When you hear the words, “travel writing jobs,” what comes to mind? Most people imagine writing articles from their laptop at luxurious hotels around the world. Yes, some travel writing jobs do come with fully-paid travel expenses at beautiful destinations around the globe, but being a freelance travel writer is more than writing articles about your time spent at beautiful beaches. There are many other aspects related to travel writing jobs you can choose to write about.
Before giving examples of travel writing jobs that are available, let’s explore what exactly travel writing is, the salary that freelance travel writers make, and how to become a travel writer.
What are travel writing jobs?
Travel writing is just what it sounds like–a career where people get paid to write about anything related to travel. You can write about the people, places, and things you experienced while traveling. But, you can also write about topics such as when and how to travel. Travel is such a broad niche, there are many different aspects related to the travel industry to write about. With so many options, travel writers can specialize in one or two areas, or work on any assignment they see fit.
Here are a few examples of topics travel writers can write about:
- Packing guides
- Reviews on hotels, restaurants, travel destinations
- Advice when traveling
- Travel itineraries
- How-to guides when planning a trip
Is travel writing a good career?
If you like to travel and write then this job is perfect for you! Your work may not even feel like work. However, getting started in this field can be hard.
What is the salary of travel writing jobs?
According to ZipRecruiter, as of June 2022 the average salary of a travel writer is about $76,801 a year. This averages out to about $37.00 an hour. Some travel writers are making as high as 215,000 a year and as low as $22,500 a year. The pay range for travel writers varies greatly. This suggests that there are many opportunities for growth in this industry.
There are a lot of factors that play a part in determining the salary of a travel writer. It depends on your skill level, location, years of experience, and who you’re writing for. When you are just starting off in this industry, you most likely will not make as much as experienced travel writers, but know there is a lot of room for advancement.
How do you get paid to be a travel writer?
Getting paid as a travel writer comes in many forms. Sometimes a company will comp your travel expenses, food, and housing. The more experience, influence, and following you have as a writer, the more likely you are to get fully compensated for your travel jobs. Always negotiate the details of your payment for travel writing jobs before agreeing to work.
How to get started as a travel writer:
Most travel writers have a Bachelor’s degree in either English, Journalism, or Communication; but it is not mandatory to have a college degree to get a travel writing job. As long as you have good writing skills and the ability to produce good content, then your career as a travel writer will take off.
However, here is a list of essential skills for travel writers:
- Exceptional writing skills: Within your writing you need to be able to tell a story by constructing scenes, creating multi-level storylines, and creating multi-level dialogues.
- A love and passion for traveling: As a travel writer, you will be taking several trips a year to unfamiliar places. So, if traveling is something you do not like to do, then this career is not for you.
- Excellent communication skills: As a travel writer, you will be meeting people from all walks of life. Being able to use active listening and non-verbal cues will help you when communicating orally and in writing.
- Knowledge of the travel industry: Being up-to-date on all things travel will benefit your writing.
- Ability to research: Researching is a big part of any writing job. If you are assigned a topic that is not your specialty, you need to be able to research and find relevant information.
- SEO knowledge: Knowledge of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is one of the most marketable skills you can acquire as a writer. In short, this is the art of getting your blogs to the number one spot on Google search pages. Using SEO practices will ensure your work is seen by people.
Click here To learn more about obtaining a job as a freelance travel writer without experience.
12 Travel Writing Jobs
Here is a list of the best travel writing jobs for beginners:
- Travel magazine article writer: If you love writing inspirational and informative pieces for people looking to travel then writing for a travel magazine is the job for you.
- Travel social-media content writer: You can find a job creating social-media posts for travel companies or hotels.
- Travel copywriter: This can be anything from writing copy for a website, advertisement, brochure, or any print or web based publication. Travel copywriting can be anything from descriptions of destinations to persuading someone to take action.
- Travel blogger: You can start your own travel blog or write for a specific business related to travel.
- Travel press release writer: Hotels, cruises, and destinations release press releases when they open or make a change. You can help them by crafting informational documents for the press.
- Travel ebook writer/ghostwriter: Companies, brands, and people are publishing ebooks as a way to market themselves. You can write within the company or as a ghostwriter. An ebook can range from guides to books about specific destinations.
- Destination travel writer: As a destination travel writer, you can create content about specific destinations to help readers learn about each destination’s culture, music, food, and climate.
- Travel journalist: Travel journalism is different from travel blogging because journalists write fact-based articles instead of opinionated pieces.
- Personal essay writer: Many people like to read real stories from people who are frequent travelers. As a personal essay writer, you will create content sharing your opinions about the places you travel to.
- Travel itinerary writer: Itinerary writers create detailed, scheduled plans for a certain traveler.
- Travel how-to guides: Traveling can be a stressful time for people. How-to guides from experts help travelers through the process.
- Airline writer: You can write for airlines!
5 Travel Websites and Magazines that hire freelance travel writers
There are several websites and magazines that are currently hiring travel writers. Here is a short list of the 5 best magazines and websites that are hiring travel writers:
- Los Angeles Times Travel: The Los Angeles Times is a major publication. They are always open to receiving pitches for their travel section.
- Travel Magazine: Travel magazine is always looking for writers to write guest posts.
- GoNOMAD: This publication is looking for entertaining yet informative travel articles and research regarding destinations, activities, and personal experiences.
- Outpost Magazine: This travel publication features articles about anything travel related.
- Road and Travel Magazine: wYou can submit articles out hotels, spas, and travel destination reviews.
Get Paid to Travel and Write
There are so many freelance travel writing jobs available. Now it’s your turn to start your career as a travel writer!
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