You can start a travel blog that makes money.
If you are interested in starting a profitable travel blog you are already halfway done.
I have made this post as easy and complete as possible, to make it the final post you will visit to truly start a profitable travel blog that will make you money.
Key Takeaway
At the end of this post, you will learn what exactly a travel blog is and how you can get started and make money doing so.
I have divided the article into two (2) sections to make it easier for you to understand, skim, and follow step-by-step.
Section 1: Learning What A Travel Blog Is
- What is a travel blog?
- Sub-niches under travel blogging
- Benefits of starting a travel blog
- How much do travel blogs make
- Examples of travel blogs and how much they make
Section 2: How To Start A Profitable Travel Blog
- How to start a money-making travel blog step-by-step
Note: You can navigate to “Section 2” if you want to get started immediately.
Section 1:
What Is A Travel Blog?
A travel blog is a simple website mainly used for publishing web posts related to the travel industry these types of posts are generally known as blog posts.
They are accessible online and on Google search results when people look for information related to the ones you’ve published on this site.
Travel blog sub-niches where you can start from
Travel blogs can be broken down into several sub-niches, each catering to a specific audience within the travel world.
It makes it easy to start from one sub-niche and expand to other sub-niches.
Here are some popular sub-niches in travel blogs where you can start;
Sub-niche 1: Budget Travel
Focus: Traveling affordably with tips on saving money, budget accommodations, and cheap destinations.
Example of Topics:
- How to backpack through Southeast Asia for $30 a day
- Best budget-friendly hostels in Europe
- How to find cheap flights and travel deals
Sub-niche 2: Adventure Travel
Focus: Targeting thrill-seekers interested in extreme sports, outdoor activities, and off-the-beaten-path experiences.
Example of Topics:
- Best places for rock climbing in Europe
- How to prepare for your first solo trek in the Himalayas
- Top adventure activities in South America (skydiving, rafting, bungee jumping)
Sub-niche 3: Luxury Travel
Focus: High-end experiences, luxury resorts, fine dining, and exclusive destinations.
Example of Topics:
- A guide to 5-star hotels in the Maldives
- Best luxury travel destinations for honeymooners
- Private jet travel tips for first-timers
Sub-niche 4: Family Travel
Focus: Traveling with children and family, including child-friendly destinations, tips for managing family vacations, and multigenerational travel.
Examples of Topics:
- Best family-friendly vacation spots in the U.S.
- How to plan a stress-free road trip with kids
- Travel tips for flying with toddlers
Sub-niche 5: Travel Gear and Packing
Focus: Reviewing travel gear and providing advice on packing smart for different types of trips.
Example of Topics:
- Best travel backpacks for long-term travelers
- The ultimate packing list for a two-week vacation
- Essential travel gadgets for tech-savvy travelers
There are many more.
If you want a more complete list we have brought together more than “400 Travel Blog Post Topics In Different Sub-niches“ to make it easier for you to find blog post ideas and get started within your desired sub-niche.
Benefits of starting a travel blog
Here are some of the benefits that can make you interested in starting a travel blog;
- Low Cost: Start a professional travel blog for under $3/month with affordable hosting, cheaper than many subscriptions.
- High Earning Potential: Fashion blogs can earn thousands per month. Though it may take 6-12 months to reach $20,000/month, the financial rewards can be substantial.
- Global Flexibility: Run your blog from anywhere in the world, except regions with different major search engines like China and Russia.
- No Qualifications Needed: No degrees or prior experience required. You can just follow successful bloggers’ strategies to succeed as well.
- Promote Your Products: Use your blog to market travel products or services. High traffic can lead to significant sales if you convert a small percentage of visitors.
How Much Money Does Travel Blogs Make
This is the different income range of different travel blogs make depending on many factors.
With this, you can estimate how much you are likely to make having the number of estimated posts taking the average time required to get there.
[a]. Beginner Travel Blogs
- Monthly Income: $500 to $1,500
- Average Traffic: 10,000 to 50,000 monthly visitors
- Number of Blog Posts: 20 to 50 posts
- Average Required Time: 3 months to 6 months
Common Methods of Monetization:
- Affiliate Marketing: Promoting travel gear, tours, and accommodations.
- Display Ads: Basic ad networks like Google AdSense.
[b]. Average Travel Blogs
- Monthly Income: $3,000 to $10,000
- Average Traffic: 50,000 to 200,000 monthly visitors
- Number of Blog Posts: 300+ posts
- Average Required Time: 1 to 2 years to build up a steady income
Common Methods of Monetization:
- Affiliate Marketing: More extensive partnerships with travel brands.
