page views a month to 120,000 page views a month since I moved to Arefs 5 months ago.

For those at a crossroads in their SEO journey, contemplating the transition from Keysearch to a more advanced solution like Ahrefs, I’d say go for it!

How to Become a Travel Blogger

Wondering how to become a travel blogger?

It’s one hell of a cool job, but it requires preparation, determination, and more than a dash of hard work.

Starting a travel blog might seem like a fun thing to do while you are on your backpacking adventure. But there is a big difference between writing a ‘dear diary’ style blog for your friends and family back home and making it as a successful professional travel blogger who makes money.

Decide Who you are writing for?

It took me years to learn the difference. But the moment I made the switch from writing for myself to writing more for my audience and treating my blog like a business and not just a hobby was the moment I started to make some decent money from blogging. 

But where do you begin when starting a travel blog? And how do travel bloggers make money?

4 steps to starting a travel blog

Here are the first 4 steps to starting a travel blog:

• Choosing a memorable name that reflects your travel style
• Buying your domain name and setting up a hosting account,
• Writing some blog posts (ideally 5-10)
• Launching your blog with a platform that suits your needs.

Of course there is wayyyyy more to it than that. But the other stuff you will figure out as you go. And that’s really why you take a blogging course to guide you through all of the ins and outs of making money from blogging.

Why become a travel blogger?

Becoming a travel blogger isn’t merely about sharing your travel tales; it’s about creating content that resonates with your audience, speaks to their wanderlust, and guides them through the complexities of travel.

How to make money with a travel blog

When you do this well people will be happy to support you by booking experiences and travel through your links which is one of the ways you make money as a blogger.  

To become a travel blogger who makes their full-time income from it you are going to need to dive deep into the art and science of blogging.

This means understanding SEO to increase your visibility, mastering social media to engage with your audience, and exploring monetization strategies to turn your passion into a profession.

Remember, starting a travel blog is just the beginning. The real adventure lies in the stories you’ll tell, the people you’ll meet, and the places you’ll inspire others to visit. 

How to make money travel blogging

As I already mentioned there are 2 types of travel bloggers, those who just want to blog stories about their travel for family and friends back home, and those who want to make a living from blogging.

If you want to make money travel blogging then keep reading.

The question of how to make money travel blogging is something I get asked literally every time I tell someone what I do for a living. I get it, it can be hard to get your head around how travel bloggers make money if you aren;t in this world.

So, how do travel bloggers make money?

The avenues are as diverse as the destinations explored. From affiliate marketing to collaborations with travel brands, the potential to monetize a travel blog is vast. Yet, understanding how to become a travel blogger and make money requires more than just an understanding of these revenue streams—it demands a strategic approach to leveraging them effectively.

How much do travel bloggers make?

It’s a question with as many answers as there are bloggers.

Earnings can range from a few dollars a month to six-figure incomes. Success in this field isn’t just about the content you create but also about how you market it, how you diversify your income streams, and how you build and engage with your community.

Here’s how much money I made blogging in February 2024 broken down into income streams:

• Affiliate Marketing £2,791.33
• Partnership Income (direct commissions from sales) £333.25 
• Ads and Sponsorship £4,518.73

Total Income £7643.31 (that’s about $9700 USD)

Not bad considering I’m on maternity leave right now!

For those curious about how to make money with a travel blog , it begins with quality content.

Your travel stories, tips, and insights must not only captivate but also provide value to your readers.

Its only once you’ve established a loyal audience, that monetization strategies such as selling digital products, securing sponsored posts , or offering travel consulting services can transform your blog from a passion project into a revenue-generating platform.

That said if I could do it all over again I’d make sure while I’m growing my content and audience that I lay down some really solid foundations so that when it comes time to monetize my blog most of the hard work is done!

FAQ: The Best Travel Blogging Courses 2024 – REVIEWED

How do i start a travel blog in 2024.

Starting a travel blog involves choosing a niche, selecting a blogging platform, designing your site, and creating engaging content. A comprehensive travel blogging course can offer step-by-step guidance for beginners, covering everything from setting up your blog to publishing your first post.

What makes a successful travel blogger?

Success in travel blogging hinges on creating valuable content, understanding SEO, engaging with your audience, and effectively monetizing your blog. Travel blogger success often comes from a mix of authentic storytelling, high-quality photography, and strategic marketing.

Can I take blogging courses for free?

Yes, there are free blogging courses available that cover basic concepts. However, for more in-depth knowledge and personalized feedback, investing in the best blogging course you can afford is advisable. These courses often provide actionable strategies and access to a community of bloggers.

How can I scale my travel blog?

To scale your travel blog, focus on advanced SEO techniques, diversify your income streams, and grow your email list. The Scale Your Travel Blog program offers personalized strategies and support for bloggers looking to expand their reach and income.

What are the best blogging tools for beginners?

The best blogging tools for beginners include WordPress for content management, Yoast SEO for on-page SEO, Canva for design, and Google Analytics for tracking your blog’s performance. These tools are essential for starting and growing your travel blog.

How much travel bloggers make can vary widely, from a few hundred to several thousands of dollars a month, depending on their traffic, monetization strategies, and partnerships. Learning how to make money with a travel blog is a key focus of many blogging courses.

How do travel bloggers make money?

Travel bloggers typically make money through affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, selling digital products, and display advertising. Courses like Travel Blog Prosperity offer insights into monetizing your blog effectively.

What is the best travel blogging course for beginners?

The best travel blogging course for beginners is one that covers the basics of setting up a blog, content creation, and SEO. Travel Blog Prosperity is highly recommended for beginners for its comprehensive coverage and supportive community.

Are there travel blogging jobs available?

Yes, travel blogging jobs can range from freelance writing gigs to social media management for travel brands. Building a successful blog can also open doors to collaborations and press trips.

How can I become a travel blogger and get paid?

To become a travel blogger and get paid, focus on building your audience, creating high-quality content, and leveraging monetization strategies. Courses like Pinteresting Strategies 2.0 can also help drive traffic to your blog, increasing your earning potential.

By investing time in learning through online blogging courses and utilizing best blogging tools, aspiring bloggers can navigate the path to becoming successful travel bloggers. Whether you’re starting a travel blog or looking to scale your travel blog, the right resources can make all the difference.

Final Thoughts

Ok, so that’s it. That’s the lot. I have done way more travel blogging courses than this, but these are the ones that I really recommend and have made a genuine difference to my business. I would also like to add that I have already made my money back on the investment I made on these courses on blogging through affiliate marketing. So when I use the word investment I mean it.

If you have any questions at all about any of these courses on blogging or anything in this post feel free to leave me a comment and I will do my best to answer as soon as I can.

Annapurna Base Camp Trek

Thursday 3rd of February 2022

I love reading your blog. They are very informative looking forward to read more from you

Sunday 29th of August 2021

Hi Claire! Thank you for this post. I originally wanted to join Matt's course but it is not available now. I have been blogging for nearly 2 years and as much as I would like to learn about how to successfully monetise my blog I also recently hit a brick wall when it comes to the technical part. Big time. Would Blogging Fast lane address this aspect as well or would you recommend something else?Thank you :) I love your work x

Claire Summers

Monday 30th of August 2021

I really can't recommend the blogging fast lane course enough. It feels like a bit of an investment, but if you follow the course and implement everything then you make the money back in no time. I know I have. I was able to grow my email list substantially and my affiliate income has boomed. I'm currently busy optimizing posts now getting ready for Q4 and the Christmas spending! Now is the time to start monetizing for sure!

Tuesday 23rd of March 2021

Hi I am Kimmi , Thank you for this article , and telling the detail about how to make a solo trip vacation . I think it would be helpful for many people who are making solo plans.

SEO San Jose

Thursday 4th of March 2021

That's really nice post. I appreciate your skills. Thanks for sharing.

Deepak Dhiman

Thursday 6th of August 2020

Great work, this is a wonderful blog. Thanks for sharing your view. It is really a helpful one for a beginner like me in this field.

Hi I’m Claire!

At 34 I sold all my worldly possessions that wouldn’t fit into 3 boxes or my backpack and hit the road.

I started Claire’s Itchy Feet to inspire women to pack their bags and travel more. With no plans to stop anytime soon I’m always looking for my next adventure be it attempting to surf or climbing a volcano I’ll try (almost) anything once!

© 2023 Claire’s Itchy Feet  

Top 10 Travel Writing Courses

Whether you are a novice or seasoned travel writer, sometimes it’s necessary to take a writing class or two to “polish” your skills or just learn some new tips and techniques.

Or you may be a travel blogger, seeking to get published somewhere other than your own blog, and to get paid for your travel writing.

Wherever you are in your travel writing career, check out our list of Top 10 Online Travel Writing courses!

(Note: the top three are TWE Award Winners for “Best Travel Writing Course”)

• Travel Writing and Marketing Master Class – Our Number 1 Pick! Taught by acclaimed ( and prolific! travel writer Roy Stevenson, the Online Travel Writing & Marketing Master Class is an exclusive program where you’ll explore, in detail, every single step of Roy’s travel writing, pitching and selling strategy.   Consisting of 63 recorded live sessions from Roy’s in-person Travel Writing & Marketing Master Class, you get exactly the same information, techniques, tips, and tricks – without the travel costs and at a substantially reduced price.   Other travel writing courses gloss over the details, but that’s not how Roy does things….. you will walk away from his program knowing exactly how to get sensational paid trips around the world and sky-rocket your travel writing success – even if you’re starting at $0.
• Travel Writing Overdrive – An Editors Top Choice! A course unlike any other from professional travel writer and author Tim Leffel, this online self-study course is NOT a writing course, but rather is designed to teach writers how to increase their income from writing, how to find ( and take advantage of ) the ‘low-hanging fruit’ in the world of publishing, and how to develop multiple revenue streams.   There is also a “Mastermind” level course ( HIGHLY recommended for those that have some travel writing/blogging experience already and want to take their earnings to the next level! ) that incorporates hands-on mentoring by Mr. Leffel, group conference calls, and a private Facebook Group. NOTE that the Mastermind level course is only periodically open for new students, if you’re interested in that higher level of coaching, be sure to ask!

In just four hours of your time this practical, step-by-step guide will teach you how to develop positive habits, to discard negative distractions, and to achieve clarity on how to focus your time so you can get more great work done every week.

• The Writers Workshop . In addition to a variety of online writing classes in several different genres ( including travel ) that will teach you to compose compelling, engaging travel narratives, The Writers Workshop also periodically holds in-person workshops, in various destinations, during which students will also enjoy out-of-the-classroom experiences that include visits to local restaurants, wineries, and historic sites, along with “behind-the-scenes tours unavailable to the general public”. Additionally, your instructor Nick O’Connell, promises participants that he will “ personally edit and recommend your stories to a well-known food and beverage magazine for likely publication .” This is a great opportunity that we strongly encourage writers to take advantage of!
• Gotham Writers’ Workshop . Teaches more than 6,000 students a year! Gotham is the leading creative writing school in NY and the USA. Not a resident of NY, no problem. Visit Gotham’s online (voted Best of the Web by Forbes Magazine) and sign up for a course in travel writing. Classes begin the week of May 19. You better hurry because class size is limited to 18 students!
• Writers.com . They have been offering online classes since 1995. Courses range from basic skills to advanced-level work. Writers.com can help you improve your skills and explore new directions!
• Writer’s Village University . Believes education is a life-long pursuit for beginning and experienced writers. Writer’s Village University is a full-time support service that offers courses, seminars, and special programs.
• Penn Foster Career School . Although this online course does not cover travel writing, it offers education in basic freelance writing skills that are valuable for any genre of professional writing.
• Washington State University . Do you love to write? Are you entering a writing field or simply want to improve your skills? WSU’s online professional writing certificate will give you a strong foundation in written communication skills. Please note that this course has several prerequisites.
• American Writers and Artists, Inc. Offers course work from travel writing to desktop marketing, to help improve your skills as a writer. If you are a novice travel writer AWAI can help you sharpen your skills and move you forward to a great career!

  If you visit this site AZwriting.com right now you will find professional writing tips and essay samples from academic experts.

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How to Start a Travel Blog: The Complete Guide

Many people dream about traveling the world for a living; and there are people that are actually able to do so that aren’t pilots, flight attendants, or businessmen. These people are known as travel bloggers and they get paid to visit and write about their major passion in life: travel.

Before you think it’s all a dream, it’s time to debunk a few myths and tell some truths about how to start a travel blog. 🏖

Travel Blogging Truths

Who wouldn’t want to be a travel blogger? Travel can be expensive and the idea of having someone else cover your costs is certainly enticing. But it’s not all about grabbing trips to Paris in first class. Travel blogging is just like a job .

Travel blogging isn’t easy. The fact that you’re traveling and getting paid to do so while staying in top accommodations is what most people see. They don’t realize that there are a lot of struggles that go hand-in-hand with figuring out how to start a travel blog.

Here’s what you need to know before getting started as a travel blogger:

• It’s a saturated niche. Everyone wants to ride the wave of being a travel blogger, thinking it’s all rainbows and sunshine—that by virtue of having a travel blog (and a few followers), they can request comped stays at 5-star hotels. But it’s not that easy . There are plenty of travel bloggers that spent a long time building their empire before they took off to the point where they received any special perks (or compensation).
• Many times, you’re behind your computer. Being a blogger is like having your own magazine and being the editor, photographer, writer, and stylist—all in one. Some bloggers have teams now, but in the beginning, it will be just you . Taking and editing photos and/or video, write-ups, SEO , social media scheduling: all these tasks will require a fair amount of time stuck in front of your computer.
• Writer’s block. Companies pay you for content, and to be a successful travel blogger, you have to follow deadlines like any regular job. Creating great content while at the same time, experiencing what every place has to offer isn’t easy, especially when you just want to relax and you’re on a tight deadline.
• You won’t earn a fixed income. As with freelancing in general, you’re only as good as your next project. You’ll also have to think of travel blogging as an expense at the beginning. After all, how will you start writing about places you haven’t been to? You have to invest some money to do the traveling that will serve as the subject for your content.
• If you’re a solo travel blogger, it can be lonely to go from place to place on your own. And since you aren’t in a place for too long, you’ll constantly make and break friendships and connections.
• Not knowing what’s next. Becoming a travel blogger may seem exciting at first, but you have to be constantly planning for what’s next. There may be a time where travel loses excitement or you run out of funds and you’ll need to plan accordingly.

If you just want to learn how to start a travel blog for the sake of sharing your travels, then these truths may not apply to you. Your expectations and ambitions will be based on self-fulfillment (and perhaps sharing your adventures with friends and family) more so than building a brand to appeal to sponsors.

How to Start A Travel Blog

Not scared away by the harsh truths of travel blogging? Here’s how to start a travel blog, step by step:

Choosing a Niche

There are two basic ways to get started: travel then figure out how to start a travel blog , or plan to start a travel blog then do the actual traveling . The motivation for the people in the former situation is likely just that they want an outlet to share their travels to family and friends, while the latter is more suited to those that plan to expand and monetize their travel blog in the future.

Like food blogs , travel blogs are a dime a dozen, so it’s best to start by choosing a niche (especially when you eventually want to earn from travel blogging) that will help differentiate you from the pack, since general travel blogs will usually not fare well when it comes to SEO efforts.

Travel Blogging Sub Niches

There are so many travel blog niches you can think of and fill a need for. To some, their niche comes naturally. For others, it could take a while to make a decision. Here are some questions you can ask yourself when determining a niche for your travel blog:

• Why do I want to blog?
• What am I passionate about telling or teaching to others?
• What are my skills, strengths, interests, and expertise?
• Can I write about this topic for a long time? The niche shouldn’t be too broad or too narrow.

If you’re looking for inspiration, here are some of the more popular travel niches:

• City blogging: Focused on your city (you don’t have to travel that far, and you perhaps know the topic better than most)
• Country-focused: Destinations around the country
• Area/Region: Like South America or Southeast Asia-focused
• Demographic-focused: Like travel blogs specifically targeted to Americans/American passport holders
• Budget travel
• Luxury travel
• Solo travel
• Female travel
• Traveling for work
• Adventure travel
• Family travel
• Empty nesters/traveling for seniors
• Traveling with disabilities

Or if you’re really ambitious, you can even blog about your worldwide journey, as Gary Arndt has done on Everything Everywhere . He sold his house in 2007 and has been traveling around the world ever since (over 175 countries and counting).

To be sure that someone will want to read your blog, search for your competition (to validate if there’s an existing audience for your idea). You might even want to utilize a tool like Ahrefs  or BuzzSumo to look up some of the most popular content in a niche, such as “Traveling in South America,” to get an idea of what other bloggers are writing about. Then ask yourself, can you do this better?

Alternatively, you may want to try and be the first in your niche. If you can, find a gap in the market. If you find yourself asking “Why hasn’t anybody done this?”—do it yourself!

Most bloggers market themselves as brands. Your brand is what you’re known for and known as. It’s what makes people say “That is so XX!” when they see a piece of your content.

Aspects of blog branding include:

• Your blog name and niche
• Your blog’s overall look: the theme, fonts, logo, color palette, images you use, and so on
• The voice of your writing

Coming up with your Blog Name

Your blog name is important because it’s also what your blog is known as (your brand). While you’ll be able to change many things about your blog over time, your name is something you should stick with. Give it a fair amount of thought before deciding on it.

Not sure what to call your shiny new travel blog? You might start with your own name, a play on that name, or a mix of your name and travel-related terms. A few general rules for settling on a blog name (which will also be your domain name):

• It must easy to recall and easy to spell
• It should also be not too long
• It must not contain hyphens or numbers

For more tips, you can take a look at our guide:  How to Choose a Domain Name (8 Tips to Stand Out).

Some brilliant travel blog names to look to for inspiration include Nomadic Matt , which is about a guy who travels the world, Adventurous Kate , a blog about a girl who quit her job to travel the world, and The Blonde Abroad , which is about a solo female traveller who is (you guessed it) blonde. There’s also Tanks that Get Around , a travel blog/travel tank top shop.

Setting up the Blog

A professional blog has three technical elements you’ll need to setup: domain name , blogging platform, and web host.

Choosing a Blogging Platform

There are many free blogging platforms out there, like Blogger, WordPress.com , and Tumblr. Any of these options is fine for a personal blog, but if you plan on monetizing your site, a self-hosted WordPress blog is your best bet .

The other platforms come with their own restrictions, but with a self-hosted WordPress site, you’re free to customize it completely. Self-hosted WordPress also allows you to grow and not worry about having to change platforms later if your travel blog suddenly becomes super popular. Read more about the differences between WordPress.org and WordPress.com .

WordPress powers 42.7% of the internet , is super user-friendly and has flexible customization options. It is used on many different kinds of websites , be they blogs, ecommerce sites, news portals, or business sites. Due to its open-source nature, WordPress is free to use, however creating and maintaining a site might cost you some money .

While the content management system you choose is free (assuming you choose WordPress), you’ll have to pay for your professional domain name and web hosting.

Choosing a Reliable Web Host

The web host is where you store your website’s files. Hosting plans can be as cheap as $4/month and can be upgraded to give you more storage space and bandwidth for visitors as your blog grows.

It’s important to choose a reliable and stable web host that does not have too much downtime. If you’re starting out, you might be better off with shared hosting, which means you’ll be sharing a server with other blogs. The downside is, your blog may load slower because you’re sharing resources with other websites. Also, you might have to spend more time fiddling with your site.

Application hosting , database hosting , and managed WordPress hosting through a company like Kinsta have its advantages for those interested in how to start a travel blog.

