Everything Marketers Need to Know about Travel Influencers

Today’s travelers are ditching the guidebooks and instead scrolling through Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to find travel inspiration. In fact, 85% of American adults say they’ve acted on a travel recommendation from an influencer. From hidden gems to viral travel hacks, travel creators are shaping the way people plan their next getaway.

If you’re looking to work with these travel-focused creators, you’ve come to the right place. This is the final part of our 3-part blog series tailored to the travel industry. If you missed Part 1 and 2, catch up here:

• Part 1: 5 Influencer Marketing Best Practices for Travel Brands
• Part 2: 3 Travel Brands Taking Off with Influencer Marketing

In Part 3, we’re diving into everything you need to know about working with travel influencers. While each creator has their own unique voice and style, we’ll cover the key insights and strategies to help you build successful partnerships in this niche — complete with tips from seasoned marketers in our Slack community. Let’s get right into it.

Partnerships with travel influencers can be more cost-effective — but that doesn’t mean their work is “free.”

According to Summer Martin, former PR Manager at VisitScotland, many travel influencers are open to exchanging content for experiences, making these collaborations more budget-friendly than traditional flat-fee campaigns.

“Because you’re covering flights, hotels, and experiences, many travel influencers will treat the all-expenses-paid journey as full payment, so you often spend less than on flat-fee campaigns. That said, top-tier travel creators may still request fees, whereas creators who rarely travel usually see the trip itself as their payment.”
— Summer Martin, former PR Manager at VisitScotland

That being said, it’s important to recognize that comped travel isn’t truly “free.” In many countries — including the US, UK, and Canada — the value of sponsored travel is considered taxable income, and creators may still owe taxes on flights, hotel stays, and other perks. Plus, polished content creation takes time, skill, and often comes with additional considerations like licensing, usage rights, and exclusivity. These should be fairly compensated.

So while some creators may accept an experience as full or partial payment, compensation should be discussed transparently, with respect for the creator’s time, talent, and business needs.

Of course, creators won’t say yes to just any trip, especially if it’s generic or overly promotional. Many receive dozens of pitches a week and are quick to pass on offers that don’t stand out. If you want to land on their radar, your offer needs to feel truly compelling.

The key is to pitch a can’t-miss experience.

Let’s say you’re a boutique hotel brand. Simply handing over a room key won’t cut it. Instead, curate a personalized itinerary that showcases the best your property (and destination) has to offer: a fun sunset sail, a private cooking class, a luxurious spa day, or a hidden local gem that only the insiders know about. Add thoughtful touches like a welcome gift, room service credits, or surprise upgrades.

Just take a look at American Express’s partnership with creator Matt King, which highlights all of the amazing amenities and experiences offered at the Four Seasons Koh Samui.

The more memorable and immersive the experience, the more likely your influencer will create rich, organic content (and perhaps even go above and beyond what was outlined in the contract). In the end, that added effort translates to more engaging posts and a stronger return on investment.

Travel influencers may have diverse audiences.

Travel influencers, by nature, don’t stay in one place for long. That means their audiences are often global — a blend of followers they’ve picked up along the way, from Bali and Barcelona to New York and New Zealand. While this can be a huge asset for international brands, it’s something marketers targeting a specific region need to keep an eye on.

“Travel influencers do just that: TRAVEL. Make sure you are checking their demo to ensure where their followers are located correlates to the market you are trying to sell in.”
— Lauren Roth, Influencer Marketing Consultant

Before partnering with a creator, take a moment to check their audience demographics. If your brand is aiming to reach US-based consumers, you’ll want to ensure the influencer’s audience is largely American. The same goes for targeting by age, gender, and interests.

The good news is that Aspire makes it easy to view this data upfront, saving you from investing in content that doesn’t hit your intended market. It’s a simple step, but one that can make or break your campaign’s performance.

Partnerships with travel influencers often turn into long-term relationships.

Strong relationships are the foundation of any good influencer marketing strategy. But in travel, those bonds often go deeper. That’s because travel collaborations typically involve multi-day trips, shared meals, and real face time, which opens the door for stronger connections and long-term loyalty.

“If you're hosting a press trip with influencers it means days together and you create real friendships. With this, influencers tend to go above and beyond their contract, plus you get to play photographer (it’s part of the fun!).”
— Summer Martin, former PR Manager at VisitScotland

When brands invest in genuine, thoughtful experiences, creators remember. They’re more likely to post additional content, give glowing reviews, and even recommend your brand to their followers (and other influencers) behind the scenes. Many brands find that these short-term campaigns often lead to repeat visits, long-term ambassadorships, and consistent brand love over time.

So, think beyond the one-off post. Build a relationship that grows trip after trip, and both you and the influencer will benefit in the long run.

Travel influencers create some of the best content.

Travel creators are content pros. Yes, they might post casual Stories from their iPhones — but behind the scenes, many are hauling DSLR cameras, drones, GoPros, and tripods to capture breathtaking footage. They know how to frame a shot, find golden hour, and edit their work into scroll-stopping content.

They also work hard to get those shots. Many travel influencers wake up before sunrise to catch the perfect lighting, or to beat the crowds at popular destinations. They scout the best locations, plan their outfits around the backdrop, and spend hours editing photos and videos to make the final product look effortless.

For brands, this means access to top-tier, authentic content that doesn’t feel like a traditional ad. You can repurpose this content across your website, organic social media, email marketing, and even paid ads. It’s an efficient way to refresh your creative library with assets that resonate deeply with modern consumers.

For example, luggage brand Monos regularly repurposes influencer content for their paid ads — using aspirational travel visuals that blend seamlessly into a user’s feed. This kind of content performs especially well because it feels native to the platform and aligns with how people actually discover new travel products online.

Launch your next travel campaign with confidence

As we wrap up this blog series, one thing is clear: influencer marketing is reshaping the way people discover and experience the world. Whether you're launching your first campaign or scaling an existing program, there's never been a better time to team up with travel influencers and inspire the next wave of explorers.

Ready to bring your travel influencer strategy to life? Book a demo to see how Aspire can help.