Travel is contagious. When one person sees another traveling somewhere, all of a sudden they want to go, too. But hey, that actually isn’t a bad thing. All the travel destinations I’ve visited thus far I’ve visited because I saw somebody on Instagram go there, I came across a video on TikTok about it, or I found a blog post about it on Pinterest. Most of the time the people that post travel content aren’t even influencers. They’re just sharing their travel experiences with the people who follow them. But this is where the missed opportunity comes in…
You don’t realize that every time you travel and post on social media, you are influencing travel. You’re being a travel influencer without calling yourself one and you are missing out on the opportunities that could present themselves once you put a brand and an engaged audience behind that travel influence you already have. Not only will it allow you to travel more, but it will allow you to get paid to do it, too.
This is why I want to share with you the top five ways being an influencer can enable the freedom to travel that you desire.
This is probably the most obvious way but the most missed opportunity amongst influencers, especially beginners. This is because a lot of influencers have a hard time presenting how a few stories and a post on their Instagram feed is an equal exchange for a hosted stay at a luxury hotel that costs $500+ per night (something that I teach to my clients)! My biggest recommendation for influencers who want to get into the travel space is to be just as amazing at creating content as you are as an influencer. In the travel industry, content creation sells! I can’t stress enough how much tourism campaign managers LOVE receiving pitches from influencers who are killing as an influencer with an online presence and a highly engaged audience along with amazing photography, videography, or blogging skills! It’s a 2 in 1 combo and they LOVE it!
This brings me to one of the best ways you can enable the freedom to travel as an influencer. Sell your content to these travel companies. Insider tip: In order for someone to see themselves visiting a destination, they have to see beautiful imagery to be convinced. Hotels and tourism boards need pictures and videos to sell their destination. This is where you come in as a creator. Not only will tourism boards fly you to their destination but they will cover your hotel, food, and drinks just for you to take photos and videos of their destination.
This is more common amongst journalists but still is a thing for influencers and is starting to become more than ever. A press trip is when a tourism board invites you to come experience their destination for yourself and create content to share the experience with your audience. Press trips are complimentary and sponsored. Pro tip: Some destinations do host individual trips where you can usually bring a plus one (I’ve even seen cases where they let you bring your whole family 🙂) but tourism boards love group trips more!
By the time you build an audience as an influencer, your followers will want to travel with you. This is where you host a trip to a destination, plan the entire itinerary, and invite your audience to join you! Typically people in your audience would love to travel but aren’t sure how to plan, don’t have anyone to go with, and want to have a certain experience. By hosting a trip for them to join, you will check off all these boxes. You don’t have to have thousands of followers to do this. I have seen influencers with small audiences host their own trips all the time!
This could look something like selling trip itineraries, checklists, templates, courses, and other digital products. These are things your followers will start to need the more you grow your audience. They will start to ask you questions around planning trips, creating content, and more. Instead of giving them all personalized advice, it is easier to create a product that answers these frequently asked questions you’re getting and sell it passively. This is a great way to make income as a creator as the more people discover you and follow you, they’re going to want to know how they can travel like you.
Those are just five of the many ways becoming an influencer can enable the freedom to travel. I’ve seen influencers surpass the income they’re making at their job and I’ve helped influencers build their own online business just so they can do this. I know you’re ready to be next.
Travel industry expert who helps you secure paid and sponsored partnerships with top-tier hotels, airlines, tour operators, and tourism boards.