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<\/div>\nDo you want to learn how to turn your passion for travel into a six-figure business?<\/p>\n
Travel blogging is an exciting and flexible way to earn money while exploring the world. You get to share your experiences, inspire others, and create a business that fits your lifestyle. But how do you go from just writing about your trips to actually making $100,000+ per year?<\/p>\n
Today, I\u2019m excited to share the story of Jessie Festa, a successful travel blogger who started her blog, Jessie on a Journey<\/em>, with the goal of helping travelers. Jessie went from earning nothing to building a six-figure travel blogging business.<\/p>\n In this interview, I ask Jessie questions about how to start a travel blogging business, like:<\/p>\n Plus more!<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve ever wondered how much money travel bloggers really make, how they get paid to travel, or how to start your own travel blog, this interview with Jessie is for you. She\u2019ll break down her journey and share tips on everything from affiliate marketing to working with brands and tourism boards.<\/p>\n And, if you\u2019re ready to turn your love for travel into a thriving business, Travel Blog Prosperity is the perfect resource for you. Created by Jessie, this membership offers 100+ courses and workshops, and a supportive community to help you grow your blog into a profitable venture. Whether you\u2019re a beginner or looking to scale, Travel Blog Prosperity provides the tools and strategies to make it happen.<\/p>\n Technically, the doors are closed, but if you use my affiliate link, you can join right now. You can also use coupon code \u201cMAKINGSENSE9<\/strong>\u201d to get your first month for just $9. After that, it\u2019s $49 per month to stay a member, and you can cancel at any time \u2013 even before your trial month is over.<\/p>\n Please click here to learn more about Travel Blog Prosperity.<\/strong><\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive into how Jessie makes $100,000+ each year as a travel blogger, and how you can get started too.<\/p>\n Hi, my name is Jessie Festa, a travel blogger, photographer, and blog coach from New York.<\/p>\n I started my first travel blog, Jessie on a Journey, in 2011. At the time, there weren\u2019t many resources online for solo travelers, and after going through the challenging process of planning a 3-month solo backpacking trip through Europe, I wanted to help others more easily plan their own solo trips.<\/p>\n Additionally, I wanted to create a business that would allow me to continue traveling.<\/p>\n I graduated with my BA\/MA in Communication during a recession, so jobs were scarce. While it was a scary and uncertain time, it also gave me the space to pursue travel blogging and see where it could lead me.<\/p>\n Within about a year I was able to begin earning a steady income from it, and today it\u2019s my full-time job. Along with Jessie on a Journey, I own the websites Epicure & Culture (sustainable tourism and culture blog) and NYC Photo Journeys (my photo experience site that gets most of its booking through the blog).<\/p>\n I\u2019m proud to say I\u2019ve been able to create a 6-figure business for myself through blogging\u2014which I attribute mainly to treating it like a business, which I share more about below in question #5.<\/p>\n I also try to diversify my traffic and revenue streams as much as possible to help protect my business.<\/p>\n Additionally, I monitor what is working\u2014and what isn\u2019t\u2014so I can adjust my strategies accordingly.<\/p>\n Finally, I automate and streamline as much as possible, such as by creating sales funnels to sell my digital products.<\/p>\n Ultimately, it was my love of travel. I was determined to find\u2014or create\u2014a job that would allow me to earn a living from anywhere so that I could keep exploring the world.<\/p>\n Funny enough, I didn\u2019t really know what blogging was before I started mine. Again, this was 2011, and blogging as a career wasn\u2019t common yet. I\u2019d always assumed a blog was just an online journal.<\/p>\n But, I saw other travelers\u2014normal people who weren\u2019t celebrities\u2014doing it and actually making money writing about their travels on their websites. I told myself that if they could do it, so could I. So I did!<\/p>\n The ability to be my own boss, get paid to be creative, and travel the world.<\/p>\n Running a travel blog means getting to create my own schedule based on goals I\u2019m passionate about and projects I\u2019m excited about. Additionally, I can work from anywhere in the world\u2014or choose to take time off, because I\u2019m the one approving vacation time. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n With travel specifically, you can choose to monetize your trips, such as by writing blog posts that contain ads and affiliate links or working with sponsors.<\/p>\n Don\u2019t get me wrong, running any type of business, including a blog, is hard work; but, there are a lot of perks too.<\/p>\n My favorite place is usually wherever I\u2019ve just been! \ud83d\ude42 Recently, I visited\u00a0 Kyrgyzstan and Tanzania\u2014both of which were absolutely incredible.<\/p>\n Next week I\u2019ll be heading to Nova Scotia for a partnership, which I\u2019m very excited about.