How to Make Money as a Travel Blogger 2024: 15 Ways I Made $30k

Itching to write about your next adventure but not sure how to make money as a travel blogger?

You’ve come to the right place!

If you have a passion for traveling and dream of exploring the world and cashing in on your adventures, travel blogging could be the perfect opportunity for you.

It’s important to confront this right off the bat: travel blogging is no cake walk.

If you want to make money (good money), you need to be willing to put the work in. Most travel blogs (and blogs in general) fail because people give in. They’re looking for an easy “passive” income that they can set and permanently forget. But travel blogging is an active career you need to be a participant in.

It took me 4 years before I made more than $100 from my blog! (But admittedly I made every mistake there is to make.) Now I’m a successful travel blogger with multiple passive income streams.

But if you’re passionate about travel and have a true entrepreneurial spirit, travel blogging might just be one of the best ways to carve a career of your own.

If you’re ready to get started, let’s take an in-depth look at how travel bloggers can end up making 5, 6, and even 7 figures (yes, it’s real)!

🤩 Learn how to make over $30k a month from your travel blog!

How to Make Money as a Travel Blogger: 15 Tips

1. Make Money From Ad Revenue

Display ads account for a big chunk of most travel blogging income.

It’s one of the best passive ways to make money blogging because as long as traffic is coming in you can be earning.

It’s really the only set-it-and-forget-it earning method in travel blogging — but you need to continue to post and grow your site or the money will stop.

However, you don’t make boatloads of cash from ads right out of the gate. You need traffic for that. Lots of it, and preferably from the United States.

While you can theoretically make money with ads anywhere, blogs with audiences based in the United States tend to make more. Once you have a decent amount of traffic coming in, you need to join an advertising network.

Ads are a long term strategy – you won’t make $2k a month from day 1!

Each advertising networks has different requirements, so let’s take a quick look at the big ones:

AdThrive

AdThrive is a premium advertising network that requires applicants to have a minimum of 100,000 page views in a 30-day period. While there’s no official range provided by the companies, bloggers report RPMs of $11 to $33+ — that is they earn $11 to $33 per 1,000 visitors.

MediaVine

MediaVine is a premium ad network that requires you to have 50,000+ sessions in a 30-day period to apply and be (potentially) approved. Again, while there’s no official reports from the company bloggers often report up to $30+ RPMs.

My RPMs are about $30-40 depending on the month (I have a LOT of Canadians which bring down my $45-50 RPMs from the US with the $15 Canadian RPMs).

I got into Mediavine after 6 months using this strategy – and you can too!

SHE Media

SHE Media is an ad network that requires ideally 20,000 page views, with an audience that’s 80% or more US-based and 70% or more female. However, they have been known to be flexible on the requirements.

While you usually make more money on She Media then Google AdSense, many bloggers experience RPMs between $2 and $15. You are also required to sign a 1-year contract (which no other ad network requires).

I was with SHE Media pre-Mediavine. I found the ads really slowed down my site and I never made more than $600 a month, even when I had 30k pageviews one month.

Monumetric

Monumetric is another platform with better RPMs than Google AdSense but less than bigger platforms like AdThrive and MediaVine.

They require sites to have a minimum of 10,000 pageviews, and you can probably look forward to making an estimated amount of somewhere between $5 and $15 per day.

While you don’t need to sign a 1-year contract like with SHE Media, you do need to pay a $100 set-up fee — you don’t have to do this with other ad networks.

Ezoic

Opinions on Ezoic vary. While some bloggers say that they have issues related to speed and overall site functionality with their programs, others report RPMs higher than Mediavine and AdThrive — particularly those with non-US audiences. It’s not a favorite network, but it is one open to everyone as they have no traffic requirements.

I’m currently testing Ezoic on my test site OttawaThingsToDo.com. The set up process is EXHAUSTING. It’s been weeks and it’s still not working.

Google AdSense

Overall, Google AdSense is a general no. It slows down your site and most bloggers earn mere pennies with it. While the desire to make money blogging is legitimate, opt for Esoic instead of Google AdSense if you have limited traffic.

As a quick warning before you rush out to put ads on your blog: they will slow down your site. Make sure that your speed is top-notch before you do because it matters for SEO!

2. Join Affiliate Marketing Programs

Affiliate marketing allows you to make money with your blog without creating your own products. Instead you promote others’.

It’s a great way to talk about the products and services you use on a regular basis to make your travel smoother and more enjoyable — and get paid for it!

As an influencer with a travel blog, affiliate marketing allows you to enter an agreement with a business so that when you promote their product and someone in your audience buys from them, you make a small commission.

