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Travel blogging and vlogging are exciting avenues because there is so much to cover. I know this to be true since I’ve traveled to 20+ countries and lived in seven. A travel blogger can discuss her experiences, tips, hacks, things to do, places to visit, dining, nightlife, tours, reviews, travel reward cards, money matters, what to avoid, and more. For example, you could cover Five Things to Do When Your Flight Is Delayed or How to get to (fill in the blank) Island for Under Fifty Bucks.
Bloggers in any niche can “make money online” in several ways including affiliate marketing, advertising revenue (Google AdSense), book and online course sales, freelancing, print-on-demand product sales, digital media sales, subscription fees, and speaking gigs (offline).
Affiliate marketing is an excellent and viable way to earn money. It’s how I make a portion of my income. Many travel and tourism affiliate programs are available on the top affiliate networks. Travel program categories include:
- Accommodations
- Business travel
- Car rental
- Clothing
- Cruise
- Flight
- Hotel
- Insurance
- Luggage
- Park and fly
- Sharing economy
- Sightseeing and passes
- Tours
- Transportation
- Travel accessories
- Vacation
There are hundreds of travel affiliates programs, which is why you should dig deep to find programs worth promoting. Pay per lead and CPA programs are available as well. In most cases, travel program commission rates range from 5 to 15 percent. If a program doesn’t meet your criteria, consider other attributes such as earnings per click (EPC), conversion potential, and uniqueness of the product or service. Travel bloggers might also promote products and services in these categories:
- Books, magazines, and courses
- Dating and relationships
- Entertainment
- Family
- Food and drink
- Health and wellness
- Hobbies
- Leisure
- Lifestyle
- Money transfer
- Personal finance
- Retreats
For instance, a post entitled Ten Ways to Save for Your Next Global Adventure could include an affiliate link to Acorns, an investment app that helps people save money.
Travel Affiliate Programs
Well-known travel and tourism companies such as Booking, Expedia, Hotels.com, Hotwire, Orbitz, Priceline, Royal Caribbean, Skyscanner, TripAdvisor, Trivago, and Walt Disney have affiliate programs. Airlines including Air France, Avianca, Emirates, LATAM, Qatar, and Virgin Atlantic have programs. Major car rental and ride-sharing companies have programs, for example, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, Hertz, Thrifty, Uber, and Zipcar. Many hotel chains have programs including Best Western, IHG, Hilton, Marriot, and Radisson. You’ll find these affiliate programs on popular affiliate networks. Merchants typically list their affiliate programs in menus found at the top or bottom of pages.
Accommodations
- Airbnb – $40 commission
Airbnb provides access to millions of vacations rentals, homes, and experiences for personal and business needs. It has millions of listings in 191 countries, which is more than the top five hotel chains combined. Learn about the Airbnb affiliate program.
- Couchsurfing – $15
Couchsurfing is a global community of 14 million members in more than 200,000 cities. Couchsurfing connects travelers with a global network of people who offer free accommodations. Learn about the Couchsurfing affiliate program on CJ.
- FlipKey – Up to $20
FlipKey is a vacation rental marketplace that makes it easy, safe, and fun to find and book the perfect place to stay. A traveler can search more than 500,000 listings and find a rental with the space, privacy, and amenities of home. Learn about the FlipKey affiliate program on CJ.
- HomeAway – $20
HomeAway offers an extensive selection of vacation homes that provide travelers with memorable experiences and benefits for less than the cost of traditional hotel accommodations. Learn about the HomeAway affiliate program.
- HomeExchange – Up to $80
HomeExchange offers home swapping and has 50,000+ listings in 150 countries. Over 65,000 active members swap primary and secondary homes, apartments, rental properties, timeshares, B&B, and hotel guest rooms. Learn about the HomeExchange affiliate program.
- Homestay – 24%
Homestay connects guests to 50,000 registered local hosts in over 150 countries. They offer a unique and affordable alternative to hotels, hostels, and B&Bs. Learn about the Homestay affiliate program.
- Hostelworld
Hostelworld is a leading provider of online reservations for budget-minded and young travelers. It offers online access to over 30,000 hostels and budget accommodation in 180 countries. Learn about the Hostelworld affiliate program.
- TrustedHousesitters – 20%
TrustedHousesitters helps pet owners go on holiday by connecting them with sitters who will look after their home and pets for free. Learn about the TrustedHousesitters affiliate program.
- TurnKey Vacation Rentals – 5%
TurnKey Vacation Rentals manages premier vacation rentals in some of the most desirable locations. Its comprehensive online marketing and distribution activities help owners grow their vacation rental revenues. Learn about the TurnKey Vacation Rentals affiliate program on ShareASale.
- VBRO – $20
VRBO is an online marketplace for vacation rentals with over 1 million properties in 190 countries. Learn about the VBRO affiliate program.
