How to Start a Travel Blog and Make Money (Yes, Actually)

The internet has revolutionized how we interact and share our experiences, allowing groups of like-minded individuals to form around similar interests. Travel bloggers have been at the forefront of this movement, advocating for travel as inherently good and sometimes well-needed.

Travel blogging is one way people can share their experiences with the world while making money. It’s never been easier to get started, and there are several ways to make money from travel blogging.

Below, we have provided a guide with a few travel blogging tips to help you become a successful travel blogger.

How to Start a Travel Blog (And Actually Make Money)

1. Determine Your Audience

The first step is to decide what kind of travel blog you want to create. There are many different niches within the travel blogging world, so choosing one you’re passionate about is important.

Do you want to write about budget travel? High-end, luxury travel? Solo travel? Family travel? The tourism industry in general? Once you’ve decided on a niche for your travel blog, you can narrow your focus and target a specific audience.

An audience is what’s most important because they’re the ones reading your content. Your goal is to create engaging content for the reader. You will then need to figure out how to speak to that target audience and provide them with helpful articles and travel tips.

Don’t be afraid with your first blog posts. At first, you can experiment and tailor each blog post to find what your audience responds to best. Do you have or want a personal brand? Write about yourself. Write for your target audience.

Before you can begin your travel blog, you must have a strategy in place. When you launch a travel blogging site, it’s important to consider who your audience is from the start. If you prefer to start with a base an audience or a base of content, you can always buy an existing blog on Flippa. It’s like the eBay of buying and selling websites.

See Related: Why is Everyone Obsessed with Travel?

2. Pick Your Domain Name

In determining your travel blog domain name, you want to choose something that defines your “ethos” but is broad enough to navigate or pivot to another topic if you need to.

For example, “Tony’s Travel Blog” is general. “Tony’s Budget-Friendly Travel Tips” is more specific. “Tony’s Exclusive Travel Tips for Rainy Days” in Hawaii is probably too specific.

The last thing you want to do is have your travel blog name and focus be ultra-specific, and then down the road, you find yourself utterly stuck if that specificity is not appealing to any audience.

Your travel blog domain name can be general, but that doesn’t mean your content has to be. To get a domain, you can start with Bluehost,, which will give you a free domain name with their hosting package. Otherwise, use GoDaddy to search and buy your domain name directly.

3. Choose a Hosting Platform

There are several different blogging platforms to choose from, but the WordPress platform is one of the most popular options. It’s free to use, and there are several WordPress plugins and themes that allow you to customize your blog.

In addition, there are many different hosting companies to choose from. With Bluehost, you can install WordPress in minutes, and it will also include a free domain name. They also offer domain privacy protection so you can hide your private details from the web.

This web hosting platform’s lowest price hosting plan is $2.95/month. That’s nothing if you consider the upside potential of making money blogging and owning your travel blog.

With your Bluehost hosting account and WordPress installation, you’ll be a part of the travel blogging community and operating your own WordPress dashboard before you know it.

See Related: How to Build a Travel Website

4. Download a Professional Theme

Once inside the WordPress dashboard, you must decide on your travel blog theme. You have the option to choose among many different ones. You can purchase a premium theme or choose from numerous available free themes.

Downloading a professional WordPress theme is well worth the investment for your website. Once you alter a theme or design, it can be challenging to change it back. And, as your travel blog or website develops, you’ll want to ensure your design is clean and easy to navigate.

A professional WordPress theme will also be responsive, adjusting to various devices and screen sizes. This is essential for today’s internet users, as more and more people are accessing the web from their phones and tablets. So, if you want to give your travel blog website a professional edge, download a premium WordPress theme.

5. Set Up Google Analytics

Any serious travel blog will have Google Analytics, which features detailed analytics about website traffic. Adding Google Analytics to your WordPress travel blog is a quick and easy way to start tracking the website traffic on your site.

First, log into your Google Analytics account and click the “Admin” tab. Then, select the “Create Property” button in the Properties section.

Enter the website name, URL, and industry category for your blog. Then, click the “Get Tracking ID” button to get your Google Analytics tracking code.

Next, log into your WordPress blog and install the GA Google Analytics plugin. Once the plugin is activated, click the “Settings” link and enter your Google Analytics tracking code.

That’s it! You’ve successfully added Google Analytics to WordPress and can start collecting data about the traffic of your brand-new blog.

See Related: Best Travel Blog Ideas (+ Tips to Start Blogging)

6. Create Quality Content

Quality content is one of the most essential things for any successful travel blog. To be a successful blogger, you must write about your experiences in an interesting and engaging way for your readers.