You’ll want to make sure you focus on promoting brands that align with your target audience, that way you have a better chance of earning income through them. The good news is there are a ton of companies out there with great affiliate programs that allow you to get paid to promote what you love. You can join an affiliate network and start applying today, some of the big ones include:

• TravelPayouts: Home to the affiliate programs for Booking.com, Viator and TripAdvisor
• ShareASale: Home to the affiliate programs for iTalki, Blue Bay Resorts and Bagallini
• Awin: Home to the affiliate programs fro Raddison Hotels, Brussels Airlines and Trip.com
• Impact: Home to the affiliate programs for Secret Escapes, TravelStart and Korean Air

You can also find programs that are independent of affiliate networks like SafetyWing’s travel insurance affiliate program and Wise’s online banking program.

All travel bloggers use affiliate income in some way, and many of the count on it for a decent chunk of revenue. However, how much it impacts their bottom line depends on the programs they’re promoting.

Some can bring in a large amount of change, whereas others only account for a few cents per purchase.

You’ll want to choose your travel programs wisely to ensure you actually earn from them!

The #1 travel blog affiliate marketer I know is Shelley Marmor of Travel Mexico Solo. She makes over $250k a year in affiliate revenue! Check out her courses here.

3. Selling Digital Products on Your Site

Digital products are a favorite income stream to use to make money travel blogging because they’re almost all profit.

With affiliate marketing, you make a percentage of the sale.

With ads you earn a little bit of money per day.

But with digital products, all the money (save for any transactional fees) goes right back to you. It’s the easiest way to make real money blogging with a small audience.

I made over $26.5k in two weeks during Black Friday on a site with under 10k pageviews, an email list of 500, an FB group of 250, and an Insta of 1k people. 90% of that income was from 3 digital products (the rest was affiliates).

While creating digital products does require an investment of time upfront, once it’s made all you have to do is sell it.

Maybe it takes you six hours to design your signature travel planner that you sell for $7, which seems like a crappy trade off.

But if 25 people purchase your planner each month for the next 12 months, you’ve just made $2,100 — suddenly that six hours turns into $350/hour in payoff.

Seems worth it, doesn’t it?

Planners aren’t the only thing you can sell, there’s a ton of ideas, including:

• Online courses
• Templates
• Guides
• eBooks
• Digital art
• Travel guides
• Paid newsletters or memberships

… and the list goes on!

The good news is that digital products are easy to create through Canva. Once you have something set-up and ready, you can make a one-time purchase of ThriveCart to sell them, or you can use a recurring subscription like SendOwl.

You can even cut a few corners and purchase PLR products that you can customize and make your own. That way you don’t have to build the bulk of the product, you take what someone else has created and turn it into something your audience will love — just make sure that you have the right licence!

You can find PLR products in Facebook groups, sold by PLR specialists, or even on Creative Market or Etsy.

4. Run a Live Masterclass

A live masterclass allows you to share your knowledge with your audience and get paid for it.

You can draw from your personal experience as a globetrotter, and use your platform to teach others how they can have their own amazing adventures. From destination guides and tips on budgeting to breaking down the logistics of traveling or talking about foreign visas — there are so many topics you can cover!

Not only will this help you open up new revenue streams, but it also provides potential customers with an immersive experience that they won’t find elsewhere.

You can take the earning potential one step further and box it up (virtually) when you’re done, and sell it as an on-demand masterclass.

This way it turns from something active to passive — so your single live seminar turns into something you can sell for months or years.

5. Score Paid Press Trips

Many travel bloggers start out wanting to go on paid press trips — while this is a feasible idea, these are a lot of hard work. While it depends on the trip and agreement, bloggers can receive free accommodations, meals, and activities.

But this isn’t an “I’ll post a picture and you give me a free ice cream” kind of deal.

Contracts are negotiated, deals are signed, and work has to be done on your part.

Press trips are great because you can experience a new place without spending your own money, build credibility as a travel blogger, and grow your relationships with brands and even local businesses. But you’ll need to offer the company funding a trip a good deal as well, which is why press trips usually require a solid following and reputation.

Press trips are arranged by tourism boards, hotels or other businesses in order to showcase their destination. If you’re ready to start making partnerships, you’re going to want to build yourself a media kit — which provides an overview of how you offer them value — and start contacting tourism boards and local companies.

You’re not going to get a “yes” from everyone, especially if you have no pre-existing relationships, so make sure you treat every email like a future opportunity.

6. Sell Your Photos

Both professional and budding photographers can make money with content creation through their travel photos. Whether you’re just starting out and want to make photography a big part of your business, or you simply like taking pictures and figure why not monetize your passion, there’s a way to do it.

