The world of travel storytelling is in an interesting place right now. You see viral videos all over Instagram and TikTok promising easy ways creators are getting paid to travel the globe. Yet, you also encounter countless travel ‘influencers’ with massive followings still relying on freebies – getting trips covered, but not actually earning money.
I’ve been discussing this disconnect with fellow travel content creators, and we share concerns that talented storytellers are undervalued. That’s why I decided to pull back the curtain again and share how I actually make a living from traveling – and how you can realistically do it in 2025 too.
Explore my in-depth course: Get Paid to Travel the World With Purpose
In this article, we’ll cover:
1. My Journey to Funding Travel Adventures
It’s a constant balancing act: travel as a passion versus travel as a career. If you’re familiar with my blog or my Instagram, you’ll know my travels weren’t funded by inherited wealth. I grew up in a typical middle-class family, took out significant student loans for my education, landed a corporate job at the Singapore Tourism Board, and then, famously, quit after two years to pursue my dream of world travel. Aside from some savings, I had no concrete plan for how to sustain this lifestyle financially.
Initially, I took on part-time work with a social enterprise, managed social media accounts, and freelanced as a travel writer. Every dollar earned was reinvested into travel.
Over time, I cultivated an audience on this very blog (which is now almost 13 years old!). I learned the ropes of making money as a travel blogger. Then, Instagram’s rise changed the game again, requiring me to adapt and learn new strategies. In 2023, I achieved my highest income to date – and remarkably, over half of it came directly or indirectly from Instagram.
Further Reading: This Month, 11 Years Ago, I Quit My Job to Travel
2. Current Income Streams: How I Get Paid to Travel the World
- Brand Collaborations: I partner with brands in the travel and sustainability sectors to create content about their destinations or initiatives. This happens across both Instagram and my blog. While some brands recognize the lasting value of blog content, many are solely focused on Instagram – their loss, frankly!
- Online Courses: In 2023, I launched my first course on The Shooting Star Academy, 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 source.
- Sustainable Tourism Consulting: In 2022, I formalized my consulting work focusing on sustainable tourism through Climate Conscious Travel. While incredibly rewarding to influence the industry towards more sustainable practices, it was challenging to balance with my writing. Even with minimal marketing, it became my third largest revenue stream.
- Freelance Travel Writing, Book Royalties, and Speaking Engagements: After a hiatus from freelance writing, I rediscovered the satisfaction in the pitching, writing, editing, and publishing cycle. While the financial compensation isn’t always proportionate to the effort, the feeling of sharing my work is its own reward. The same applies to speaking and book publishing. However, these contribute only a small percentage to my overall income.
My income chart, showcasing surprising growth year after year!
Explore: 6 Tips to Break Into Freelance Travel Writing
3. The Timeline: How Long Does it Take to Get Paid To Travel?
The landscape of travel storytelling is constantly evolving. When I started in 2011, the idea of monetizing travel blogs or social media seemed far-fetched. But as tourism boards and travel companies realized the power of authentic, organic content, things shifted rapidly.
Around 2012 or 2013, roughly two years after launching this blog, I landed my first paid travel blogging assignment. This meant not only were my travel expenses (flights, accommodation, meals) covered, but I also received a professional fee. This was the moment I dared to envision a future as a paid travel storyteller.
It’s crucial to understand that building a strong personal brand, attracting a dedicated audience, and achieving sustainable monetization takes time. Don’t fall for the “get paid to travel overnight” myths you see online. Authenticity and consistency are irreplaceable. Real audience engagement requires time and effort. Ultimately, this investment of time, energy, and effort is worthwhile – both financially and personally!
Related Article: Learning to Walk Away
4. Standing Out as a Travel Creator in 2025: Strategies for Success
Before you aim to stand out, understand what you’re trying to differentiate yourself from. I know what you might be thinking: the world is saturated. There are countless individuals vying to be travel influencers or content creators. How can you possibly stand out in 2025? Here’s my best advice, based on over a decade of experience observing, adapting, and succeeding in this industry:
4.1 Develop a Robust Strategy to Cut Through the Noise
A common mistake aspiring travel creators make is jumping into social media without a well-defined strategy. This approach simply makes you blend into the background, indistinguishable from everyone else posting pretty travel content. Without a stroke of luck, it’s nearly impossible to differentiate yourself this way.