Successful travel bloggers take photos and videos and share their stories. You must always create content that fills a gap in what people want and is looking for.

Like other bloggers, you can’t just assume that because you are writing, it will automatically be interesting, and you’re immediately going to be running a profitable travel blog. Being a successful travel blogger doesn’t happen overnight. Making money comes after a lot of trial, error, and effort.

You need to create quality content that fulfills the intent of your affiliate partners. Affiliate marketing is the most essential thing to master for your blog, as it will help you build a sustainable stream of revenue. It’s a long-term game, though, so the most important thing is to think about it immediately.

Here are some of my favorite travel affiliate partners:

• SafetyWing: SafetyWing offers an incredible travel and health insurance product for travelers and digital nomads. You can join their ambassador program immediately, even if you don’t have traffic. Also, they offer an incredible lifetime cookie, so if someone doesn’t buy a policy right away, you can still earn money if they purchase in the future.
• Amazon Associates: An infinite number of products can be promoted on Amazon. While the payout rate is not something to write about, nearly everyone in the United States uses Amazon, so it converts well.

7. Focus on Writing Content for Search Engines

You want your website to appear in a Google search. With any blogging, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Some bloggers have successfully used social media or paid ads to drive traffic and revenue.

However, a vast majority of the travel blogs that fail are the ones that rely too much on social media to build a sustainable business out of their travel blog.

When you write for search engines, you build a foundation of perpetual traffic to your site and brand, requiring little to no promotion. This is the highest return on investment besides making an email list.

To do this, you need to understand how to do keyword research and properly optimize your blog posts for search engines. You want to appear in a Google search. This is a complex topic, but my friends at SurferSEO have a great beginner’s guide to writing SEO-optimized content to help you get started.

See Related: Practical Tips for Working While Traveling

8. Engage with Your Readers

Are you active on a social media platform? Expand your social media coverage. Make sure to engage with your readers on social media platforms by commenting on their posts and responding to any messages or emails you receive.

The most successful blogs are interactive and provide a sense of community for their readers. Other bloggers post random pictures and a bit of fluffy text with little effort and hope that it translates into a successful travel blog. But you won’t do this. To blog correctly, you need to engage with your readers. Engage, engage, engage!

See Related: Pros and Cons of Being a Travel Agent: Is It Stressful?

9. Focus on Your Revenue Model

There are several ways to make money from a successful blog or travel blogging, including affiliate links, sponsored posts, and advertising. You can also sell products or services related to travel, such as e-books, itineraries, and travel guides.

A great way to start building a reader base right away is through a contributor platform such as Newsbreak, where you can get paid to write articles for their platform and promote your own travel brand.

See Related: Best Travel Lightroom Presets

Travel Blogging Essentials

Several tools and services can help you start and grow your travel blog. Here are some of the best ones:

1. Bluehost

Bluehost is a web hosting service that offers a free domain name and cheap hosting plans. They’re one of the largest hosting companies in the world, and their service is reliable. With Bluehost, you can start a WordPress site with your domain name in as little as 5 minutes.

2. ConvertKit

ConvertKit is a great way to start building an email list. You can create sign-up forms and send newsletters to your subscribers. Plus, the ConvertKit Free Plan is free for up to 1,000 subscribers.

3. SurferSEO

SurferSEO is an excellent tool for helping you write SEO-optimized content. It enables you to find the right keywords to target and gives you recommendations on how to optimize your blog posts.

4. Jasper.ai

Jasper.ai is an excellent tool for using AI-driven copywriting for various purposes, including social media posts, website content, etc. With Jasper, you’ll avoid copywriting fatigue with Jasper’s array of templates for content.

5. Canva

Canva is a great way to create high-quality graphics for blog posts and social media posts. They have a free plan with essential features and paid plans with more advanced features.

See Related: Best Travel Agent Tools to Use

Okay, So Who Should Start a Travel Blog?

If you’re passionate about travel and enjoy sharing your experiences with others, you might wonder if you can start a travel blog. While anyone can create a travel blog, some things will make your blog more successful than others.

First and foremost, you’ll need to have unique and exciting content that will appeal to readers. You’ll also need to be able to consistently produce new content, as well as promote your blog through social media and other channels. If you can do all this, you stand a good chance of becoming a professional travel blogger.

You have thick skin and can handle criticism.

Not everyone will like your blog or agree with what you have to say. That’s just the nature of the internet. If you’re going to be a successful travel blogger, you need to have thick skin and be okay with receiving criticism from strangers. It happens to everyone, and it’s just how it goes.

You love telling stories.

