TRAVEL NEWS – September 20, 2024: The travel blogging industry is changing. Where press trips were once a nice bonus for bloggers who wanted to combine their passion for travel and writing, it is now clear that the current situation is no longer future-proof for many bloggers. Travel bloggers share their expertise, website and reach during press trips and usually do so without any form of financial compensation. Due to recent developments and ever-decreasing income, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to keep their heads above water. A daily allowance for press trips is therefore increasingly being discussed.
This article is based on a survey within the Dutch Travel Bloggers community with 128 verified members. Dutch and Belgian travel bloggers voted on the necessity of a daily allowance for press trips. In this article the results are shared.
An important turning point
Travel bloggers invest a lot of time, creativity and expertise in promoting destinations via blogs, social media and other content platforms. In doing so, travel bloggers bring a significant amount of media value. Yet, they are often expected to do this work without financial compensation. As it were, in exchange for the trip that is offered to them. Although traveling is a valuable experience in itself and invitations are greatly appreciated, it does not pay the bills.
In the past, it was easier to make money online. The more visitors you had, the more clicks and the more income that generated. Unfortunately, travel bloggers have seen their turnover decrease significantly across the board in recent years, despite increasing visitor numbers and clicks (to affiliate partners). Most bloggers do not earn enough to continue their work in this way due to recent changes in Google algorithms, affiliate partners who systematically reduce their fees and many missed sales due to stricter cookie legislation.
Although travel bloggers have done everything they can in recent years to increase their own income by further optimizing content and websites, a hard limit seems to have been reached. Now that other sources of income beyond their control seem to be drying up, people are asking themselves out loud why press trips (and all the work that goes with them) are still expected to go unpaid.
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The results of the poll
A total of 73 travel bloggers voted in this poll. The question was: "Do you think a daily allowance is necessary for press trips? The results show a clear preference for the introduction of a daily allowance.
- Daily allowance not necessary: 17 votes (23,3%)
- Daily allowance is necessary: 56 votes (76,7%)
What do travel bloggers consider a fair daily allowance?
50% of travel bloggers find 100 euros per day sufficient as compensation. Over 35% prefer 200 euros per day. About 14% find a compensation of 300 euros or more appropriate.
Why do travel bloggers find a daily allowance necessary?
In addition to the survey, more explanation was also requested as to why you find it necessary or not. The reasons vary.
- The future sustainability of the profession: Without compensation, it becomes impossible for many bloggers to continue their work in the long term. Due to stricter rules around cookies, a lack of transparency in affiliate marketing and changes in Google algorithms, income for many bloggers has decreased significantly.
- Maintaining unique, freshly written content: If travel blogging is/becomes future-proof with the help of a daily allowance for press trips, content creation will not be left to AI (anymore). In this way, we maintain a reliable basis that relies on experiences from the present instead of the past (AI training data).
- Recognition: Travel bloggers do professional work by creating comprehensive content, including blogs, photos and social media posts. A daily allowance helps to recognize this value.
- Time investment: A press trip can take several days, a week or even several weeks, which means bloggers can’t generate any other income during that time. A per diem compensates for some of this loss.
- Below the poverty line: From conversations in the community it appears that a number of bloggers barely survive above the poverty line, despite their hard work. This is a distressing observation.
- Keeping a travel blog online costs money: Maintaining a travel blog involves costs, such as web hosting and domains, which have increased significantly in recent years. The daily allowance not only contributes to these costs, but can also contribute to pension and insurance, such as disability insurance and let's not forget business travel insurance.
Why do some travel bloggers find a daily allowance unnecessary?
While a majority of bloggers believe a daily allowance is necessary, approximately 23% voted against the need for a daily allowance.
- There are other incomes: For instance strong affiliate income. Performance-based websites that make good money from affiliate marketing find that they earn back their costs through clicks and sales. For them, a daily fee is not always necessary.
- Custom Made: Bloggers who earn from campaigns and custom work. For this, rates are often determined based on output in combination with reach. This is generally a significantly higher amount than a possible daily fee.
- Special destinations: Some bloggers choose not to charge a per diem for press trips that are more luxurious or unique, because the trip itself provides enough value.
- The costs for a press trip with a family are already high: For bloggers who travel with their family (niche market), there are more costs associated with the press trip they make, which must be reimbursed. Not only because it concerns multiple people, but also other circumstances make the costs higher (think of traveling in high season, necessary accommodations and facilities, etc.). They do not find it appropriate to also ask for a daily allowance.
One caveat that can be made is that this group largely consists of bloggers with high-performing websites. They often draw on multiple and/or alternative sources of income, such as campaigns and customization. Although this group does not find it necessary to ask for a daily allowance, many of them recognize that a basic allowance or expense allowance is desirable for bloggers with lower incomes or for travel that takes a lot of time and energy.
A new standard for press trips?
This poll, in which over 75% of bloggers indicated that they consider a daily allowance for a press trip to be necessary, highlights that the sector is at an important tipping point.
Travel bloggers provide valuable promotion and media value for tourism organisations and PR agencies, and their work deserves appropriate compensation just like any other work. It is important that PR and tourism agencies recognise that the current situation, in which travel bloggers do their work in exchange for nothing more than the press trip, is unfortunately not sustainable in the long term.
A daily allowance for press trips not only contributes to fairer compensation and recognition for the work, but above all ensures that the collaboration between the different parties – the travel bloggers, PR agencies and the tourist destinations they promote – remains future-proof.
Together we can ensure that travel bloggers not only continue to tell the world's stories, but also have the confidence to continue this wonderful profession with passion and professionalism.
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