Specialty Travel
Contiki – 5%
Contiki provides tours for 18-35s. It offers a mix of sightseeing and culture in over 40 countries across six continents. Learn about the Contiki affiliate program.
- Intrepid Travel – 10%
Intrepid is a provider of adventure travel experiences. Its family of brands offer over 1,600 itineraries on every continent and cater for all ages, budgets, and appetites for adventure. Learn about the Intrepid Travel affiliate program.
- Sandals and Beaches Resorts – 4%
Sandals all-inclusive resorts offer a unique Caribbean vacation with unlimited relaxation and luxury service. Learn about the Sandals and Beaches Resorts affiliate program.
- STA Travel – Up to 20%
STA Travel is a student and youth travel company providing affordable adventures. It’s an expert in around the world flights, tours, accommodation, and good vibes. Learn about the STA Travel affiliate program.
Sightseeing & Passes
- CityPASS – 6%
CityPASS tickets contain admission to the most famous and popular attractions in each city and are priced up to 50 percent less than regular admission prices. Learn about the CityPass affiliate program.
- Gray Line – 5%
Gray Line has been at the center of creating and operating the best traveler experiences in the world’s most sought-after sightseeing destinations. Learn about the Gray Line affiliate program.
- Legoland – 5%
Legoland Discovery Centers are family attractions designed for kids aged three to ten years. Locations have over 2 million Lego bricks, cinemas, rides, workshops, and party rooms. Learn about the Legoland Discovery Centers affiliate program on CJ.
- Madame Tussauds – 5%
Madame Tussauds offers visitors the ultimate celebrity experience, allowing them to interact with life-like wax figures of the most famous pop stars, Hollywood legends, sporting heroes, and global icons. Learn about the Madame Tussauds affiliate program on CJ.
- Priority Pass – Up to $20
Priority Pass is an independent airport VIP lounge program. With more than 1,200 airport lounges, travelers are guaranteed a warm welcome and place to unwind. Learn about the Priority Pass affiliate program.
- Sightseeing Pass – 10%
The Sightseeing Pass offers bus tours, cruises, walking tours, and access to attractions. Sightseeing Passes are available for New York City, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Philadelphia, Miami, Key West, and Puerto Rico. Learn about the Sightseeing Pass affiliate program.
- Smart Destinations – Up to 6%
The Leisure Pass Group owns several brands including Smart Destinations, The New York Pass, and The Philadelphia Pass. Many of its brands have affiliate programs on various networks.
Tickets & Events
Travelers like to attend live performances, sporting events, shows, and concerts. Here are four companies with affiliate programs.
- Ticketmaster affiliate program
- StubHub affiliate program
- ShowTickets affiliate program on CJ
- Vivid Seats affiliate program
Business Travel & Co-Working
- Regus – 10%
Regus provides serviced offices, virtual offices, meeting rooms, mail handling, call answering, business addresses, and video conferencing to clients on a contract basis. It operates in 100+ countries making it the world’s largest provider of flexible workspace. Learn about the Regus affiliate program on CJ.
- WeWork – $75
WeWork provides shared workspaces, co-working communities, and services for entrepreneurs, freelancers, small businesses, and large enterprises. WeWork has an affiliate program on CJ and a referral program on its website.
Other
- Amazon – Up to 10%
Amazon sells many travel-related products. Whether you have an extensive network, content site or blog, Amazon provides numerous tools to meet your advertising needs and helps you monetize your site. Learn about the Amazon affiliate program.
- Busbud – Up to 5%
Busbud makes it easy for you to find, compare, and book city-to-city bus tickets online, all over the world. Learn about the Busbud affiliate program.
- ClassPass – Up to 12%
ClassPass is a fitness network with over 8,000 partners in 39 cities worldwide. Book the fitness activities you want including yoga, cycling, running, strength training, and more. Learn about the ClassPass affiliate program on FlexOffers.
- Fiverr – Up to $150 plus bonuses
Fiverr is the largest online marketplace for freelancers with services starting at five dollars. A search for “travel” yielded hundreds of services. Learn about the Fiverr affiliate program.
- Groupon – 8%
Groupon features daily deals on the best stuff to do, see, eat, and buy in a variety of cities across the United States and the world. Learn about the Groupon affiliate program.
- Lonely Planet – Up to 15%
Lonely Planet is a leader in travel guidebooks and renowned for its first-hand approach to providing the best information and resources for travelers. Learn about the Lonely Planet affiliate program.
- Momondo – $0.60 per lead
Momondo is a travel search engine and comparison site for flights, hotels, and car rentals. It reaches travelers in 35 markets worldwide. Learn about the Momondo affiliate program.
*Contact me on LinkedIn to add your travel affiliate program to the list.
