The landscape of travel storytelling is undeniably shifting. Social media feeds are flooded with seemingly overnight success stories showcasing creators jet-setting around the globe, supposedly getting paid to travel. Yet, behind the curated images, many travel influencers, even those with massive followings, often operate on a barter system, exchanging exposure for free trips rather than actual income.
This disparity prompted a conversation with a fellow travel blogger, and we both lamented the fact that talented storytellers are often undervalued. This inspired me to pull back the curtain once again and share a transparent look at how I actually earn a living while traveling – and, more importantly, how you can realistically achieve this in 2025.
Explore my comprehensive course: Get Paid to Travel the World With Purpose
In this guide, we’ll delve into the real strategies and avenues for getting paid to travel, moving beyond the Instagram fantasy and into practical steps for building a sustainable career.
1. My Journey to Funding Travel Adventures
It’s a constant balancing act: travel as a passion versus travel as a profession. For those familiar with my blog or Instagram, it’s clear my travels weren’t bankrolled by external funds. Coming from a middle-class background, I took on significant student loan debt for my education, landed a corporate role at the Singapore Tourism Board, and then, famously, resigned after two years to pursue my long-held dream of global exploration. Aside from modest savings, I embarked on this journey with no clear financial roadmap.
Initially, I pieced together income through part-time work with a social enterprise, social media management gigs, and freelance travel writing. Every dollar earned was channeled back into funding my travels.
Over time, this blog (now nearly 13 years in existence!) grew an audience, and I learned the ropes of monetizing it as a travel blogger. Then, the rise of Instagram demanded a new set of skills. In 2023, I achieved my highest income to date, with over half originating directly or indirectly from Instagram.
Related read: This Month, 11 Years Ago, I Quit My Job to Travel
2. Current Income Streams: How I Get Paid to Travel Now
- Brand Partnerships: I collaborate with brands in the travel and sustainability sectors, creating content on both Instagram and this blog to promote their destinations or initiatives. While some brands recognize the enduring value of blog content, many remain solely focused on Instagram. Their oversight, in my opinion!
- Courses: In 2023, I launched my first course through 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, turning passion into a career, has become my second largest revenue source.
- Consulting: In 2022, I formalized my sustainable tourism consulting work under Climate Conscious Travel. While influencing sustainable practices within the travel industry is deeply rewarding, balancing it with writing commitments is demanding. Even with minimal marketing, it has emerged as my third largest income stream.
- Freelance Travel Writing, Book Royalties, and Speaking Engagements: After a hiatus from freelance travel writing, I rediscovered the satisfaction in the pitching, writing, editing, and publishing process. While the financial compensation is rarely proportionate to the effort, the fulfillment of sharing my work remains worthwhile. The same holds true for speaking engagements and book publishing, though these contribute modestly to my overall income.
Income Chart
My income chart consistently guides me in unexpected directions each year!
Further reading: 6 Tips to Break Into Freelance Travel Writing
3. The Timeline: How Long Does it Take to Get Paid to Travel?
The realm of travel storytelling is in constant evolution. Back in 2011, when I began, the idea of monetizing travel blogs or social media seemed far-fetched. However, as tourism boards and travel businesses began to understand the power of organic content, the landscape shifted rapidly.
Around 2012 or 2013, approximately 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 marked the moment I dared to envision a future as a professional, paid travel storyteller.
The reality is, building a strong personal brand, cultivating a engaged audience, and establishing sustainable monetization takes time. Don’t be misled by sensational “get paid to travel overnight” schemes. Authenticity and consistent quality are irreplaceable. Genuine audience growth is a marathon, not a sprint. Ultimately, the investment of time, energy, and effort is profoundly rewarding, 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 the landscape you’re navigating. I understand the question on your mind: The digital world is vastly different from a decade ago. Countless individuals are vying to become travel influencers or content creators. How can you differentiate yourself in 2025 and actually get paid to travel? Based on over a decade of experience observing, adapting, and succeeding in this space, here’s my core advice:
4.1 Develop a Distinct Strategy to Rise Above the Noise
A common pitfall for aspiring travel creators is launching into social media posting without a well-defined strategy. This approach simply blends you into the masses, indistinguishable from countless others sharing similar photos and videos. Except through extraordinary luck, achieving genuine differentiation becomes nearly impossible.
To truly stand out and get paid to travel, begin by crafting a strategic framework. Consider these fundamental questions: What are your inherent strengths? What ignites your passion? What unmet need exists in the world that you can address? What activities will still resonate with you a decade from now? Reflecting on these questions will guide you toward identifying your unique niche and voice – the essential foundation for setting your work apart from the thousands of others.
