The state of the travel blogging industry

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    • As a new year begins it’s natural for us to look forward to an exciting 2012 and also reflect on the past 12 months in the travel blogging industry. I know there are numerous posts out there for travel bloggers eager to voice their opinions and vent their frustrations. Hopefully this post will be a little different.

    It’s been a great year for us, something I’ll save for another post but exceeding our own expectations for the year is a good barometer of the state of the travel blogging industry and from talking to blogger friends it seems fairly accurate. In 2010 there were just a handful of pro-bloggers in the travel genre, 2011 saw a great increase of bloggers that went full time. There’s more conferences than ever and more commercial appeal too so it’s easy to think everything is fantastic in the world of travel bloggers.

    Recent blogging issues

    If recent posts on the state of the blogging industry and the subsequent backlash from commenters and twitter accounts are anything to go by, you’d have to say all is not perfect in this corner of the blogosphere. The industry is a marketing tool whether it’s for our own skills as writers or to attract commercial interest. The more it grows and becomes serious business, the more you’ll see cracks, differences of opinion and controversy over how you should be running your travel blog.

    The community

    Travel bloggers on twitterThe travel blogging “community” is usually a friendly group who support each other, share ideas and it’s fair to say this very website wouldn’t exist without it. It’s also fair to say that communities can be their own worst enemy. Too much emphasis on community can cause bloggers to lose sight of the bigger picture – that you can do just fine without it if you want to, the community is not your audience. Having spoken to bloggers on this subject it’s interesting to note how truly tiny this community is. There are a lot fewer serious and highly active bloggers than you might think. They attend the same conferences, often go on the same blog trips and are probably the same small group you talk to the most on Twitter and Facebook.

    What do other travel bloggers think?

    We invited a some key travel bloggers to tell us what they really think of the industry at the moment. We got some very interesting responses so we’ve made it easy for you to read each one. Just click on a name to reveal their opinion. You can also click the name again to hide it. Enjoy and be sure to leave your comments.

    Nomadic ChickJeannie Mark – Nomadic Chick

    Nomadic ChickGood: The industry is in the midst of figuring out our identity and attempting to legitimize our business.   There is always a dialogue between PR people and industry people, so hopefully we meet in the middle somewhere.

    Bad: While these burgeoning ideas are wonderful, there is also more than one way to build a business and I would hate to see a one model system be pushed.  Also, the over saturation of blogs is having an effect on solid, informative content.   I hope this swell dies down and the content I so love will come back.

    Visit Jeannie’s blog at NomadicChick.com and follower her on Twitter at @nomadicchick.

    501 PlacesAndy Jarosz  - 501 Places

    501 PlacesThe world of travel blogging will be turned on its head before a business model is found that provides a decent living wage for a small number of top bloggers (a few hundred at most). I don’t see this revolution happening in 2012 though. The next year is likely to see yet more blogger outreach initiatives from the marketing and PR departments of travel companies and tourist boards. They will dip their feet in the blogging world, offering free trips to high profile bloggers and delivering a set of highly impressive self-determined statistics back to their superiors to justify their efforts.

    Will they find a mutually beneficial working arrangement that is sustainable in the long term to both sides? It won’t happen while so many bloggers are happily accepting hosted trips as full payment for promoting a product or destination.

    Check out Andy’s blog at 501Places.com and follow him on Twitter at @501Places.

    Michael Hodson - Go See WriteMichael Hodson – Go See Write

    Michael Hodson - Go See WritePositives: The main positive I see is that the travel industry is just starting to realize the power of travel blogs. With efforts like the Jordan Tourism Board, some of the Spanish tourism groups and others are starting to make and companies like gAdventures and Intrepid Travel getting more involved, the trend is clear — travel blogging is going to be a force to be reckoned with going forward.

    Negatives: Jealousy and snipping. No need to really talk about it too much, but it gets old to listen to “real writers” complain about the quickly emerging new reality, which is going to be more and more internet focused, and also some of the internal travel blogger snipping from people that don’t realize that as an industry in its infancy, the good that is happening to a few bloggers at the top is really great news for everyone down the line.

    Visit Michael’s blog GoSeeWrite.com and follow him on twitter at @mobilelawyer

    Melvin BoucherMelvin Boecher – Travel Dudes

    Melvin BoucherThe interest in social media and blogging was enormous in the travel industry the last year. The best example was the World Travel Market where the feedback was so much better this year. Last year only the tourism boards of North America showed real interest, but this year it was pretty much the whole industry. There are now a few conferences focussed on social media and each one is full! Professional travel bloggers are are no longer just bloggers, but publishers, marketeers, SEO specialists and social media experts.