Some great ways travel bloggers make money with their images include:

• Stock sites like Shutterstock or iStock
• To other travel bloggers looking for original images through Facebook groups
• Through your own site through something like the Sell Media Plugin
• On a third-party print-on-demand site like Society6
• Via your own stock photo membership

Photos are valuable visual assets that people love. Depending on the type of images you take and how you want to package them up you can make a little bit or a lot. The photo-selling world is your oyster!

7. Monetize Youtube

Before you can monetize a YouTube channel you need to build one — but assuming you have one, it can be another stream of revenue for your travel blog. Just like your traditional blog, your channel can be monetized with sponsored videos, advertising (via Google AdSense) and affiliate links.

Not just anyone can open up a YouTube channel and start monetizing it right away, you’ll need to meet the base requirements first. At the time of publishing, channels need at least 1,000 subscribers with 4,000 watch hours in the last 12 months to be eligible for monetization. But once you’re up and running, there’s limitless potential. From reviews to travel vlogs, you can use it as a secondary channel to generate a healthy stream of income.

Just like with blogging, it’s a good idea to curate an audience that’s interested in the products and services you’re talking about. You want to create engaging content that includes your honest opinion. And creating a consistent schedule for new content releases can be a great way to establish trust with your audience. Most importantly, remain authentic throughout the process!

8. Monetize Instagram

On a slightly smaller scale (workload wise) than YouTube, but still equally as lucrative, if you have an engaged and growing audience on Instagram, you can monetize it too. You don’t have to have millions of followers to make money with your audience, even a few thousand — so long as they’re active and engaged — can be utilized.

Creators on Instagram make money primarily though brand partnership via sponsored content. Instagram creators are typically paid a flat rate to create a piece of content specifically for a brand and share it on their social media channels. Not only can you earn money from this, but you often get a chance to test out to product or service for free, and try to negotiate getting an affiliate link so you continue to make money after you’ve posted.

You can also work in the promotion of affiliate links and the sale of digital products, and Instagram just implemented a subscription feature so you can sell directly to your audience. While I wouldn’t recommend relying solely on your Instagram account as your income, it can be a great revenue stream to draw from.

9. Monetize TikTok

TikTok is a growing social media platform, and so long as you’re interested in creating videos, there are plenty of opportunities for you to make money with your account. Monetization is similar to that of Instagram as well. While they have a creator fund people get paid from and ways to make a little ad money on your feed, sponsored content is going to be your best bet.

To break into the TikTok world you need creativity, time and dedication — and, honestly, dedication is the most important factor. Growing on TikTok takes a constant stream of engaging videos so you can attract and grow an audience. Once you have one, you can partner with brands that align with your lifestyle as well as those that create unique travel experiences that followers may pay for.

10. Monetize Your Podcast 

Just like your other content channels — blog, YouTube and social media accounts — your podcast can be monetized.

While starting a YouTube account means having to film and edit videos, podcasts have a considerably lower barrier of entry. While they are work, they tend to be a little bit easier to do than videos (especially because you can do the whole thing in your pyjamas). And any extra work you end up putting in can be seriously worth it, if you take the time to properly monetize it.

How do podcasts make money, you ask? With similar methods as blogs, with the primary ones being:

• Affiliate links
• Crowdfunding support
• Sponsorship deals
• Subscriptions/donations
• Merchandise sales

The best part is that if you’re running multiple content channels, you can even offer sponsors additional value (and get a higher rate) by selling combined advertising packages. This helps you move away from any low “standard” ad rates that might be hanging out on Google because you’re providing some seriously powerful value.

11. Write Sponsored Posts

Sponsored posts are exactly what they sound like — a brand pays you to create content about them or their product, and you charge them for it. These often come in the form of a product review, but you can also write sponsored posts in a different form — like a how to guide or a product or service comparison.

When working with sponsored content, you’ll need to make sure that you’re transparent about the terms of your arrangements. It’s not legal to take money and talk about a product without disclosing your relationship with the advertiser to your audience.

You also want to make sure that you don’t post sponsored content that’s just a commercial, you need to give your audience something of value in order to make the post worth their time. That means reviews should cover both the positive AND negative about anything you’re talking about.

Sponsored posts are a good deal for both you and the brand paying. It’s considerably easier to make sales by borrowing your audience than it would be to start selling cold. If you’re going to be selling to your blog readers, it’s important that you create engaging content that converts. You want content that entices your readers to click on the links and make purchases, and ideally they subscribe too!

To get started with sponsored content, you’ll want to build a media kit that tells prospective brands what you’re all about. Then also make sure to add a contact page to your website so potential sponsors can contact you.

