How To Become A Travel Vlogger & Make Money (2.3M+ Views!)

1) Can you share more about how you got into travel vlogging?

I started my brand, Sojournies, as a travel blog back in 2016 while studying abroad in Spain. I didn’t even know travel vlogging was a thing at the time. I just wanted to show my friends and family what I was seeing.

When I came home, I realized I loved the visual side of storytelling more than just writing about it. So I picked up my camera and started filming short travel videos. It was messy at first — no one tells you how to start as a vlogger or how to structure your videos — but I kept practicing.

Over time, I built confidence on camera, found my voice, and started sharing trips that focused on culture, identity, and connection.

That’s how my YouTube channel grew: through trial, error, and a lot of editing hours.

2) How important is niching down as a travel vlogger?

Choosing a niche helps you stand out so much. There are thousands of people posting travel videos online, but when you focus on something specific, it’s easier to attract the right audience.

For me, that niche became train travel. I love slow travel and storytelling, so it made sense to focus on journeys rather than destinations.

But your niche doesn’t have to box you in. It just gives you a foundation to build from.

If you’re starting a travel vlog, ask yourself:

• What kind of stories do I love telling?
• What experiences make me light up?

That’s your starting point. Once people connect with you on one topic, they’ll follow you anywhere.

3) For someone just getting started, how can they create a travel-vlogging strategy?

When you’re new, you want to film everything. The key, however, is to have a plan before you press record.

Think about the story you’re trying to tell. Every video should have a clear beginning, middle, and end. What do you want people to feel by the time they finish watching? That’s your storytelling guide.

One of my biggest tips to become a vlogger is to film with purpose. You don’t need fancy gear or a massive audience, just intention. Even jotting down a few bullet points before you start filming can make your editing process 10x easier.

4) What key storytelling tips do you swear by when planning a vlog?

I always tell people that the best travel videos aren’t just montages. They’re stories.

I use a simple three-part storytelling framework:

• Setup: Introduce where you are and what’s about to happen.
• Experience: Take your audience along for the journey. Include your thoughts, reactions, and small details.
• Reflection: Wrap up with what you learned or how it felt.

Think of your vlog like a story with you as the main character. A great vlog has some kind of conflict — even something small, like missing your train or getting sick on the road.

But you can also build a great story from calm moments, like showing how you travel with ease or teaching your audience how to do the same.

When scripting, I always think:

• What’s the why behind this trip?
• What’s the emotional takeaway for the viewer?

That helps me keep things tight and intentional rather than random clips.

Note that this is just a piece of my larger 5-step strategy for scripting engaging travel videos, which you can learn more about here:

5) When it comes to filming, how do you plan shots and capture b-roll to keep viewers hooked?

For me, filming is all about preparation and variety. I think in 3-second clips — short, intentional moments that are easy to edit together and voiceover later.

When I arrive somewhere, I capture wide shots for context, medium clips to show movement or interaction, and close-ups for emotion or detail.

I also love filming transitions like the train door closing or a coffee cup hitting the table. Those little actions help your story flow visually.

If you’re learning how to edit a travel vlog, the secret is to film more than you think you’ll need, but with purpose. Each clip should push the story forward.

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6) What strategies have helped you grow and engage audiences on both YouTube and Instagram, and how do you encourage interaction so the algorithm keeps pushing your videos?

YouTube

I use both YouTube Shorts and long-form, which feed each other. Shorts act like teasers, and you can link the long-form video from the Short (a strategy shown in this YouTube Shorts tutorial in the “Uploading YouTube Shorts” section).

The YouTube Shorts algorithm is still developing, so I love testing things on there. But it’s important to realize that YouTube is a long game, but videos are also searchable and can show up for people for a long time after posting.

I posted a roundup in October that didn’t do much at first, but by December, it hit about 500K views. Sometimes you just have to let it cook.

I also love that creating on YouTube gives me the freedom to try more casual videos — not everything needs to be highly structured. My YouTube community is smaller, around 25K subscribers, but they’re super invested and always asking me where my next trip is.

Instagram

With Instagram Reels, shareable, valuable tips perform best — things like “3 U.S. Train Rides” or “3 Luxury U.S. Train Rides,” which have hit around 7,000 likes.

People want content that helps them imagine themselves in your story or gives them a takeaway. I’m also testing more chaotic travel-day moments, like airport clips or behind-the-scenes travel chaos.

The algorithm seems to be shifting back toward storytelling and authenticity, so I’m curious to see how my audience responds to those.

Cross-promotion

I often cross-post my videos to both platforms to see how they perform. Sometimes they both take off; sometimes one hits and the other doesn’t.

Either way, it’s a great way to experiment with content styles and reach different parts of my audience — since some people only follow me on YouTube, while others only catch me on Instagram.

7) How do you streamline creating content for different platforms like YouTube (long-form) versus Instagram or TikTok (short-form)?