Since you’re on the go, the last thing you have time to worry about is downtime or messing around with your server. Additionally, you might not always have access to the best internet connection to fix things. Falling back on a reliable managed host might actually save you money.

You’ll also get access to a variety of tools which can make managing your site a lot easier, such as Kinsta’s custom dashboard .

A few other things to look out for when deciding on a web host:

• WordPress optimized
• Good customer support
• Automatic backups
• Ample storage space

Read more about how Kinsta is different than other hosts.

Customizing the Blog’s Look

After you’ve installed and setup the free WordPress CMS with your web host, you can focus on setting up your blog’s look and feel—an important aspect of branding.

Customizing the following will help your travel blog become your own:

• Theme: You can choose from both paid and free options . There are themes that cater specifically to travel blogs. When you’re just getting started, don’t overthink your blog’s theme. You might want to start with a free one first, because unlike your blog’s name, you can change the design later on .

To help with the process of choosing the blog’s overall look easier, you can make a branding board. A branding board includes:

• Color palette : Have a set of 2 to 3 complementing colors (anything more would be distracting).
• Fonts : 3 at most. Think one for your logo, one for headings, one for body copy.
• Images that reflect what you want your blog to evoke when visitors drop by your site.

Increase Blog Functionality with Plugins

What attracts many users to WordPress is the customizability it offers thanks to plugins, which are codes you can install to add functionality to your site. Since you’re just getting started, defer to the experts. Blogging Wizard shares some of the must-have plugins that can help with SEO, analytics, backups , safety , and speeding up your blog .

There are also some plugins to consider that were created specifically for travel blogs. These include:

You might also want to add an Instagram plugin to show off your travel photos on your blog.

You might also consider installing affiliate plugins , but we’ll talk more about that in the latter monetization section.

Content Creation

The most important part of a blog is the content. Content shouldn’t just be confined to articles (or text); it can also take the form of photos (graphics, infographics), videos, and audio ( podcast ).

Of course, you shouldn’t start with all of these different types of content at once—it can be overwhelming. Instead, you can start adding new content types as your blog starts growing and you get the hang of running it.

To get some inspiration we recommend you to take a look at these guide:

How To Be A Solo Content Marketing Ninja

How to Create Evergreen Content That Lasts (17 Tips and Tricks)With WordPress

5 Things More Important for Your Content Than Content Length

There is no right or wrong way to write. Many people adopt a journal way of writing—telling people about their day or experience, while some go for how to guide types of posts.

The best kind of blogs are the ones that deliver a mix of content types. Many people that read travel blogs are after the information you can give them about a place, while your unique voice (which adds to the branding part of the blog) is what will draw readers to you.

If you plan to travel after setting up your travel blog, you can plot out what content to write, what places to feature, what angles to write about. Ideally, you’ll have at least 15 posts ready to go before launching. This will give you time to consistently release content as you work on your next pieces, while giving readers enough content to stick around and read.

Tips to Optimize Content for SEO

There’s no hard and fast rule for content length and ranking on Google but in general, the longer, the better.

Though the in’s and out’s of proper on-page SEO are outside of the scope of this article, here are a few quick hits for setting up content for success:

• Use headings to organize your article (and to strategically make use of keywords )
• Write titles that people will pique people’s curiosity so they will share your post, but don’t be clickbaity (meaning, truly back up the article with great content). Also, write titles the way people search.
• Use keywords in URL slugs

For a more advanced study of SEO (that’s still beginner-friendly), check out our SEO checklist  and some recommended SEO plugins  you should start off.

Asher Fergusson, a successful travel blogger, and Kinsta customer said that the secret for his rapid growth in organic search rankings was to conduct a controversial research study. After having a nightmare Airbnb experience with his wife and 10-month-old son in Paris he decided to review over 1,000 horror stories to see what’s most likely to go wrong. The resulting article titled, “ Is Airbnb Safe? ” led to being featured on the front page of Reddit and was picked up by dozens of mainstream media outlets. This boosted the SEO strength of his entire website.

Photography

People are visual creatures, which is why platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are so successful and growing at a rapid pace .

Taking great photos or videos that make viewers feel like they are there or will want to be there will attract more visitors to your blog. The photos will also be used for your blog promotion; pretty photographs with catchy titles attract people on sites like the aforementioned Pinterest.

While you’re thinking about images, don’t forget to optimize your images , both for performance and for SEO . You can’t just upload full resolution photos to your blog and expect them to load fast. You’ll need a little help from an optimization tool or plugin. Name your files something meaningful (and short), as Google looks at things like these when it chooses what to index for Google image search. Which tools and how to showcase your photos you can read our guide:  8 Best WordPress Photo Gallery Plugins .

There are three main ways to promote your blog:

• Social media: The easiest way to promote your travel blog is through your own network, but social media, with hundreds of millions of monthly active users, is also known for targeted advertising, meaning that it can help your content reach the people most likely to care about it. Hand Luggage Only’s Instagram is a great example of a beautiful travel photo diary. Another awesome platform where you can promote your content is Pinterest. We wrote a detailed guide on the best Pinterest marketing tips .

• Traditional media: Getting featured on newspapers and magazines is good exposure, even for an online entity. In fact, this is how popular blogger Nomadic Matt quickly grew his following.
• Search engines: The largest potential source of traffic, but comes with a lot of competition.

Writing guest posts is another way to get backlinks to your site from more prominent travel blogs. On another note, collecting email addresses and sending out email newsletters is an effective way to get more views because it gives you a direct connection with your subscribers (unlike social networks, which may restrict reach to your existing followers).

Nomadic Matt, arguably the most popular travel blog, recognized the potential for these tactics but went in a different direction . He pitched guest blog posts to finance blogs on how to save money traveling. He guest posted on entrepreneurship podcasts to talk about how he was able to build a business from his travel blog.

These tactics set himself apart from others, and also introduced his site to multiple different audiences.

Travel Blog Monetization

There are several ways to monetize your travel blog , but when you’re starting out, it can be tough. What many travelers (or digital nomads) do to sustain their traveling lifestyle while working on the road involves accepting jobs as virtual assistants, doing freelance writing, consulting, or offering some other type of service.

Ways to Make Money from Your Travel Blog

Besides using your personal brand to get clients for services you may be interested in offering, there are many other ways to make money from your travel blog:

• Sponsored trips : Work with private companies or brands and tourism boards. Tourism boards usually want press to encourage more people to visit their country. They will usually pay for food, lodging, activities, and sometimes even airfare. Since they want resulting posts to reach a wide audience, this might only be offered to those with bigger followings. Some companies may also invite you to sponsored trips to launch their products—with everything paid for.

• Workshops : After growing a following and being recognized as an expert, you may be invited for speaking engagements or workshops that you can charge for.

Blog not making enough yet? Check out these 65+ ways to make money online on the side while you continue to grow your travel blog up to where hopefully one day it can financially support you.

This guide by Firstsiteguide includes a few more ideas if you are looking to start your travel blog.

How to Start a Travel Blog

A travel blog is a good way to document and share your love of travel, but it also brings about the potential for income. First decide whether you’ll be blogging for passion or profit, then follow these guidelines to help you with the specifics of how to start a travel blog.

What are your tips when it comes to the question of how to start a travel blog? Tweet at @Kinsta and we’ll share the best insights! Or drop them below in the comments.

Maddy Osman creates engaging content with SEO best practices for marketing thought leaders and agencies that have their hands full with clients and projects. Learn more about her process and experience on her website, The Blogsmith and read her latest articles on Twitter: @MaddyOsman .

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This post was seriously the most helpful post I have read!!!! I just need to bust out more content and focus on affiliate marketing now! I’m looking for a course on this. Thanks for the helpful post!

So glad to hear it, Laura! Best of luck on your blogging journey. :D

I’m Happy that I came across this post as I am still on my way building my site as a travel blogger. :)

Glad to hear that! Let us know how it goes :)

This is the one of the most honest and truthful post’s I had read! Thank you!

Hey, thanks for all your tips and tricks. :) Greetings from Vienna

I enter your website regularly almost every day. You have some great articles. I Love Your Suggestions. Thanks.

I just start my blog but with your tips, I can improve my blog so much. Thanks a lot for providing the information.

Very helpful article for those who are willing to write a travel blog to provide very practical help

Much needed blog, I was thinking of starting my own blog but was not sure how to start after reading your i felt quite good of starting new one.

I haven’t seen a post as helpful as this one!!! Just need to create more content and focus on affiliate marketing now! This is something I’d like to learn more about. You made a great point! Thank you!

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How to Become a Successful Travel Blogger? (27 Pro Tips)

Home » Blog » How to Become a Successful Travel Blogger? (27 Pro Tips)

Are you dreaming of becoming a successful travel blogger?

Do you want to share your adventures with the world, inspire others to explore new places, and make a name for yourself as a famous travel blogger?

Well, you’ve come to the right place to become a successful travel blogger.

In this comprehensive guide on how to become a successful travel blogger, we’ll take you through everything you need to know to become a travel blogger and achieve success in the exciting world of travel blogging.

From finding your niche and building your blogging platform to creating high-quality content, growing your blog traffic, monetizing your WordPress travel, engaging with your audience,and overcoming challenges.

we’ll give you the strategies and tips you need to start your journey as a successful travel blogger. So, let’s get started!

You might be interested : How to Create Travel Booking Site with WordPress?

Table of contents

Introduction of travel blogging, benefits of travel blogging, key elements of a successful travel blog, 1.identify your passion, 2.research your target audience, 3.select a unique angle, 4.choosing a domain name and hosting provider, 5.selecting a content management system (cms), 6.designing your blog, 7.planning your content strategy, 8.writing captivating blog posts, 9.incorporating visuals and multimedia, 10.search engine optimization (seo), 11.social media marketing, 12.collaborating with other bloggers, 13.affiliate marketing, 14.sponsored posts and brand collaborations, 15.selling products and services, 16.responding to comments and messages, 17.building a community, 18.hosting events and meetups, 19.creating a blogging schedule, 20.managing your finances, 21.staying motivated and focused, 22.attending conferences and workshops, 23.joining blogging communities and groups, 24.building relationships with industry professionals, 25.dealing with writer’s block and burnout, 26.handling negative feedback and criticism, 27.celebrating milestones and achievements.

Travel blogging is the practice of sharing your travel experiences with others through online platforms such as blogs, social media, and video content.

Becoming a travel blogger is an exciting way to share your travel adventures with the world, and potentially become a famous travel blogger.

It involves creating online content that offers a personal perspective on the destinations you visit, and provides helpful information for others looking to explore the world.

By sharing your experiences, you can build a loyal following and establish yourself as an authority in the travel blogging world.

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Travel blogging offers a range of benefits, including the ability to:

• Share your passion for travel with others
• Build a community of like-minded individuals
• Earn money through sponsorships
• Gain exposure for your personal brand or business
• Experience new cultures and destinations
• Earn crazy money through travel affiliate marketing

Sign up to WP Travel affiliate within a few minutes to earn a 30% flat commission. Simply click on the Join Affiliate Program Now and provide your information.

We will review your application and accept when certain criteria are met and you can start earning immediately when someone purchases through your affiliate link.

You may find it essential : 10 Things You Should Know Before Starting a Travel Blog(Pro-Tips)

To become a successful and famous travel blogger, you’ll need to have a few key elements in place:

• High-quality content that provides value to your target audience and showcases your unique perspective on travel.
• Consistent posting schedule and engagement with your audience through comments and social media.
• Effective use of keywords and SEO strategies to improve your blog’s visibility in search engines.
• Building a strong brand and unique angle that sets your blog apart from others in the travel niche.
• Understanding your target audience and creating content that meets their needs and interests.
• Collaborating with tourism boards, brands, and other bloggers to expand your reach and opportunities.
• Incorporating budget travel tips and advice for readers looking to travel on a budget.
• Utilizing affiliate marketing and other monetization strategies to make money and become a travel blogger.
• Following the success of top traveling bloggers such as Nomadic Matt and other favorite travel blogs for inspiration and learning opportunities.
• Participating in press trips and sponsored travel opportunities to gain exposure and new experiences to write about.
• Providing comprehensive travel guides and tips for destinations around the world.
• Effective use of social media platforms to promote your blog and engage with your audience.
• Starting a blog on a reliable and user-friendly blogging website, and constantly working on improving your website’s design and functionality.

How to become a successful travel blogger?

If you aspire to be a famous travel blogger, you need to have a passion for traveling and sharing your experiences with others.

Developing your writing and photography skills will also be necessary as you progress.

While the idea of getting paid to travel the world may seem glamorous, it requires hard work and dedication to build a strong online presence.

To get started, follow these steps to become a travel blogger and monetize your content through your blog and social media channels.

To become a successful travel blogger, it is crucial to identify your passion for travel.

By recognizing the types of travel experiences that excite you the most, whether it be adventure travel, luxury travel, budget travel, or a particular type of cuisine, you can create content that is genuine and captivating to your readers.

Focusing on your passions enables you to provide valuable insights and unique perspectives that will appeal to your target audience, and establish yourself as an authority in your niche.

If you want to become a travel blogger, you need to study your target group and figure out what you’re passionate about.

Knowing your audience will help you make travel-related material that fits their hobbies and wants. Doing a lot of study will help you figure out who is most likely to be interested in what you have to say.

You can find out what kind of trips they like, what hurts them, and what makes traveling hard for them.

By knowing your audience, you’ll be able to write blog posts that are interesting and full of useful information that will draw and keep viewers.

Learn more : How to start a profitable travel agency from scratch?

Selecting a unique angle is another key to becoming a travel blogger.

You can differentiate yourself from other travel bloggers by focusing on off-the-beaten-path destinations, sustainable travel practices, or any other area that interests you.

By having a unique angle, you can create a loyal and engaged audience who will appreciate your perspective and content.

So, identify your passion and use it to create engaging and informative blog posts that inspire people to travel the world.

Once you’ve decided what your travel blog will cover and what makes it unique, you can begin developing your writing platform.

Selecting a domain name and hosting provider that will make your website trustworthy and simple to locate is one of the first things you should do.

Pick a domain name that fits your travel-related specialty, is simple to remember, and is memorable. This makes it simple for others to locate and remember your blog.

You may uncover relevant phrases to incorporate in your domain name to make it easier for search engines to locate your website by doing a keyword analysis.

Finding a reputable business to manage your blog is the next step. It’s critical to choose a business that offers reliable service and excellent value for your money.

This will guarantee that users can access your website at all times. Some of the most well-liked hosts for travel blogs include Bluehost, SiteGround, and HostGator.

You can give your travel blog a solid foundation and ensure that it is simple for people to locate

and use when they are seeking for travel advice and ideas for their upcoming international vacations by carefully selecting your domain name and hosting provider.

If you want to become a successful travel blogger and join the ranks of famous travel bloggers, selecting the right content management system (CMS) is crucial.

A CMS is a software application that allows you to manage and publish content on your blog.

WordPress is the most popular CMS for bloggers and is a great choice for becoming a famous travel bloggers as it offers a wide range of customizable themes and plugins.

With the best travel agency WordPress theme , you can easily create a professional and engaging blog that showcases your travel experiences and provides great travel tips to your readers.

Moreover, WordPress also has a large community of developers and users who can provide support and guidance.

However, there are also other popular CMS options to consider, such as Squarespace, Wix, and Blogger.

Each platform has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to evaluate your needs and choose the CMS that best suits your goals and budget.

By selecting a CMS that meets your requirements, you can streamline your blogging process and focus on creating great travel content that resonates with your audience.

So, take the time to research and compare different CMS options before making a decision and start your journey to becoming a successful travel blogger.

A blog design that is aesthetically pleasing, simple to browse, and represents your own style and brand is crucial for being a successful travel writer.

The design of your blog may have a big influence on how your viewers interact with your material.

Consider color scheme, font, and layout while developing your blog.

Your color palette should be aesthetically appealing and complementary to your travel specialty, and your font should be simple to read and consistent throughout your site.

You should also pay attention to the style of your blog, making sure that it is well-organized and simple to use.

You may also want to incorporate items such as a logo, social networking connections, and a search bar to improve the appearance of your blog.

A logo may help you develop your brand identity and make your blog more recognizable, whilst social media links can help you market your blog and grow your readership.

A search bar may also help visitors discover particular information on your site.

You may enhance your readers’ experience and boost interaction with your amazing travel content by establishing a visually beautiful and user-friendly blog design.

So, take the time to create a blog that matches your style and brand while also making it easy for your followers to locate and enjoy your trip postings.

One of the keys to becoming a successful travel blogger is to have a clear and effective content strategy.

This involves planning your blog posts in advance and ensuring that your content is aligned with your niche and target audience.

To create a great Content Marketing Strategies for the Travel Industry, you should consider factors such as post frequency, post length, and content format.

It’s important to strike a balance between producing high-quality content and posting frequently enough to keep your readers engaged.

Longer posts can provide more in-depth information and travel tips, while shorter posts can be more easily digestible for your audience.

To help you stay organized and consistent, it’s a good idea to create a content calendar.

A content calendar can help you plan your blog posts in advance, ensuring that you have a steady stream of great travel content for your readers.

It can also help you to avoid writer’s block and ensure that your content is varied and engaging.

By having a clear content strategy and using a content calendar, you can create high-quality and consistent content that resonates with your audience and helps you to become a famous travel blogger.

So, take the time to plan your content in advance and ensure that your content is aligned with your niche and target audience.

Your blog posts should be engaging and informative and should capture the attention of your audience from the first sentence.

To achieve this, focus on writing clear, concise, and compelling content that adds value to your readers.

Use storytelling techniques, ask questions, and include relevant statistics and examples to make your content more interesting and memorable.

In addition to written content, visuals, and multimedia can help to enhance the user experience and make your blog posts more engaging.

This may include using high-quality images and videos, creating infographics and data visualizations, or incorporating interactive elements such as quizzes or polls.

Be sure to use visuals that are relevant to your content, and that enhance the overall message of your blog post.

One of the most effective ways to grow your blog traffic is through search engine optimization (SEO).

This involves optimizing your blog content for search engines, by using relevant keywords, Meta descriptions, and other on-page SEO techniques.

Additionally, building high-quality backlinks from other websites can also help to boost your search engine rankings and drive more traffic to your blog.

If you are starting a travel blog and want to explore more on how to optimize SEO in your content then you can learn about Guide For Setting Up SEO for Your Travel Agency Website here!

Social media marketing is another powerful tool for growing your blog traffic and expanding your audience.

By promoting your blog content on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, you can reach a wider audience and generate more traffic to your blog.

Be sure to use eye-catching visuals, engaging captions, and relevant hashtags to maximize the impact of your social media posts.

Collaborating with other bloggers can help to increase your exposure, and reach a wider audience.

This may involve guest posting on other blogs, collaborating on a joint content project, or participating in blogging communities and forums.

By networking with other bloggers in your niche, you can build valuable relationships and grow your audience through mutual promotion and support.

Affiliate marketing is a popular monetization strategy for becoming a famous travel blogger.

This involves promoting products or services through affiliate links on your blog and earning a commission on any resulting sales.

There are top benefits of travel agencies from affiliate marketing. If utilized effectively, it can aid in promoting your travel business.

To achieve success with affiliate marketing, it’s crucial to select products that are suitable for your niche and target audience and to market them in an honest and clear manner.

With the advent of innovative popular tour operator software , creating a travel website has been made easy with full customizations without coding.

So, you can start promoting such software and earn hundreds and thousands of bucks instantly

Another way to monetize your travel blog is through sponsored posts and brand collaborations.

This may involve working with brands to create sponsored content, such as product reviews, sponsored social media posts, or sponsored blog posts.