- Display Ads: More lucrative networks like Mediavine or AdThrive.
- Sponsored Content: Regular collaborations with tourism boards, hotels, and airlines.
- Courses: They may offer courses on travel planning or blogging.
[c]. Established Travel Blogs
- Monthly Income: $10,000 to $50,000+
- Average Traffic: 200,000+ monthly visitors
- Number of Blog Posts: 300+ posts
- Average Required Time: 3+ years to reach this level of profitability
Common Methods of Monetization:
- Affiliate Marketing: High-ticket items and exclusive deals with major travel brands.
- Display Ads: Premium ad networks or direct ad sales.
- Sponsored Content: High-value partnerships with global brands, and travel companies.
- Digital Products: High-quality products like extensive travel guides, premium content, and travel courses.
- Consulting/Coaching: Offering consulting services or coaching for aspiring travel bloggers or businesses.
Note: These figures provide a general overview, actual earnings can vary based on different factors on a specific blog. Here is an income report from real travel blogs.
Examples of successful travel blogs and how much they make
Here are some successful travel blogs to inspire you.
[1]. Two Wandering Soles
Two Wandering Soles is a travel blog created by Katie and Ben, a couple passionate about exploring the world.
Blog’s Insights
- Monthly Income – $16,389
- Monthly Traffic – 240,000+
- Number of blog posts – 721+
Methods of Monetization
- Affiliate products [Promoting travel gear, booking platforms, and tours.
- Sponsored Posts: Collaborations with travel brands, tourism boards, and gear companies.
- Display Ads: Through ad networks such as Mediavine.
- Digital Products: Travel guides and eBooks.
[2]. Adventure in You
Adventure in You is a travel blog run by Chris and Jodi. It focuses on providing detailed travel guides, destination tips, and personal experiences from their global adventures. The blog offers advice on outdoor activities, cultural experiences, and travel planning.
Blog’s Insights
- Monthly Income – $19,233
- Monthly Traffic – 160,000+
- Number of blog posts – 900+
- Methods of Monetization – Affiliates, sponsorships deals, display ads,
[3]. Kara and Nate
Kara and Nate is a popular travel blog run by a couple, Kara and Nate Buchanan. They document their adventures around the world, sharing travel tips, destination guides, and personal experiences. Their engaging content includes videos and blog posts that cover various aspects of their travels, from exploring new cities to trying unique activities.
Blog’s Insights
- Monthly Income – $35,276
- Monthly Traffic – 35,000+
- Number of blog posts – 200
- Methods of Monetization – affiliates, courses sales
Section 2:
How To Start A Travel Blog Step-by-step
Here are the things you need to set up a standard travel blog and get it ready for publishing your first blog post;
- A desktop – you need a laptop or computer. This will make it easy for you to manage your site entirely and write blog posts more effectively.
- A domain name – This is the name of your blog. You can decide to call your blog something interesting to you or related to your blog niche.
- Content management platform – This is simply where you manage your blog site and its entire affairs from customizing pages to writing blog posts. It is also known as your “blogging platform”. Using WordPress as your blogging platform doesn’t require coding, you can simply use a pre-built travel blog site theme and customize page templates to look the way you want.
- Web hosting – A web hosting service is what keeps your content management platform online. It is what keeps your website available and accessible online.
Note: At the end of your sign-up with your web hosting [e.g. HostGator], that is when you have the option to install the generally used web version of WordPress within your hosting account to start building and managing your blog site.
Start Here
In this illustration below, I am going to use HostGator because there are one of the best web hosting services available.
- Step 1: Start within a sub-niche
- Step 2: Click on HostGator
- Step 3: Choose your preferred hosting plan
- Step 4: Choose your domain name
- Step 6: Adjust to your preferred hosting subscription period
- Step 6: Create your HostGator account
- Step 7: Within Your HostGator Account Install WordPress
- Step 8: Choose A Theme your blog theme [A Pre-built Site]
- Step 9: Customize your main pages and start publishing blog posts.
Step 1: Start within a sub-niche
Starting within a sub-niche is all about finding one of the main content categories under the travel blogging space to start publishing its category-related content and gradually expand to other sub-niches to find more content ideas.
Just like I mentioned earlier in this post, there are several sub-niches under travel you can choose to start from like;
- Budget Travel
- Luxury Travel
- Adventure Travel
- Family Travel, etc.
Step 2: Click On Our “HostGator” Discount Link
Using our discount link you will get HostGator for less than its original price.
HostGator is a reliable web hosting service that offers industry-standard hosting.