I film everything in both horizontal and vertical formats using the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 — which has a screen you can quickly and easily flip between the two while shooting. That way, one trip fuels multiple videos.

If you only have the bandwidth to film one way, choose landscape. You can always crop horizontal footage for vertical videos, but not the other way around.

It’s not about working harder; it’s about working smarter. That’s the biggest shift when you’re learning how to become a travel YouTuber or manage multiple platforms.

8) Let’s talk about business growth. How can travel vloggers use their videos to grow an email list or funnel viewers into other parts of their business, such as consulting or trip planning?

Using videos for list-building

When you share a really good trip or even a helpful travel tip, people will naturally ask you about it, so make sure you’re ready to capture that interest. Set up simple systems that connect your videos to your email list or opt-in freebies.

Pair your videos with a related resource and promote it via:

• QR code and link in video description (on YouTube)
• Link in bio and, even better, ManyChat keyword prompt (like “Italy itinerary”) to automatically send viewers your opt-in freebie to their DMs

Don’t just mention it at the end—bring it up at the beginning, middle, and end so more people see it before clicking away.

Using videos for sales

QR codes, links, and ManyChat prompts work for both freebies and paid offers. If you’re sharing a trip vlog, use it to promote the sales page for your custom travel itinerary service.

You should also create videos that:

• attract people who would want to purchase your product
• offer a place to naturally promote your product

9) What are the main ways travel vloggers can monetize, and what’s worked best for you?

In terms of how travel vloggers get paid, here is a quick list of top revenue streams:

• Brand sponsorships
• Press trips
• Dynamic ads
• Promoting your own products
• On-camera work
• Affiliate marketing
• Partner programs, like the Meta Bonus Program
• User-generated content
• Licensing your video content

Personally, my main source of income right now is brand partnerships. With this, it’s not always about big view counts. I realized this year that even if a video doesn’t hit thousands of likes or shares, brands still see value in the content itself.

Sometimes, they just want that video to live on their page because it aligns with their marketing goals. That’s why I love using the Instagram collab tool — and now YouTube Shorts has that feature too — so both accounts get visibility.

Keep in mind, your videos also act as your portfolio. Brands and tourism boards often hire creators after seeing what they can do on camera. If a brand isn’t interested in paying for exposure on your page, pitch creating a batch of videos for their own channels instead.

Beyond that, I also earn from YouTube AdSense, which is nice because it’s relatively passive. If you’re creating content consistently, those watch hours and Shorts bonuses can add up.

Affiliate marketing is another layer. I promote affiliate products I actually use, especially travel gear that appears in my videos — and YouTube’s new shopping features make it easy to tag and showcase products directly. Just note you’ll need to become eligible for this feature, but if you’re not, you can still link affiliate products in your video descriptions and via QR codes (or ManyChat prompts on Instagram).

It’s all about mixing income streams so you’re not dependent on one platform or one brand deal.

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10) Do you have tips for pitching and collaborating with brands or tourism boards to leverage your travel videos?

I recommend making your outreach targeted and specific. For example, my partnership with the Rocky Mountaineer Train came from a cold pitch I sent. I knew it was a perfect fit — I’m the “train travel queen,” they’re one of the most iconic trains in the U.S., so it made sense.

When pitching, always know your niche and make that clear right away. Do your research on the brand, including what campaigns they’ve run, what they care about, and how your content fits into that.

I told them, “Hey, my name is Sojourner, I’m a travel vlogger specializing in train travel, and here are the types of videos I’ve created.”

Instead of just attaching a media kit, I linked directly to specific videos that matched the type of content I wanted to make for them. That personal touch helps brands visualize the collaboration.

The most important part is explaining why they should work with you and how it benefits them — not just you as the creator.

11) Thank you so much for sharing your vlogging wisdom! Where can people follow you?

• @Sojouries (Instagram)
• Sojournies (YouTube)
• Free Travel Scripting Checklist (download)

Recommended Vlogging Cameras & Tools

DJI Osmo Pocket 3. The best camera for travel vlogging thanks to its compact design, cinematic quality, and ability to switch seamlessly between vertical and horizontal filming.

Adobe Premiere Pro. A powerful, industry-standard video editor that helps you organize, cut, and polish your vlogs with professional-quality transitions and effects.

Samsung T7 Portable SSD (4TB). Super-fast external storage for safely backing up hours of travel footage without slowing down your workflow.

ManyChat (get 1 month of their Pro Plan free!). Automate your Instagram links so viewers can instantly access your freebies, guides, or booking pages via comments and DMs.

Bonus Strategies For Growing Travel Creators

Learn how to:

• Price, license & sell your travel photography
• Collaborate with other creators to grow faster
  Grow your organic traffic with Flipboard
  Get featured in the media to grow your visibility
  Grow your organic traffic with Pinterest

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Do you have any tips for travel vlogging to add?