When collaborating with brands, it’s important to maintain your authenticity and to only work with brands that align with your values and audience.

If you have a strong personal brand and a loyal following, selling goods and services is a good way to make money from your travel blog.

You can sell digital goods like e-books, courses, or teaching services that are related to travel or your niche. You can also sell real products like travel gear or gifts.

To sell goods and services well, you need to make sure they are of high quality and useful to your audience.

Your products and services should match your morals and niche, and they should also speak to your viewers.

You can use your blog and social media outlets to market your goods and services well by posting relevant and interesting content that shows off their benefits.

To become a famous travel writer, you need to focus on making great travel content, building your audience through effective marketing and networking, and making money from your blog in a way that fits with your goals and audience.

This takes time, work, and commitment, but with regular and high-quality content, good marketing, and useful offerings, you can turn your love for trip writing into a profitable and satisfying career.

Engaging with your audience is key to building a successful travel blog.

This involves responding to comments and messages on your blog and social media channels and actively seeking feedback and suggestions from your audience.

By building a strong relationship with your audience, you can create a loyal following and increase your blog’s visibility and engagement.

Building a community around your blog is another effective way to engage with your audience and create a sense of belonging.

This may involve creating a private Facebook group or forum for your readers or organizing online events and challenges that encourage participation and interaction.

By fostering a sense of community, you can create a space for your readers to connect with one another and share their own travel experiences and tips.

Hosting events and meetups is a great way to connect with your audience in person, and to create memorable experiences that your readers will love.

This may involve hosting a travel-themed workshop or retreat or organizing a meet-and-greet event in a popular travel destination.

By hosting events and meetups, you can deepen your relationship with your audience and create new opportunities for collaboration and growth.

Creating a blogging schedule is essential for staying organized and productive as a travel blogger.

This involves setting aside dedicated time for writing, editing, and publishing blog posts, as well as for managing social media, responding to comments and messages, and networking with other bloggers and brands.

By creating a clear and consistent schedule, you can ensure that you’re making the most of your time and staying on top of your blogging tasks.

Managing your finances is another important aspect of being a successful travel blogger.

This involves tracking your income and expenses, setting financial goals, and investing in your blog’s growth and development.

It’s also important to stay on top of taxes and legal requirements related to blogging and monetization and to seek professional advice when necessary.

Staying motivated and focused can be challenging to become a travel blogger, particularly when faced with writer’s block, burnout, or a lack of inspiration.

To stay motivated and focused, it’s important to prioritize self-care, set achievable goals, and seek support from fellow bloggers and mentors.

You may also find it helpful to experiment with new content formats, travel destinations, and monetization strategies, to keep your blog fresh and exciting.

Attending conferences and workshops is a great way to network with other travel bloggers and industry professionals, and to learn new skills and strategies for growing your blog.

These events provide opportunities for collaboration, learning, and inspiration, and can help you stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices in travel blogging.

Joining blogging communities and groups can also be a valuable way to network with other bloggers and access resources and support.

These groups may be organized around specific niches or topics or may focus on more general blogging advice and support.

By joining these communities and engaging with other bloggers, you can build relationships, share knowledge, and stay motivated.

Building relationships with industry professionals, such as tourism boards, travel brands, and PR agencies, can open up new opportunities for collaboration, and growth and earn money as a travel blogger.

This may involve reaching out to these professionals directly, attending industry events, or partnering with a professional agency or network.

By building these relationships and collaborating with other professionals, you can expand your reach, access new resources, and create exciting new content for your blog.

As a travel blogger, it’s common to experience periods of writer’s block or burnout, which can be frustrating and demotivating.

To overcome these challenges, it’s important to take breaks when needed, prioritize self-care, and seek inspiration from other sources, such as books, films, or travel experiences outside of blogging.

Additionally, setting realistic goals and creating a supportive work environment can help prevent burnout and increase motivation.

Negative feedback and criticism are inevitable in any profession, including travel blogging. It’s important to approach feedback constructively and to view it as an opportunity for growth and improvement.

This may involve taking constructive criticism seriously, acknowledging mistakes, and being open to learning from others.

It’s also important to develop a strong sense of self-worth and confidence in your abilities to become a travel blogger, which can help you weather negative feedback and criticism with grace and resilience.

Celebrating milestones and achievements is an important part of staying motivated and engaged as a travel blogger.

This may involve setting specific goals, tracking progress, and taking time to celebrate achievements along the way.

Celebrations can take many forms, from small rewards such as treating yourself to a favorite meal, to bigger milestones such as launching a new product or reaching a certain number of followers.

By celebrating your achievements, you can stay motivated and inspired to continue growing and improving which will make you a famous travel blogger in near future.

Throughout this comprehensive guide, we’ve covered the key elements of becoming a successful travel blogger.

We’ve explored finding your niche, building your blogging platform, creating high-quality content, growing your blog traffic, monetizing your blog, engaging with your audience, staying organized

and productive, networking and professional development, and overcoming challenges and achieving success.

Becoming a successful travel blogger takes time, effort, and dedication.

However, by following the strategies and tips outlined in this guide, you can develop a strong foundation for building a thriving travel blog that reflects your passions, engages your audience,

and opens up new opportunities for growth and success.

If you’re passionate about travel and love sharing your experiences with others, there’s no better time than now to start your own travel blog.

Whether you’re just starting out or looking to take your existing blog to the next level, the strategies and tips outlined in this guide can help you achieve your goals and become a successful travel blogger.

So, what are you waiting for? Take action, start your travel blog, and let your adventures begin!

If you’re looking for the top-rated WordPress Travel plugin, you can check out WP Travel.

It provides extensive details for your travel website, and the WP Travel Booking Plugin can streamline and hasten your online booking system.

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Yam Bahadur Chhetri is a content writer and vivid contributor to the WordPress community and a WordPress enthusiast with an experience of 7+ years in the relative field. He also loves to develop WordPress Themes, Plugins, and custom WordPress development for clients.

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WEBSITE ESSENTIALS

How to start a travel blog in 2024

• Lena Sernoff
• Nov 1, 2023
• 16 min read

While travel blogging is one of the most popular types of blogs, rest assured, you have not missed the boat (or plane) on your chance to start your own. While competition has increased over the years, so has demand: In fact, The World Travel & Tourism Council projects that travel and tourism in the United States will reach pre-pandemic levels in 2022, contributing nearly $2 trillion to the U.S. economy.

Today, the key to starting a travel blog is going into a niche and offering a specialty of focused content. New popular locations, adventures and hidden gems come to the surface every day. Even your own backyard and hometown might be unfamiliar to new readers, and you can add your unique perspectives to reviewing them.

In this guide, we'll help you navigate the field, from how to make a website and creating a blog to writing your posts and finding collaborations, to not only stand out but also get paid. Once you've learned how to start a travel blog, you'll have the world at your fingertips with this type of website .

Get started with the Wix Blog Maker .

Ready to start a travel blog now? Get started with Wix today.

How to start a travel blog

Choose the type of travel blogger you want to be

Pick a blog name and secure your domain name

Select your travel blog template

Create a blog logo

Prepare your footage

Write your first blog posts

Engage with your audience

Network with tourism partners and brands

Monetize your travel blog

Learn from the best (travel blog examples)

01. Choose the type of travel blogger you want to be

While you can cover all types of travel topics, choosing a niche will more easily lead to success. Think of who could benefit from your unique guidance and hone your content towards them. Not only will this naturally attract an audience of repeat readers, it will simplify the process of monetizing your blog , as you’ll have a defined value to bring to partners.

For example, Wix user Tales of Israel used her expertise as an Israeli resident to help citizens and tourists alike explore the country’s hidden corners.

We Are Travel Girls grew a solid following of more than 415,000 Instagram followers by focusing on tips for women travelers.

Here are some niche blog ideas in the travel space:

Country-focused

Budget travel

Luxury travel

Solo travel

Female travel

Traveling for work

Adventure travel

Family travel

Empty nesters

Accessible travel

Experiential travel

Festival travel

Couples travel

Backpacking

LGBTQ+ friendly travel

Traveling for seniors

02. Pick a blog name and secure your domain name

After choosing which direction you’ll take your travel blog, align it with a catchy name to help people discover and remember you. Just like naming a brand, coming up with a blog name should include some creativity and strategic vision of where you'd like to take your blog over the years.

Learn more:

Travel business names

Lifestyle blog name ideas

Travel blog name ideas

For example, if you’re going to be a city-based blogger, include it in your name. If you’re targeting solo travelers, try to pick a name that portrays that, so people know you’re catering to them. Just don’t let your name corner you in, as you still want to expand on topics in your niche.

Tip: Use a free travel agency name generator for travel name ideas.

Securing your domain name

Once you've found the perfect travel blog name, make sure it's yours and only yours. To prevent confusion when promoting your blog , ensure no other companies or individuals currently use your blog name or hold your domain name. Check that social media handles are available and secure them as well. The more easily people can find your blog, the more likely they’ll return.

You might also want to consider using a .blog domain extension , to make sure your blog stands out.

Tip: Secure your free domain name with Wix.

03. Select your travel blog template

Photos and videos can bring your adventures to life and invite your visitors to join in on your journeys. And that’s why you should choose a visual-forward blog website template to display your travel blog content.

Make sure it also has an inviting homepage, a detailed “About Me” page, a well-organized blogging section and a dedicated newsletter sign-up section—all great places to share your media.

Below, we've showcased a few of our favorite mobile-optimized travel best blog templates :

Travel blog website template 1 features:

A large homepage image layout to make a powerful first impression.

A mid-page menu to take visitors to your different types of travel guides.

A highly-visible subscriber form to help grow your newsletter.

Travel blog website template 2 features:

A dedicated “Work With Me” to showcase your partnership offerings.

A perfectly-placed blog logo that functions as a return-home button.

An attention-grabbing video background to greet visitors.

Travel blog website template 3 features:

An embedded Instagram feed to seamlessly showcase your social media content.

A video page to display high-quality footage or promote your YouTube channel.

A Live Chat tool to communicate with visitors.

04. Create a blog logo

A logo will help you build a brand around your travel blog. You’ll likely try out a few different tactics over the first couple of months as you cement your blog’s brand, like updating your site layout or changing your photography style. Use a blog logo on your site, professional email signature, and social channels to tie your online presence together with a distinctive trademark throughout the changes.

Tip: Get inspired by these blog travel logos and try creating your own with Wix’s free logo maker tool.

05. Prepare your footage

It’s easier to describe a must-see hot spot with images than simply words. In fact, articles with images get 94% more views as opposed to those with none. A good camera can help ensure your images are high-quality and properly-sized to look their best. It might be worth investing in a DSLR, drone, tripod, or other equipment to help elevate your visuals. You can also utilize stock images until you capture new content on your next trip.

Leverage photo tools to assist in gathering and preparing your content, and consider free photo editing software to filter and adjust your shots. What is a blog if not the perfect place to showcase your travel images.

Tip: Use a free Video Maker to craft a compelling video and check out these travel photography tips .

06. Write your first blog posts

Without articles, a live blog is just a website. Before sharing your blog with the world, write and publish at least three posts to give new website visitors a taste of the content you offer. This will also help create momentum behind your content creation strategy.

You can be as creative as you'd like when writing your blog posts. However, here are some blog ideas and blog formats you can build on:

The Ultimate [ insert location ] Travel Guide

How to See [ insert location ] in Just [ insert number ] Days

X Tips for Finding Cheap Flights During [ insert season or holiday ]

Best Things to Do in [ insert location ]

Why You Need to Go to [ insert location ]

Cheap Things to Do in [ insert location ]

Packing for [ insert type of trip ], What to Bring

What to Do on a Weekend in [ insert location ]

Awesome Stops on [ insert road name ] to [ insert location ]

Don’t forget to break up your content with rich media to hold your readers’ attention.

Over 80% of travel planning is done online, which means that your readers want to make decisions based upon your content—not just casually look for inspiration. (And if you are part of an affiliate network, those decisions can turn into real money for you.)

To make sure you get a slice of that active audience, make sure you optimize your content for search engines and make your site as visible as possible to these searchers.

Some blog SEO best practices are to:

Research keywords and common terms related to your destination or travel topic.

Include the keyword in the title, URL, a few times in the article in the SEO meta description.

Use internal linking in your blog and website.

Include alt text on images.

Editorial calendar

It’s good to set a regular schedule for publishing new content on your travel blog. It can be once a week or once a month—just keep your posting frequency consistent so readers know when to check back for the latest guides. Also, with new posts going live on the regular, Google will visit your site more often to index pages—improving your SEO.

To start filling out your content calendar, try one of these strategies to brainstorm great content:

Research the specific seasons, holidays or events happening at your destination to brainstorm content. There will be an influx of searches and demand for these topics at key times of the year.

Also, read competitor articles and blogs for inspiration. If you know what people have already said on specific locations or topics, you can add unique value and provide what’s missing.

07. Engage with your audience

Without interested readers, fans and followers, your blog is simply a diary. Use these channels and common methods below to authentically engage with your audience and drive traffic to your website :

Social media

Social media is an invaluable place to grow your travel blog. Up to 50% of travel enthusiasts use Instagram to find local places to explore.

You can use social to discover new audience members by:

Finding which social channels your target audience spends the most time on. See which hashtags they use, locations they tag and which brands and travel creators they follow.

Create content specifically geared to your target audience’s wants and needs. Check out our guide on social media content ideas .

Engaging with your target audience by following them, liking their content and commenting something meaningful on their posts. Here's how to increase your social media engagement.

Using social communities, forums and groups to connect and network with target audience members and fellow travel bloggers.

Tip: A social post maker can help you produce eye-catching, quality content.

Word of mouth

Connecting with potential readers in real life can be a pivotal way to grow your travel blog. Aside from telling your friends and family about your blog, inform people you meet on your adventures that you blog.

Even if travel blogging is not (yet) your full-time job, when you meet people that ask about your occupation, slip in how you just started a new travel blog, and you'd love for them to subscribe or follow. Travelers love staying up to date with the amazing people they meet on their trips, and they’ll likely become new followers.

Once you've gained a few subscribers to your newsletter, you can send email marketing campaigns to engage readers. In your settings, set up an automatic email that dispatches newly published blog articles.

08. Network with tourism partners and brands

Starting a travel blog doesn’t have to be just a hobby. Partnerships with tourism companies, attractions, hotels, restaurants and brands can provide great compensation opportunities, either through an exchange of goods or cash payments.

For example, you can get a free stay in exchange for blogging about the hotel and capturing quality content for them to use on their social media or site. Another example is a suitcase company sending you a free bag to tag them in a post. You might also consider writing content in multiple languages to partner with relevant tourism brands, learn how to start a multingual blog to expand your reach.

How to reach out to brands:

Identify the brand you wish to partner with

Do thorough research on them to understand their audience’s needs

Reach out with a pitch of the exchange of services you can provide

Outreach email template:

Hi my name is [full name],

[Mention something personal you like about this company].

I’m the travel blogger behind [blog name/hyperlink website URL], who specifically covers [list three main topics your blog covers]. My current readers and followers amount to [insert your total reach here].

My audience is mostly [include audience insights and engagement rates if relevant]. I highly believe that it can be mutually beneficial for us to partner as I reach the same audience your brand seems to want to attract.

Please let me know if you're currently looking for new partnerships, as I'd be happy to [insert which services you'll provide, such as a blog post, rich images, social media posts]. In the past, I've partnered with [brand names] and here [insert link], you can see the examples of the content I've created.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

[Signature with your email, phone number, website link, logo and social media channels]

09. Monetize your travel blog

As much as sipping a comped piña colada by a hotel pool sounds extravagant, it won’t necessarily pay the bills. Therefore, you can use any or all of these nine creative ways to make money blogging:

01. Sponsored posts: Most travel blogs publish sponsored posts as their main income source. Agree with your partner on the goal and length of the post and how much you’ll receive in return. The average travel blogger charges an average of $200 per sponsored post.

For instance, a sponsored post about a Caribbean boating service could be about the best way to island hop, and you mention the boating company and link to their website several times in the article and as you review your experience using their services. Just remember to include a note that the post has been sponsored to keep your readers’ trust.

Learn more: How to make money as a travel blogger

02. Affiliate marketing: Many travel bloggers also earn commission from marketing another company's products. You promote their products on your blog, social media accounts, and other platforms using a unique tracked link and make a profit from each sale. To begin, sign up for affiliate marketing programs and send readers to buy from recommended referral links.

Here are some common travel affiliate programs to consider: Expedia Group Affiliate Program , Booking.com Affiliate Program , Amazon Associates , Skimlinks , and AWIN .

03. Advertise: 94% of travel blogs sell advertising . When you're figuring out how to monetize a blog , one of the best ways is to get paid by running ads on your website. Tip: If your site is on Wix, you can add Google AdSense directly to your blog from the app market.

04. Premium content: Consider charging readers for more exclusive information and production-intensive content, like premium guides, digital downloadables or eBooks to open an additional revenue stream. For instance, if you've made a PDF map with all the vegan restaurants in Paris, you could charge readers $5 to download it.

05. Donation: Donations are becoming more popular in the content creation world, so don’t be afraid to ask for them. Accept donations via Patreon, PayPal, Zelle, Venmo, and or even paper checks in the mail.

06. Workshops and courses: You're likely an expert in your niche, especially if you travel often. Share your tips and tricks with readers in exchange for payment with an online course or in-person workshop. The two famous travel couples behind Club Life Design , for example, offer a social media and photo editing course.

07. Freelance: You don't necessarily have to make money from your traveling sites . You can choose to be a digital nomad freelancer and make money doing online gigs while exploring the world.

Tip: Wix Marketplace is a great way to grow your client base by designing Wix users’ websites.

08. Sell photos and videos: Make money selling your photos online. If you own a drone, this can be a great way to sell premium video footage to partners, which isn't easy for them to produce. Here's our guide on how to make money as a travel photographer.

Additionally, many travel bloggers, such as Aloha Jana , make money selling photo color preset filters to others who want to beautify their images.

09. Make and sell products: Sell or dropship branded items like swimsuits, sunglasses and travel gear.

Tip: You can add an online store to your blog to sell directly from your site or create a dropshipping website .

10. Learn from the best (travel blog examples)

Sometimes the best way to start a blog is to see how others have done it before you. These Wix users have created travel blogs websites that make us feel like we’re alongside them for all their travels:

The Bucket List Bums

Bucket List Bums’ clearly understands what her readers want: Information to help them plan their trips. Beyond her high-quality, stunning travel shots, she organizes her blog posts by country under “places,” allowing readers to explore their destination of interest. She also clearly defines how many days travelers should spend in each location, as you can see in this Three Days in Baja post.

Aside from offering her readers value, she gracefully makes her blog work for her, too. She’s added affiliate links to her shop page and also cleverly embeds them into image captions.

Anika Pannu

Anika Pannu’s travel blog is modern and interactive—perfect for her target audience looking to replicate that same experience on their journeys. Beyond immediately capturing her visitor’s attention with a parallax scrolling effect on her home page (featuring video and scroll-triggered motion images), she also provides content details that speak directly to her audience.

For example, Pannu rates her recommended stays with a helpful euro sign rating system, as seen in her A Weekend Guide To Lisbon, Portugal . This allows readers to quickly get a sense of the costs associated with her listings without going the extra mile to find pricing ranges. To grow her brand deals, too, she's smartly created a dedicated partnerships page.

Zion Adventure Photog

Just landing on Zion Adventure Photog’s earth-toned homepage makes you feel like you’re already visiting the eponymous natural park. Since this travel blogger is local to Southern Utah, she helps to provide that inclusive experience throughout the blog.

