Have you always wondered how to make money traveling? Whether that looks like lounging on the beach in the Caribbean, wandering the cobblestone streets in a quiet European village, or chasing sunsets you only thought existed in photos, it doesn’t have to stay a dream. It can be your reality.
I’ll let you in on a little secret I wish someone had told me years ago: It’s possible to get paid to travel with nothing but your phone. You don’t need any fancy degrees or a huge social media following to make it happen, either.
To make a full-time income traveling the world, all you need is to learn how to become a UGC travel creator. Here, I’m going to tell you more about this career path that will allow you to make money traveling.
What is a UGC Travel Creator?
A UGC travel creator is someone who creates content for hotels, resorts, Airbnbs, airlines, tourism boards, and other travel brands while exploring new destinations. Their job is to create UGC, or user-generated content.
Travel brands are constantly in need of real content they can use for their websites, social media posts, booking websites, email marketing, and other forms of advertising. That’s where UGC for travel brands comes in.
Becoming a UGC travel creator is one of the best ways to get paid to travel without needing a large social media following or audience. All you need is an eye for photography, a phone to capture images with, and a desire to create high-quality, relatable content that resonates with potential hotel or resort guests.
Who UGC Creators Work With
There are a number of opportunities for UGC travel creators to earn a full-time income while exploring the world. They can land paid travel deals with:
- Hotels and resorts
- Airbnbs
- Tourism boards
- Airlines
- Excursion companies (e.g., ziplining, parasailing)
- Other travel brands
How Do UGC Creators Make Money Traveling?
UGC creators get paid to travel in a number of ways. Rather than posting to their own audience the way an influencer would, they get paid for the content they create — and there’s often some perks along the way. Here’s how UGC travel creators get paid:
1. Paid Content Packages
Travel brands will hire you to create content bundles, including:
- Images
- Video content (Reels, TikToks)
- Room or property tours or experience clips
You deliver the travel UGC content, and the hotel or resort will use it as a part of their marketing materials. This is one of the most common ways to earn an income as a UGC travel creator.
2. Complimentary Stays and Add-Ons
As a part of a paid travel collaboration, many UGC creators will receive:
- Free hotel stays
- Free meals and beverages
- Free excursions
- Free on-site experiences (e.g. spa treatments)
All of these complimentary add-ons may be in addition to selling content packages that allow you to get paid to travel. The hotel or resort you’re working with will provide these complimentary services in order to make guests want to book a stay with them. Creating content of a hotel room is one thing, but seeing the surf and turf dinner, poolside cocktail, snorkeling excursion, and spa treatment can help a travel UGC creator provide content that converts to real bookings.
Complimentary stays and add-ons can be a great way to travel for free when you’re just getting started as a creator. Many people building a travel UGC portfolio will barter for complimentary stays and services when first starting out in order to get experience creating content. It can be a great way to get a free vacation!
A huge key to landing deals like this is knowing how to write a great pitch. In my ebook, Check-In & Ca$h-Out, I teach you everything there is to know about getting started as a travel UGC creator — including how to land deals with hotels, resorts, and other travel brands so you can make money traveling.
3. Licensing Your Content
Another one of the ways travel UGC creators get paid is by charging brands an additional fee for using your content in ads, paid campaigns, and booking sites or emails.
This is one of the biggest ways creators can increase their income, especially in UGC marketing for travel brands.
How to Get Started as a UGC Travel Creator
If you want to get paid to travel with nothing but your phone, travel UGC is one of the easiest options — and getting started is easier than it might sound. The first step to getting started is building a strong travel UGC portfolio.
You’ll need to create sample content, even if it means staying at a local (but aesthetically-pleasing) hotel or resort. You might also showcase other nearby attractions.
If you want to capture travel UGC photos and video content that will truly wow hotels and resorts, it’s important to make sure you’re using the right strategies. Check out my blog posts on framing, leading lines, and the rule of thirds so you can create the type of content that will help you get paid to travel.
When building your travel UGC portfolio, keep in mind that taking photos is just the beginning. You’ll want to make sure that they’re eye-catching. My Layover Luxe Preset Pack can help visually enhance your photos, helping you create travel UGC content that hotels, resorts, and other travel brands want to hire you!
Once you’ve taken some sample photos, it’s time to show it off! Create a website showcasing your best work. This is a must if you want to land UGC travel jobs.
Ready to build a travel UGC portfolio that helps you make money traveling? I highly recommend checking out my Free Canva Portfolio Template, which can help you build a portfolio that will have travel brands wanting to work with you.
Why Travel UGC is Growing So Fast
The demand for UGC in travel marketing is growing — and fast! A few reasons for this include:
- Travelers trust real, relatable content over ads.
- Brands are in constant need of fresh visuals.
- Short-form video is a very effective marketing strategy.
If you want to get paid to travel and make money from your phone, a career as a travel UGC creator can be an effective way to do that. To learn more about alternative ways to make money traveling, check out my $1 guide, Booked While You Sleep.
FInal Thoughts
If you’ve always dreamt of ways to make money traveling, becoming a travel UGC creator might be perfect for you! You don’t need thousands of followers or expensive gear. All you need is your phone and an eye for photography.
The travel industry is in constant need of fresh, authentic content. If you’re willing to create it, travel UGC can be a great way to get paid to travel with nothing but your phone.
If you’re serious about building a travel content business, check out my Clear for Takeoff Telegram Community. It’s a behind-the-scenes hub for creators who want lifestyle, freedom, and work that fits into their travels, not the other way around. Inside, you’ll find mindset shifts that help you show up stronger, visibility strategies that get you discovered without fighting algorithms, UGC + blogging insights, and tips most people gatekeep!