12. Sell Email Advertising

Sponsored content isn’t limited to your public facing channels, your email list can be an incredibly valuable selling tool. Many creators earn a little extra cash selling sponsored spots in their email list.

This method of branded or sponsored content works the same way it does on your blog, only it’s usually shorter. You pen some great actionable content that entices your readers to check out the advertiser, and send it out to a dedicated and engaged group of followers. The best part is that just because it’s shorter doesn’t mean you have to charge less. Your email audience might be smaller but they’re considerably more engaged and interested in your stuff — so you can charge brands appropriately!

Your email list can be utilized to your monetary benefit in a few other ways too. Affiliate sales and direct digital products sales are both easily utilized with your email list. Just make sure you read the terms of your affiliate programs before you include links in emails, because programs like Amazon Associates does not let you.

Writing sponsored emails is a great way for anyone interested in travel blogging to make some extra income without having to spend too much time creating content from scratch.

13. Lead Tours

If you have a desire to actively engage and enjoy public speaking, then leading tours might be a great option for you. You can combine your passion for traveling with your entrepreneurial spirit, and help revolutionize the way people experience some of the most beautiful places in the world!

The standard practice of this is best used if you’re somewhere you lives in a place where tourists visit, and it’s particularly fun if you’re someone who likes to plan travel. You can run private tours that allow you to share your knowledge and experiences with others, but can also have the opportunity to offer packages tailored specifically to their needs and desires. With this type of business, it’s all about creating unique experiences that travelers won’t soon forget.

Not located somewhere you can regularly run tours? No problem!

You can package those tours up as a buy-on-demand experience.

Perhaps you can also utilize existing networks such as social media platforms or other online resources like TripAdvisor or Airbnb Experiences. This will help spread the word about your services and establish yourself as an expert tour leader.

Trova Trips seems to be the most popular company to help you start running tours, but you only get a % of the profits. To make the most money, set up a tour company. My friend Jessie Festa of Jessie on a Journey did this with her NYC Photo Journeys company.

14. Work as a VA for Other Bloggers

Working as a virtual assistant (VA) for other bloggers might not seem like the obvious choice but it’s a great way to get paid to learn. There are plenty of experienced bloggers looking for reliable help, and this can be your way in to the blogging lifestyle without putting too much on the line for yourself. Ideally, it’d be with a travel blogger — but honestly, you can learn from any kind of blogger no matter the niche.

As a virtual assistant, you will provide support services such as scheduling social media posts, moderating comments and other small tasks that help free up the blogger’s time. As a VA your job tasks could include:

• Laying out and schedule content
• Research and data entry
• Answering emails
• Schedule appointments

The best part about being a blogging VA is that it can be done from anywhere in the world, so long as you have an internet connection. It’s a great entry into the digital nomad lifestyle.

You don’t need any special skills or qualifications, but the following will help ensure you do well:

• Basic knowledge of blogging
• Ability to work within WordPress
• Starter SEO knowledge

If you’re ready to get started on this journey, I recommend joining Facebook groups, Upwork, Fiverr or even cold pitching directly!

15. Get Freelance Writing Work

Freelance writing can be a lucrative way to make money as a travel blogging. It’s also one of the easiest ways to start making money fast — depending on how much you’re willing to put into it.

There are a lot of reasons to love freelance writing:

• Easy to get into, just start pitching
• One of the fastest blogging-adjacent ways to get paid
• Helps you hone your own writing skills
• You can start building relationships with blogging colleagues

Not sure where to start? No problem. Getting started is considerably easier than you’d think:

1. Prep some sample work — you can display it on your own blog!
2. Start pitching articles and brands
3. Complete amazing work
4. Bill and get paid!

You don’t have to stick to only travel-related content either. You can write about arts, technology, social media or any other niche topic that you’re passionate about!

I wrote about plumbing and car accident law at one point to make money from freelance writing before my blog took off – you do what you gotta do when you’ve got an expensive puppy in need of all the toys!

How Much Do Travel Bloggers Make?: Average Travel Blogger Salary

The thought of making money blogging is both scary and exciting, but is it really possible?

The truth is there’s no guaranteed amount you’ll make while blogging, and you’ll probably have to wait at few years to really see it start to come in, but it is possible.

So, how much do travel bloggers actually make?

It really depends.

While there are A LOT of bloggers that make $0, there are a ton that pull in 5, 6 and 7 figures – or simply earn a reasonable full-time income.

Blogging is a long-term game, and it’s those that hang on that end up making a success out of it.