On the content side, their hiking blog posts all consistently outline the length, difficulty, location, when to go, trail details, and additional info sections. Both regular visitors and new readers alike can easily navigate the posts and get the information they need. They also have a clear call to action to follow them on Instagram to grow and engage their community offsite.

That welcoming feeling extends to their blog monetization strategy as well: They offer various photography services and offer a transparent pricing plan to support their readers’ experience beyond the planning phase.

How to customize your travel blog

Customizing your travel blog is a great way to make it stand out from the crowd and reflect your unique personality and style. There are many different ways to customize your blog, but here are a few ideas:

Choose a theme. A theme is a pre-made design that you can apply to your blog. There are many different themes available, both free and paid. Choose a theme that matches the overall style of your blog and that is easy to navigate.

Customize your colors and fonts. Once you have chosen a theme, you can customize the colors and fonts to match your branding. This is a great way to make your blog look more cohesive and professional.

Add a logo. A logo is a great way to make your blog more recognizable and to give it a unique identity. You can create a logo yourself or hire a professional designer to do it for you.

Add social media buttons. Make it easy for your readers to follow you on social media by adding social media buttons to your blog. You can also use social media to promote your blog posts and connect with other travelers.

Add widgets. Widgets are small modules that can be added to your blog sidebar or other areas of your site. There are many different widgets available, such as recent posts widgets, social media widgets and calendar widgets. Choose widgets that are relevant to your blog and that will provide value to your readers.

Add images and videos. Images and videos are a great way to make your blog posts more visually appealing and engaging. Be sure to use high-quality images and videos that are relevant to your content.

Write a compelling bio. Your bio is a chance to introduce yourself to your readers and tell them why you started your blog. Be sure to include your interests, your travel experiences, and your goals for your blog.

Target audience: Keep your target audience in mind when customizing your blog. What kind of travel are they interested in? What kind of tone and style do they prefer? Tailor your blog to their needs and interests.

Make your blog mobile-friendly. More and more people are using their smartphones and tablets to access the internet. Make sure your blog looks good and functions well on all devices.

Use a consistent design. Your blog should have a consistent design throughout. This means using the same colors, fonts and overall layout on all of your pages.

Keep your blog updated. Make sure to update your blog regularly with new posts and content. This will keep your readers coming back for more.

By following these tips, you can create a customized travel blog that is both informative and visually appealing.

How to pick a travel blog name

Here are some tips on how to pick a travel blog name:

Make it easy to remember and pronounce. You want people to be able to easily find your blog and remember its name. Avoid using difficult or unfamiliar words or abbreviations.

Make it relevant to your travel niche. What kind of travel do you write about? Is it budget travel, luxury travel, adventure travel or something else? Choose a name that reflects your niche and interests.

Be original and unique. You want your blog name to stand out from the crowd. Avoid using generic or overused names.

Keep it short and sweet. A long and complicated name will be difficult for people to remember. Aim for a name that is 2-4 words long.

Here are some examples of good travel blog names:

The Wandering Trotter

The Budgeteer

The Luxe Voyager

Adventurous Kate

The Travel Junkie

Nomadic Matt

Off the Beaten Path

The Wanderlust Files

Passport & Plates

A World to Wander

The Globetrotter

Travel Lemming

Once you have chosen a few potential blog names, ask your friends and family for their feedback. You can also do a quick Google search to see if the name is already taken.

Can you start a travel blog writing about old trips?

Yes, you can start a travel blog writing about old trips. In fact, many successful travel bloggers started out by writing about their own travel experiences, even if those experiences were from years ago.

Here are some tips for writing a travel blog about old trips:

Write about your personal experiences. People are drawn to travel blogs that are authentic and personal. Share your stories, your insights and your tips from your old trips.

Use photos and videos. Photos and videos are a great way to bring your blog posts to life. Include photos and videos from your old trips to illustrate your stories and make them more engaging.

Update your blog regularly. Even if you're writing about old trips, try to update your blog regularly with new posts. This will keep your readers coming back for more.

Be specific and informative. When writing about your old trips, try to be as specific and informative as possible. Share details about the places you visited, the activities you did and the lessons you learned. The more information you can provide, the more valuable your blog will be to readers.

Add a contemporary twist. Even though you're writing about old trips, you can still make your blog posts relevant to today's readers. For example, you can share tips on how to save money on travel, how to find the best deals on flights and hotels or how to travel sustainably. You can also write about current events or trends that are related to travel.

Other types of blogs to consider starting

How to start a finance blog

How to start a real estate blog

How to start a gaming blog

How to start a health blog

How to start a teaching blog

How to start a music blog

How to start a tech blog

How to start a mom blog

How to start a sports blog

How to start a beauty blog

How to start a lifestyle blog

How to start a travel blog FAQ

Do travel bloggers get paid.

Yes, travel bloggers can get paid. There are a number of ways that travel bloggers can make money, including:

Affiliate marketing: Travel bloggers can earn money by promoting products and services related to travel, such as hotels, flights, tours and travel gear. When a reader clicks on an affiliate link and makes a purchase, the travel blogger earns a commission.

Advertising: Travel bloggers can sell advertising space on their blogs to businesses that want to reach their audience. The amount of money that travel bloggers make from advertising depends on a number of factors, such as the size of their audience and the type of advertising they sell.

Sponsored posts: Travel bloggers can write sponsored posts for businesses that want to promote their products or services. Sponsored posts are typically paid for by the business, and the travel blogger will disclose this to their readers.

Selling products and services: Travel bloggers can sell their own products and services, such as e-books, travel courses and photography prints.

How much does it cost to start a travel blog?

Is it worth starting a travel blog, how much money can you make from a travel blog, do you need equipment to become a travel blogger, how to start a travel blog without traveling, related posts.

Blog SEO: 10 ways to attract more readers to your blog

How to easily start a blog and make money in 2024

How to monetize a blog in 2024 in 7 effective steps

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Wild Junket

How to Become a Travel Blogger

Last Updated on June 1, 2022

I’ve been a professional travel blogger for 10 years — today I’m going to share my secrets on how to become a successful travel blogger.

When I first started this blog in 2008, never in a million years could I imagine where it would take me.

It’s brought me around the world – across 100 odd countries and seven continents – and led to some epic adventures and lifetime experiences. From expedition cruising in Antarctica to seeing the Northern Lights in Lapland , gorilla trekking in Uganda to traveling North Korea.

Becoming a travel blogger changed my life — in every sense of the word. 

Not only do I now lead a life of travel, but I also make a comfortable living doing what I love. I go on assignment to cool places for publications like Lonely Planet  and I get to work from anywhere in the world . I absolutely love what I do and I’ve never been happier.

In essence, being a travel blogger is a dream job – after all, I get paid to travel the world . For those who have the same dream as me, here is a detailed guide on how to become a travel blogger.

Table of Contents

FOR BEGINNERS:

Know your purpose, find a niche, have personality, you need to love to travel and write, make building an audience your priority, keep writing and don’t give up, taking it a step further:, take a blogging course, learn photography , rock social media, join a blogging community, attend conferences and workshops, be creative and versatile, some of the ways we travel bloggers generate income:, set goals and work towards them, inspired pin it.

Today I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned about travel blogging in the past 8 years – what has worked for me and what hasn’t. I’ll spill all my secret tips and everything I know on how to become a travel blogger like me. 

Before you start a travel blog , the first question you need to ask yourself is: Why do you want to be a travel blogger?

For me, it has always been about travel and storytelling.  I actually started this blog in 2003 (on blogspot then) as a means to keep my family and friends updated about my life abroad. It slowly evolved into more than a journal. Only in 2008 did I decide to transform it into a more professional platform to generate some income.

If you want to become a travel blogger for the money or free trips, then don’t even bother. Save yourself some time and find a more lucrative medium instead.  It takes years (may be less for some) to build an audience and readership before the money starts coming in. So think about what your motive is before you actually take the plunge.

What are YOU all about? What truly calls to you? I know you love to travel, but what type of travel do you do? Budget or luxury? Epic adventure travel or beach vacations? Do you like slow travel or short holidays?

Back in the days when I first started travel blogging, it was enough to specialise in a general field of travel: budget, luxury, adventure, solo etc. Nowadays, you’ve got to be more creative and find a selling point that makes you different from the rest.

Are you an adventurer who leads overland expeditions of your own? Or do you like volunteering and have volunteered around the world? Maybe you like to write about family travel?

It took me a few years of travel blogging to figure out my special interests. So be patient and take your time to find out what you are most passionate about and go from there.

Most people read blogs because they want to read stories they can relate to; about people who are normal like everyone else doing incredible things. The one biggest thing that differentiates blogs from magazines or newspapers is this personal element. 

Always try to inject your personal opinions and experiences. Be open and transparent – and write to them like you would write to your best friend. People read travel blogs because they want to know your first-hand experiences and how it was like traveling to a certain destination.

Develop your voice and don’t be afraid to let your personality shine on your blog.

Many people seem to think that all you need to be a successful travel blogger is to have a passion for traveling.

Yes you do need to love to travel and have some travel experiences (having backpacked southeast Asia once doesn’t make you a seasoned traveler!).  But it’s not enough to just have a passion for travel.

To successfully become a travel blogger, you need to love BOTH travel and writing. 

At the end of the day, your expertise may be in travel but writing is your craft. If you want to make a career in travel blogging last, you need to have a love for words and all that comes with blogging (which requires a whole spectrum of skills from digital marketing to social media). 

During my early years of blogging, I took a guidebook writing boot camp in Guatemala organised by VIVA Travel Guides — it gave me the foundation I needed to be a writer,  and most of it, it made me realise how much I love writing. Take a travel writing course, do an online workshop or read all of the best travel books to up your writing skills.

I cannot emphasize this enough: building an audience should be your top priority as a travel blogger, especially if you are new to this. Not how to monetise your blog, not pitching companies and getting freebies. 

I cannot count the number of times I’ve been approached by a new travel blogger to share my contacts when they barely have any readers. I’m always happy to share (this is what the community is about) but I get really pissed off when people don’t get their priority right. 

It took me two years to get my first press trip invite and earn a steady flow of income from this blog. For some, it’s happened much faster, and for others it’s taken even more time. The important thing is to know that success doesn’t come overnight — work hard at building your readership before expecting to reap any rewards.

To be a professional travel blogger requires years of hard work and commitment. Don’t expect to make money immediately after starting a travel blog ; if you are not ready to dedicate all your time and effort to it, then it’s best to just treat it as a hobby.

Many bloggers I know give up after a year or so because they had no idea how much commitment was required. Besides putting in long hours, you need to keep at it for a long time (talking years, not weeks!) before you see any kind of return.

I remember the days when I first decided to take a shot at travel blogging in 2008: I would rush home after a day of work at my full-time job and get all excited to work on my blog. On weekends, I was happy to stay home and write for hours on end. That’s the kind of dedication you need.

Being a travel blogger is like running a marathon — you need to have stamina, go slowly but steadily and conserve your energy to last through the race . 

Every job requires you to know some skills — so does being a travel blogger. Besides knowing how to write, you need to know SEO, web developing, social media management, graphic design and so on. It took me years to pick up all that on my own and I feel that I STILL have so much more to learn.

If you’re serious about making money from travel blogging, I recommend investing in a blogging course to learn all the skills you need.   Nomadic Matt’s Superstar Blogging Academy is well worth checking out if you’re interested in learning every major aspect of blogging.

Their in-depth course covers everything you need to know about the business of blogging: from the technicalities of building a blog to what to charge for advertising and how to approach companies. 

The online course can be taken at your own pace and you can read the detailed tutorials as many times as you want. Besides the tutorials, you’ll also have access to audio interviews and webinars. There are also job opportunities on their job boards and forum.

Read More about the Blogging Course

Photography is a big part of any blog and great photos are a must for any successful blog. You’ll need some basic photography skills even if your interest lies in writing. Moving forward, videography is the next biggest thing so I recommend looking into that.

Firstly, get a good camera. Trust me, it’ll be a good investment. I used to have a DSLR, specifically a Canon 60D , but it was exhausting to lug around such a heavy equipment. I recently upgraded to a lightweight mirrorless Olympus E-M10 Mark II and I’ve never been happier.  

Next, streamline your editing and organization process. It takes a while to figure out the process that suits you, but once you have it, it’ll be quick and easy to upload your photos each time. Read my article on how I organize my travel photos .

I use the Lightroom software program to edit all my photos in bulk and add my watermark. I already have a Lightroom preset in place (you just need to do this once when you start) so editing just involves applying my preset to all my images in a folder at once. 

Lastly, use a cloud service to store and backup your photos. Dropbox for example is the most popular file storage service. Just pay a fee each month for the advanced plan and you’ll get extensive storage space. Plus they are all automatically backed up and include file recovery and history .

For bloggers, social media can be an immensely powerful tool to help you reach an even bigger audience.

I spend a huge chunk of my time on social media. This is not just because it helps me build my brand but simply because I enjoy it. Social media lets me connect with my audience more directly and allows me to engage with them more regularly than on my blog.

For me, my primary channel is Facebook, followed by Twitter and then Instagram. Again, you need to experiment and observe to see which platform works best for you. Each channel requires a different type of posting and content curation. Be sure to check the analytics for each platform to find out the best time to post and when to post.

Here’s my personal approach to each channel:

2-3 posts a day following the rule of thirds. In general, I always try to share a variety of updates — one-third of them would be personal updates that give readers a peek into my life on the road; one-third are questions directed to my followers to create some engagement; and one-third are some interesting and viral content from others. Check out my Facebook page .

4-5 posts a day with links to my blog posts. Images create more engagement, so I always try to include photos in my posts. Tag relevant profiles and include hashtags whenever possible. Click to see  my Twitter profile .

1 post a day, usually more when I’m on the road. Tag the location for people who are nearby to find my photos. I also include up to 10 hashtags for my photo to pop up in searches. I recommend taking the time to research which hashtags are most popular for a particular destination or activity. Add me on Instagram!

In all honesty, I owe much of my success as a travel blogger to my friends in the blogging community.

Back when I first started travel blogging, the community was a relatively small and tight-knit group. I made close friends right from the start and we often helped each other out, offering support and advice whenever needed.

These days, the travel blogging community is a rather sizable one, and it can be quite overwhelming to make genuine connections in the crowd. Thankfully, there are plenty of Facebook groups created to discuss specific aspects of travel blogging. 

Here are some great Facebook groups:

• Travel Bloggers  — general topics
• The Business of Blogging — more technical and business aspects
• Travel Press Trips — for press trip alerts
• Professional Travel Bloggers Association — only for members
• Travel Photography Community   – photographers will find this useful

Before joining each group, please read the rules or guidelines first. Feel free to ask questions and respond when someone offers you advice. Always take the advice with a pinch of salt, as something that has worked for others might not work for you. 

Conferences and workshops can be an extremely useful way to connect with other travel bloggers, as well as  potential clients and partners. These educational workshops usually cater more to those new to the blogging world, but the advanced blogger can still find inspiration in such a setting.

While it’s easy to make contact with people online, nothing beats meeting in person. These conferences provide an opportunity for you to network with brands and companies, creating the first bridge to future partnerships.

I’ve personally attended several conferences and even spoken at a few (TBEX and WTM) and definitely recommend attending especially if you are a new travel blogger. Here are some of them:

•   Travel Bloggers Exchange  ( TBEX) – the most popular travel blogging conference
• Social Travel Market at WTM – a small section of the massive World Travel Market dedicated to social travel
• Social Travel Summit  (STS) – for a small, elite group of travel bloggers that are a part of iAmbassador
• Travel Bloggers Conference (TBC) – organized by the PTBA (Professional Travel Bloggers Association)

A successful travel blogger is one who knows how to diversify his/her income stream. They must be constantly coming up with new ways to generate new income.

In the first two years, I made most of my income from web advertising in the form of banner ads and sponsored advertorials. I tried different things to see what would work for me. Alberto even quit his job to work on this blog with me and we launched a digital magazine as another income stream. While it didn’t work out for us, we did learn a lot from this experience.

Eventually, I branched out to also do sponsored campaigns for companies, brand ambassadorship, and  social media consulting work for companies. I also generate a small passive income from my book, The Adventure Traveler’s Handbook . I started running WildJunket Tours in 2017 and they’ve been an excellent way to generate extra income and connect closely with my readers.

Freelance writing has always been my biggest love. Even though it isn’t quite a profitable stream I still do it because of my love for magazine writing.  I currently write for Lonely Planet, BBC Travel, Today and many more.

Here’s a detailed look at how I get paid to travel , including my various income streams and their sources.

• Advertising: placement of display ads on website
• Sponsored Advertorials:  publishing sponsored posts written either by yourself or the advertiser
• Affiliate Marketing:  earning commission from recommending products on your site
• Brand Ambassadorship: representing a brand and becoming their spokesperson of sorts
• Freelance Writing: contributing to travel magazines or websites
• Creating Products: selling your own products (ebooks, courses, artwork etc)
• Consultancy Work: offering advice to companies on how to manage their blog or social media
• Designing Trips: planning trips for other travelers based on your expertise on specific destinations
• Leading Tours or Workshops: running tours using your knowledge on certain locations

When I first started to become a travel blogger, I would set monthly goals for myself and always try to work towards them. My goals were anything from growing my unique monthly visitors to increasing my Facebook followers to getting an article published in a popular magazine.

Having goals kept me motivated and pushed me to work harder than ever.

I remember how happy I was to meet the milestone of reaching 20,000 unique monthly views. And when I got my article published in a local newspaper. Oh and that time I signed my first contract as a brand ambassador.

 A blog is a business — you need to be serious and treat it as a business if you want to carve a career out of it. At the end of the day, the key to become a travel blogger is writing compelling stories and capturing destinations with good photography. Focus all your efforts on writing well and you’ll be on the road to success.

Any questions for me on how to become a travel blogger? Feel free to leave a comment below!

Nellie Huang

Nellie Huang is the founder of WildJunket. Originally from Singapore, Nellie has traveled to over 150 countries across 7 continents. She is a book author and Lonely Planet guidebook writer. As an adventure travel blogger, she has a special interest in unusual destinations and deep experiences. Follow her travels on her Facebook and Instagram .

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The Comments

Nice blog. I appreciate your time and effort for writing this blog and thanks for sharing this with us. Keep it up!

Pragnesh Vaishnav

Hi Nellie, Wow…that sounds great. Reading this article, getting paid for traveling and holidaying seems very exciting. But putting it in the real practice in life must be equally tough. As you have said, there is no alternative of hardwork and dedication. Getting acceptance in this field must be requiring a lot more passion and patience. I always wanted to pursue travelling and blogging as a career options, but due to family responsibilities, could never really do this. Anyways..Great article. Thanks AlaskasWorld…

Nice blog. Every newbe blogger should read this information it will be much helpful

Hey nellie it was a great blog to read and it is helpful for any new blogger.

Going through these helpful steps to become a pro travel blogger shows the effort and hard work it takes behind the fancy image. It’s motivating to see how enthusiasm, determination, and planning can lead to a satisfying career in the always-changing travel blogging scene. Cheers to those starting this exciting adventure! Our company – Xeni, provides a platform where Travel influencers travel Agents and Travel bloggers can build their travel brands with custom domain and language options. Also, it allows agents to easily create and sell their customized travel packages for their clients. Hope these insights are helpful to your readers.

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Green Global Travel

World's largest independently owned Ecotourism / Green Travel / Sustainable Travel / Animal & Wildlife Conservation site. We share transformative Responsible Travel, Sustainable Living & Going Green Tips that make a positive impact.