If you’re serious about standing out, begin by strategizing. Ask yourself: What are my unique skills? What am I deeply passionate about? What’s missing in the travel content world that I can offer? What will still excite me ten years from now? Reflecting on these questions will guide you towards identifying your unique niche and voice – the essential starting point for setting your work apart.
4.2 Define Your Unique Travel and Storytelling Style
Take a moment to scroll through the content of your favorite travel influencers and creators on Instagram. You might notice a homogeneity – much of the content blends together. Many Instagrammers travel in similar styles and create similar types of stories. If you removed the usernames from their posts, could you easily identify who created it?
Once you’ve thoughtfully considered your focus and growth strategy, turn your attention to your travel and storytelling style. Ask yourself: What’s distinctive about how I travel and, consequently, how I tell stories?
4.3 Look Beyond Social Media Platforms Alone
Instagram provides quicker financial returns for me, but I consistently advocate for my blog because it offers greater long-term value for tourism boards and travel businesses. Unfortunately, many still underestimate the power of long-tail content.
The concept is straightforward: an Instagram post might reach a hundred thousand people today, but its impact is fleeting, lasting only a few days. It’s not easily searchable or useful for future travel planning.
Conversely, blog posts I wrote even before 2020 are still discoverable and continue to influence travel decisions. Travel is rarely an impulsive purchase. When people genuinely plan trips, they are far more likely to search on Google than to browse Instagram for ideas.
My point is this: don’t solely rely on fast-paced social media. Offer greater value to brands and your audience by investing in a long-form content channel. This also provides more space for your own creative development.
4.4 Prioritize Values Over Fleeting Trends
Truly distinguishing yourself as a travel storyteller in 2025 demands both courage and creativity. Instead of chasing trends and jumping on every new bandwagon, focus on what aligns with your personal brand and values. What enhances your credibility? Beyond pursuing your own travel dreams, what role can you play in addressing the complex challenges our world faces today? Influence comes with responsibility.
I understand that emphasizing values might seem old-fashioned in an era of transient, trending content. However, I believe the tide is turning. In 2023-24, I’ve observed more brands seeking collaborations with creators who, while perhaps not having millions of followers, demonstrate a strong commitment to environmental or social impact. I’ve also seen increased public scrutiny of influencers for irresponsible travel practices. Building your values into your content strategy is the most effective way to ensure your stories remain relevant and impactful for years to come!
Further Reading: What No One Tells You About Publishing a Book in India
5. Earning as a Travel Storyteller: Beyond Social Media
lofoten islands
It’s always worth considering: Are we controlling social media, or is it controlling us?
I know some people strongly dislike Instagram and TikTok – and may even abandon their dream of traveling the world and sharing meaningful stories because of it. If this resonates with you, know that social media is just one piece of the storytelling puzzle. While engaging with these platforms can certainly help lighten the workload, you don’t have to depend on them exclusively to build a sustainable income.
Here are ways travel storytellers can monetize their stories in 2025, even without a heavy reliance on social media:
Related Article: What I’ve Learnt on the Way to 60,000+ Organic Followers on Instagram
6. Earning Potential: How Much Can You Make as a Travel Storyteller?
That’s a great question! While there are no official industry benchmarks, travel storytellers’ earnings can range from very little to upwards of $5,000-$20,000 USD per month. My own monthly income fluctuates, partly because I often decline opportunities that don’t align with my values. I prioritize quality and fulfillment over simply chasing higher income.
7. Alternative Ways to Get Paid While Traveling (Storytelling Not Required)
Here’s another truth: you don’t need to be a storyteller at all to earn money while traveling. Some people dislike social media, writing, and/or photography, and that’s perfectly fine. Here are various other ways to earn a living on the road:
- Remote Corporate Jobs: The most straightforward approach is to take your current job with you, either part-time or full-time! While some companies that embraced remote work during the pandemic are now pushing for in-office returns, if you can negotiate a remote arrangement – or find a new fully remote position – you can have the security of a regular paycheck while you travel.
- Freelance Work: Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr offer freelancers significant earning potential in diverse fields, from graphic design to web development to content writing. I always recommend freelancers also cultivate a presence on Instagram and/or LinkedIn to showcase their work. If you have a valuable skill, you can monetize it from anywhere.
- Trip Leading: Leading trips, either independently or for a travel company, is a fantastic way to travel, connect with diverse travelers, and earn an income. This is ideal for extroverts, those who enjoy research and organization, and those who thrive in group settings.
