How to Make Money From a Travel Blog

how to make money from a travel blog

Are you one of these people who love to travel? Do you always create a travel blog of where you are and where you have been? Are you looking how to make money from a travel blog?

Boom!… here are several ways you can make money and start paying for those trips away.

Firstly, you need to create a professional looking blog which will have the ability to generate a lot of traffic. Almost all the methods you can use to make money with a travel blog require you to have a website which receives a lot of traffic. So this is the key to success:  traffic = income.

Engage your audience

Ideally, you need to brush up on your Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques. This will help your website to rank higher and receive traffic from the search engines.

content marketing techniques

There are several SEO tactics you can use but the main one is creating attractive content so that will engage your audience. Placing some well thought out keywords in your text will also help.

Plus, you have probably seen some pretty catchy titles in blogs that have grabbed your attention. This helps too.

If you are not confident with all that you can hire a professional who will do the search engine optimisation on your behalf.

But better still, save your money and find a good platform that will give your training, website templates, hosting and support, then do it yourself. They do exist.  So much more satisfying, too.

Download a copy of my free Content Marketing Strategy ebook – How to Make Money Online from Home

Network with other travellers

Ok, sounds weird, but you will probably come across other people who are travelling. So why not ask them to share their stories of places they have travelled to. They might even be kind enough to write a short article for you.

This is an awesome way to build up content for your website if you have not managed to travel to some of the places your new friend have been to.

I was recently asked by a travel blogger friend of mine if I would write some short stories about some places in the Pacific Island that I have travelled to. I see it as giving out to the universe … maybe something will return for me. Namaste!

travel blog tips

5 easy tips on how to make money from a travel blog

Let’s run through a few easy to start options that can help you make some money while you flit around the world. Now, as a bit of a disclaimer, none of these tips are overnight, get rich quick type options.

But if you are serious about making travel and blogging your career, then these tips are for you.

1. Enrol in affiliate marketing

There are several sites online that provide information and training about setting up your website to do affiliate marketing. You can get into this relatively easily and at low cost – so low risk and you can do when and where you please.

Affiliate marketing is really a no-brainer if you are already creating a website and adding content. This is what affiliate marketing is all about – content and engagement.

In a travel blog, you can start discussions about or do reviews on hotels, travel accessories and even flights. Sign up for affiliate programs with retailers that sell travel accessories, as an example. Then you can market their products on your blog and receive affiliate commissions on sales.

Amazon is a prime example of a travel bloggers ‘affiliate heaven’ … literally, thousands of travel-related products that can be reviewed or discussed or just mentioned (with affiliate links to the products).


 

There are several travel bloggers online who have embraced affiliate marketing and many of them have achieved great success with their travel blog money making strategy. These guys generally have created traffic to their sites through engaging articles, social media and video. You can learn techniques for all of these here.

Other businesses you can sign up with include hotels and accommodation sites where you can recommend the best stays in a given destination from where you can get paid for the recommendation.

I had an affiliate link with Airbnb. One article I did a few years ago earned me credits with Airbnb. And I am not a travel blogger!

You need to compare different affiliate programs so that you can decide on the best which ones have the best commissions on offer.

How does affiliate marketing work

2. Earn from Google AdSense

If you can attract a lot of traffic to your travel blog, then you have great potential to earn from Google AdSense.

As discussed earlier there are several ways you can market your blog and attract more traffic. For example, you can create useful content and share on social media where many people will start following your website.

You need to apply to get started on Google AdSense but once you are set up you can use your links on your websites, social media and Youtube videos. Note that there are restrictions to how and where you use AdSense so be sure to read the rules or you will get bounced.

3. Sell your travel photos

Once you have created a travel blog, you will most likely be posting attractive photos of different destinations and sights. So, here is another opportunity to makes some cash.

travel blogging

Other people who are interested in travel may be interested in your photos, too. If they are taken professionally, you can sell them to big magazines where you can earn a decent income

In order to take attractive photos, you need to invest in a quality camera gear which can capture the moments clearly.

4. Promote your travel videos

Just like the way you sell your travel photos, you can also sell your travel videos to other people.

Your travel blog will showcase your photography skills.  It’s a great place for people and travel companies to get a look at your products and you can even sell them the rights to use them.

If you think you have a good skill there, then you can send travel companies your website link and see if you can flog them your videos. They might even commission videos in other destinations. This is a long shot but worth trying if you are good.

But going back to affiliate marketing, you can make money out of your travel videos by posting them on Youtube and then share them on your website and social media channels. These can attract a lot of views where you eventually monetize them, but also have affiliate links in your text areas.

 

travel blog videos

5. Sell your travel blog

Ok, so this one is a delayed gratification option. A professionally designed travel blog can fetch top dollar. There are different business flippers out there who you can reach out to and they will help you sell your travel blog to other people.

In order to earn good money out of your blog when selling it, you need to ensure the blog is looking pretty professional and it has good consistent traffic coming through it. Showing potential for the site to earn money is also a major bonus.

Start out with a good website platform then post quality content and do your SEO so it has good stats and people will be more interested in buying your blog. Note that the site will need to show some age (website maturity), so it is not like you will be able to do this after a month or two.

But if you have finished travelling and want to try your hand at another activity, then why not list your site for sale.