How to Start a Travel Blog (& Build a Successful Travel Blogging Business)

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. All hosted affiliate links follow our editorial policies .

When Mary and I came up with the idea for Green Global Travel at our lodge in Tortuguero National Park , Costa Rica , we had no clue how to start a travel blog.

It was the summer of 2010, and at that time we hadn’t even read a single blog. We knew nothing about html coding or social media marketing. We’d never even heard of WordPress, so we created our blog on a complicated content platform called Joomla. And unfortunately, there weren’t a lot of great guides on how to start your own blog at that time.

So instead, we relied on our professional and entrepreneurial experience. I had spent 15 years developing content strategy and editing magazines and newspapers, while Mary had spent 10 years managing a small corporate psychology business. Together, we had briefly run a successful improv comedy company in north Atlanta .

Today, I firmly belief that this business-focused approach gave us a huge leg up on building a successful travel blogging business.

Once GGT was established on the lists of the world’s best travel blogs , we made it our mission to help other bloggers learn how to build a better brand. We wanted to help the nascent travel blogging industry grow, because we firmly believe that more professional travel bloggers will mean better opportunities for everyone.

So we started the Business of Blogging Facebook group , offering free advice on blogging for beginners. We offered 1-on-1 mentorships on how to create a blog that will stand out and become sustainable long-term. We led workshops at travel conferences like TBEX and SATW , teaching everything from branding to SEO and content marketing.

In the meantime, the blogging industry has grown by leaps and bounds. These days, the best travel blogs bring in hundreds of thousands of page views a month. Top travel bloggers earn well over $100,000 a year, with advertising networks (such as Mediavine), affiliate sales, and paid partnerships making a 7-figure blogging income possible.

As a result, there are more and more people asking “How do I start a blog?” each year. So we decided to condense as much info about the travel blogging business as we could into one epic post.

Not only will we walk you through the process of starting a travel blog, step by step. We’ll also share the results of our in-depth survey on the travel blogging business, explore 10 steps in building a successful travel blogging brand, and share 20 great travel blogging tips for beginners.

This is a very long, very detailed read. Feel free to bookmark this page so that you can refer back to it as you embark upon your journey in creating a travel blog that could change your life in the same way Green Global Travel has transformed ours…

• How to Create a Travel Blog: Step by Step
• Travel Blogging Business Survey
• 10 Steps in Building a Travel Blogging Brand
• 20 Travel Blogging Tips for Beginners

HOW TO CREATE A TRAVEL BLOG

Starting a travel blog can admittedly seem a bit daunting at first, especially if you’ve never created a blog before.

But modern technology has made the process fairly simple… even for people like me, who get the heebie-jeebies just thinking about html coding.

In this section we’ll walk you through every single step in the process of creating a blog. We’ll cover everything from choosing travel blog names and the best web hosting provider to installing WordPress (including the best plug-ins and themes) and writing a blog post.

Step 1: How to Name Your Blog and Secure Your Domain

First and foremost, you’ll need to name your blog, which is arguably among the most important decisions you’ll make.

For some people, that’s exciting! For others, it’s the scariest part, and may take weeks or even months of research. How do you come up with a name that will stick with you for the rest of your blogging life?

Much like naming any business, product, or personal Gmail account, there are a few things to keep in mind if you want to find a successful blog name.

Choose a Travel Blog Name

Choosing your domain name is a major step in branding your travel blog. You’ll want something that’s easy for people to remember, and that resonates as closely as possible with your blog’s actual name. To that end, try to avoid using hyphens: mytravelblog.com is easier to remember than my-travel-blog-com.

Check Availability

Check Availability of Your Domain Name Ideas

Of course, since anyone can start a blog and anyone can buy a domain, there is a decent chance that the blog name you really want may be taken.

So before you buy the domain, you’ll want to check to see if the domain name is actually available . In the worst-case scenario, it’s best have a plan B, and perhaps even a plan C.

Once you’ve made sure that your desired domain is available, you’ll also want have a look at the various social media channels and make sure no one else has used the name there.

Your travel blog’s social media handles should also be easy for your readers to find and remember. So having something like @mytravelblog998 is not going to gain you as large a following as something simple, like @mytravelblog.

Use a Unique Blog Name

You should also have a look at other travel bloggers and try to steer clear of picking a name that is too similar to another blog.

Our advice is to steer clear of overused blogging cliches such as “nomad/nomadic,” “vagabond,” “adventurous,” and “ backpacker .” There are numerous veteran bloggers who have been around for many years and therefore rank really high for those terms.

You’re better off finding something original that will allow you to carve out your own niche. You want your travel blog name to be memorable, but not confused with other, similar blogs.

Plan for Your Blog’s Future

If you’re hoping to become a professional travel blogger long-term (as opposed to just documenting  a round-the-world journey), your blog’s name needs to be able to grow with you.

You may only be able to blog about your home state or region right now. But if you one day hope to travel the rest of the world, then having a name like My California Travels is not a great idea.

We’ll talk about this in more detail in our Brand Strategy section below.

Register Your Domain Name

Once you’ve settled on the name for your travel blog, you also need to choose a provider to register your domain with. Domains are renewed annually, so this cost will not recur each month.

We originally registered Green Global Travel with HostGator , who was also our hosting provider at the time. They currently offer domains starting at just $12.95 per year.

When choosing your domain name, you will need to choose whether you want a .com, .net, or a different type of domain.

Domains that end with .com are the most popular. But if you’re writing for a targeted audience in your country, you may want a domain that is specific to your geographical region.

Step 2: Find a Blog Hosting Company

Finding the right hosting company for your travel blog is essential.

We once had a hosting company [whose name we won’t mention, but it rhymes with GlueGhost] that couldn’t keep up with the volume of traffic Green Global Travel was getting. This led to our site crashing over and over again, creating frustration both for us and our readers.

Your hosting provider package will determine not only the cost of having your travel blog online, but also the speed of your site and how much space you have to build your site on. There are countless different hosting companies available, so it can be difficult to decide which one to sign up with.

Obviously we can only recommend a company we trust and have had good experiences with in the past, such as  HostGator . They offer extremely affordable rates, plenty of data capacity for travel blogging beginners, and make it very easy to set up a blog.

Learn more about Hosting

Their web hosting packages are designed to save you money . They offer three basic options depending on how many domains you want and whether you’re a hobbyist or need professional tools.

For each of those options you can choose to pay by the month or for up to 36 months in advance. The longer the web hosting package you sign up for, the cheaper your monthly rate is.

As we’re extremely thrifty with our budget, we recommend signing up for the longer option. First off, because it will save you a lot of money in the long run. But, perhaps more importantly, it symbolizes a serious commitment to making your travel blog a success in the long-term.

When setting up your web hosting account, you’ll need to enter your domain (or register one if you haven’t already) and pick the specific package you prefer. Then you just fill in your personal details as well as payment details. Pro Tip: Pay with a credit card that earns you frequent flyer miles!

Step 3: Install the Best Platform for Blogging: WordPress

There are many different platforms you can use when creating your travel blog. But WordPress is the common favorite content management system (or CMS) among most bloggers today.

WordPress is arguably the best blog platform out there. It’s easy for blogging beginners to get a handle on, has tons of free and easy plug-ins to improve functionality, and works well for getting your blog posts to rank well in Google search.

Don’t make the same mistake we made the first time we started a travel blog. We started blogging on Joomla , a competing CMS that isn’t nearly as simple for beginning bloggers to manage. We got very little Google traffic the first year, then had to pay for an expensive site migration to WordPress.

You can start your blog off on WordPress for free, then add premium and paid features as you need. There is also a fantastic community of WordPress bloggers worldwide. Going onto professional travel blogging forums on social media will help you to find the answers to most questions that you have.

How to Install WordPress on Your HostGator Hosted Blog :

• Log in to your Cpanel.

• Enter a username and password. This will be your details used to log into your site, so make sure it’s something you’ll remember. Then save the info in a secure file on your computer, phone, and even on paper in case your tech device fails.
• Add your other details and ensure that the email address you entered is valid and working, as you’ll need to receive confirmation emails before your installation is done.
• Click Install and you’re ready to roll!

Step 4: Choosing a WordPress Theme for Your Travel Blog

The overall look of your blog depends largely on the WordPress theme that you choose. You simply can’t create a good-looking travel blog without a good theme.

There are many different themes available on WordPress. Some are completely free, while others you have to pay a small one-time fee for. Sites like TechRadar do annual unbiased reviews of the Best WordPress Themes for Bloggers, which can walk you through the pros and cons of each.

To access the backend of your blog, type in your domain with ‘ /wp-admin ’ at the end, so the url (Uniform Resource Locator, a.k.a. web address) will look like this:  yourdomain.com/wp-admin.

If you’re not quite ready to buy a theme, you can go to dashboard -> appearance -> themes -> add new.  You’ll then see a wide variety of free themes on offer, from clean and simple designs with lots of white space to more cool and funky designs that reflect your personality.

If you’re determined to start off like a professional travel blogger, there are multiple places to find affordable paid themes. A paid theme comes with lots of extras, including support for any issues that you run into, as well as add-ons such as widgets for photo galleries, newsletter sign-ups, and more.

Most of these themes will have demos available, which offer you a more detailed template of what your new blog might look like. Demos make it easier to replace demo content with your own so that you can see the look and style of your site before you buy.

Some of the best travel blog theme websites are:

ThemeForest Elegant Themes CSSIgnitor Mojo Marketplace

Once you’ve paid for the theme, you’ll be prompted to download a zip file. That zip file can then be uploaded onto your site by using dashboard -> appearance -> themes -> add new -> upload file . Once that’s done, you’re ready to actually start your travel blog!

Step 5: Set Up Your Travel Blog Website

Now that you have your domain, hosting, and WordPress installed, this is where the real fun begins! Building your website is really not as hard as it sounds. The great thing about WordPress is that you can be a total website-building beginner and still come out with a fantastic travel blog.

You’ll start by going to your travel blog’s login page. Here you’ll use the username and password that you set up when installing WordPress to log in to the backend of your site.

Now that you have your WordPress theme installed, you’ll be able to customize the look of your website. Insert your blog’s name and logo, as well as a tagline if you have one. We’ll teach you more about how to create these elements once we get to the branding section below.

Best WordPress Plugins for Starting a Travel Blog

Plugins are a great way to add functionality to your blog. Many plugins have free options as well as premium, paid versions. To add a plugin to your site, go to dashboard -> plugins -> add new.

You will see tons of plugins available. You won’t need all the plugins: Too many plugins can slow down your site speed, which affects the user experience and can hurt your chances of ranking well in Google Search. But adding certain specific plugins will make your life easier and your blog much better!

Some of the best plugins for a travel blog we would recommend are:

• Askimet – This plugin will help keep your blog safe from spam comments and other security threats. Consider it like a bodyguard for your blog. Askimet has blocked around 1,169,192 spam comments on our site in the last 6-7 years.
• Contact Form – This will give you simple and easy-to-use contact forms for your contact page. You’ll want to connect it to your preferred email (your HostGator shared hosting server will allow you to host your own email ) so that readers and potential business partners can contact you directly.
• Jetpack – With this plugin, you’ll be able to see your site stats in a simple way, check who is viewing your blog, which pages and posts they are viewing, and where your traffic is coming from. It also adds cool widgets and opens up a whole range of free themes as well. Some bloggers don’t like Jetpack because it can slow down your site, but we personally feel the positives outweigh the negatives.
• Yoast- Yoast is a blogger’s best friend when it comes to simplifying SEO. It tells you how your posts will do in the SEO world, using a simple checklist to ensure your target keyword is in your title, at least one header, text, and meta description. It also gives you suggestions on readability, as well as if there is anything missing from your post, such as images, sub-headers, etc.

There are plenty of other cool WordPress plugins, like the interactive map on our landing page that shows our readers the destinations we have covered. But, for beginning bloggers, it’s a good idea to start with the basics and then add more plugins once you’re more comfortable with the site.

Create Your Travel Blog’s Main Pages

Once you have the WordPress plugins installed, it’s time to start building the foundation of what you want your travel blog to look like.

Just as an architect draws out plans before constructing a skyscraper, you’ll want to plan out your blog’s appearance and navigation. Having great content is wonderful, but if your readers can’t find it, it might as well not exist!

You’ll want to start by deciding what information you’re going to display on what pages, and if/how they will interconnect. The most common pages are:

• Home – This will either be a static page where you display the various elements of your blog (which is how we do it), or you can set it up to simply display your latest blog posts in chronological order. There’s no right or wrong way to do it. It’s all about what you prefer.
• About – You’ll want to use this page to explain who you are, what your blog is about, how they’ll benefit from following you, and any other information you’d like to share. It’s also good to emphasize any expertise or relevant experience that establishes your authority. Have at least one really good photo of you (preferably without sunglasses) and your travel experiences.
• Contact – This page is the perfect place for your readers to get into contact for any reason. It’s also great to have for when brands are wanting to collaborate with you. This page should include a contact form, as well as your email address, any other contact information, and links to your social media channels.
• Content Categories-  Everyone has a different way to organize content. But you’ll want some way for readers to explore the stories that don’t appear on the first page of your blog. Our advice is to have a few main categories, each of which breaks down into sub-categories, so that your readers can easily find what they’re looking for.

Step 6: Set up Google Analytics for Your Blog

For those who aren’t very technically-minded (like us), this step may seem a little intimidating. But trust us, it’s not as hard as it may sound.

Setting up Google Analytics for your blog is an extremely important step in starting a blog.

It gives you great insights into what sorts of stories your audience is responding to, where your audience is coming from, and how much traffic you’re getting on a day-to-day/week-to-week/month-to-month basis.

How to Set Up Google Analytics on Your Blog:

• Go to google.com/analytics.

You can either add the tracking ID manually or use a WordPress plugin, such as MonsterInsights.

With all of that done, you’ll be able to track your website’s analytics by logging back into Google Analytics at any time.

But our advice is not to obsess over your stats too much when you’re just starting a travel blog. It can be a rabbit hole of data analysis that distracts you from what you should be doing, which is creating killer content, learning how to do SEO keyword analysis, and using social media to promote your stories.

Step 7: How to Start Writing a Blog Post

Now– FINALLY!– you’re ready to begin the actual blogging part of starting a blog.

If you’re new to writing blog posts, having the Yoast plugin for WordPress installed will help guide you along the correct path. The best travel blog posts should be unique, authoritative, offer expert insight, and have quality images that will catch the reader’s eye.

The travel blogging field has gotten increasingly crowded in recent years, as more and more people see it as a viable professional career. That means you’ll have to work harder and smarter if you want your blog to stand out against the pack.

What travel stories can you tell that haven’t been told before? What new angles can you offer on places and experiences that other travel bloggers have already covered ad nauseum ?

Whether it’s a bad experience at the Dead Sea in Jordan , a he said/she said story about climbing Nigardsbreen Glacier in Norway, or interviewing a guide who worked with Dian Fossey while hiking to see Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda , writing a successful travel blog post is all about combining creativity with providing expert insights for your readers.

But writing a blog post and hitting publish is really just the first step in content marketing – an essential skill for beginning bloggers. Now it’s time to share it. Start with your friends and family, who should be (but aren’t always) your biggest supporters.

Create social media profiles for your blog on all the major platforms (including  Facebook , Twitter , Pinterest , Instagram , and YouTube ). Use your blog posts to encourage readers to follow you there, and then use those channels to promote all your new content, using relevant hashtags where appropriate.

Some people enjoy engaging with other travel bloggers, whether in Facebook groups and on their social media channels. If you enjoy their work, you can comment and/or share it if it’s relevant to your audience. But it’s best never to do this with any expectation of reciprocation. Professional travel bloggers are very wary of beginning bloggers who ask them to share their work.

Much better is to reach out to destination marketing organizations (DMOs), hotels, restaurants, and/or tour operators you cover in your stories. Since they’re being promoted for free in your work, it’s in their best interest to share it with their followers. They don’t always do it, but it doesn’t hurt to ask politely.

Step 8: Use Keysearch to Get More Traffic

Though promoting your content on social media can have a significant impact on getting visitors to your travel blog, learning SEO ( search engine optimization ) is even more important. Especially for beginning bloggers who haven’t yet built up a following.

SEO is the process of affecting the online visibility of a website or web page in a search engine’s organic, unpaid results. The higher your story ranks on a search engine such as Google, and the more frequently your website appears in its search results, the more visits you’ll receive from its users.

Great SEO starts with choosing great target keywords when writing a blog post. For that, you have to do keyword analysis. In our opinion, KeySearch is arguably the single most important tool for bloggers who want to get more traffic from Google.

We started using KeySearch exclusively last December as part of a new strategy for SEO optimization of our old content. As a result, our traffic numbers have exploded, from 75,000 page views in November 2017 to more than 585,000 page views in November 2018.

We’ll go much deeper into how to use this keyword tool effectively in a future blog post on SEO and content marketing. But it basically allows for in-depth analysis of countless keywords in terms of competition and potential traffic benefits to your site.

KeySearch is very affordable for beginning bloggers (much more so than competitors like Ahrefs and SEMrush), with starter plans available for around $17/month. If you want to sign up using our affiliate link and discount code KSDISC, you’ll save an additional 20%.

Learn more about Keysearch

READ MORE:   Using Journalism Skills to Build Your Travel Blog

TRAVEL BLOGGING BUSINESS SURVEY

If you start a travel blog with the intent of becoming a full-time professional, it’s extremely important that you start treating it like a business as soon as possible.

Working on both sides of the divide between PR/Marketing and professional travel blogging (as we do with our content marketing agency, Green Travel Media ), it’s been shocking to realize just how much miscommunication exists around the business of blogging.

PR/marketing reps in the travel industry often decry the lack of professionalism and poor ROI (return on investment) of their partnerships with bloggers. They share tales of diva-like behavior, rookie mistakes, irresponsible follow-through, and an overall focus on getting free stuff over business acumen.

On the other side, many travel bloggers feel undervalued by an industry that has been slow to adapt to digital media. They claim that these companies are simply choosing the wrong bloggers to work with. They blame brands for focusing on easily-gamed stats (traffic, social media followers, etc.) rather than more important intangibles, such as brand alignment, content quality, and professionalism.

According to a recent study conducted by Nielsen, influencer marketing content delivers an ROI 11 times higher than traditional forms of digital marketing . But both sides of the influencer marketing divide have ample room for growth in improving the business of blogging. So we decided to gather some data that might help us develop a better blueprint for professional travel bloggers.

In 2014 and 2017 we conducted in-depth surveys on brand/blogger partnerships for our talks at TBEX, the world’s largest travel blogging conference. We sent them to over 2000 travel industry PR and Marketing representatives, hoping to see how the industry evolved over three years.

These two surveys received over 250 responses from some of the world’s leading DMOs and travel brands. Many of these companies are at the forefront of working with travel bloggers. So we thought it would be important to get their insights on where brand/blogger relationships are now, and where they might be headed in the future.

Here, we’ll share some of our more significant data…

BUSINESS OF BLOGGING SURVEY RESULTS

1) in the past 12 months, how often have you worked with bloggers.

Just 1% of our respondents said they’d never worked with travel bloggers before, and only 17% said rarely. But 39% of these companies had worked with bloggers more than once a month, and 26% had worked with bloggers constantly. In 2014, 36% worked with bloggers more than once a month, while only 19% worked with bloggers constantly. So these numbers are slowly but steadily climbing.

2) Do you anticipate you’ll work with bloggers more frequently in the coming year?  