    In recent months there have been a few posts by people who are unhappy that travel bloggers may find a higher acceptance in the travel industry these days. It’s easy to guess why it is like that. Instead of seeing new chances and the positive things in social media and blogging, which are far better than in old media, they try hard to give it a negative touch. Luckily there are just a few and the many success stories of blogging combined with social media are much higher. The travel industry just started to take notice and interest of social media and blogging. I expect a lot of exciting and positive development in 2012!

    Visit TravelDudes.org and follow Melvin on twitter at @traveldudes

    Laura Porter from Go LondonLaura Porter – About.com writer for London

    Laura Porter from Go LondonI write a travel content site so am not like many other travel bloggers but I’ve found the friendship and supportive travel blogging community to be my ‘happy place’ in 2011. It’s the year the Visit Britain Super Blog started and I’m proud to be part of this new project’s ‘Dream Team’ for a national tourist board who wanted to expand their audience and engagement with social media even further.

    It’s been the year of the on-going, and boring, argument about which title to use: travel blogger/writer/journalist, etc. I’ve noticed the invitations for blogger events have dramatically increased in 2011 and I seem to fit into these occasions as well as standard ‘Press’ events. The supportive travel blogging community has started to show cracks with the on-going and boring debate about paid links and how to monetise a travel blog.

    It’s also the year #TTOT was founded and almost immediately became the biggest travel talk on twitter and I’m proud have been involved since the start. Social media and travel blogging really got the seal of approval with Social Travel Market running seminars and events at this year’s World Travel Market in London.

    Laura Porter writes the About.com London Travel site golondon.about.com. Follow her on twitter at @AboutLondon

    Lara Dunston from GranTourismoTravelsLara Dunston – Gran Tourismo Travels

    Lara Dunston from GranTourismoTravelsI read travel blogs for inspiration. I want a blog to make me want to go to a place I’ve never been or discover a different side of a place I know. I used to love stumbling upon a blog that was so compelling I could lose a couple of hours immersed in its stories. Unfortunately that didn’t happen as much in 2011 as in previous years. Instead I found blogs I was once fond of now full of sponsored posts, bloggers continually prattling about themselves, their ‘successful’ blogs and their myriad press trips, and some of the worst travel writing I’ve ever read.

    Too many travel blogs have become more about the act of blogging, monetizing the blog, the blogger, and the blogger junket. The state of blogging in 2011 actually forced me to read more print. I did enjoy a few new discoveries, however, which are probably best epitomized by The Life of Anjci – it has fresh and original writing, fabulous photography, and writing that is observational, insightful and intelligent. I’d like to see more blogs like Anjci’s and see a return to the roots of what travel blogging was all about – travel and writing that are inspiring.

    Check out Lara’s blog at GranTourismoTravels.com and follower her on twitter at @gran_tourismo.

    Bloggers Caz & Craig from YTravelCaz & Craig Makepeace – YTravelBlog

    Bloggers Caz & Craig from YTravelThere are many fantastic opportunities opening up as companies realize the value in working with bloggers. We experienced that this year working as an Official Qantas correspondent for the Great Crusade World Cup Rugby tour of New Zealand. Travel Bloggers are being invited more to destinations in order to highlight it, to conferences to speak and share their knowledge, and are receiving opportunities like book deals and sponsorships.

    I’ve noticed a lot of lately the constant bickering, arguing and judging that goes on. Travel Blogging is a crowded niche so it is very difficult to rise above the masses. This can lead to jealousy and disgruntled feelings or from the top end those who think they are better than others and aren’t willing to help.

    My best advice. Worry only about your own goals and strategy and learn from those who are where you want to be. And if you have had success, remember where you came from and help those who ask for it. And lastly, as my four year old says, BE NICE

    Visit Caz & Craig’s blog at YTravelBlog.com and follow them on twitter at @ytravelblog.

    Dave & Deb from The Planet DDeb Corbeil - The Planet D

    Dave & Deb from The Planet DAs online media continues to grow, the travel blogging market will become more competitive. People who choose to make travel blogging a career will have to put forth more effort to stand out from the crowd and build a professional brand. However, for those who start to think of their blog as a career, it is an exciting time. Companies and tourism boards are starting to see the value of working with niche blogs to raise their online presence and businesses are willing to invest in partnerships with quality blogs.

