How I Get Paid To Travel in 2025 & How You Can Too

Here are the top 10 key takeaways from Matt Kepnes (Nomadic Matt) on how to build a sustainable travel content business that can fund your global adventures in 2025 and beyond.

1. Create a website as your foundation

A website serves as your digital storefront and central hub for all your travel content. Many creators focus exclusively on social media platforms, but a website allows you to control your content and monetize it directly. Matt emphasizes that a website should include personal stories, guides, and resources that reflect your unique travel perspective.

Your website doesn't need to be extensive when starting out. Begin with an about page, some basic travel guides, and resources with your favorite travel companies. As you travel more, you can expand your site with destination-specific content. The website helps you rank in search engines and provides a place to direct followers from social platforms.

2. Build an email list to own your audience

Email lists are crucial because they provide direct access to your audience without being affected by algorithm changes. Unlike social media where your content might only reach a small percentage of followers, emails typically get seen by everyone on your list. This direct line of communication is invaluable for promoting products, events, and monetization opportunities.

The goal should always be to move people from social platforms to your email list. Matt shared an example of a friend with 900,000 Instagram followers but only 5,000 email subscribers, pointing out this as a missed opportunity. Email lists allow you to instantly reach your audience when promoting tours, webinars, or affiliate links, resulting in better conversion rates than social media posts.

3. Host webinars to create revenue and build community

Webinars have become a valuable revenue stream for travel content creators. These online events can be either free (sponsored by brands) or paid (typically around $10 per person). They allow you to showcase your expertise while building community among your followers and generating income.

A successful webinar should provide actionable advice and leave plenty of time for Q&A. Matt recommends talking for no more than 30-40 minutes and allowing 20 minutes for questions. Recording webinars is essential as many people can't attend live but will watch later. The follow-up email with the recording can include affiliate links, creating additional revenue opportunities after the event.

4. Organize in-person events and tours

Leading travel tours or hosting meetups creates deeper connections with your audience while generating significant income. Matt suggests starting with destinations you know well and keeping groups small (10-15 people) to maintain quality. Pricing should generally be double your costs to ensure profitability.

When planning your first tour, give people plenty of notice (6-9 months) since they'll need to arrange time off work. Start with locations that have good infrastructure and are easy to navigate. Set clear expectations about minimum numbers required for the tour to proceed. The community aspect of these tours is valuable - participants often become friends and join future events.

5. Pursue aligned brand deals

Brand partnerships can be lucrative but should align with your travel philosophy and audience interests. Matt emphasized turning down deals that don't fit his brand, even when they offered substantial money. The key to successful brand partnerships is demonstrating conversion rather than just audience size.

Attending industry events and conferences is crucial for building relationships with potential brand partners. These in-person connections often lead to partnerships that would be difficult to secure through cold emails. Quality relationships with brands can lead to repeat business rather than constantly chasing new deals.

6. Build a diversified business model

Creating multiple revenue streams provides stability when one income source fluctuates. Matt describes this approach as building a complete house rather than just one room. This diversification helps creators weather algorithm changes and industry shifts without devastating their income.

Each element works together - webinars build your email list, in-person events strengthen community, and brand deals provide income spikes. This comprehensive approach creates a sustainable travel business that isn't dependent on any single platform or revenue source.

7. Focus on quality over quick growth

Providing value and building genuine relationships with both your audience and industry partners is more sustainable than chasing shortcuts. Matt observed that many creators looking for quick success end up creating courses for other aspiring creators, rather than building a genuine travel business.

The quality approach has allowed Matt to remain successful through 17 years of industry changes. By focusing on delivering consistent value through detailed guides, actionable advice, and authentic experiences, he's built a loyal audience that supports his various business ventures regardless of platform algorithm changes.

8. The travel content space isn't saturated

Despite common perceptions, the online travel space still offers tremendous opportunity for new creators. Matt points out that we often see the internet through our own filtered bubble, following similar creators. However, with billions of people online, there's always room for new voices with unique perspectives.

Nathan shared how he regularly discovers successful creators with massive audiences he'd never heard of before. The proliferation of platforms (blogs, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, podcasts, Twitch) has created many more avenues for content creation compared to when Matt started with just a blog in 2008.

9. Cultivate community through personal connection

People follow people, not generic content. Sharing personal stories and perspectives helps attract followers with similar interests and travel styles. This creates community among like-minded travelers who trust your specific approach rather than seeking generic travel information.

Community building happens through webinars, in-person events, and tours where followers can connect with each other. Matt mentioned how tour participants often become friends and travel together afterward. These community connections create loyal followers who will seek out your content regardless of algorithm changes.

10. Adapt to changing travel trends

Travel content creation requires staying current with industry changes. Matt completely rewrote 80% of his book "How to Travel the World on $75 a Day" to reflect post-COVID travel realities. Many previously popular budget travel strategies have disappeared while new opportunities have emerged.

From the decline of around-the-world tickets and couch surfing to the rise of points/miles strategies and Facebook travel groups, the industry constantly evolves. Successful travel creators must continually update their knowledge and adapt their content to reflect current conditions rather than relying on outdated information.