A whopping 84% of the brands we surveyed anticipated they would work with bloggers even more often in the coming year. This marks a 2% increase on our 2014 survey result. This suggests that there will be continue to be more and more opportunities for professional travel bloggers in the near future.

3) How do you find bloggers to work with on a given campaign?

Word-of-mouth was the most popular response, with 77% of our respondents using that method. Around 54% used professional organizations and events, such as the Society of American Travel Writers or the TBEX Conference. And 51% relied on a simple Google search. In short, the professional reputation of a travel blogger plays a key role in ensuring they get partnership opportunities.

4) On a scale of 1-10, how important are these stats when selecting which bloggers you will work with? 

Unsurprisingly, Traffic and and Social Media Followers were ranked highest here, despite the fact that these two statistics are the most easily gamed by bloggers. Demographics and external freelance outlets ranked third and fourth, respectively. It seems that many PR/Marketing reps do not yet understand the value of Domain Authority , which measures the prestige of a website, the quality of its content, and how it will compete in search engines for a given topic. We believe this metric will become increasingly important in the future in evaluating a blogger’s true influence over purchase decisions.

5)   On a scale of 1-10, how important are these intangible elements when choosing which bloggers you will work with? 

One of our more intriguing survey results was the ranking of “Intangible” factors. With an average of 9.0, Content Quality rated higher on the respondents’ scale of importance than Traffic (8.8), while Influence/Engagement rated equally important as Traffic. And Professionalism, which received an average of 8.7, rated higher than Social Media Followers (8.4). We were pleasantly surprised to see so many of these intangibles ranking higher than some of the hard stats.

6) Which of the following services have you paid bloggers for in the last year?

The most important statistic here is one you won’t see on the chart: 46% of all respondents left this question blank, insisting in the comments that they don’t pay bloggers at all. Of those who did respond, 59% paid for Press Trips/FAM Tours, 56% paid for Branded Content creation (blog posts, photos, and/or videos); 39% paid for advertising (usually in the form of sponsored posts and paid social media promotion); 24% paid for Brand Ambassadorships; 15% for Product Reviews; and 13% for other things (including e-books, Instagram takeovers, and attending meet-ups).

7) What percentage of your marketing budget is earmarked for working with bloggers?

Here’s the bad news: 79% of our respondents said that less than 20% of their budget goes for paying bloggers, and many of those had no budget whatsoever. Around 15% of them use 21-40% of their marketing budget to pay bloggers for their services, and only 6% had 41-60% of their total budget earmarked for blogger campaigns.

BUSINESS OF BLOGGING SURVEY INSIGHTS

There are some simple conclusions about the travel blogging industry that we can draw by comparing the results of our 2014 and 2017 surveys:

• PR and Marketing reps are working with bloggers more often now than they were four years ago, and most expect that frequency to gradually increase in the years to come.

• Bloggers’ traffic and social media followers remain important stats, but many companies are placing increasingly high value on demographics and other aspects of brand alignment.

• Intangible elements such as authenticity, authority, and professionalism are now considered just as important as traffic, which marked a major shift since our first survey. (Coincidentally, in 2018 Google updated its algorithm to prioritize EAT– expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness.)

• There are more and more companies wanting to work with bloggers, but most of the brands we surveyed have little to no budget for paying them.

• Those companies that do pay bloggers primarily hire them for press trips/FAM tours, creating branded content, and advertising (usually in the form of sponsored posts or paid social media promotion).

The problem for professional bloggers is that, with thousands of new people starting a travel blog each year, there’s ever-increasing competition for a relatively small pool of paid projects.

Fortunately, we have developed our own strategy for long-term blogging success that’s based in the concept of business branding, which can help even beginning bloggers to stand out.

READ MORE:   Bret & Mary- A Story About Lo ve  (How Green Global Travel Was Born)

BRANDING STRATEGY FOR TRAVEL BLOGGERS

Branding , whether personal or organizational, is basically a means of communicating who we are and what we stand for. It’s about defining the unique identity that separates you and your business from everyone else.  

Branding is an organic process through which you can build your business on a solid foundation, providing the roots from which your blog can grow sustainably over time. Think of it like a map: It’s not just about where you are now as a blogger, but a guide to help get you wherever you want to go.

Branding also provides a blueprint for every decision you make about your blog in the future. “Does this choice help me achieve my mission for my brand?” If the answer is yes, then go for it. If not, you may want to consider the Opportunity Cost involved.

Defined as “the loss of potential gain from other alternatives when one alternative is chosen,” Opportunity Cost is a way of examining the consequences of every choice we make, including the positives that result from our decision and the negatives that come from not taking a different path.

For example, were recently offered an all-expenses-paid press trip to Saudi Arabia for a major auto racing event being held there. But it’s not really eco-friendly, to say nothing of the sociopolitical ramifications of visiting that country , and therefore not the best fit for Green Global Travel.

Every decision we make for our travel blogging brand is either a deposit or a withdrawal from the trust invested by our readers. And like any investment, depleting the account balance causes people to lose interest. When it comes to our brand, we always prefer to put long-term strategy over short-term gain.

To put a finer point on it, branding provides a tangible way for people to understand and recognize your identity; differentiates you from others in your niche; communicates your values and ideas effectively; and distills all the elements of your vision for your business into an easily digestible whole.

It’s not about following everyone else’s path to success, but blazing your own trail. Here’s a look at the 10 most important steps in creating a brand that will lead to a long-term sustainable blogging business.

READ MORE: How We Quadrupled Our Travel Blog Traffic in 6 Months

10 Steps for Building a Brand For Your Blog

• Mission Statement
• Social Media
• PR Outreach
• Native Advertising
• Freelance Work

1. Mission Statement

Your Mission Statement defines your purpose for existing, spelling out your goals and guiding your decisions. It should answer some pretty deep questions about your blog as succinctly as possible:

Who are you as a business? What drives you? Who is your target audience, and why should they care about you? What are the defining values that set you apart? The best brands always stand for something. This is a great way to explain what it is that makes you and your blog tick.

Our mission statement is the first thing readers see:  We believe that Ecotourism– responsible travel that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people– is the future of travel. Our mission is to share our deep love for Ecotourism adventures, inspire people to travel and live more sustainably, and encourage everyone to do their part to make the world a better place. 

2. Brand Name

It’s been said that choosing a Brand Name is only 20% creative & 80% practical. Your blog’s name is one of your most valuable assets, so it’s worth taking the time to research thoroughly. You want something that tells your story and helps you stand out in the crowd.

When we came up with Green Global Travel, we brainstormed a whole list of different ideas, researched which keywords were most search-friendly (and had URLs available), and then picked the one that sounded best in a linguistic sense. Green Global Travel just kind of rolled off the tongue.

One last suggestion: Make sure your brand name reflects your mission statement well, but try not to box yourself into a corner. You probably won’t be a 20-something, Solo, Nomadic, Round-the-World Backpacker forever…

Your Tagline is a like a 10-second elevator pitch in which you summarize what your brand is all about. When done right, it should clearly communicate your unique brand identity in 10 words or less.

Because our site focuses on conserving nature, wildlife, culture, and history, we started our blog with the tagline, “Saving the world, one story at a time.”

Taglines are the easiest part of your branding to change, so don’t be afraid to adapt it as your brand grows. Our current tagline is, “ Ecotourism is an adventure that changes lives.”

Other examples include our friends at the Center for Responsible Travel, who went with “Transforming the way the world travels,” while the Nature Conservancy’s tagline is “Protecting Nature. Preserving Life.” In each case, the tagline is short and easy to remember, and the mission is clear and concise.

Think of your Logo as the face of your travel blogging business. It should be a visual representation of yourself, your goals for your business, and your blog’s reason for being.

For Green Global Travel’s logo, we chose an African-inspired font to reflect the fact that I first learned about ecotourism in South Africa .

Then we incorporated a tree frog and hummingbird to pay tribute to Costa Rica , where we originally came up with the idea for the site. We used the colors green (trees and grass) and blue (skies and ocean) to symbolize Nature.

There are five different types of logos– wordmarks (such as Google), letterforms (Yahoo), emblems (LEED), pictorial marks (Apple) and abstract marks (Nike). Logos also evolve over time in order to stay current with design trends. But the best ones, such as IBM, remain virtually unchanged.

5. Web Design

Websites are considered the #1 branding tool– not just for blogs, but for business in general. And because web technology is changing so rapidly, Web Design is the branding element likely to change most frequently over time.

Many of the world’s top travel blogs undergo huge design changes every 3-5 years. We completely redesigned ours in 2017.

There are many things to consider when planning your site design, including the graphics, typography, imagery that reinforces your Brand identity, ease of navigability, and mobile responsiveness.

It’s also worth researching the psychology of color, as studies have shown that 60% of consumer decisions to purchase a product are based on color. How do the main colors of your site influence your readers’ feelings?

Content has been a HUGE factor in Green Global Travel’s success. As mentioned above, 91% of DMOs, tour operators, and PR firms we surveyed said that content quality is the most important intangible factor in determining which bloggers they want to work with.

So clearly, the stories we tell and the photos and videos we share on our blogs and social media channels are a critical element in the branding process.

Every story on your site should help to reinforce brand identity in some way, because Branding provides both you and your audience with a clear map of expectations.

To reinforce your brand with quality content, we recommend telling impactful stories that make it clear why readers should care; exploring storytelling forms that appeal to different types of readers in your niche; being transparent when there is sponsorship involved; avoiding too much self-promotion; and making sure that any guest posts align with your mission.

READ MORE: 10 Simple Wildlife Photography Tips

7. Social Media

To quote branding expert Matt Dunn, “ Social Media is an amazing tool through which we can build, energize and empower communities to support our Brand .”

Social media is not just about sharing your own stories and engaging with your followers; it’s also an opportunity to establish your brand as a leading authority in its niche.

We always recommend that our clients use social media to be a content curator, not just a creator. By sharing stories from other great content creators within your niche, you convey to your followers that they can trust you as an expert authority on the types of content they’re interested in.

Social media can also be strategic as well: Sharing stories from a company or blogger you want to work with is a great way to establish a connection. When we write about a DMO, environmental charity , or tour operator, tagging them on social media often leads to them sharing our stories with their audience.

8. PR Outreach

PR Outreach has been a huge factor for us in terms of creating sponsorship opportunities, press trip partnerships, freelance assignments, and more. Because of my print media background, connecting with travel industry PR people was part of our branding process from the beginning.

Before we even started our travel blog, we made a list of every company in our niche that we admired, aligned with ideologically, or wanted to work with. We included DMOs, tour operators, gear manufacturers, agencies, non-profit organizations, and media outlets.

Then we researched the PR/Marketing reps from each company to find their name, email address & other contact info, which Mary put into a spreadsheet. Whenever we have big news to announce–maybe a few times a year– we’ll send out a press release to our contact lists.

It usually takes at least 3 to 5 press releases to get someone’s attention. But by slowly and steadily cluing people into what your blog is about and marking the milestones on your journey, you eventually define your Brand in their mind as a leading authority. In essence, you’re helping PR reps do their job.

As a bonus, these press releases can also lead to media coverage for your blog, which provides broader exposure and allows you to reinforce your Brand message through other channels.

9. Native Advertising

Sponsored posts can be a thorny topic in the travel blogging world, and everyone has their own opinions about if, and how, they should be done. We’re not here to judge anyone else’s business model, but we believe in full disclosure and have found an approach that works for us.

A few years ago I became fascinated by the concept of Native Advertising , which is designed to be seamlessly cohesive with your blog’s other content. In these types of sponsored posts, the story isn’t really about the advertiser, but instead is designed to help your audience.

For example, we sold sponsorship of an in-depth story on the History and Different Types of Glamping to an upscale dude ranch. We sold sponsorship of a story on The Best Road Trips in the World to a company that rented camper vans. The best part is, once the sponsorship period is over, the sponsor’s name and link are removed and you still have a great post that can generate ad revenue for years!

We also sell sponsorships of our trips to companies who align with our Brand and want to reach our audience. The Oslo-based Helly Hansen clothing sponsored our Fjords of Norway road trip , while Enterprise Rental Car sponsored our trip to  Great Smoky Mountains National Park . Again, it’s all about Brand alignment and finding a natural fit that doesn’t interfere with content quality.

10. Freelance Work

For a long time, there was a significant portion of my Freelance Work that wasn’t well-aligned with the GGT Brand. But, as we discussed earlier, having freelance outlets is a HUGE factor for attracting press trips and other partnerships.

Over the last few years we’ve focused our efforts on only pitching outlets that would allow us to cover our core topics– ecotourism, adventure, conservation of nature/wildlife, and indigenous culture– for a broader audience than we can reach with our site.

We had to work our way up the ladder, which occasionally meant writing for less than our normal freelance rate or working for free (for non-profits such as World Wildlife Fund and Sustainable Travel International ) .

But, going back to what we said about considering opportunity cost when making decisions, this “free labor” was a strategic decision that paid off incredible long-term dividends. Our agency, Green Travel Media ,  signed a content marketing deal with International Expeditions in 2014 that was worth more than we made in all of 2013! And we’ve been their content agency of record ever since.

READ MORE: How I Became a Professional Writer

20 TRAVEL BLOGGING TIPS FOR BEGINNERS

Using these branding strategies and following our business instincts, we’ve made a lot of smart choices, a few dumb mistakes, and learned an awful lot about blogging along the way. Here, we share some of our best travel blogging tips for beginners. Hopefully, they’ll help you as you create your travel blog and embark upon the entrepreneurial adventure of a lifetime!

1. If you want to be a professional travel blogger, focus on your passion. Whether it’s a specific style of travel, a specific region, or a specific activity you enjoy in destinations around the world, make sure it’s something you’ll love long-term. The more unique your blog is, the more you’ll standing out.

2. It’s relatively easy to start a travel blog these days, but it takes a lot of work to build a sustainable blogging business. Strategizing a solid business plan will make things easier as your blog grows and evolves. Don’t worry about having a rigid structure: Just outline your big picture goals and the steps you foresee taking in order to achieve them. This can be a great map towards the future you want.

3. It’s not enough these days to be a solo travel blogger, adventure travel blogger, or responsible travel blogger. The industry has grown too much and gotten too crowded to rely on niche (or personality) alone. These days you need to build a solid brand. Make sure your blog’s name, logo, design, mission statement, and content all work together to define your brand, or others will define it for you.

READ MORE:   European Travel Guru Rick Steves on Travel Blogging

4. Quitting your job to travel sounds great, but most people who start a travel blog don’t make much money. In fact, 48% of professional travel bloggers make less than $15,000 a year, while 24.8% make less than $30,000/year. In short, 72.8% of all professional travel bloggers make less than $15 an hour. If you don’t have a lot of savings, keep another source of income to give your blog time to grow.

5.  ALWAYS put your readers and the story first. Getting advertisers or sponsors are great, but building a strong community of people who are actively interested in your work is what will keep the advertisers and sponsors coming back to work with you. Focus on strengthening your storytelling by honing your journalism skills, and your brand will inevitably benefit.

6. It’s important to study what successful travel bloggers have done before. But this business is constantly changing, and it’s often the innovators rather than the imitators who get ahead.

READ MORE:   Jeff Greenwald, the World’s First Travel Blogger

7, When it comes to blogging, nobody does EVERYTHING well. It’s important to know your strengths and weaknesses. Consider paying others to do the work you either can’t do, or simply don’t like to do. We’re good at content marketing and SEO , but we suck at web design and the technical side of running a site, so we hire others to do it for us.

8. Don’t be afraid to reach out to other bloggers to ask for help. One of the reasons we started the Business of Blogging Facebook group back in 2012 was that we saw too many veterans getting snarky with newbies who asked for travel blogging tips. Not every blogger will respond positively, but those who do tend to provide really sound advice based on years of experience.

9. Once you learn how to be successful in travel blogging, pay it forward. Sharing knowledge and sharing stories from other bloggers who fit your brand establishes good karma, makes you a content curator, and helps build a stronger travel blogging industry. As it grows, all truly professional travel bloggers benefit, and there’s plenty of work and money to go around.

READ MORE:  Andrew McCarthy on Travel Blogging, Fear & the Journey of the Soul

10. Try not to waste too much time comparing yourself to others. There will ALWAYS be someone whose blog grows faster and becomes more successful than yours. Stay in your lane, follow your passion, and focus on building the best travel blogging brand you can build, and success will come in time. You’ll find that the biggest challenge is simply outlasting the competition.

11. Never stop learning about the business of blogging, because it’s always changing. Read articles about the specific skill sets you want to master, take online courses, go to conferences and workshops in order to improve yourself. We didn’t master SEO until 2017- seven years into our blogging career! Education, dedication, and persistence are the keys to growth and success.

12. It’s hard, but try not to focus too much on stats, especially in the early days after you first start a travel blog. It’s a distraction from what really matters, which is creating quality content. Then you can learn how to use the tools of the trade we discussed above to help build your traffic.

READ MORE: Don George on Travel Blogging, Writing & “Working for Exposure”

13.  Try to listen to all of the blogging advice that will inevitably come your way. But it’s also important to know when to ignore it completely. People can only tell you what works in their experience, not yours. You ultimately have to find your own path and define what blogging success looks like for you.

14. Please, for the love of all that is good and holy in this world, do not use the word FREE. If you’re getting a comped press trip, tour, or product, there is always an expectation of coverage in return. Call it a barter, an exchange, a trade of goods and services, but THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS FREE.

15. The world does not need any more travel blogging divas. We heard so many horror stories about blogger behavior from our industry surveys, it was truly shocking. Nobody likes it (especially other bloggers), it makes you look like an asshat, and believe me when I tell you that word in both the blogging and PR industries travels fast . There really is a blacklist!

READ MORE: Peter Greenberg on the Travel Business, Travel Blogging & Budget Travel

16. Starting a travel blog and traveling the world is an amazing thing, but it’s not the only thing that matters. We’ve watched a lot of full-time nomads get burned out and quit the industry entirely over the years. Finding balance is important if you want your blog to be a sustainable long-term business.

17. Travel blogging makes you a public figure, and everything you do (whether online or in person) is basically in the public domain. Conduct yourself accordingly (especially at travel conferences, where some attendees tend to party too hard), or you risk being derided as the Lindsey Lohan or Kim Kardashian of the blogging world.

18. Travel blogging can be a lonely life, so it’s important to find your tribe and be part of a supportive community. Facebook groups like The Business of Blogging, We Travel We Blog , and DNW- Making Money From Blogging are a great place to start, but small mastermind groups also work well.

READ MORE: Thoughts on Travel Blogging, Suicide and Living the Dream

19. The more you succeed as a travel blogger, the more haters you’ll likely attract. And more often than not it seems to come from other bloggers! It’s important to remember that their hate is never about you, but about whatever is going on with them– jealousy, feelings of inadequacy, whatever. It’s important to understand it, but of course that doesn’t excuse it.

20. Your blogging brand– your website, your social media channels, etc.– are yours to control. Constructive criticism is one thing, but don’t let the trolls and haters be abusive or disrespectful of you, your brand, or your readers on your turf.

If you’ve read this far, we hope you’ll find this story helpful as you create a travel blog and build your travel blogging business. We wish you the best of luck with all your travel blogging endeavors, and look forward to meeting you at a travel conference soon! –Bret Love & Tammi Dooley

This post contains affiliate links. But our opinions are our own, and we will never compromise the integrity of our relationship with our readers.

About the Author

Green Global Travel is the world's #1 independently owned ecotourism website encouraging others to embrace sustainable travel, wildlife conservation, cultural preservation, and going green tips for more sustainable living.

