5 Ways to Consider Becoming a Travel Writer


Many people dream of ditching the 9 to 5 job to relax on a beautiful tropical beach somewhere, and you may be one of them. However, there may be a number of things holding you back. Although traveling can look great on your resume, you could still keep up your career on the move. If you love traveling and writing, then a travel writing career might be perfect for you and can help you move one step closer towards achieving that dream. You can explore the world, while enjoying writing about your experiences, in hours that suit you.

Take a look at bloggers such Nomadic Matt, The Travel Hack and On the Luce for some inspiration (and a serious case of wanderlust). However, it doesn’t just stop at blogging. You could also write for websites, travel guides, magazines, books and even social media. You could also develop into travel photography, with stars such as Murad Osmann becoming popular on Instagram with his #followmeto series.

But it’s important to note that it’s not all sunshine, freebies and lying around by the pool. So, before you rush to hand in your resignation, book your flights and jet off to the other side of the world, leaving your home and family behind, make sure you take a few key things into consideration:

1. You’ll need to have confidence.

It’s a big step; changing careers and leaving your home, and you need to be comfortable with that. And you may be going it alone. Although many people enjoy wandering in their own private space, it can still get very lonely at times. Of course, you don’t have to travel completely alone, as you could always ask a friend to join you, or consider the increasingly popular co-working holiday.

2. You’ll be leaving your friends and family behind.

Can you imagine leaving your family and friends behind for a week, a month or even a year at a time whilst you head off on your travels? You’ll also miss out on things happening back home. But, if you’re prepared to give this up for the love of traveling, there are lots of ways to stay in touch from the most remote locations, such as by Skype, social media, and email.

3. You’ll need lots of motivation.

It’s easy to get carried away traveling the world, but don’t forget you’ll need to work to pay for the lifestyle. You therefore, need to make sure you have the motivation to put down your book, step away from the beach and focus on work.

4. You’ll need to be determined to make it work.

As you’ll find, there are a lot of travel writers, both new and well established, within the industry. You’ll therefore, need to be curious, organized, and very determined to make your travel writing career a success.

5. You’ll need to start out with realistic expectations.

Many people think that being a travel blogger will bring a luxury lifestyle where you can wake up late, wander to the beach and sip on cocktails. In reality, this is very different. To make ends even meet, you’ll need to put in a lot of hard work and long hours. It can take years to build up a successful reputation and some people do travel writing as a way to get some income over a short period of time, or even as a part time job.

Travel writing is still a lot of fun and so don’t be put off. It can take you to places you’ve never been before and so the world really does become your oyster…

If you decide travel writing is definitely for you, here are some of our latest articles that you may find helpful to read:

Author Bio

Elizabeth Harmon is a writer for Open Colleges, one of Australia’s leading online education providers. She is a Social Media Consultant with a number of years’ experience in the field. She has worked with a growing list of clients around the world, helping to build successful social media strategies, create effective content and much more. Follow her on TwitterGoogle+Facebook, and website.