How to become a Travel Writer: Salary, Skills & Types
Travel writers visit locations all over the world to research their articles. Although periodicals, newspapers, and trade media may also employ travel writers, travel writing is primarily associated with the tourist industry. A career in travel writing can be a good fit if you want to travel and have excellent writing and communication skills. In this piece, we examine the process of becoming a travel writer and offer advice.
Who is Travel Writer?
As the name implies, a travel writer’s job is visiting other cities, learning about their cultures, and then writing about that experience. Publishing educational articles, travel guides, evaluations of well-known destinations, entertaining activities near specific vacation sites, and many more are included. With this line of work, you can explore the globe and immortalize those fleeting visual moments in words. It gives you the chance to connect with people from diverse cultures across borders, form bonds with them, and document all you learn along the way.
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Travel Writing Types
Below is a description of the various writing styles that make up the large topic of travel writing:
“Best of” Articles:
These articles highlight some of the top features of a location that visitors shouldn’t miss. Top 10 places to visit in Iceland, for instance. These travel writers can draw in a sizable audience and are in hot demand right now.
Travel and food:
For all of the foodies out there, this market is without a doubt the best. It entails visiting various locations to sample the local cuisine, restaurants, and dining establishments. These articles offer actual input from people who visited a restaurant rather than a review. The possibilities are unlimited, and it might discuss everything from the top restaurants in a city to anything else.
How-to Guides:
A how-to guide essentially offers its readers priceless knowledge that can only be imparted after gaining some expertise. It assists the readers in resolving their issues in advance to make the journey as easy as possible.
Itineraries:
People use itineraries to prepare for their entire vacation. It is a thorough itinerary that covers every duty a traveler has. It begins with reaching the destination using the pre-planned means of transportation, the required activities, the required cities to visit, and so forth. Therefore, if you believe you possess managerial talents, you should definitely give this a shot.
Adventure Blog:
If you naturally experience an adrenaline rush, you should choose adventure blogging. It entails writing about various exciting experiences you’ve had or adventurous things you should undertake in various locations.
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Salary of Travel Writers
There are many ways for travel writers to make money. They can develop their own blogs and make money from social media in addition to their primary source of income, as well as publish books and receive royalties. A travel writer may initially need to spend in travel and develop their skills to be approached by various businesses and recruiters. With experience and expertise, the pay will probably rise.
Difference between a Travel Journalist and a Travel Writer
A very thin line separates a travel writer from a travel journalist, which distinguishes them from one another. Even many of their characteristics coincide. The key distinction between them is as follows: –
Career Aspects;
The popularity of all types of content has grown quickly as a result of the digital media revolution and a growth in internet users, and content producers may now reach greater audiences than ever before. With all of this, travel writers have many alternatives. The possibility exists for travel writers to work full-time for a magazine. In addition to this, many publishing companies have adjusted to the freelance culture. There are countless opportunities for you in the realm of freelancing if you are ready to put in the initial hard effort.
Of course, having your own travel blog is the quickest and most effective method to begin your travel writing career. The most scalable work you can perform in this industry, but also the most challenging, is to start a travel blog. In order to succeed in this line of work, you must put in a lot of hard work and dedication. It is not enough to just travel around whenever you feel like it.
Scope:
Travel writers have many possibilities for starting their own business because there are more and more ways to show off their abilities and attract a large audience.
They are able to create their own blogs and use websites like YouTube and Instagram.
Since they typically work for themselves, travel writers are free to write about a variety of topics related to the tourism sector.
Additionally, they can work as freelancers and write for various travel agencies.
To obtain firsthand information, travel writers must visit cities, states, and nations. They assist people in organizing their travels, keeping track of costs, and avoiding roadblocks in this way.
How to become a Travel Writer
It’s as simple as that: you must love both writing and travel. The first prerequisite to being a travel writer is this. Although a degree is not a requirement for employment in this business, it is necessary to acquire one in order to perfect the art because success in this industry is more difficult than it may seem.
