Hop on a plane, go somewhere new, have a blast, get paid. That’s the dream, isn’t it? For travel connoisseurs, the idea of being paid while doing nothing more than indulging in your favorite hobby seems too good to be true. Yet that’s exactly what a growing number of people are doing around the world every day.
I feel like the Internet was the best thing that ever happened to the travel market. Prior to the world wide web, you essentially had three options to make money traveling: writing a guide book about another country, doing research of some kind (archeology, history, etc.), or teaching in a foreign land. Today, you’ve got far more options.
Below, we’ll explore seven of those options to help you discover some amazing ways you can make money while you trot around the globe.
Also, keep in mind – if you’re going to start an online business – you need a strong Internet connection.
1. Teach English Abroad
This is one of the classic ways to make money traveling, and still one of the most accessible. Depending on the country and the program you teach for, you can expect to make anywhere from $500 to $4,000 per month. Some destinations also make up for lower wages by providing free housing, transportation, and/or meals. Alternatively, you could consider finding a house-sitting position.
You Don’t Have to Be a Full-Fledged Teacher to Qualify
Many people have the misconception that you have to have at least a bachelor’s in education to teach abroad. That’s simply not the case. Having a higher degree of education can help you negotiate a higher pay rate, but it’s not essential to landing a job. At most, you may be required to possess a Teaching English as a Foreign/Second Language (TEFL or TESL) certificate. Getting one isn’t terribly difficult, you just need:
- A minimum of 100 hours (or three months) classwork
- 20 hours of practice with legitimate non-English speakers (roleplaying with fellow students is not accepted)
- Instruction from a certified instructor with at least a master’s in TEFL
- Certification provided by an accredited institution, either a college or an independent organization.
The cost varies depending on where you get your certificate but you can expect to pay between $500 and $2,000 for your instruction.
While some organizations require a TEFL certification, some others don’t. As long as you have a decent Internet connection, you could be teaching your native language online.
2. Travel on a Work-Holiday Visa
These are programs designed to encourage travel, tourism, and cultural awareness to travelers. Basically, you go to the destination of your choosing, with the understanding that you’ll work a particular job in exchange or pay, room and board, food, local travel, or a combination of the above.
Unlike a typical visa, work-holiday visas range anywhere from six months to two years, giving you more time to enjoy life abroad. The only reservation is that they’re often limited to people aged 18 to 30, though some exceptions have been known to happen. Australia is one good destination to consider for your work-holiday visa.
3. Open Your Own Online Store
If you travel frequently, you already know which backpacks, cameras, suitcases, and other travel gear work best. You can make a sustainable income while you travel by opening an online store. Having a business completely online also means that you can work from anywhere, so you can manage your store while you travel.
To reduce costs and make things simple for yourself, you can set up a drop-ship model for the products you offer (which is pretty popular in the digital nomad community).
Drop-shipping is a method of order fulfillment where you don’t maintain any inventory yourself. Instead, you partner with a supplier who maintains the inventory and ships the order in exchange for some of your money.
This way, you’re not paying to maintain a warehouse, paying workers to maintain your inventory, or paying shipping costs directly.
4. Housesit for Others
Want a free place to crash while you travel? Offer to house-sit while people are out of town! Housesitting is a gig where you maintain a person’s home while they’re traveling. You’ll probably find yourself doing some dusting, cleaning, yard work, and other common chores involving home upkeep. While you technically won’t make any money with this option, it does mean that you won’t have to pay anything for accommodations.
Besides airfare, lodging is usually the largest expense that travelers deal with, so this can be a great option.
5. Work for a Travel Company
Though they’ve shifted away from print in order to focus on digital production, travel guide companies still need good writers, photographers, and interviewers to craft their content. Agencies like The Lonely Planet and National Geographic use a combination of freelance and in-house talent to craft travel guides that cover the best places to eat, sleep and tour in different countries.
Depending on how your contract is set up, your employer may even cover your airfare, lodging, and some meals while you’re working! If you manage to land a full-time job, that also gives you a little bit of added security while you travel.
6. Become a Freelancing Digital Nomad
If you have skills that translate to digital content, it’s possible to enjoy a steady stream of income while you travel.
There’s a big demand in the job market for freelance writers, photographers, web designers, consultants, analysts.
Employers love this arrangement because they get high- content without having to pay the insurance, tax, and workspace costs of an in-house employee.
Freelancers love it because they get to pick and choose their clients, conduct their work from anywhere in the world, and work their own hours (to an extent).
7. Host A Travel Blog To Make Money
If you love to travel, and you love to write, then blogging is the perfect outlet for you.
It can take some time to grow a devoted readership, but once you do, there are plenty of ways that your blog can earn money for you.
Yes – there are ways to monetize your blog and your content.
If you have enough site traffic, affiliate marketing is another great option to generate revenue while you help other travelers by recommending gear, hotels, car rentals, tours, etc.
If you wish to get started with affiliate marketing, we recommend joining Travelpayouts, a leading travel affiliate network.
They offer the best deals with the help of trusted brands such as Booking.com, Tripadvisor, GetYourGuide, and many other travel giants.
What I love the most about Travelpayouts is that you can manage all affiliate programs in one place. The commissions are the same as on the direct affiliate programs, and you don’t have to wait until the withdrawal amount is accumulated because they have low thresholds.
Finally, any successful blog must be treated like a business. We recommend you invest in blogging tools to get the best out of your blog.