4.2 Define Your Unique Travel and Storytelling Style
Take a moment to browse the content of your favorite travel influencers and creators on Instagram. You might notice a homogenization of content. Many Instagrammers follow similar travel itineraries and produce strikingly similar styles of stories. If you removed the creators from their photos and videos, could you definitively identify who created each piece of content?
Once you’ve thoroughly considered your focus area and long-term strategy, direct your attention to developing your distinct travel and storytelling style. Ask yourself: What is unique about how you travel and, consequently, how you tell your stories? This unique perspective is key to getting paid to travel for your authentic voice.
4.3 Don’t Be Solely Reliant on Social Media
Instagram provides rapid income for me, but I consistently advocate for my blog as a primary platform. I aim for tourism boards and travel businesses to recognize the deeper value of collaborating on my blog. Unfortunately, many still undervalue the power of long-form, enduring content.
The principle is straightforward: An Instagram post might reach 100,000 people today, but its lasting impact is minimal, perhaps a few days. It’s not easily searchable and won’t significantly influence future travel decisions.
Conversely, blog posts I published even before 2020 continue to be discoverable and influence travel choices. Travel is rarely an impulse purchase. When people genuinely plan trips, they are far more likely to conduct Google searches than seek inspiration solely on Instagram.
Therefore, my advice is to avoid focusing exclusively on ephemeral social media. Offer greater value to brands and your audience by cultivating a long-form content channel. This also provides you with more creative space to evolve as a storyteller and increases your opportunities to get paid to travel through diverse avenues.
4.4 Prioritize Values Over Fleeting Trends
Truly distinguishing yourself as a travel storyteller in 2025 demands both courage and genuine creativity. Instead of chasing trends and jumping on every new “shiny object,” evaluate what aligns with your core brand and values. What actions strengthen your credibility? Beyond simply living your travel dreams, what role do you play in addressing the complex challenges our world faces today? Anyone with influence carries a degree of responsibility.
I recognize that emphasizing values might seem old-fashioned in an era dominated by often superficial trending content. However, from my vantage point, the tide is turning. In 2023-24, I’ve witnessed a surge in brands seeking collaborations with creators who may not have millions of followers but demonstrate a strong commitment to environmental or social impact. I increasingly observe influencers being called out for irresponsible geotagging or promoting unsustainable travel practices. Integrating your values into your content strategy is the most effective way to ensure your stories remain relevant and impactful for years to come, and this authenticity is increasingly valued by brands looking to get paid to travel.
Related Article: What No One Tells You About Publishing a Book in India
5. Earning Beyond Social Media: Diversifying Your Income as a Travel Storyteller
Lofoten Islands Landscape
It’s always valuable to consider: Are we controlling social media, or is it controlling us?
I know some individuals have a strong aversion to platforms like Instagram and TikTok, and this might lead them to abandon their aspirations of traveling the world and sharing meaningful stories. If this resonates with you, remember that social media is just one piece of the travel storytelling puzzle. While developing a healthy relationship with these platforms can be beneficial, you don’t have to rely solely on them to build a sustainable income and get paid to travel.
Here are avenues beyond social media where travel storytellers can monetize their work in 2025:
Related Article: What I’ve Learnt on the Way to 60,000+ Organic Followers on Instagram
6. Income Potential: How Much Can You Realistically Earn as a Travel Storyteller?
This is a common and important question! While there are no definitive industry benchmarks, the income range for travel storytellers is vast, from very modest earnings to upwards of $5,000-$20,000 USD per month. My own monthly income fluctuates considerably, partly because I frequently decline opportunities that don’t align with my core values. I prioritize quality and personal fulfillment over simply chasing high-volume, potentially less meaningful, work. Understanding your worth and aligning your income goals with your values is crucial when learning how to get paid to travel.
7. Alternative Paths: Other Ways to Get Paid While Traveling
Here’s another important point – you absolutely do not need to be a storyteller to earn money while traveling. Some people dislike social media, writing, and/or photography, and that is perfectly acceptable. Here are several alternative ways to generate income while on the road:
- Remote Corporate Positions: The most straightforward approach is to take your current job with you, either partially or fully! While some companies that embraced remote work during the pandemic are now mandating a return to the office, it’s worth exploring if you can negotiate a remote work arrangement or seek out a new, fully remote position. This offers the stability of a regular paycheck while you travel.
- Freelance Work: Platforms like Upwork and Fiverr provide significant income opportunities for freelancers in diverse fields, from graphic design to web development to content writing. I always advise freelancers to maintain an active presence on Instagram and/or LinkedIn to showcase their work visually. If you possess a valuable skill, you can definitely take it on the road and get paid for it.