The best part is that once you’re up and running, you earn daily, and can make money while you sleep as a completely passive income.

It essentially breaks down to be the right skills, focus and dedication that make it possible (albeit still hard) to make an income blogging.

At the end of the day, the sky’s the limit and you’re truly the only one who can make sure it happens.

If you feel you need a little inspiration, here are some travel blogging income reports for you to check out:

• Practical Wanderlust – $22k in the first year
• Two Wandering Souls – $74k in Q4 2019
• Living The Dream – $9,750 in November 2022
• Nomad Life 101 – more than $5,500 in March 2022
  • I made $31.5k in January 2023, which I shared with my email list

How Much Do I Make as a Travel Blogger

It wouldn’t be a post about making money blogging if I didn’t share my receipts, now would it?

I had my first $10k USD ACTIVE income month in December 2021 – which I didn’t enjoy tbh because active income isn’t ideal. $6k of that was from freelance writing, $300 was from SHE Media ads, $63 was from affiliates (not actually from December but amalgamated from months that finally got paid out), $500 from a speaking gig, and $3.2k was from SEO and blog client work that I was severely under charging for.

I had my first $10k PASSIVE income month in July 2022. This was about $1,500 USD from Mediavine, and the rest was from affiliates in my email list and on my blog.

This was the DREAM for me. The next month I hit $11k!

While my Mediavine income has grown to about $2,500 a month, my affiliate income does vary by month (thanks to no one wanting to take tours in Canada in -30C weather in winter).

In November 2022, I made $2,547 from Mediavine and $5,604 and change from affiliates. I also made about $84 from my first $7 mini course. I didn’t market it well since I was focussed on my SEO course sales, so we’ll see how it grows.

If I spent more time on the site and not on my SEO clients and this blog, I could easily have grabbed another $10k month in November, but I slacked on writing those winter affiliate posts to promote my Profitable Part-Time Blogger program for Black Friday.

Income is pretty varied for bloggers.

Q4 has the highest ad income. Affiliate sales vary based on the type of site you have (or if you forget to write on winter tours like I did).

I don’t do social promotions, sponsored posts, or press trips because honestly I don’t enjoy them. I could probably double my income if I cared about social media but it takes WAY too long to grow and maintain.

I’m a passive income girlie!

FAQs about Travel Blogging

How do you start a travel blog and make money?

To start a travel blog and make money, you:

1. Purchase a domain and buy hosting
2. Create outstanding content with an SEO focus
3. Add in affiliate links
4. Create your own digital products
5. Grow your traffic and connect with an ad network
6. Consider sponsored post opportunities with brands
7. Create a killer strategy and bring in that cash!

Wrap Up: How to Make Money as a Travel Blogger in 2022

Starting a travel blog can be immensely rewarding and lucrative, if done correctly.

But before you start dreaming big, make sure you’re ready to put in the work, dedicate the time, and be patient while your blog grows.

With the right strategies, including display ads and affiliate marketing, it is possible to make money with a travel blog. You can even run it while you travel the world!

💰 Want to get financial freedom to make money while sipping pina coladas in Mexico or summiting Kilimanjaro? Check out my exact SEO strategy that got me the audience for Mediavine & affiliate income while I sleep!

Read More About Travel Blogging!

• What is a Travel Blog: Definition & Examples from a 6-Figure Blogger
• 100+ Best Travel Blogs that Accept Guest Posts
• 60 Best Travel Affiliate Programs for Bloggers
• How to Make Money as a Travel Blogger: 15 Ways I Made $30k
• Travelpayouts Review: 6 Figure Travel Blogger Weighs In
• 19 Best Cameras for Travel Blogging & Vlogging
• Travel Blogging Summit Denver 2022 Review & Key Takeaways
• Basic SEO for Travel Bloggers: 19 SEO Tips to Scale to Full-Time Income
• Best Travel Blogging Courses: Which is Worth Your Money?
• 500+ Travel Blog Names: How to Choose a Unique & Memorable Name in Any Niche
• 69 Travel Blog Statistics You Need to Know
• 50+ Best Facebook Groups for Travel Bloggers to Engage and Grow
• 140+ Engaging Travel Blog Post Ideas for Every Niche
• How I Grew My Travel Blog by 45k Pageviews in 6 Weeks
• Niche Site Deep Dive: A DA 13 Travel Blog on Adthrive?
• Travel Blog Audit: Complete Tutorial To Improve Your Website
• This Travel Blogger Got Into Mediavine in 1 Year
• “How Is This Legal?” Travel Blogger Calls Out Google’s Knowledge Graph
• How This Travel Blog is Winning at SEO Post Helpful Content Update

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