<\/p>\n I know travel bloggers earning nothing and travel bloggers earning multiple six figures, so it really depends.<\/p>\n In my opinion, one of the biggest mistakes bloggers make is thinking that writing in itself will eventually lead to income.<\/p>\n Yes, your content can\u2014and should\u2014be profitable; but, to really earn a living blogging you need a profit plan. It\u2019s essential to implement revenue streams, set goals, track success, and tweak your strategy as needed.<\/p>\n Building on this, some of the main income streams for travel bloggers include:<\/p>\n In the beginning, I\u2019d recommend investing in good hosting with security features and consistent uptime, a lightweight theme with support, and a premium keyword research tool so that you can optimize your website for Search Engine Optimization (SEO).<\/p>\n As you grow, you may invest in other tools, as well. It just depends on your strategy.<\/p>\n For instance, I personally pay for Later to schedule my Instagram posts and plan my feed; however, I also know many bloggers who use Instagram\u2019s native scheduler or publish in real-time for free.<\/p>\n Also, many essential tools are free to start. For instance, you\u2019ll definitely want an email marketing platform, like Mailerlite or ConvertKit, which typically offer free plans to get started.<\/p>\n I like to break up my month into four weekly \u201csprints\u201d. These include:<\/p>\n Additionally, one of my products is my NYC photo tours and shoots, which I launched after having so many readers asking me to show them around New York. This means there are days when I\u2019m in person with these clients.<\/p>\n When I\u2019m working on the above, my day looks like a pretty typical workday, though I can take a day off if I need, move things around, and work from anywhere.<\/p>\n As a travel blogger I also travel a lot, so some weeks I\u2019m on the road. For instance, I just got back from spending two weeks traveling around Tanzania.<\/p>\n While traveling, I\u2019m not really on my laptop; however, I am taking notes, photos, and video clips to use in future travel content I\u2019ll create once I\u2019m back home.<\/p>\n Absolutely, though I\u2019d niche down more than just \u201ctravel\u201d. Really aim to build a business that helps a specific audience and in a specific way.<\/p>\n Once you know who you help and how, it\u2019ll be much easier to choose what topics to cover, which affiliates and brands to work with, and which products and services to create\u2014as they will all be an extension of your mission.<\/p>\n I\u2019m fortunate that I\u2019ve always been focused on growing and nurturing an email list, as I think this is more important than ever. This way, you can turn one-time readers into dedicated community members and capture that traffic on a list you own.<\/p>\n Additionally, I recommend diversifying your traffic sources as well as thinking about your blog as a business (vs simply writing over-optimized posts to try to rank).<\/p>\n Don\u2019t overthink pitching. Go into as if you\u2019re having a conversation and sharing an idea for a mutually beneficial partnership (vs asking the brand to give you something).<\/p>\n Before you do this, try to pinpoint what you bring to the table. Maybe it\u2019s influence, a specific audience, a creative content creation style, or something else.<\/p>\n You can watch a recent YouTube video I shared for an actual pitch template that I go over step-by-step below:<\/p>\n\n
How I Make Money With A Travel Blog Business<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"How](\"https:\/\/clickte.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/How-I-Make-100000-Each-Year-With-A-Travel-Blog.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n1) Tell me your story. Who are you, and what inspired you to start your travel blog?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
2. How much money do you make as a travel blogger?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
3. Why did you decide to become a travel blogger?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
4. What do you enjoy most about running a travel blog?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
5. What are some of your favorite places that you\u2019ve traveled to thanks to your travel blog?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n6. How much money can a travel blogger realistically earn, and what are the main income streams?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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7. What tools and equipment are essential for running a successful travel blog? Do beginners need to invest a lot to get started?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
8. What does your typical work schedule look like as a travel blogger? How many hours a week do you dedicate to maintaining your blog?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n9. Is there still room for new travel bloggers to succeed in such a competitive niche?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
10. How has your approach to SEO evolved as Google\u2019s algorithms have changed over the years?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
11. How do you pitch brands or tourism boards for paid partnerships or press trips? Any tips for beginners?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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