- Trip Leading: Leading trips, either independently or for a travel company, is an excellent way to travel, connect with diverse travelers, and earn income. This is ideal for extroverts who enjoy research, organization, and thrive in group settings.
- Teaching On-the-Go: I’ve encountered numerous slow travelers who leverage their skills to earn income wherever they are. Yoga instructors, hairdressers, traveling musicians, DJs, fitness trainers – the list is extensive. If you have a skill you can teach in your hometown, you can undoubtedly teach it while traveling and get paid to do so.
Related Article: How Croatia compelled me to rethink travel blogging
8. Resources for Getting Paid to Travel the World
A creative soul is not a content factory.
8.1 5-Day Course: Avoiding Common Mistakes Travel Creators Make
In this concise course, I share behind-the-scenes insights into the five most common errors travel creators make, along with five actionable frameworks to correct them. This course provides the essential tools to launch or refine your journey toward becoming an authentic and impactful travel creator – helping you avoid becoming just another trend-following travel influencer.
(This course will be relaunched soon)
8.2 In-Depth Course: For Travel Bloggers, Content Creators, and Influencers
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 a travel storyteller’s life, providing comprehensive guidance on building a strong personal brand, attracting a loyal audience, securing paid travel opportunities to dream destinations, negotiating contracts and deliverables, and making a positive impact on the world along the way.
Since its launch, I’ve been incredibly inspired by the achievements of course participants. Several have already secured hosted travel storytelling opportunities in regions like Himachal Pradesh, Goa, and Uttarakhand, with more in development. One participant demonstrated the power of meaningful storytelling by creating a reel on Instagram that garnered over 28 million views! Another has been invited by scientists and an indigenous community to manage the digital presence of their conservation forest. Yet another has reignited her passion for travel journalism and received invitations to press trips in Japan and Vietnam. These are real examples of how to get paid to travel with purpose.
8.3 WhatsApp Newsletter: Weekly Tips and Insights
The Shooting Star Academy also offers a weekly WhatsApp Newsletter – Wanderlust & Storytelling. This newsletter delivers concise storytelling tips, travel opportunities, polls to identify creative roadblocks, updates on course participant successes, and exclusive course offers.
8.4 Additional Resources
(Links to be added)
9. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
9.1 How do travel bloggers actually get paid?
Travel bloggers generate income through a diverse mix of revenue streams. These typically include brand collaborations, affiliate marketing, display advertising, book and e-book sales, speaking engagements, consulting services, and freelance writing assignments.
9.2 Is it still possible to become a successful travel content creator in 2025?
Absolutely, but strategic planning is more critical than ever. It’s paramount to define a clear niche, cultivate a strong personal brand, attract a loyal and engaged audience, create content with genuine value, and understand your professional worth as you develop your income streams. And perhaps reconsider using the term “content creator” – it can sometimes sound like you’re operating a content mill rather than crafting authentic stories.
9.3 How can I become a paid travel photographer?
Traditionally, travel photographers were commissioned by magazines and tourism boards to travel and produce images for marketing campaigns. However, the lines have blurred, with many brands now seeking to integrate photography and influencer marketing. Consequently, they often favor travel bloggers or Instagrammers who not only capture stunning travel photos but also possess a broad reach and high engagement – achieving multiple marketing goals simultaneously.
9.4 What’s the best way to get paid to travel and review hotels?
Hotel reviews fall 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 in the travel space, and demonstrate your value to accommodations within your specific niche. Building your online presence and showcasing your review skills are key to getting paid to travel and review hotels.
9.5 Are there specific jobs where travel is a paid component of the role?
Beyond becoming a dedicated travel storyteller, here are a few examples of jobs that inherently involve paid travel:
- Trip Leader/Tour Guide: Managing tours for travel companies allows you to meet new people, experience diverse destinations, and earn a salary in the process. This path is well-suited for extroverted individuals with strong organizational and logistical skills.
- Traveling Teacher/Instructor: Master a skill that is in demand and take it on the road with you, offering your teaching services in various locations. From teaching English as a foreign language to offering yoga instruction or even tarot card readings, identifying a marketable skill aligned with your passions can provide sustainable income while traveling.
9.6 Do travel influencers genuinely get paid to travel?
While I personally dislike the term “influencer,” for the past decade, the majority of my income has been derived from travel storytelling, primarily through my blog and Instagram. So, to answer directly: YES – especially if you approach this space as a creative entrepreneur with a sound business mindset! Learning how to get paid to travel is a real possibility with the right approach.
Do you dream of getting paid to travel the world? What are your biggest obstacles?
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 am simply someone who believes that travel – when practiced responsibly – has the power to transform both ourselves and the world around us.
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