Do you love to inspire others? There is nothing quite like composing quality prose about your worldwide traveling adventures and having it reach and inspire the masses and motivating people at home to pack up and head out on the journey of their dreams. It’s an excellent feeling when something you write reaches another human on the other side of the planet, inspiring them to set out on their own journey.

It’s your thing

It’s possible to generate a healthy income by blogging about your travels. It all depends on how you market and sell your travel-related material. It may take you the rest of your life, but travel blogging should make sense to you.

I created this website to share information with everyone in my circle about where I am now living. The site was later converted into a platform where bloggers shared tales and advice. It’s my thing.

You love to be asked for advice and are always willing to share

Travel blogs may assist with the fact that people trust your guidance and ideas to help them daily. My travels were always disputed before I established this website. I could give a definitive answer for each individual when I combined all of their responses.

You know how to identify your goals.

Do we see this as an opportunity to make more money? What happens if we take this action? What does it imply? How are you expressing your emotions and experiences? How can we learn from each other in life? Is there another opportunity for travel on the horizon for you? Perhaps you have a concept for something additional, and you’re drawn to build it.

You want to be more open to the world around you.

Writing may be a frightening experience. Some “writers” do not have time to exhibit their work. You can publish your travel ideas on a travel website and share this information with others.

See Related: How to Travel Full Time (And Make Money)

Are You Ready to Start a Travel Blog?

With a little effort and dedication, you can be well on your way to becoming a successful travel blogger. So what are you waiting for? Get started on your upcoming successful travel blog and plan your next adventure today.

Starting a travel blog is one of the best ways to share your stories and adventures with the world. You’ll be able to meet new people, show off your photography skills and make some money on the side. Starting your blog has never been easier – or more fun -.

You should keep a few things in mind before starting your travel blog, such as what platform to use, what you’ll write about, and how to monetize your site. But don’t worry – we’ve got you covered. Here’s the gist:

1. Choose a blogging platform

There are many different blogging platforms, but we recommend WordPress.org for its flexibility and ease of use. Once you’ve chosen your platform, it’s time to select a domain name and hosting provider.

2. Decide what to write about

Your travel blog can be about anything you want – from personal stories and experiences to advice and tips for other travelers. The sky is the limit, so think about your passion and go from there.

3. Monetize your site

There are several ways to make money from your travel blog, such as affiliate marketing, sponsored posts, and selling digital products.

4. Promote your blog

Now that you’ve created content, it’s time to get the word out there. Don’t just rely on word-of-mouth marketing. Use social media, email marketing, and other strategies to drive traffic to your site.

See Related: Best Cameras for Travel Blogging

How Do Travel Bloggers Make Money?

Travel bloggers make money primarily by selling e-books or travel guides. This can be done through a Shopify store, an Amazon affiliate account, or both.

Another option for travel bloggers is to sign up for affiliate programs that allow them to link to products and receive a commission when someone buys them through the link. When readers click on these links on your site and purchase something from another site (like Amazon), you will get paid a percentage of the sale as a commission.

For example: If you sell an e-book about how to plan the perfect trip to Paris (say it’s called “Planning Your Perfect Trip To Paris”), you could include links in your post that take people directly to where they can purchase it online—either on Amazon or via another platform like Gumroad if you created your PDF version of this product specifically for this purpose (which is what I do).

See Related: Inspiring Travel Quotes

How Much Money Can You Make as a Travel Blogger?

The answer depends on how much time and energy you must devote. As with most freelance writing jobs, you can expect to make money if you do the work.

That said, there are many ways to monetize your blog. The most common method is affiliate marketing—you receive a cut of sales when readers click links in your posts and buy products from advertisers or other vendors (like hotels).

You can also earn money through sponsored posts, which means someone pays for a position that promotes their brand or product; this is usually done with brands that align well with your blog’s content. And if you have particular expertise in any travel category—such as hiking or budget travel—you may be able to sell products like books or guides related to those topics on Amazon Marketplace.

Another way bloggers make money is by selling photos and videos directly via Google AdSense (which pays based on traffic) or YouTube’s Partner Program (which pays based on views).

See Related: Best Travel Jobs to Make Money

Final Thoughts

If you want to start your travel blog, there’s no better time than now. Starting a travel blog is an excellent way to reach an audience and share your adventures.

People are always looking for new ways of getting inspired about traveling and maybe even planning their next trip, and travel bloggers are there to meet that demand. If you can help someone find that inspiration, you will do them an excellent service.

FAQ

Related Resources

• Ways to Get Paid to Travel and Take Photos
• Travel Digital Marketing Ideas
• How to Become a Home-Based Travel Agent