- Alex in Wanderland:
2. Uncornered Market:
3. Nomadic Matt:
4. Hey Nadine:
Travel Blogging As a Career
Almost all the most successful travel bloggers that are hot right now have made travel blogging their full-time gig.
Through advertisements with companies like travel agencies, hotels, and airlines help pay for the extravagant travels that many of these individuals (or couples) take.
Not only that, but many of these websites have started catering to teaching others how to do exactly what they do. Nomadic Matt, a regular reference in my genre analysis essay, funds his travels through the merchandise, classes, and destination guides along with the advertisements.
The Fluctuation of Travel in the US
The terrorist attack on 9/11 had a great impact on travel in the US in the early 2000’s. Following the recession, travel blogging started becoming more popular.
Our dependency on social media platforms and technology as a whole has had a huge increase, mainly due to the fact that it’s become more accessible. Pre-2015, many people couldn’t afford to travel. Airlines couldn’t even afford to raise their prices because people were having a hard time affording their ticket prices as they were, even though the oil it was taking to run was expensive.
In the past couple of years, the economy has been becoming stronger, and with that more people have been able to set aside money for travel. Even people in the lower-class range (including students) have been able to travel with the help of travel-on-a-budget blogs that gives tips and tricks to travel without breaking the bank.
A Quick History of the Blog
January 1994: the first travel blog is made.
August 1999: Blogger, the first free online blog-creator was started
June 2003: Google launches AdSense
December 2004: Merriam-Webster declares “blog” the “Word of the Year.”
January 2005: a study by New York Magazine shows that 32 million people subscribe to at least one blog.
Basic Characteristics of a Travel Blog
Blogs in this generation are a dime a dozen. You can find a blog on pretty much anything these days. But what makes a travel blog so unique? Why are they so popular? Below are the main characteristics of a travel blog:
- Travels and OFTEN
- Accessibility
- Appeal to wanderlust
- Lots of photos/videos
- Tips and Tricks/ How-To
- Recently an emphasis on budget
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
The Travel Blog Blog 