The landscape of travel storytelling is constantly evolving. You might see viral videos flooding your Instagram explore page promising the dream of getting paid to travel. Yet, in reality, many talented travel creators and influencers, even those with massive followings, often find themselves working on collaborations that only cover expenses, not actual payment.
It’s a frustrating situation for creators who pour their hearts and skills into crafting compelling travel stories. That’s why I wanted to revisit this topic – to shed light on how I’ve built a career around travel and, more importantly, how you too can Get Paid To Travel in 2025 and beyond.
Unlock your potential: Discover how to get paid to travel the world with purpose.
In this guide, we’ll explore:
1. My Journey: Balancing Passion and Income in Travel
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For those familiar with my blog or Instagram, you know my travels haven’t been funded by external sources. Coming from a middle-class background, I financed my education with loans and initially pursued a corporate career at the Singapore Tourism Board. However, the pull of my travel dream was too strong. Two years in, I resigned, armed with some savings and a burning desire to see the world, but without a clear income plan.
To sustain my early travels, I took on part-time work with a social enterprise, managed social media accounts, and freelanced as a travel writer. Every dollar earned was funneled back into my travel fund.
Over time, this blog, now almost 13 years old, grew into a platform that allowed me to learn the intricacies of making money as a travel blogger. The rise of Instagram brought a new set of rules, which I had to master. By 2023, I reached my highest income to date, with over half originating directly or indirectly from Instagram.
Further reading: Reflecting on 11 years since leaving my job to travel the world.
2. Diversifying Income Streams: How I Get Paid to Travel Today
- Brand Partnerships: Collaborating with brands focused on travel and sustainability is a significant income source. I create content for both Instagram and my blog, showcasing destinations and brand initiatives. While some brands recognize the lasting impact of blog content, many still prioritize Instagram. Their focus on short-term social media trends often overlooks the long-term value of blog content.
- Online Courses: The Shooting Star Academy was launched in 2023 with my first course, designed to teach aspiring bloggers, content creators, and influencers how to get paid to travel the world with purpose. This course has quickly become my second-largest income generator, empowering others to monetize their passion for travel meaningfully.
- Sustainable Tourism Consulting: In 2022, I formalized my consulting work under Climate Conscious Travel. Consulting allows me to influence sustainable practices within the travel industry, which is deeply rewarding. Despite minimal marketing, it has grown into my third-largest income stream, demonstrating the demand for expertise in sustainable travel.
- Freelance Writing, Book Royalties, and Speaking Engagements: After a hiatus, I’ve rediscovered the satisfaction in freelance travel writing. While the financial returns may not always match the effort, the joy of sharing my work is worthwhile. Similarly, speaking engagements and book royalties contribute to my income, although to a lesser extent compared to other sources.
Explore tips to start your freelance travel writing career: Breaking into freelance travel writing – 6 essential tips.
3. The Timeline: Building a Career to Get Paid to Travel
The travel storytelling industry has transformed dramatically since I started in 2011. Initially, the idea of monetizing travel blogs or social media was far-fetched. However, as tourism boards and travel companies began to grasp the power of authentic, organic content, the landscape shifted rapidly.
Around 2012 or 2013, approximately two years after launching this blog, I secured my first paid travel blogging assignment. This marked a significant milestone – not only were my travel expenses covered (flights, accommodation, meals), but I also received a professional fee. This experience ignited the belief that a career as a paid travel storyteller was indeed possible.
Building a strong personal brand, attracting a dedicated audience, and establishing sustainable monetization strategies takes time. Ignore the misleading promises of overnight success in “get paid to travel” schemes. Authenticity, quality, and consistency are indispensable. Building a genuine audience is a marathon, not a sprint, but the financial and personal rewards are well worth the investment.
Reflections on perseverance and knowing when to pivot: Learning when to walk away in your creative journey.
4. Standing Out in 2025: Carving Your Niche in Travel Content Creation
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The digital world is vastly different from what it was a decade ago. The number of aspiring travel influencers and content creators has exploded, making it seem challenging to break through. So, how can you stand out as a travel creator in 2025? Here’s my advice, drawn from over a decade of experience in this dynamic space:
4.1 Develop a Strategic Approach to Content Creation
A common pitfall for aspiring travel creators is launching into social media without a well-defined strategy. This approach often results in blending into the crowd, becoming just another face in the sea of pretty travel photos and videos. Standing out requires more than just luck.