Education
You can enroll in undergraduate programs including journalism, online travel writing, and creative writing. Even after receiving your diploma, you can pursue travel writing by enrolling in a master’s program in journalism or a related short-term course. The only professional degree that comes closes to writing is journalism. Therefore, it makes no difference when you choose to start your profession because the options are limitless.
Courses for Travel Writers
Travel writing courses are quite difficult to find, but you may readily find some similar courses that are given at the certificate, diploma, or masters level. Several of them are listed below:
- Discover the World and Publish Your Stories with Travel Writing
- Travel and Freelance Writing
- Writing and editing skills
- Writing, Design, and Presentation for Effective Communication Specialization
Project: Research Paper Writing, Certificate - Certificate in Creative Writing
- Writing Master’s Degree
- Short Course on Content Creation: Blogging, Vlogging, and More
- Certificate in Technical Writing (Advanced)
Top Universities:
- Northwestern University
- Boston University
- Manhattan University
- California State University
- University of Maryland
- University of Wisconsin, Madison
- The George Washington University
Requirements for Travel Writing Programs
The identical requirements for admission to all of these universities are:
- English proficiency tests include IELTS, TOEFL, and PTE.
- Valid GRE score for courses beyond graduation
- Statement of goal, letter of recommendation, and other crucial records
The requirements may, however, be university-specific and subject to adjustment.
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Tips for Travel Writers on how to get Jobs
The following advice will help you gain employment as a travel journalist:
1. Conduct Research
Read the most popular articles in well-known travel writing journals. You might gain a better understanding of the present writing market as a result. If you want to be informed about any new developments in the travel business, you might also want to sign up for newsletters and magazines in your field.
2. Be Distinct
Independent publications and internet readers often favor a writer with a distinctive voice, although many newspapers and magazines may demand that a travel writer adopt a standard/corporate writing style. Choose a writing style that fits your personality, and try to make your work stand out. Make sure your reviews are objective and include both the positives and negatives of a location because readers are more likely to trust a trustworthy travel writer.
3. Use or take high-quality pictures.
Adding high-quality images to your writing as a travel writer is one of the finest ways to make it stand out from the crowd. Utilizing compelling pictures is just as crucial as the supporting language because platforms like social media are designed for visual content. There are several online tutorials and tools available if you’re not sure of your photographic abilities. As an alternative, you might like to collaborate with a budding trip photographer and trade materials.
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Sample of Travel Writing
By boat is the finest way to see Amsterdam. A canal tour is a fantastic pastime whether you’re thinking a weekend getaway or a longer journey with your family. The city offers a variety of canal cruises, including family-friendly trips, cheese and wine tours, and dinner tours. You will discover more about Amsterdam’s fascinating culture and lengthy history throughout the leisurely voyage.
It is essential to stop for a renowned Dutch pancake after a canal sail. Forget everything you thought you knew about pancakes; Dutch pancakes are light and fluffy and can be eaten at any time of day in Amsterdam because they come in both savory and sweet variants. The city isn’t known for having inexpensive lodging, but many of the smaller hotels have rooms for families and couples at reasonable prices. Since hotels in the city are sometimes fully booked months in advance due to its popularity, booking rooms far in advance is advised.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the best Travel Writer?
The best travel authors are Colin Thubron, William Dalrymple, Sara Wheeler, and Paul Theroux.
What skills are necessary to be a Travel Writer?
A skilled observer, knowledge of marketing principles, and the ability to tell a story or create a setting that appeals to readers are all necessary.
Who wrote the first travelogue?
The ancient Greek author Herodotus is considered to be the first true "travel writer" who would suit the modern definition.
What styles of Travel Writing are existing?
Novels, memoirs, articles, poems, journals and diaries, journalism, personal essays, travelogues, op-eds, blog entries, and social media posts are a few examples of different genres of travel writing.
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