Check out my Japan Travel Ebook.  

Travel the World on  Shoestring Budget

If you are doing it, then why not do it.

I just made that heading up!  But its true. If you have a passion, why not turn it into an income.

I have some good friends who travel a lot. Every time they go away overseas they add to the blog they started nearly 4 years ago. It’s just a journal of where they go and what they have seen but written in an engaging way. So far they have kept it for their friends and family but it could be paying for their trips and maybe their retirement.

So if you are planning to start tripping around; want to do this for a living, or are already travelling and doing a blog, take a look at some of these options on how to make money from a travel blog.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

14 thoughts on “How to Make Money From a Travel Blog”

  1. I think having a travel blog would be amazing, when we travel we take so many pictures and memories and it would be amazing to be able to blog about that, and have it all in one place to look back on later on. Id love others to be able to experience my trips with me too. Amazing idea thank you. 

    1. Hi Jayde,  no reason why you could not create a travel blog when you go on holidays. Great memories kept on your own website that you share to the public and make some money at the same time. 

  2. Making a blog or vlog of your travels is definitely a legit way to build an income. I know of several YouTubers who make a living by monetizing their travel vlogs through adsense. I’m thinking about starting a blog where I write about my upcoming camping trips and use affiliate marketing to promote camping related equipment.

    You mentioned using Google Adsense and it sounds very easy, how much money can I make from ads if I draw in for example 5,000 visitors a month?

    1. Hi Kent …. blogging or vlogging is certainly a legit way to make money online. But it requires a fare bit of effort … its not just a mater of having a website and then, boom, you have money. Its a business that needs to be learned.  You can monetise your website with Google Adsense, along with other methods.  5000 visitors a month is a great volume start, but what you make will depend on your click through rate (CTR) and how well you engage your readers. When you start generating 20 – 40 K views a DAY you will start making significant money – $50 – $100 a day. 

  3. Hi,

    I am a full-time blogger. After reading your informative post I got new insights Thanks a lot.

    5 easy tips on how to make money from a travel blog is very helpful and I do have friends who are blogging on travel niche, I am going to share your post to them and its going to help them for sure.

    I am thinking of creating new niche site and while choosing the niche I came up with travel niche but I was worried in choosing the travel niche because of the huge competition. After reading your post and the ideas I am confident in succeeding in the travel niche using your suggestions.

    Thanks again and wishing you great success!

    Paul

    1. Thanks Paul, I can see that people would look at the travel niche and think it is overcrowded. But there are niches within niches, so always room for new bloggers. 

      All the best with your blog and niche websites, Paul. 

      cheers James 

  4. Hello James, 

    Great article.

    I have the travel bug and I am always ‘going somewhere’ either locally or internationally. You have certainly given me something to think about. I have travel logs for many of the places I have been and you are so right, why not allow the world to enjoy some of my travels by living vicariously through me, and of course making some money while ‘they’ are at it.

    I have to download your free ebook and bookmark you site, which by the way is very interesting. Don’t be surprised if I stalk it a bit. LOL

    I love the options you suggested though, Affiliate marketing, Google Adsense, et al. These are certainly ways to make a few extra dollars once you have a website set up.

    I will need to put my thoughts in action.

    Thanks for the motivation and continued success.

    Michelle

    1. Hi Michelle thank you for your lovely comments. I am glad you have been able to gain some motivation from this.  All the best with your endeavours . 

  5. I really like this idea of yours!  It appeals to me in a big way as I’m an avid travel have travelled the world and can do just about everything you suggest to earn an income from my travelling experiences.

    You have inspired, motivated and spurred me on to see there is a great way to make money online just from my own travels and experience!

    I particularly like the fact that one can try and flog the great pics, of which I believe I have many, but then there is the nostalgic part of it that kicks in and it’s definitely a part of one, and it seems it would torn away from the whole…. oh well, I’ll think about that….

    Thank you so much for a well thought out post with many options to make an online business work!

    Edu

    1. Great comments. I have been watching a lot of youtube videos of couples who are sailing around the world, documenting their travels as they go. The same with jet setting it around the world or around your country. Youtube videos linking to a monetised website … its a dream of mine too. 

  6. Hey James I love the idea of travelling and making money while I do – that’s what I’ve made 2018 about – preparation for travelling in 2019. It really is a wonderful, fun and easy way to earn passive income, I wish I knew about this years ago – but better late than never. I now have a website that I’m working on everyday thanks to Wealthy Affiliate who guides a person through the entire process – it’s something I encourage everyone to try out!

    1. That is fabulous Nadia. Its great for others to see that it can be done if you set your mind to it and make a plan. 

      All the best with your travels and your website.

  7. Great info, I am involved in blogging but not in the travel blogging Niche. However, after reading your article, I can see a great opportunity in this Niche. I am a Traveler and just this year, I have been to 15 different countries, I just wish I had known this before. Anyway, I will have to create a travel blog in the coming days.

    Thank you so much for great info

    Ngoni

    1. I know what you mean … recently I travelled to Japan and around the pacific. I started getting materials  for a blog while I was in Japan, but I didnt really plan at the time to make it a daily thing, which would have great. But, I have more travel planned and will be making the most of it this time. 

      cheers James

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