- Teaching On-the-Go: I’ve met numerous slow travelers who offer their skills wherever they are to generate income. Think yoga instructors, hairdressers, traveling musicians, DJs, fitness trainers – the possibilities are vast. If you have a skill you can teach at home, you can certainly teach it on the road.
Related Article: How Croatia Compelled Me to Rethink Travel Blogging
8. Resources to Help You Get Paid to Travel the World
A creative soul isn’t a content factory.
8.1 5-Day Crash Course: Biggest Mistakes Travel Creators Make
In this free crash course, I share behind-the-scenes insights into the five most common mistakes travel creators make and provide five frameworks to overcome them. This course provides the tools you need to start or refine your journey to becoming an authentic, impactful travel creator – helping you avoid becoming just another trend-following influencer!
(This course will be re-launched soon)
8.2 In-Depth Course for Travel Bloggers, Content Creators, and Influencers
Drawing on 10 years, 60+ countries, and hundreds of brand collaborations, I developed an in-depth course: Get Paid to Travel the World With Purpose. I take aspiring creators behind the scenes of travel storytelling, covering everything from building a strong personal brand and attracting a loyal audience to securing paid travel opportunities, negotiating contracts, and making a positive global impact.
Since launching the course, I’ve been amazed by the early successes of participants! Several have already secured paid travel storytelling opportunities, and others are in the pipeline. One participant even achieved viral reach with meaningful storytelling – a reel on Instagram garnered over 28 million views! Another has been invited to manage the digital presence of a conservation forest in collaboration with scientists and an indigenous community. And yet another has reignited her passion for travel journalism and been invited on press trips to Japan and Vietnam!
8.3 Weekly Tips via WhatsApp Newsletter
The Shooting Star Academy also offers a weekly WhatsApp Newsletter – Wanderlust & Storytelling. It delivers concise storytelling tips, travel opportunities, polls to identify creative blocks, highlights of course participant achievements, and exclusive course offers.
8.4 Additional Resources
(This section could be expanded with links to relevant websites, tools, communities, etc. based on further research, but is kept as per the original article for now)
9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
9.1 How do travel bloggers actually get paid?
Through diverse income streams, including brand collaborations, affiliate marketing, display advertising, book sales (print and ebooks), speaking engagements, consulting services, and freelance writing assignments.
9.2 Is it still possible to become a successful travel content creator in 2025?
Yes, absolutely, but strategic thinking is essential. It’s more crucial than ever to identify a specific niche, cultivate a strong personal brand, attract a loyal audience, create valuable and meaningful content, and understand your worth when developing income streams. And perhaps, consider moving away from the term “content creator” – it can sound like you’re operating a content factory, not crafting stories!
9.3 How can I become a paid travel photographer?
Historically, travel photographers were commissioned by magazines and tourism boards. Now, the lines have blurred, with brands often seeking creators who can combine photography with influencing. Brands are increasingly choosing travel bloggers or Instagrammers who not only capture stunning photos but also have broad reach and high engagement – achieving multiple 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 your unique voice, differentiate yourself, and demonstrate your value to accommodations within your niche.
9.5 Are there specific jobs where you are literally paid to travel?
Beyond becoming a travel storyteller, here are a few examples of jobs that allow you to earn a living while traveling:
- Trip Leader/Tour Guide: Manage and lead trips for travel companies, interact with new people, experience new places, and get paid for it. Best suited for extroverts who excel at logistics.
- Traveling Teacher/Instructor: Master a skill and offer your teaching services as you travel. From English instruction to yoga to tarot reading, find your passion and let it support your travels.
9.6 Do travel influencers really make money from travel?
I dislike the term “influencer,” but for the past decade, I’ve primarily earned my income through travel storytelling, mainly via my blog and Instagram. So, the answer is YES – especially if you approach this field as a creative individual with a solid business sense!
Do you dream of getting paid to travel the world? What are your biggest hurdles?
Shivya Nath
Welcome to my blog, The Shooting Star. I’ve been described as a storyteller, writer, photographer, digital nomad, “sustainability influencer,” social entrepreneur, solo traveler, vegan, sustainable tourism consultant, and environmentalist. But at my core, I’m simply someone who believes that travel – when done thoughtfully – can transform both us and the world around us.
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