    In 2012, we see a trend of some blogs thriving while others fail. Since the travel blogging industry is in its infancy, the people who think outside the box and are willing to take risks will break away from the pack.

    Vist Deb & Dave’s website ThePlanetD.com and follower them on twitter at @theplanetD.

    What’s your opinion?

    We are of course always interested in your opinion too. How has 2011 been for your travel blog? What major changes have you seen and where do you think the industry is heading in 2012?

    What do you think? Post your comments

    • lara dunston says:

      Good idea, this, Matt. Agree with Laura, too – I’m also bored with the ongoing travel writer vs blogger and old media vs new media debates. Because, it’s simply not as clear cut as some like to think. I’m a travel writer and a travel blogger (I’ve been paid to do both) and I work in ‘old’ and ‘new’ media, the boundaries of which are increasingly blurring. I just happen to make more money from print than from digital. It *is* possible to do both, whether some want to recognise that or not.
      I also want to clarify my statement above, that I don’t think there’s anything *wrong* with monetization, nor sponsored posts that are presented as advertorial (instead of being disguised), nor press trips as such (although I personally don’t like to do them) – rather, I’m just bored with the incessant writing and discussion about them. I’d rather read about people’s travels and the places they’re travelling to and read good travel writing, but, hey, that’s just me. :)

    • Walter says:

      I felt that in 2011 I had much more inquiries from content producing companies that wanted to publish a guest post. With Google’s Panda update hitting low quality sites people seem to understand the importance of bespoke high quality content. Which will be a good thing for travel bloggers I guess.

      And then again when speaking to hoteliers most of them still had no clue about social media and link building strategies, i.e. have travel bloggers write about them…
      A few have outsourced their web activities to PR shops and surprisingly enough some of those have no clue either! This seems true for the German and Swiss market. As in the previous years the UK market still seems to be way ahead.

      Regarding the print vs. online discussion: I think this is an ‘insider’ topic, an inside-out perspective. Most of us amateur bloggers don’t know the newspaper processes and we don’t care.

      We see the blogosphere as a new media. One that allows us to be a publisher at hardly any cost apart from our time. We don’t know the old publishing processes and since nobody knows the new ones we are all trying to wrap our head around new business models. It will take some education on the supplier and the blogger side and I think Google will lead the way with its monetization options, i.e. AdSense, SEO, Google News, Google Images, AdWords, AdFeed, etc.
      Walter recently posted..Giardino Mountain – new design hotel in the Swiss Alps in Saint MoritzMy Profile

    • Caz Makepeace says:

      Thanks for including us in here Matt.
      I loved reading what everyone else had to say and really agree.
      It’s easy to see that there is a lot of senseless arguing etc going on in the community of late as nearly all of us mentioned our unhappiness at it.

      It does get boring and takes away the focus of what each of us should be doing and that is providing quality content for our readers so we can inspire them to travel and live their dreams. We should all also be working on our own goals and worrying about that.

      I’ve decided that I need to be doing some more travel writing courses so I can up my own game and be better at my craft. That is one of my goals for this year. I think traditional travel writers have so much to offer travel blogging as they are all professional, quality writers that someone like me, who has no clue, can learn from
      Caz Makepeace recently posted..Ready, Set, Go for 2012My Profile

      • Matt Preston says:

        It’s great to hear you’re getting back to what’s important about blogging, creating great content. We all look to improve our site but often forget to improve our writing skills. Will you be doing online courses?

    • Lynn Sheppard says:

      Without a doubt, social media – not just sites like Twitter and Facebook, but also the process of creating something that people genuinely want to share – something that could go viral in hours – have a lot to offer the travel industry and travellers alike. Many of us already sites such as Trip Advisor to inform our travel decisions; a Facebook page to change a flight booking, or a smartphone app or a blog post as a substitute for an old-fashioned guidebook or a tourist information centre. The question on my mind, however, is how to ensure that an increasingly digital experience remains genuinely social. It is now entirely feasible to plan and book a trip without any human contact. I have even stayed in a hotel without a receptionist! And then we can share our photos online without actually explaining the images to anyone. Are we heading for an era where social media actually makes travel less sociable? For me, the joy of travel is the opportunity to discover places, meet people and then share those experiences – fact-to-face as well as via social media. One of the motivations for my blog is to generate discussion and hopefully a sense of community which can lead to increased human contact; not less of it.
      Lynn Sheppard recently posted..Happy New Year! Happy New Travels!My Profile