To truly differentiate yourself, begin by crafting a solid strategy. Ask yourself critical questions: What are your unique skills? What are you genuinely passionate about? What is missing in the current travel content landscape? What are you committed to pursuing long-term? Reflecting on these questions will guide you towards discovering your unique niche and voice – the essential foundation for setting your work apart.
4.2 Define Your Unique Travel and Storytelling Style
Take a moment to examine the content of your favorite travel influencers and creators on Instagram. Often, their content becomes indistinguishable from one another. Many travel in similar styles and create remarkably similar stories. Could you identify the creator if their name were removed from their videos or captions?
After defining your focus and strategy, concentrate on developing your individual travel and storytelling style. Consider what makes your travel experiences and your way of sharing them unique. This distinctiveness is what will captivate and retain your audience.
4.3 Leverage Long-Form Content Beyond Social Media
While Instagram provides quick returns, I consistently advocate for my blog because it offers greater long-term value for both tourism boards and my audience. However, the immediate gratification of social media often overshadows the long-term benefits of blog content for many brands.
The core concept is simple: Instagram content might reach a large audience instantly, but its impact is fleeting, lasting only a few days. It’s not easily searchable or likely to influence future travel decisions.
Conversely, blog posts, even those published years ago, remain discoverable and continue to shape travel choices. Travel planning is rarely impulsive. When people plan trips, they are far more likely to use search engines like Google than scroll through Instagram for inspiration.
Therefore, resist the temptation to focus solely on fast-paced social media. Create substantial value for brands and your audience through long-form channels like blogs. This approach also provides more creative space for your personal and professional growth.
4.4 Prioritize Values Over Fleeting Trends
To truly stand out as a travel storyteller in 2025, you need both courage and creativity. Instead of chasing trends, align your content with your core values and brand ethos. What strengthens your credibility? Beyond pursuing your personal dreams, what role do you want to play in addressing the complex challenges facing our world? Influence comes with responsibility.
While prioritizing values might seem old-fashioned in the age of viral trends, I believe the tide is turning. In 2023-24, I’ve noticed more brands seeking collaborations with creators who, while not necessarily having millions of followers, demonstrate a strong commitment to environmental and social impact. There’s also increasing public awareness and criticism of irresponsible travel practices, like excessive geotagging. Integrating your values into your content strategy is the most effective way to ensure your stories remain relevant and impactful for years to come.
Explore further: Insights into book publishing in India.
5. Expanding Horizons: Earning Beyond Social Media as a Travel Storyteller
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I understand that some creators dislike Instagram and TikTok, and might feel discouraged from pursuing their travel storytelling dreams as a result. If this resonates with you, remember that social media is just one piece of the puzzle. While engaging with these platforms can be beneficial, you don’t have to rely solely on them to build a sustainable income.
Here are alternative ways travel storytellers can monetize their skills in 2025, beyond social media:
Further reading: Strategies to grow your organic Instagram following.
6. Income Potential: How Much Can You Earn as a Travel Storyteller?
This is a common question! While there are no fixed salary scales, travel storytellers’ earnings can range widely, from minimal amounts to upwards of $5,000-$20,000 USD per month. My own monthly income varies considerably, partly because I prioritize projects that align with my values over purely financial incentives. It’s about choosing quality and fulfillment over chasing high volume.
7. Alternative Paths: Other Ways to Earn Money While Traveling
It’s important to note that you don’t necessarily need to be a storyteller to earn money while traveling. If social media, writing, or photography aren’t your passions, there are many other avenues. Here are several ways to generate income on the road:
- Remote Corporate Roles: The most straightforward option is to take your current job on the road, either partially or fully remote. While some companies are shifting back to in-office work after the pandemic, many still offer or are open to negotiating remote work arrangements. Securing a remote position provides the stability of a regular paycheck while you travel.
- Freelance Work: Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr offer numerous freelance opportunities, from graphic design to web development and content creation. I always recommend freelancers build a professional presence on Instagram or LinkedIn to showcase their work. If you have a marketable skill, you can offer it remotely from anywhere in the world.