Step 3: “Choose Your Preferred HostGator Plan”
Selecting the HostGator hatchling plan is more advisable and cost-effective after all that’s the minimum plan and you can always increase your plan anytime you want.
Step 4: Choose a domain name of your choice
After choosing your plan above, you will be directed to a page like this below to choose your domain name and complete your sign-up.
What to consider when choosing your blog domain name
- Make it Memorable and Easy to Spell – your domain name should be easy for people to remember and type into their browser. Avoid complex spellings or unnecessary hyphens.
- Make it Reflects Your Niche: Your domain name should give visitors a good idea of what your blog is about. Use relevant keywords that are travel-related.
- Keep it Short and Sweet: Aim for a domain name that’s between 6-14 characters. Long domain names are harder to remember and type.
- Easy to Read or Pronounce: Avoid awkward letter combinations or double letters that might be confusing when pronounced.
Find unique and meaningful travel-related blog name ideas
Step 5: Adjust to your preferred hosting subscription period
Make sure you are on the hatchling plan on the right-hand side and your subscription is adjusted to the period to one 1 year or 36 months based on what you can afford at the time.
Step 6: Create your HostGator account
Create your HostGator account by providing your email contact information and choosing a password.
Enter the coupon code “SNAPPY” and check if there is a discount at the
moment. Discounts are not always available.
Preview your information before checkout.
Step 7: Within your HostGator account “Install WordPress”
Action required – At the end of your HostGator sign-up follow the on-screen instructions to complete your WordPress sign-up and installation.
You can also do this within your HostGator account once you are logged in find a section labeled “WordPress”.
Click on it you will be directed to create a WordPress account after that you will be automatically logged in to WordPress to start creating blog posts and customizing your site pages.
Step 8: Choose A Theme For Your Blog
Themes are pre-built website templates. You can select a particular theme, preview it, and customize it the way you want it to make it yours.
Here’s a simplified way to choose a suitable WordPress blogging theme after you’ve logged into your WordPress admin area;
- Navigate to Themes: On the left-hand sidebar of your WordPress admin dashboard, hover over “Appearance” and click on “Themes.”
- Explore the Theme Library: This is where you’ll find a vast collection of free and paid themes. You can use the search bar at the top to find themes by keyword (e.g., “travel blog”) or browse by popular features (e.g., “grid layout,” “responsive”).
- Filter Your Options: You can use the filters on the left side of the page to narrow down your search. Here are some key filters for a travel blog:
- Features: Look for themes with features like post formats (galleries, videos), image sliders, social media integration, and customization options.
- Layout: You can consider layouts with a clean and modern aesthetic, grid layouts ideal for showcasing outfits, and responsive design to ensure your blog looks modern and good on all devices.
- Preview Before You Commit: Once you find a theme that interests you, hover over it and click “Preview.” This will allow you to see a live demo of the theme’s layout and features.
- Read Reviews and Ratings: Check out the reviews and ratings left by other users. This can give you valuable insights into the theme’s ease of use, customization options, customer support, and downsides.
- Mobile-Friendly is a Must: In today’s world, ensure the theme you select is responsive and displays well on mobile devices. Lots of visitors coming to your blog will be coming from mobile devices so ensure that your theme is mobile-friendly by using the preview function to check how it looks on mobile and other screens. This is very advisable.
- Consider Paid Themes: If you don’t find what you like with free themes you can use premium or paid themes with better or more attractive appearance and features. This is optional and often not advisable for beginners who still don’t fully understand WordPress well enough.
Here are some of the best WordPress themes for travel blogs you can use.
Step 9: Customize your blog main pages and start publishing blog posts
- Start personalizing your blog! Use your theme’s customization options to adjust colors, fonts, and layouts to match your style.
- Most themes come with pre-built layouts for essential pages like “About,” “Contact,” and “Home.” You can use these as a starting point to customize your pages easily to match what you want.
- After that, you can start writing and publishing blog posts.
Congratulations at this point you’ve just created a fully functional standard blog that you can use to start blogging about travel. Your site is now visible on Google and anywhere online.
Simplified Summary
Now you know what a travel blog is and how you can get started, you should start with writing topics under a travel sub-niche and expand to other sub-niches as you cover more topics.
You can monetize your site immediately with ads and some affiliates while some people may do this after gaining some consistent traffic to their site which is more advisable to help you focus on the more important things rather than your earnings within your starting points.
As you publish more blog posts, your monthly traffic and income will grow.
In this process, you will understand better what works and how you can do more of them to get the best possible result.