We've been spotlighted in major media outlets such as the BBC, Chicago Tribune, Forbes, The Guardian, Lonely Planet, National Geographic, Travel Channel, Washington Post and others.

Owned by Bret Love (a veteran journalist/photographer) and Mary Gabbett (business manager/videographer), USA Today named us one of the world's Top 5 Travel Blogging Couples. We were also featured in the 2017 National Geographic book, Ultimate Journeys for Two, for which we contributed a chapter on our adventures in Rwanda. Other awards we've won include Best Feature from both the Caribbean Tourism Organization and the Magazine Association of the Southeast.

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Join Tom Bromley for a writing master class and finish your first draft in 3 months.

14 Best Travel Creative Writing Classes in 2024

Showing 14 courses that match your search.

One-day Travel Writing Workshop

Travel Writing Workshop

Led by Peter Carty, this one-day workshop in central London, also available online, caters to beginners and journalists alike, aiming to equip them with practical skills for travel writing. The workshop, which includes sessions from 10:00 am to 5:30 pm, covers topics like selecting travel subjects, research skills, prose improvement, and getting published, with a fee of £155 including post-workshop support​​​​​​​​.

Website: https://www.travelwritingworkshop.co.uk/about-the-travel-...

Categories: Travel

Start date:

Open all year round

Prerequisites: No prerequisites

Travel Writing Master Class I

Write Like A Honey Badger

This six-week online workshop, led by experienced instructors including Amanda Castleman, is designed to elevate travel writing skills. Suitable for intermediate to expert authors, it focuses on enhancing narrative storytelling, imagery, and investigative tactics. The course costs includes weekly detailed developmental edits, peer critiques, and lectures. Students can expect to refine their work through diverse lenses, gaining skills applicable to various publications​​.

Website: https://www.writelikeahoneybadger.com/classes/travel-writ...

September, 2024

Travel Writing I

A six-week workshop priced at $420, this course delves into the glamorous yet challenging world of travel writing. It teaches the mechanics of creating compelling travel stories and the practicalities of planning trips and crafting engaging articles​.

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Travel Writing

Gotham Writers

Ideal for beginners, this 10-week workshop delves into travel writing. Participants will engage in lectures, exercises, and student project critiques, gaining a solid foundation in the essential skills and techniques for effective travel writing.

Website: https://wp.writingclasses.com/courses/travel-writing/

Writer's Digest University

Embark on a six-week journey to becoming a travel writer with this course. Learn to craft engaging travel articles, develop your writing style, and turn your passion for travel and writing into a dream career.

Website: https://www.writersonlineworkshops.com/courses/travel-wri...

This six-week course, led by the experienced writer Eva Shaw, Ph.D., teaches you to turn travel experiences into compelling articles and books. It covers translating sensory experiences into writing, understanding the travel market's styles and trends, writing query letters, and the essentials of publishing. Shaw's extensive writing experience adds depth to the course.

Website: https://www.ed2go.com/courses/writing/writing-and-editing...

Freelance Travelwriting & Photography Course

New Zealand Institute of Business Studies

This course trains aspiring travel writers and photojournalists to turn their travel experiences into stories and images that sell. It covers fresh ideas for travel stories, business aspects of selling copy, and writing for various travel-related media. The course is conducted by correspondence, offering flexibility with a recommended study time of 4-5 hours per week over 12 months. The curriculum includes topics like freelance travel writing, photography, style, defamation, and copyright.

Website: https://nzibs.co.nz/freelance-travelwriting-photography-c...

Online Travel Writing & Marketing Master Class

Pitch Travel Write

This online course, recorded live in Seattle, is tailored for novice travel writers or those struggling to sell their articles. It offers a comprehensive approach to travel writing and marketing, including 63 video sessions on key topics like marketing and selling stories, working with tourist agencies, building relationships with editors, and improving writing skills. The course is designed for flexible learning and is accessible from the comfort of your home, allowing you to learn at your own pace and schedule.

Website: https://www.pitchtravelwrite.com/online-travel-writing-wo...

The Ultimate Travel Journalism Course

Morris Journalism Academy

This course is a comprehensive guide to freelance travel writing, delivered online over 12 or 24 weeks. It covers the essential skills and knowledge needed for success in travel journalism and writing. Students learn to analyze travel pieces, develop story ideas, edit drafts, and submit their work to various publications. Upon completion, graduates receive a Certificate of Completion and an INS Media Pass, which can open doors to further opportunities. The course is designed to teach the skills required to earn income through travel writing, making it ideal for those passionate about travel and writing.

Website: https://travelwritingacademy.com/about-the-course

Freelance and Travel Writing

The London School of Journalism

This course, spanning 15 lessons and 35 exercises over 12-15 months, is perfect for those looking to combine their love for travel with a writing career. It offers flexibility to focus on individual writing interests, including specialized tuition in travel writing, and equips students with fundamental freelance writing skills​​​​.

Website: https://www.lsj.org/courses/distance-learning/freelance-a...

Travel Writing Overdrive

Productivity Power

Led by award-winning travel writer and author Tim Leffel, this 12-module video-based course is designed for travel bloggers and freelance writers. It covers increasing blog traffic, gaining influence, and securing more paid jobs. The course aims to enhance writers' income streams and includes strategies for achieving greater impact in the travel writing field​​.

Website: https://productivitypower.net/p/travel-writing-overdrive

Travel Writing: Explore the World & Publish Your Stories!

In this course, you'll learn how to have grand adventures that inspire bold storytelling. The instructor shares tips for enriching travel experiences and creating meaningful personal encounters, even for introverts, to fuel your creative writing.

Website: https://www.udemy.com/course/travel-writing-class

How to choose a travel writing class

Looking to build your writing skillset, learn more about your genre, or finally finish that travel article you’ve been working on? You’re in the right place. That’s why we built this directory of the best creative writing courses.

However, creative writing classes aren’t one size fit all. If you’re planning to join a travel writing class in particular, you’ll want to make sure that it matches what you’re seeking to learn about travel writing.

So make sure to consider the following questions when you’re researching travel writing courses:

• Who is the instructor? How many years of experience do they have in travel writing?
• Is there something in particular you’d like to learn about travel writing? Does this course include it?
• How long is the course, and where is it taught?
• How much does the travel writing course cost? Does it fit into your budget?

More travel writing resources

Whether you’re a new or established author, there are always evergreen resources out there to how to get a headstart on travel writing. 

Free online materials

• 12 Types of Travel Writing Everyone Should Know (blog post)
• Get tips on crafting your first novel from top Reedsy experts (blog post)
• How to Edit a Book (blog post)
• How to Write a Book Proposal (blog post)

Recommended books

• For writers in the UK:  Writers' & Artists' Yearbook  
• For writers in the US:  Writer’s Market 2020

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Travel Writing Workshop

This workshop designed for both frequent travelers as well as those of us who don’t always get to hop on a plane, but absolutely love to explore. Writing creates a space for us to process our experiences in a way that we hadn’t before, and uncover new insights.

We’ll participate in interactive writing activities and learn how to process our own experiences on paper. During the online Travel Writing Workshop we will:

• Understand our urge to write
• Uncover insights from our past travel experiences
• Capture the sights, tastes, smells, and sounds that stimulate us
• Feel the impact our words have on other travelers

Once you complete the workshop, you will have the opportunity to:

• Publish your travel experiences on Pink Pangea
• Receive feedback on your writing from Pink Pangea’s editor
• Gain exposure for your writing
• Access a Pink Pangea Writers’ Facebook group, where we share press trip giveaways, writing opportunities, books to review, and more
• All participants will receive a recording of the workshop

After completing workshops, participants have written for major publications, launched their own blogs, or continued to write in their journals. Others have simply enjoyed trying something new.

Time: 1 hour Location: Online Cost: $12 Register Here:

“I came out of it a different person than I went in…[Jaclyn] made us linger in our discomfort long enough to compel us to make a change. In fact, she had to relinquish control in order for it to be a catalyst. That’s a mark of a great teacher.” – Stephen Elliot, Travel Writing Workshop participant

“I gained confidence to tackle upcoming projects, even the most daring ones.” – Pola Henderson

“Pink Pangea’s online workshop helped mediate an important realization. When I sit down to write a travel-oriented piece, I feel stuck. I feel trapped in my home country, when most of my best travel memories are from abroad. However, the workshop helped me tap into a creative atmosphere. It can be all about your mindset, not your physical location.” – Danielle Corcione,  Online Travel Writing Workshop participant

“The workshop provided a safe and inspiring space to think about my own writing, and hear from other travelers and writers. I came away with some concrete tools, and an idea or two for future pieces!” – Rachel Romesburg Rice, Online Travel Writing Workshop participant

About the facilitator, Jaclyn Mishal

Jaclyn Mishal is a co-founder of Pink Pangea .  Since 2006, Jaclyn has worked in the travel industry, connecting thousands of individuals with international academic, volunteer, and internship opportunities. In addition to her work devoted to making the “gap year” mainstream, Jaclyn played an integral role in developing international service learning programs.

An entrepreneur, writing teacher and an inspirational public speaker, Jaclyn’s speciality is guiding people to express themselves fully. Her creative guided writing activities help even the most seasoned writers break out of their habits and expand their abilities.

Jaclyn has led writing and Fearless Living workshops internationally in partnership with colleges and companies, including Google, Barnard College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Wellesley College, Wagner College, REI, Global Yoga Journeys and Hostelling International. Each year, Jaclyn leads writing retreats in Costa Rica, Italy, Switzerland, Spain, Greece, Portugal and Israel. According to Jaclyn, writing enables us to access parts of ourselves that we may have trouble expressing otherwise.

Jaclyn holds a B.S. from Binghamton University. She is a certified yoga instructor, whose travels have taken her through the Middle East, Europe, North America, Central America and Southeast Asia.

Jaclyn’s maternal grandmother survived the Holocaust and her paternal grandmother fled Baghdad, Iraq. To them, Jaclyn dedicates her work to providing a space for women to share their stories.

Read testimonials from past travel writing workshop participants here . For more information about Pink Pangea’s online writing workshops email us at [email protected] .

Pink Pangea’s Online Travel Writing Workshop

Travel Writing Workshop top photo credit by Jessica Shen captured during Pink Pangea’s Writing & Hiking Retreat in the Swiss Alps in Brienz.

Questions about our upcoming workshops or retreats? Email us at [email protected] . We can’t wait to hear from you.

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These are the furthest places you can travel to from Toronto by car

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Road trip season is just around the corner, and while there are countless destinations in Toronto's backyard worth exploring this summer , they might not satisfy those looking to really put some mileage on their odometers.

blogTO has covered travel curiosities like the longest flight out of Toronto , and even the shortest flight you can take from the city. But those who prefer to travel closer to the ground will be surprised to learn just how far from the 416 you can venture on a set of wheels without ever lifting off on a plane.

Tropical and even Arctic destinations can be reached by car from Toronto if you're willing to put in the hours and brave treacherous road conditions.

So, how far can you actually drive from Toronto? It turns out you can travel quite a surprising distance, with the maximum direct voyage spanning 7,250 kilometres across eight countries, ending in one of the most remote regions on the planet amid the rainforests of Panama.

The absolute longest direct trip from Toronto you can take without resorting to an airplane or car ferry entails 90 hours — almost four days — of nonstop driving through southern Ontario, the American heartland and several Central American countries via the Pan-American Highway that covers most (but not all) of the west coast of the Americas.

The Pan-American Highway's northern end reaches its southern terminus at the small Panamanian village of Yaviza, at the edge of a region known as the Darién Gap.

This remote, mountainous, and densely rainforested area forms a dividing line between Central and South America. No roads, not even primitive dirt paths, cross this gap — meaning it is the furthest south one can drive from anywhere on the North and Central American landmass.

Google Maps

Don't expect much in the way of tourist accommodations if you visit, though. If adventure tourism isn't your thing, this might not be the trip for you.

But what if you do love adventure and you're just not a warm-weather type?

Fear not, as there is another very long road trip you can take, if inclined, that will cross through some equally rugged — but much colder — landscapes, leading you all the way to the Arctic Ocean.

The drive from Toronto to Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, spans an unbelievable 7,200 kilometres, including a final stretch along the Dalton Highway, one of the northernmost paved roads on the planet.

At 75-76 hours drive time, you'd be on the road for more than three full days to get to this destination above the Arctic Circle. Accommodations in Prudhoe Bay are spartan, but visitors still often make the trek from larger Alaskan cities to see the tundra landscapes and midnight sun during warmer summer months.

I wouldn't suggest either of these trips for the casual driver, as they will take you through long stretches of remote areas that, without adequate preparation and supplies, could turn into a really bad time.

With that in mind, happy trekking!

Francesco Veronesi /Wikimedia Commons| FloridaStock /Shutterstock

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Automatic Refunds and No More Hidden Fees: D.O.T. Sets New Rules for Airlines

The Transportation Department issued new requirements on refunds when flights are canceled or delayed and on revealing “junk” fees before booking. Here’s what passengers can expect.

By Christine Chung

The Transportation Department on Wednesday announced new rules taking aim at two of the most difficult and annoying issues in air travel: obtaining refunds and encountering surprise fees late in the booking process.

“Passengers deserve to know upfront what costs they are facing and should get their money back when an airline owes them — without having to ask,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in a statement, adding that the changes would not only save passengers “time and money,” but also prevent headaches.

The department’s new rules, Mr. Buttigieg said, will hold airlines to clear and consistent standards when they cancel, delay or substantially change flights, and require automatic refunds to be issued within weeks. They will also require them to reveal all fees before a ticket is purchased.

Airlines for America , a trade group representing the country’s largest air carriers, said in a statement that its airlines “abide by and frequently exceed” D.O.T. consumer protection regulations.

Passenger advocates welcomed the new steps.

Tomasz Pawliszyn, the chief executive of AirHelp, a Berlin-based company that assists passengers with airline claims, called it a “massive step forward and huge improvement in consumer rights and protection” that brings the United States closer to global standards in passenger rights.

Here’s what we know about the D.O.T.’s new rules, which will begin to go into effect in October.

There’s now one definition for a “significant” delay.

Until now, airlines have been allowed to set their own definition for a “significant” delay and compensation has varied by carrier . Now, according to the D.O.T., there will be one standard: when departure or arrival is delayed by three hours for domestic flights and six hours for international flights.

Passengers will get prompt refunds for cancellations or significant changes for flights and delayed bags, for any reason.

When things go wrong, getting compensation from an airline has often required establishing a cumbersome paper trail or spending untold hours on the phone. Under the new rules, refunds will be automatic, without passengers having to request them. Refunds will be made in full, excepting the value of any transportation already used. Airlines and ticket agents must provide refunds in the original form of payment, whether by cash, credit card or airline miles. Refunds are due within seven days for credit card purchases and within 20 days for other payments.

Passengers with other flight disruptions, such as being downgraded to a lower service class, are also entitled to refunds.

The list of significant changes for which passengers can get their money back also includes: departure or arrival from an airport different from the one booked; connections at different airports or flights on planes that are less accessible to a person with a disability; an increase in the number of scheduled connections. Also, passengers who pay for services like Wi-Fi or seat selection that are then unavailable will be refunded any fees.

Airlines must give travel vouchers or credits to ticketed passengers unable to fly because of government restrictions or a doctor’s orders.

The vouchers or credits will be transferable and can be used for at least five years after the date they were issued.

Fees for checked baggage and modifying a reservation must be disclosed upfront.

Airlines and ticket agents are now required to display any extra fees for things like checking bags or seat selection clearly and individually before a ticket purchase. They will also need to outline the airline’s policies on baggage, cancellations and changing flights before a customer purchases a ticket.

The rules, which apply to all flights on domestic airlines and flights to and from the United States operated by foreign airlines, have varying start dates.

For example, automatic refunds must be instituted by the airlines within six months. But carriers have a year before they’re required to issue travel vouchers and credits for passengers advised by a medical professional not to fly.

Follow New York Times Travel on Instagram and sign up for our weekly Travel Dispatch newsletter to get expert tips on traveling smarter and inspiration for your next vacation. Dreaming up a future getaway or just armchair traveling? Check out our 52 Places to Go in 2024 .

Christine Chung is a Times reporter covering airlines and consumer travel. More about Christine Chung

Open Up Your World

Considering a trip, or just some armchair traveling here are some ideas..

52 Places:  Why do we travel? For food, culture, adventure, natural beauty? Our 2024 list has all those elements, and more .

Mumbai:  Spend 36 hours in this fast-changing Indian city  by exploring ancient caves, catching a concert in a former textile mill and feasting on mangoes.

Kyoto:  The Japanese city’s dry gardens offer spots for quiet contemplation  in an increasingly overtouristed destination.

Iceland:  The country markets itself as a destination to see the northern lights. But they can be elusive, as one writer recently found .

Texas:  Canoeing the Rio Grande near Big Bend National Park can be magical. But as the river dries, it’s getting harder to find where a boat will actually float .

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The Charger Blog

University Hosts Immersive Satellite Imagery Workshop

Satellite imagery is becoming an increasingly valuable tool in many fields, and several Chargers recently had the opportunity to learn how to apply it to do everything from tracking the conflict in Ukraine to determining whether images had been tampered with.

April 25, 2024

By Renee Chmiel, Office of Marketing and Communications

As Rachel Swanson ’24 examined the satellite images before her, she was learning how to decipher what was in them, as well as whether they’d been altered. It was a unique and exciting opportunity for her to build her skills while learning with and from her fellow Chargers.

The session was part of an interdisciplinary workshop that was recently held on campus. Titled “Monitoring Conflict from Space: Satellite Imagery as ‘Unbiased” Data,’” it brought together students and faculty for a timely discussion about the importance of satellite images and how they can be a vital tool in many fields, from national security and political science to environmental science .

“Being able to use this knowledge is important because it can be beneficial to know how to look at an image,” said Swanson, a criminal justice major . “I enjoy getting to learn from experts who can teach me different forms of analysis that I can carry with me into my career.”

A rare opportunity

Interest in the use of satellite images has been increasing, and imagery is becoming more readily available. Professionals in a variety of fields are turning to satellite imagery as a critical source of data. As part of the workshop, participants explored real-life situations and events. They tracked the development of Russian military forces along the border of Ukraine in 2014 and explored how the data can inform our understanding of the geopolitical situation in the region then and now.

Hosted by the University’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences in collaboration with the University’s Connecticut Institute of Technology and its Center for Analytics , it was organized by Michelle Fabiani, Ph.D. , an assistant professor of criminal justice.

Dr. Fabiani’s research focuses on developing the tools and methods to mitigate and prevent crime, exploring topics such as human smuggling, domestic terrorism, and archaeological looting in conflict zones. Her work integrates technology-driven data collection, historical analysis, and complex quantitative methods – including satellite imagery. She was excited to share her expertise with her fellow Chargers.

“The workshop was well attended, and the participants particularly appreciated the opportunity to work directly with satellite imagery,” said Dr. Fabiani. “It is rare for students or faculty to get to work with raw imagery and to see how the data created from them can be used in making decisions or in a forensic investigation.”

‘A unique skill’

As part of the workshop, participants also learned how to use satellite imagery to generate spatiotemporal data on geopolitical events using the software ArcGIS Pro. The workshop offered a unique opportunity for them to learn to evaluate satellite imagery in the media to determine the authenticity of images.

For Swanson, the criminal justice major, the workshop was expansive, enabling her to build her skills and her network. She enjoyed the immersive learning opportunities it offered.