- Trip Leading: Leading trips, either independently or for travel companies, is an excellent way to travel and connect with diverse groups of people. This is ideal for extroverts who enjoy organization, research, and group dynamics.
- Teaching On-the-Go: I’ve met many long-term travelers who sustain their travels by offering their skills wherever they are. From yoga instructors and hairdressers to traveling musicians and fitness trainers, if you have a skill you can teach at home, you can likely teach it on the road.
Reflecting on the evolution of travel blogging: How Croatia inspired a shift in my approach to travel blogging.
8. Resources for Aspiring Travel Storytellers
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8.1 5-Day Crash Course: Avoiding Common Mistakes
This crash course provides behind-the-scenes insights into the five most common mistakes travel creators make. It also offers five frameworks to help you correct these mistakes. This course is designed to equip you with the tools to start or refine your journey towards becoming an authentic and impactful travel creator, helping you avoid simply following trends mindlessly.
(This course will be relaunched soon)
8.2 In-Depth Course: Get Paid to Travel With Purpose
Drawing on 10 years of experience, visits to over 60 countries, and hundreds of brand collaborations, I developed an in-depth course: Get Paid to Travel the World With Purpose. This course takes aspiring creators behind the scenes of travel storytelling, providing detailed guidance on building a strong personal brand, attracting a loyal audience, securing paid travel opportunities to dream destinations, negotiating contracts, and making a positive impact.
The results from course participants have been inspiring. Several have already secured hosted travel storytelling opportunities, gone viral with meaningful content (reaching over 28 million views on a single reel), and partnered with conservation groups to manage their digital presence. Others have reignited their passion for travel journalism and landed press trips to international destinations.
8.3 Weekly Tips: Wanderlust & Storytelling Newsletter
The Shooting Star Academy also offers a weekly WhatsApp newsletter, Wanderlust & Storytelling. This newsletter delivers bite-sized storytelling tips, travel opportunities, polls to help identify creative blocks, updates on course participant achievements, and exclusive course offers.
8.4 Additional Resources
[Link to other relevant resources will be added here]
9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
9.1 How do travel bloggers actually get paid?
Travel bloggers generate income through a mix of streams including brand collaborations, affiliate marketing, display advertising, book sales (eBooks and print), speaking engagements, consulting services, and freelance writing assignments.
9.2 Is it still possible to become a travel content creator in 2025?
Yes, but strategic planning is crucial. Having a well-defined niche, building a strong personal brand, cultivating a loyal audience, creating impactful content, and understanding your value are more important than ever for developing sustainable income streams. And perhaps reconsider calling yourself just a “content creator” – it diminishes the artistry and purpose of your work.
9.3 How can I become a paid travel photographer?
Traditionally, travel photographers were commissioned by magazines and tourism boards. Now, the lines are blurring, with brands often seeking creators who combine photography with influencer marketing. Many brands prefer travel bloggers or Instagrammers who not only produce stunning visuals but also have a significant reach and high engagement, effectively achieving two marketing goals at once.
9.4 How can I get paid to travel and review hotels?
This falls under the umbrella of brand collaborations for travel creators. There are no shortcuts. You need to develop a distinctive voice, differentiate yourself from other creators, and demonstrate your value to accommodations within your specific niche.
9.5 Are there specific job roles that pay you to travel?
Beyond travel storytelling, several professions offer opportunities to earn a living while traveling:
- Trip Leader: Manage and lead tours for travel companies, enjoying new destinations, meeting new people, and earning a salary. This role suits extroverted individuals with strong organizational and logistical skills.
- Traveling Teacher: Master a teachable skill and offer your services while traveling. From teaching languages to yoga or specialized skills, your expertise can fund your travels.
9.6 Do travel influencers really get paid to travel?
While I dislike the term “influencer,” I’ve earned the majority of my income through travel storytelling for the past decade, primarily through my blog and Instagram. So, the answer is yes – especially if you approach this field as a creative professional with a strategic business mindset.
What are your dreams of getting paid to travel the world, and what obstacles do you face?
Shivya Nath
Welcome to The Shooting Star. I am often described as a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, sustainability advocate, and consultant. At my core, I believe in the transformative power of travel when practiced responsibly.
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