If you're working in the travel creator industry in any capacity – as a journalist, creator, marketer, travel agent, or tour operator – you're going to want to take a look at this report by Travel Massive and Stay22 that just came out in June.
In it, you'll find data on how much creators charge per Instagram post or reel, what digital content types are prioritized by travel brands, how much destinations are paying creators, and much more.
I also pulled out a few insights that stood out to me below – keep reading.
xx Yulia
🏠 Inside Going Places
A Going Places meet-up in London 🇬🇧
More gatherings in public is what Going Places set out to do this year, and I'm thrilled to announce that our first one is coming up in about four weeks in London!
📅 Meet me on Sunday, August 2nd, at 11:00 AM at Beanie Green - Little Venice, a lovely coffee spot by the canal near Paddington.
We'll grab a coffee (or fish & chips) and get to know others in our community who are based in London – or happen to be passing by, just like me!
This is a free-to-attend event, but RSVP is required here, so I know how many people to expect.
🚀 Paid Members Corner
This week's creator opportunities
For less than a cup of ☕, you can unlock your access here PLUS support our independent journalism.
🚀 Visit Florida is hiring for several remote marketing roles – apply by Wed, Jul 8
🚀 Get $4,000 for creator journalists – apply by Fri, Jul 10
🚀 Get €1,200 to write in Prague for two months – apply by Fri, Aug 7
🚀 Travel & Leisure India seeks stories of the Indian community in Dubai – no deadline
🚀 Islands.com is hiring freelance travel news writers – no deadline
🚀 The Guardian's Long Read is open to freelance pitches – no deadline
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🚀 A call for contributors from GetYourGuide – no deadline
🚀🔓BONUS: Make a World Cup poster & get free admission to the Whitney – ends Fri, Jul 31
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Find all the latest opportunities here.
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Member news
Updates from our paid member community
Today, we're celebrating Erin Henk, a writer & travel journalist with a humanitarian background based in Lyon, France, who is also our Going Places member.
For BBC Travel, Erin wrote an article about cycling in the Ardèche, one of France's rural, barely-visited corners located between Lyon and Provence.
Erin writes: "Due to its unruly mountainous geography and low population density, the Ardèche is the only of France's 101 departments without passenger train service, an airport and a highway. Instead, its historic Train de l'Ardèche tourist steam train, centuries-old vineyards, medieval villages and ancient caves evoke a sense of France as it once was."
Connect with Erin on Instagram: @erinkhenk
🌍 In The World
The Travel Creator Economy report is here
In May, Going Places was one of the supporting non-monetary partners helping Travel Massive spread the word about their annual travel creator study, created to bring more transparency and understanding between travel storytellers and providers.
Thanks to everyone in our community who participated!
➡️ This week, the results are out, and they're fascinating.
Get your copy here (it's free).
In this report, over 500 responses from 56 countries provided a snapshot of where the industry – travel creators & journalists on one side, travel brands and destinations on the other – is in 2026.
These FIVE insights stood out to me:
- Print is not dead: 62% of industry responders ranked getting earned media in print as a priority
- Despite AI, websites are still here, too: 85% of creators ranked websites as their most popular channel
- The opportunity is immense: the total travel & hospitality market creators compete in is $200 billion, and direct work between influencers and brands amounts to $18 billion
- There’s no one way to make it: creators reported close to 20 different income streams (I was glad to see the average article rate, as reported by journalists, at $0.40 per word)
- Creators must charge higher: 7% of creators reported charging at least $1,500 for an Instagram post/reel, while 14% of brands reported being willing to pay at least $1,500
I applaud Travel Massive and Stay22 for introducing this level of transparency into the travel creator ecosystem – it's much needed and welcomed!
To get even more insights, such as how much creators earn per year and where brands find creators to work with, download your copy here.
I'm planning to lead a group trip to Jordan this Fall to help communities there rebound from a year spent without work.
Help me gauge the interest for this trip by taking a quick poll below.
Radostina Boseva is our Founding Member
Radostina Boseva is a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San Francisco.
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