    • Jan Ross says:

      I think good writing is the secret to being successful, whether you are talking about print or online writing. I always knew that my students were much more interested in listening to a book that I truly enjoyed, so make sure you enjoy what you are doing and what you are writing about! I am finding more and more providers who are willing to work with me when they hear about the blog, but there are still quite a few who are hesitant until I mention the print writing as well. I think it’s a learning process and things are gradually changing with social media becoming much more common than print – just look at how thin the daily newspaper is becoming! I also truly appreciate those travel bloggers who are kind and generous with their advice and comments – but I think that’s pretty much true in any field, don’t you? There’s always those who are willing to share and those who want to selfishly hoard everything for themselves. I’d like to think I’m one of the former instead of the latter – and plan to remain that way!
      Jan Ross recently posted..All the Cool Kids are Doing It: A 2011 RetrospectiveMy Profile

    • Nomadic Chick says:

      Thanks for including me, Matt.

      In light of what others contributed, I have to agree wholeheartedly with Ms. Dunston, The original spirit of engaging writing and captivating photography is dismal these days.

      I’m tired of people trying to sell cottages or whatever resort in the most uncreative, uninspiring way possible.

      In hindsight, maybe all this new blood is good, something to shake the collective tree?
      Nomadic Chick recently posted..2 Year Anniversary of Nomadic Chick!My Profile

      • Matt Preston says:

        I guess this is what happens when a hobby turns in to a business. For years blogging was, for the most part, a non-commercial freedom of speech. Now some genres are becoming a business the “spirit” is lost or at least diluted as we prioritise our commercial pursuits. Those that find a good balance will probably be the real success stories.

        Oh and happy anniversary! x

    • Bret @ Green Global Travel says:

      I think the only real problem with the travel blogging industry is that some people spend too much time navel gazing about their place in the travel blogging industry and not enough time working to perfect their craft. Less talk, more action is pretty much always a good guideline to follow in my book.
      Bret @ Green Global Travel recently posted..Happy New Year! (And A Quick Look Back At 2011)My Profile

      • Matt Preston says:

        Definitely with you on this. Those that succeed will no doubt be those that just get on with the job and keep their USP. Copying everyone else and trying to fit in to a community could do more harm than good.

    • Andrea says:

      What an interesting post with some valuable input from people who know what they’re talking about.
      Whilst I’m a ‘traditional’ journalist/travel writer in the print press, I still see myself as relatively new to the travel blogging world (having been around the last two years or so) but have enjoyed ‘finding myself’ here. There’s certainly a different atmosphere to being within more formal journalist circles – not in a better or worse way, necessarily, although definitely ‘fresher’!
      I think old-time travel hacks have had quite a lot to get used to as travel blogging has changed the way people read and access information about travel, but that’s not unique to the media world – any industry which has to undergo massive change encounters similar resistance.
      I agree though on your point, Matt, about the ‘community’ not being a travel blogger’s audience, just as other travel writers are not the audience for a writer’s work in print magazines.
      Whilst it’s great to have such a vibrant community, which is one of the things that is really fun about the travel blogging world, and it’s good to have positive connections and contacts with others doing the same thing, it makes sense to remember who it is we are really reaching out to, our readers.
      Andrea recently posted..Going Wild in Uganda: My Once-in-a-Lifetime Gorilla Tracking ExperienceMy Profile

    • Rease says:

      I agree with a lot of this. I definitely think there is jealousy in the travel blogging industry, which can lead to a lot of animosity between bloggers. However, I think overall the travel community is wonderful and supportive. It is so important for all of us to help each other.

      I also agree with what Lara said about content. I found some bloggers got lazy it showed in their writing. As for the reviews, a lot of us do reviews (I do too) but it´s important to keep your voice and not allow your blog to be over run with press trips and reviews that only shove the company down your throat. I want to hear personal accounts, something inspiring, funny, or helpful – not just an ad.
      Rease recently posted..The Not So Magical Florida WildlifeMy Profile

      • Matt Preston says:

        I think the community can be helpful but how important it is remains to be seen. It could be argued that those who choose to “go it alone” keeping focussed on their business are the ones that have succeeded so far. Admittedly the early days of travel blogging are when support and nurturing a invaluable.

        Where do you see the community helping the blogging industry?

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