“This helps me make connections with other people and offers me a unique skill to be able to present what I can do,” she said. “Being able to examine satellite images and tell others what could be wrong with them can create advantages in many ways. This workshop also allowed me to consider how many different ways satellite imagery can be used and the possible good it could do.”

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Graduate Students Present Mental Health Research at Prestigious Conference

Sanmit Jindal ’24 MPH and Krupa Ann Mathew ’24 MPH collaborated with each other and with their faculty mentors as they gathered data at one academic conference and presented their findings at another. It was an exciting opportunity to explore research, to network, and to examine adolescent mental health.

Senior Earns Prestigious Boren Fellowship Award

After she graduates with her bachelor’s degree in international affairs in May, Allison Mahr ’24 will head to the Republic of Georgia with the support of a Boren National Security Fellowship. She’s excited to use the award to build her skills and, ultimately, make an impact in the post-conflict reconstruction of the region.

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120+ Travel Blog Post Ideas For Creating Engaging Content

By Jessie Festa. This guide to travel content ideas contains affiliate links to trusted partners!

Looking for engaging travel blog post ideas ?

Then you’re in the right place!

If you’ve ever sat in front of your laptop wondering, “What should I post on my travel blog?” this article shares over 120 topics — as well as bonus tips for those looking to see success and make money blogging.

Personally, I get most of my blog traffic through keyword research, and these travel blog post titles and topic ideas come from researching what people are actually searching in Google so that you can create content people truly want to read.

And with so many to choose from, you’ll never need to wonder what to write about again or spend hours coming up with new travel blog ideas.

Without further adieu, let’s dive into the list of travel blog content ideas!

Quick tip: There are many tools that make it easier to come up with blog post ideas. Personally, I love Keysearch for finding high traffic keywords. Use code “jessieonajourney30” for 30% off. Additionally, Jasper AI utilizes the power of artificial intelligence to help you come up with content topics, draft outlines, create content, and more – free trial included !

Table of Contents

Travel Blog Content Creation & Promotion Workflow Freebie

Now, I realize that even when you have a ton of travel post ideas it can still be challenging to understand how to create and promote your content.

Luckily, I’ve got a freebie that can help!

It’s a Content Creation & Promotion Workflow Trello Board that will help you plan your blog posts as well as write them and promote them for maximum engagement.

You can grab the free Trello board here .

Grabbed it?

Then let’s continue with our travel blog content strategy.

What Should I Post On My Travel Blog?

Writer’s block for bloggers is a very real thing, as is being confused on what to actually post to see growth.

So, before we dive into the list of travel blog topics , let’s discuss how to determine what to post on your blog.

One smart tactic is starting with a mission statement. You can use the template “I help [group of people] do [how you help].”

From there, you can pinpoint the best travel topics to fulfill that mission and even come up with a few travel blog categories.

For instance, if your mission is to help women feel confident traveling solo, you might write a blog post about how to travel solo in Paris or a guide to overcoming fear when you’re scared to travel alone .

Feeling stuck? You can use a tool like Jasper’s Blog Post Topic Ideas Template for quick and easy help. This tool uses artifical intelligence to instantly generate a list of topics that can engage your audience.

Also, if you’re curious how to write blog posts quickly , Jasper can help you create amazing content almost instantly (though it’s recommended to edit your articles to add a human element).

More on this tool below, though note that you can click here for a 10,000-word free trial of Jasper AI .

120+ Travel Blog Post Ideas For Engaging Content

To come up with the following list, I looked at popular blog post ideas related to travel.

Keep in mind, this list is in no way exhaustive. There truly are a limitless number of travel blog topic ideas that are possible.

Moreover, this list is customizable. You can always tweak any of the travel blog post titles mentioned below to better fit your own niche and audience.

For instance, if an idea mentions compiling a list of travel yoga mats, but you don’t cover yoga, consider what relevant piece of gear you can swap in, like sleeping bags, nutritious TSA-friendly snacks, or camera gear.

Once you’ve narrowed down what you’d like to write about, use a blog content planner to stay organized. You can also follow this strategy on how to plan a year of content in one week to help you save time.

Have ideas for travel blog posts to add?

Leave them in the comments below!

Travel Blog Post Ideas Focused On Travel Tips

A review of your favorite piece of travel gear

Best free travel apps

How to do a Global Entry name change

How to change your passport name

Why duct tape (or another item) is your best travel accessory

How to practice self-care while traveling

How to become a travel hacker

Your top travel hacks

Your top travel tips for introverts

Important advice for the first-time traveler

A list of uncommon travel tips

How to learn a language while traveling

Travel Blog Post Ideas Focused On Trip Planning

How to pack for a long trip with just a carry-on

What to pack for a particular destination

A review of your favorite travel insurance provider

What to wear in a particular destination

How to save up for a round-the-world trip in a certain amount of time

How to choose the perfect suitcase/backpack/luggage

A review of your favorite suitcase

How to ask your boss for an extended travel leave

The best credit cards for travelers

How to prepare your house for vacation

What to do the day before a big trip to prepare

Best Travel Content Ideas About Transportation

Things to do on a long bus ride

How to survive a long flight

What not to do one a plane

How to sleep on a plane

A review of the Eurail pass (or another transportation pass)

A guide to using a city’s transportation, such as the subway in NYC

How to get to the main part of a city from the airport — and vice versa, such as a guide to Bangkok’s airport shuttle

A guide to an airline’s rewards program

The best platforms for booking cheap flight/bus/train tickets

Travel Blog Post Ideas Focused On Destinations

Fun facts about a place

Things to do in a destination during a specific season

A roundup of your favorite tours in a destination

What not to do in a destination

A roundup of your favorite hotels in a destination

How to visit a particular place on a specific budget — such as $50 per day

A roundup of your favorite restaurants in a destination

The cheapest countries to visit on a certain continent

Your top travel tips for a specific destination

Travel Blog Post Ideas For When You Can’t Leave & Must Travel At Home

A recipe from a particular place, including a background story of the dish

Your favorite travel-inspired beauty ritual

Your favorite travel-themed craft

How to throw a dinner party inspired by a specific destination

How to transform your living space into a destination or give your space a makeover inspired by a particular place

Do a souvenir show-and-tell and share the story behind your favorite travel finds

Cocktail recipes from around the world

A roundup of your favorite movies set in a particular destination

A roundup of your favorite books set in a particular destination

How to visit the places featured in a certain movie

How to visit the places featured in a certain book

A roundup of inspiring TED Talks related to travel

Niche Travel Blog Post Ideas

Note: Feel free to swap in your own travel blog niche for any of the below ideas.

The best destinations for a budget-friendly wellness experience

Best weekend getaways for couples

The best destinations for solo female travelers

Best bookstores around the world

How to plan a cruise vacation

How to book an ethical volunteer trip

Best female travel blogs

How to stay safe when traveling solo

Relaxing couples vacations

Common work-related travel expenses

Top luxury travel companies

Meals from around the world

Cheap travel insurance for families

Best luxury hotels in the world

How to avoid the single supplement when traveling solo

Tips for flying with a baby

Lesbian travel groups

Outdoor vacations for couples

Fun trips for kids

Best travel yoga mats

How to travel with a yoga mat

Best hiking vacations

Top guided backpacking trips

Best travel baby gear

Gifts for traveling couples

The top all-inclusive family vacations

Best family beach destinations

Tips for traveling with grandchildren

Quotes about family travel

Travel jobs for couples

Top liveaboard dive trips

Fun yoga and hiking retreats

Top spiritual yoga retreats

Safest countries for LGBTQ+ travelers

Holiday Blog Post Ideas For Travel Bloggers

Best gifts for a certain type of traveler — such as the best gifts for solo female travelers

How to book cheap Christmas vacations

How to find cheap Thanksgiving flights

Where to travel during Christmas

Best Christmas markets in europe

Traditional Christmas desserts from around the world

Top Jewish heritage tours

Delicious Kwanzaa recipes

Inspirational Blog Post Ideas For Travel Bloggers

Lessons learned from traveling to X# countries

What travel teaches you

Benefits of traveling

How travel changes your brain

Inspiration travel quotes

Recount one of your favorite funny travel stories

Share an inspiring love story from the road

Share one of your favorite inspiring travel stories about the kindness of strangers abroad

Summer Blog Post Ideas For Travel Bloggers

Cheap summer vacations

Places to visit in summer in the USA

Summer vacation ideas for families

A summer travel guide for a particular destination — or you can even niche down to a specific month, such as July Travel In Seattle

Best travel-sized sunscreens

Stylish active swimsuits

Fall Blog Post Ideas For Travel Bloggers

Where to go apple picking

Fall wine tasting outfit ideas

Fall foliage tours

Scariest haunted houses in America

Best fall road trips

Winter Blog Post Ideas For Travel Bloggers

Best showshoes for hiking

Scenic winter hiking trails

Best places to spend New Year’s Eve

Cozy log cabin getaways

Top ski resorts in a certain destination

Spring Blog Post Ideas For Travel Bloggers

Best gardens in the world

Warm places to visit in April

Cheap spring break trips

Romantic spring getaways

Best Easter holiday destinations

Tourism Blog Ideas

Must visit attractions in X

Best hidden gems in X

Most Instagrammable spots in X

Where to Stay in X

Best restaurants in X

Beach Blog Ideas

Most beautiful beaches in the world

Best beaches for surfing

Best beaches for families

Instagrammable beaches

Best beaches for snorkeling

Travel Agent Blog Ideas

Best time to visit X

Travel deals and discounts

Best travel destinations for families/couples/solo travelers

Guide to all inclusive resorts

Where To Find New Travel Blog Post Ideas

After learning how to start a travel blog and make money , it’s important to regularly publish interesting articles that continuously bring you traffic and help you grow your income.

But, maybe you’re wondering how to come up with blog post ideas that people actually read .

Luckily, I have a few tips for this.

Note that for a full overview of how to create a content plan that aligns with your overall goals, I recommend taking my free Profitable Travel Blog Makeover , a four-day course that takes you from blog branding to monetization.

So earlier in the post I discussed starting with a mission statement that guides your content.

Along with coming up with travel blog post ideas from your own imagination, you can also utilize:

Jasper AI (click for a 10,000-word free trial).

Jasper uses the power of artificial intelligence to help you outline blog posts, create content, and come up with blog post ideas.

You can use the Blog Post Topic Ideas Template and simply enter your:

• company name
• product description
• tone of voice
• how many ideas your need

Boom — Jasper will provide you a list of ideas for travel topics to write about. From there, you can favorite the ones you like to help the tool better get to know what you’re looking for.

Keysearch  (use code “jessieonajourney30” for 30% off)

This is a powerful keyword research tool that can help you optimize your blog content to rank higher in search engine rankings.

You’ll also be able to input desired keywords to see related keywords — as well as questions people have about your keyword in the “Content Assistant” section. These can also be used as travel blog post ideas.

Like tutorials?

Check out this short video to see how to find micro niche keywords and relevant keywords you can actually rank for using Keysearch:

Niche Facebook groups & forums .

Pop into a Facebook group or Reddit forum related to your niche and see what people are discussing. These can make for great travel related content ideas.

Google Trends .

Monitor search trends over a given time. This can help you post about things people are truly talking about.

Pinterest Trends .

See what topics are trending on Pinterest. This tool can help your content marketing efforts by helping you get more traffic to your Pinterest pins, which translates into more visitors to your blog content.

These are just a few of many strategies for coming up with engaging travel post ideas.

How To Write A Travel Blog Post Without Traveling

One common question many travel bloggers have:

How do I write a travel blog without traveling?

Of course, there will be times when travel isn’t possible.

This doesn’t mean you need to stop creating content.

Instead, consider how you might cover where you live in a way that would be interesting to travelers.

For instance, I have loads of New York City travel content because I know that even though it’s not a travel destination to me, it is to other people. Plus, being a local allows me a unique perspective not every blogger can provide.

You might also think about “armchair travel” content; blog post ideas that have a travel theme but can be enjoyed without leaving home.

A few examples of this include roundups of short travel stories , cultural recipes, solo staycation ideas , and other travel at home posts that align with your mission.

These strategies are also great travel blog ideas for beginners, who may be looking to jumpstart their blog with content even if they’re not traveling.

How To Write A Catchy Blog Post Title

Now, here’s the thing when it comes to coming up with ideas for travel blog posts:

Even if you have an amazing article, if your title isn’t enticing, it likely won’t get read.

Luckily, there is a free Headline Analyzer tool from CoSchedule that can help with this.

Basically, it looks at your headline to ensure that:

• It has a good mix of common, uncommon, emotional, and power words
• The first and last three words of the headline are engaging (as these are the words people tend to focus on most)
• It includes searchable keywords
• It isn’t too generic
• It’s the right length (about 60 characters)

How To Start A Travel Blog Post

Now that you have a big list of travel content ideas , it’s time to dive deeper into how to actually write your blog post.

One very important part of your travel blog post is the introduction, as this will affect whether someone continues reading or clicks away.

To help you engage readers right away, I recommend utilizing the APP Method; also known as Agree – Promise – Preview.

This copywriting technique, which I learned about from Backlinko , revolves around the idea that your introduction should first agree with the reader to make it clear you understand them.

From there, you make a promise to them — such as a solution to a problem or a benefit of some kind.

Finally, you provide a preview by sharing exactly what they’ll get out of reading the blog post.

This blog post on growing an email list as a blogger provides a nice example of the APP Formula in action.

It’s also shown here:

Promoting A Travel Blog Post Organically

There are many smart ways to increase blog traffic , a few of which I’ll outline here.

I recommend incorporating these into a content checklist so that you always know exactly what needs to be done before hitting publish on a blog post.

Optimize your blog posts for Search Engine Optimization (SEO) .

In my opinion, the best way to grow your blog traffic is to optimize it to rank in search results.

Once it ranks, you can continue to enjoy steady traffic for the foreseeable future.

Again, Keysearch makes it simple to both research if you can realistically rank for a keyword and then optimize your content for it. You can use code “jessieonajourney30” for 30% off.

While Keysearch offers loads of tutorials on how to use their tool, here is a quick overview:

Above is an example of me researching “places to hike on Long Island,” a keyword I currently rank in the first spot of Google for.

On the left, you can see a graphic comparing all of the first page posts — which provides information for determining whether it’s worth competing for the keyword or not.

For instance, you can see things like how your Domain Authority compares to the other posts already ranking, as well as if the other posts have optimized their title, description, and URL for the keyword you want to rank for.

Additionally, on the right, you can see other suggested keywords with important information related to how competitive they are and how often people search for them.

Keep in mind, this is just the main page of Keysearch. The tool has numerous other features for ranking your posts in Google, too.

Take your SEO to the next level.

Now, another tool that can help with optimizing your content to rank in organic search results is Surfer SEO .

Instead of simply giving you data about other sites that are ranking, Surfer SEO analyzes your website to make tailored recommendations for:

• specific keywords to target
• specific ways to optimize new content
• specific changes to make to old content to improve its chances of ranking
• specific missed opportunities for internal and external backlinks
• specific on-page SEO optimizations (such as optimal word count, title length, image count, etc)
• and much more

As you can see, the tool gets very specific.

In short, you’ll get a step-by-step SEO workflow that can help you grow your traffic and increase your rankings – no guesswork required!

Here is a quick tutorial going over some of Surfer SEO’s powerful features:

While you’ll need a paid plan to get everything I showcase in the video, they do offer a free AI Article Outline Generator to give you a small taste of the platform.

Promote your new travel blog post on your social media channels.

When you promote new content, I highly recommend weaving a story into your shares to increase engagement. Talk about why you wrote the post, how the topic has impacted you, and how it can benefit others.

To save time, you can use a tool like StoryChief to blast your new travel blog content across your blogging hubs, social media channels, and email newsletter with one click.

Speaking of email newsletters…

Understand how to promote your blog content to your email subscribers in an engaging way by utilizing storytelling email marketing .

Just like when sharing travel blog content on social media, it’s helpful to share a story to make your email even more valuable.

Moreover, if you have an automated email sequence set up for new subscribers you can add in your best blog posts to help the content continuously get traffic.

Looking for an email marketing software that’s feature-rich and intuitive — and includes automations?

Click here for a free one-month trial of ConvertKit (no credit card required!).

The platform is made for bloggers by bloggers. And once you sell products, they also offer a marketplace to help their users increase sales.

Choosing Blog Post Categories

In terms of the categories you put on a travel blog post, consider how you want to organize your content.

Typically, your categories will be your blog’s main themes, while your tags help further break them down.

For instance, you might have “North America” as a category and “USA” and “Canada” as tags.

How To Get Paid As A Travel Blogger

There are many ways to boost your travel blogging income — especially if you’re focusing on offering paid products, services, and experiences that fulfill your mission and that are an extension of your travel blog content.

Again, I highly recommend grabbing a seat in my free four-day travel blogging course if you want to learn how to make money blogging, though a few of the main ways I monetize my travel blog include:

Creating & selling online courses.

You’re already sharing knowledge in some way through your helpful blog content. Why not package up your wisdom into an online course that further helps your readers?

Personally, I use and recommend Teachable for creating online courses. That link gets you a two-week free trial, no credit card required!

You’ll have everything you need to be successful — including powerful training videos and support. It’s what I use to create and launch all of my online travel blogging courses .

Selling photo tours in NYC.

After having loads of readers ask me to show them around New York, I decided to get licensed as an NYC tour guide and start offering local experiences.

In fact, I’ve done so well selling these through my blog that I started a sister company, NYC Photo Journeys .

Working with brands.

This includes working on blogger brand collaborations as well as going on paid press trips and promoting partners in my travel blog content.

Affiliate marketing for travel bloggers .

When coming up with travel blog post ideas, I highly recommend you regularly add content optimized for affiliate sales to your publishing schedule. Here are some creative ways to promote affiliate links .

Running display ads on my travel blog.

Personally, I work with Mediavine for this. To see success, you should be publishing SEO-optimized articles and regularly updating older content so that it’s up-to-date.

How To Become A Travel Blogger

If you stay focused, it’s possible to make money blogging in one year or less .

Map out your blogging goals , including what they are, how to reach them, and by when.

Stick with one or two main strategies, and then once you master those, you can add in others. This helps alleviate spreading yourself too thin.

This might mean saying you want to earn $5,000/month in affiliate sales by June 1 through publishing two affiliate-optimized blog posts per month, publishing two affiliate-optimized videos per month as part of your YouTube strategy , and hosting a free challenge that promotes an affiliate each quarter.

Remember, also, to grab access to my free Travel Blogger Resource Library to snag printables and workshops that can help you take your blog full-time much quicker.

Bonus: 10 Ways To Make Money Travel Blogging [Free Workshop]

While we’re on the topic of growing a profitable blogging business, I’d love to invite you to my free workshop: 10 Powerful Ways To Make Money Travel Blogging.

During the 60-minute on-demand workshop, you’ll learn:

• Myths related to monetizing a blog (that may be holding you back!)
• Strategies for creating profitable content (so those blog posts, emails & social shares lead to income!)
• Tips for earning recurring passive revenue as a blogger (so your income grows even when you’re away from your laptop!)
• How to create products that you know your audience will buy (so you don’t waste your time!)
• Advice for growing your affiliate income (with a strategy that truly works!)

Plus, your free ticket to this actionable workshop also includes a Q&A, limited-time replay, and special bonuses.

Click here to grab your seat in the free travel blog monetization workshop .

Bonus Profitable Blogging Tutorials [Video Playlist]

Want to learn more powerful strategies for taking your blog full time?

Check out this curated playlist of blogging tips and tactics that work:

What travel blog post ideas would you add to this list?

Which of the above best travel topics are you excited to write first.

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