.M.B.Ch., Institute of Liver Studies, Division of Transplantation Immunology and Mucosal Biology, King’s College London School of Medicine, Denmark Hill, London, UK SE5 9RS. E-mail: richard.j.thompson@kcl.ac.uk. Copyright VC 2014 by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/hep.27148 Potential conflict of interest: Nothing to report.Do you dream of being a travel writer?
Sitting with your toes in the sand, writing about your latest hotel stay or the amazing brunch you just had at a quaint little bistro in Paris.
While this is what most people think of when they think of travel writing jobs, there are actually many different types of travel writing jobs.
Modern travel writing is not just about getting comped to take the latest and greatest vacations and stay at the fanciest hotels. There is a lot more to it than that.
In order to be a travel writer you have to really know your audience and be knowledgeable about the travel industry.
You have to write your copy, articles, or advertisements, not only for your client (or employer) but also for the audience. Write in a way that captures the audiences’ attention and doing that will get them to act on a call to action.
There are many different writing jobs that you can do as a travel writer. You can either work on a freelance or contract basis, work as an employee, or a blogger.
Let’s first look at what travel writing really is and then look at different types of travel writing jobs and places to find travel writing jobs.
What is Travel Writing?
Travel writing is the idea of writing about your travels or travel destinations in different media types of content.
Your travel stories can be shown in magazines, on blogs, in publications, in print or in marketing material brochures.
Travel writing relies heavily on story-telling ability by infusing the senses to appeal to a travel-based audience.
From writing about restaurants in Dubai to the water activities in Barbados, as a travel writer, you must be able to help a reader imagine themselves there.
Travel writing can also help you land clients in the hotel industry, food and catering industry, cruise industry, car rental industry, and travel agencies.
Let’s take a look at some of the best travel writing jobs for beginners.
1. Travel Magazine Writer
While it might be more difficult to come by getting a travel column for the New York Times, there are many different magazines that pay beginner freelance writers for travel related articles.
Magazine writers can write about anything from how-to guides on fixing an RV to articles that discuss a certain destination in detail.
While many of the travel magazine writing positions are pitch based and are often one-off articles, there is the possibility to become a regular contributor. Magazine travel writers can write small articles or larger feature articles.
As a beginner, don’t be afraid to pitch for feature articles but also be ok with smaller pieces until you have built up for your portfolio.
Plus, seeing your name in print for any length of article is just so satisfying.
2. Travel Copywriter
Travel copywriting can be anything from writing copy for a website, travel brochures, or any other print or web based publication.
Technically, anything you write is “copy.”
Being a good copywriter for a travel website can help drive more traffic to the company’s website and thus their product (hotel, cruise, tour, etc) or help them achieve another goal.
Travel copywriting can include things like writing eye-catching copy on the site’s homepage or descriptions of destinations or accommodations. The most important thing about being a travel copywriter is that you need to make sure that you are writing in a tone that resonates with your client’s audience.
As a beginner travel copywriter, you can either search job boards for copywriter jobs, or directly reach out to companies that you would like to work with.
Introduce yourself as a travel copywriter and point out how having better copy on their site or their print material can lead to more leads and customers for them.
3. Hotel Ads Writer
Hotel ads can make or break how much business a hotel gets. A good ad can make the difference between someone clicking the book button and going to finding a “better deal.”
A good hotel ad shouldn’t just focus on the features of the hotel (free Wi-Fi, a pool, conference room, etc) anyone can write a list of things.
A great hotel ad makes a potential customer feel that they are already there experiencing all that hotel has to offer.
This goes for any type of ad or copywriting. You can absolutely be a great travel writer with minimal experience if you focus on telling a story with this type of travel writing job.
How will their customers feel when they are staying in that hotel, what will they experience? Share the experiences of previous customers and use their stories to help sell the hotel or destination.
4. Social Media Travel Copywriter
Travel writing jobs for social media is different than any other kind of writing.
In most cases you have a very limited amount of words you can write to get your point across. Being a travel writer for social media isn’t just about posting images of beautiful sunsets, it’s about engaging the audience.
There are two main goals when it comes to social media posts, to have people share them or to have people click through. In order to be a successful social media travel copywriter you need to be able to make customers do one of these two things.
Getting click throughs and social shares can help to grow brand recognition and gain more customers or repeat business.
5. Travel Blogs
While you can certainly start your own travel blog, there are many different travel blogs out there that hire freelance writers. This could be a travel writing job for a specific business related to travel or a blog that makes money from travel related affiliate links.
If you do start our own travel blog, you can also connect with travel related businesses and get sponsored post opportunities.
6. Travel Press Release Writer
Press releases are a vital tool in the travel industry.
Whenever a new hotel opens up, a new cruise is debuted, or some kind of new tour is released, companies should be writing a press release to get that information out there.
Press releases are not advertisements, they are information based.
The purpose of a press release is for the story to be picked up by other publications and drive more traffic to the destination or event. There is always business for writing press releases for the travel industry as there is always a new event happening, a new type of travel product coming out, or some type of new travel related story.
7. Travel Ebook Writer or Ghostwriter
Amazon and other ebook retailers are packed with travel publications. Both people and brands are self-publishing ebooks as a way to gain customer interest.
Writing travel ebooks is a little more work, as they are much larger pieces of content than your average articles. Ebooks generally run between 20,000 to 50,000+ words.
Ebooks can either be written and published by a writer within the company or by a ghostwriter. The topics for travel ebooks can range from guides to books about specific destinations.
8. Travel Description Writer
Just like with hotel ads, there are many different descriptions within the travel industry that need to be well written. Product and destination descriptions are two of the most common types of description writing in the travel industry.
A good description writer is able to write about a destination or product and make the individual reading it click and buy.
When it comes to product descriptions, it’s not just writing about suitcases, a trip to the Carribean is also a “product.”
There are so many different possibilities for this niche that they are literally endless.
While many people think that you have to actually travel to be a travel writer, that is not the case. There certainly are some perks that travel writers can get that writers in other niches might not.
For example, if you are employed with a particular company, they might pay for you to stay in their different hotels, send you on a new tour they just rolled out, or send you travel related products (like luggage) to review.
When searching for travel writing jobs for beginners there are several different tactics you can use.
You can directly reach out to specific sites and brands and pitch your services. Pitching can take awhile, so don’t get discouraged and make sure you have good follow up.
You can search job boards for travel writing positions, there are many, many out there that offer a variety of different types of writing jobs.
For example, here’s a small sample of travel writing jobs on Contena’s job board.
9. Freelance Travel Journalist
Travel journalism is different from travel blogging. Mainly because travel journalists report travel-related facts rather than opinionated pieces.
In some cases, a degree may be required, depending on whether you’re taking on an employee position or a freelancing position. However, a degree is not always required.
Either way, there’s enough work to go around!
But what do you write about? Being that the travel industry is so huge, there are many topics you can choose from:
- Blurbs
- Documentaries
- Articles
- Tourism-related information
- And more!
You can write for several types of clients such as magazines, online job boards, or you can find your own clients.
10. Special Interest Article Writer
There are tiny little micro topics that are so narrow and focused that they