Many aspiring writers dream of getting paid to travel the world. The reality of being a travel writer, however, involves much more than just luxurious vacations. It’s a demanding profession that requires dedication, resilience, and a knack for storytelling.
The Demands of Press Trips
Press trips, while seemingly glamorous, can be surprisingly exhausting. Jennifer notes that even after a long day of exploring, travel writers often have to attend dinners and networking events.
There’s a constant pressure to capture and share experiences in real-time. This means quickly showering and changing after a busy day to attend dinner.
Before these events, writers are expected to post engaging content on social media, requiring them to gather information and edit photos efficiently. This constant need to document and share can take away from the opportunity to simply relax and enjoy the experience.
Veteran travel writer Kerry Heaney points out that travel writers often pack three times the activities into a day compared to the average traveler. While this allows them to gather great stories and see a lot, it can also be draining. The organized nature of these trips, while beneficial, often leaves little time for spontaneous exploration or relaxation.
The Digital Influencer’s Perspective
Digital influencer Kerri McConnel emphasizes the hard work involved in ensuring a high return on investment for brands and destinations. Treating every trip as her first, she approaches each assignment with diligence and commitment.
A typical day on a famil trip (familiarization trip) involves a packed itinerary, often extending late into the night. These evenings aren’t spent leisurely; they often consist of business dinners hosted by senior management, requiring careful listening, note-taking, and strategic thinking about potential story angles.
Beyond the Article: The Content Creation Process
For writers with their own websites, the workload extends far beyond writing articles. Kerri explains that she spends entire days capturing hundreds of photos and videos in various formats to suit different platforms like websites, Instagram, and Facebook.
Shooting video for Instagram Stories requires a vertical format and 15-second clips, while YouTube, Facebook, and website videos need horizontal footage. This often means recording the same scene twice, adding to the complexity of the process.
Using a variety of equipment, including DSLRs, iPhones, drones, and GoPros, along with gimbals and selfie sticks, travel writers need to be tech-savvy and adaptable. At the end of the day, they must download and categorize their content to prevent data loss, followed by curating and post-processing. Editing a two-minute video can take up to two days.
Even during travel time, writers are often busy posting Instagram Stories or Facebook posts, carefully selecting images and crafting captions to maximize engagement.
The Reality of Being a Travel Writer
Being a travel writer is a rewarding but demanding career. It requires a combination of creativity, technical skills, and business acumen. While the opportunity to explore new destinations is a major perk, the constant pressure to create content and meet deadlines means that travel writers are always “on,” blurring the lines between work and leisure. It’s a career that rewards hard work, dedication, and a genuine passion for storytelling.
