The global travel industry is on an upswing, with all regions registering growth over the previous month, according to the Skift Travel Health Index: September 2023 Highlights. The Skift Travel Health Index stands at 106, three points higher than August 2023 – a new record high.
How Travel Writers Really Make Money In 2023
02.10.2023 - 11:27 / forbes.com
The often-portrayed dream of working as a travel writer features images of exotic locales, rich cultures, and thrilling adventures. It’s a profession that seems to offer endless freedom and exploration with a paycheck attached.
But behind this romantic vision lies a profession that is complex, competitive, and continuously evolving.
The reason? The role of the travel writer has undergone a fundamental shift over the last decade, largely driven by the advances in the internet and digital technology.
What was once a domain dominated by print journalism has now transformed into a multifaceted world where travel bloggers, influencers, and independent writers are blurring the lines between professionalism and passion.
Even just a few years ago, there was a clear difference between a professional travel journalist and a travel blogger. Not so today.
Travel journalists that still write for the ever-dwindling number of mainstream publications run their own blogs, while leading bloggers are often invited to submit pieces for publications because of their following. Press trips—once the exclusive realm of the newspaper or magazine hack—are now packed with bloggers and influencers.
After working as a travel writer himself for many years, travel writer Tim Leffel now coaches new and improving travel writers while maintaining a network of self-owned travel websites and publishing several books.
He believes that adopting such an entrepreneurial business model is how to get a foothold in the industry today: “Someone who ten years ago made a living from updating guidebooks and submitting stories to travel magazines now likely cobbles together a living from five or more different sources, and almost certainly runs their own blog.”
Leffel has recently published the third edition of his Travel Writing 2.0 book, which focuses on the business of travel writing in the internet age.
Even between editions, he’s noticed a change, with the highest earners now all making their living from multiple sources: “Income streams include books, courses, expert itineraries for sale, tours, physical products, and a whole lot of others.”
There’s been another shift too, albeit a more subtle one. Fifty years ago travel writing was more inspirational. Novel-length narratives told stories of far-flung, exotic lands that most readers could only dream of visiting.
In 2023, even with the rising cost of international flights, it’s easier and cheaper to visit much of the planet than ever before. That’s led to more demand for practical guidance, especially in the written form.
Leffel believes the best travel writers today make a name for themselves in a specific niche, and that can be very specific indeed. “I am friends with the go-to people on
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