Introduction
Maybe you have seen breathtaking shots of a travel influencer on Instagram, or read an inspiring blog post and thought to yourself: That life sounds perfect. As I mentioned, palm trees swaying in the background, sunset like a painting, endless adventures that only most can dream about – it felt like life was taken right out of a movie reel. Today I am sharing the behind the scenes of what a day in the life of a travel influencer really looks like. Spoiler alert: It is not always paradise and champagne, even though it is a lot of the time. Let me tell you my story of being a travel influencer and I will provide you with all the details about how is actually like to live this life.
Early Morning : The Golden Hour Run
The alarm blares and it is now 4:30 AM. Yep, that early. I reach for my phone, groaning a little and still half asleep. Okay, but in this industry hunting the golden hour means waking up pretty early. The golden hour that time just after sunrise and just before sunset is travel influencer’s best friend. That time of the day when landscapes are lit up, light is diffused and images come out almost automatically stunning.
I freshen up, retriever my bag; the camera — light tripod and a drone as well. By the time this happens, I’ve either found my ideal place the day before or have local intel. Nowadays, it is a stunning ocean lookout, and I am holding out for some sky magic. Getting there requires a hike up the hill, which would be straightforward enough if not for all the gear. When I finally reach the viewpoint, I’m perspiring but confident that the effort will pay off.
It starts to brighten and it is just as gorgeous as I imagined. An hour of photos, angle playtime and a few drones shots later. This is one instance of me being quite fortunate — its just you, nature sounds and the morning sun giving everything golden tones. But it’s also work. My brain is running through captions, thinking about the story that you will hear, hoping that I can get enough content to share across different days in the coming weeks.
Breakfast: The Content Creation Grind Never Stops
And then I return to the hotel for breakfast after shooting the golden hour. Rather quaint seaside joint and the staff have whipped up some fresh tropical fruits, just-baked bread and an omelet. But, before I can eat-check it out, I’ve gotta snap a pic of it. New shoots (it sounds funny but food shots are included in the deal). I prepare my phone, move a couple of items on the table for it to look ‘naturally perfect’ (as if nobody touched it) and shoot.
After the pictures, I finally get to eat. For breakfast, I take out my laptop and do some quick edits and post a morning update on my stories on Instagram. As a travel influencer, keeping the audience in the moment is very important. Everyone loves a behind the scenes or what you are doing in that moment and for whatever reason breakfast photos tend to get a lot of engagement. I respond to comments, interact with followers and remember the questions they ask. He also within emails, responding to brands who would love to work together, sorting out media kits and haggling for the next few journeys.
Part 2: The Adventure (And More Content)
Around late morning comes the Exploring. Today I am doing a little snorkeling. I’m working with a company here that provides tours, and in return for their services I was to post a reel and some stories showing off the tour. Which means I have to take photos that depict not just the beauty of our underwater world, but the thrill of the activity too.
The snorkeling is incredible — pristine waters, colorful coral and shoals of brightly colored fish. So there I am floating in the water and trying to get my GoPro set up JUST RIGHT so I can shoot it from every possible angle, often moving about a little bit in a trial and effort way until the shot looks right. I photograph myself going down — fish coming around me, and take a couple selfies with the ocean view. It is a fine line between being in the moment out there and making sure to get the shots needed.
I will take time after the snorkeling trip for talking to the tour guides too. I interview them regarding the marine animals concerning them, preservation in the region, as well as their preferred locations. These little things are important for me to add into my content — it allows my audience to experience even more the places I visit, and brings them closer. I try to write a few notes and record some voice messages so I can fully embrace their thoughts.
Following that, I head to visit a closely villager after some snorkeling. Now that I am not working on anything together, this is just me wanting to see and absorb the local culture. Strolling around, looking at the colorful houses, smiling to locals. I drop by a small boutique of a market and buy some handmade stuff. These kind of moments are what travel is all about for me. So I snap a picture or few, of the coiled market, and colors bursting from the tents set up there. This is that kind of experience that enriches my content and reminds me what travel is about.
Lunch: Final Round Networking and Additional Site Edits
Back on land, we approached the lunchtime hour. I settle for a small and local restaurant; they have fresh seafood. My work is often about showcasing real local experiences, so I do enjoy binging up the independents that deserve a bit of love and attention. Once again, I capture a few snaps before devouring. I chat with the chef, inquire about the dishes, and made a short (1 minute) video for Instagram — tagging restaurant . They are as delighted as I am, and I love that you now know them because I made a platform for them.
At lunch I copy all my snorkel footage to the laptop, start the first cuts and structure by subject: Instagram stories, posts and a mini-vlog that will go on YouTube. Editing is where the real heavy lifting happens, however. There are also a few hours worth of snorkeling footage that needs to be processed as well, and if I’m going to put music, captions, and effects on top of it…
During the time I interact with some of my audience in comments and messages. This is a job where engagement is everything. My audience wants to connect, and I personally love hearing about their travels, answering their questions, or giving them tips as they experience the world for themselves. This is not only about content creation – it is also about a community that can be inspired to get out and do something.
Then I have a scheduled meeting with a local guide who is going to take me out the following day for some less touristy sights. Conclusion on How to be a Travel Influencer Networking Not only working with brands, but also getting in touch with locals who know the place better than anyone! And these relationships usually enable me into some unique experiences that are tremendous value to my content.
Season to Taste One Processor Two Ways, Part I: Afternoon (Work Doesn’t Stop After the Adventure)
After lunch is more editing, planning out content for the week and brainstorming. A travel influencer is a misnomer because it suggests I just sit on the beach and work — believe it or not, this is actually how many people think of influencing! My office is the beautiful destinations, but my job is still a lot of work.
I am today at the hotel garden editing some morning photos and writing caption drafts. Captions are an art in themselves — engaging, informative prose that often contains a call to action. Do I want people to comment? Should they click on a link in my bio? The goal drives the wording.
I also use mms some time to schedule some posts. One of the most important things to keep in mind is consistency with posting, especially when partnering with brands. Expectations that content drops magical when it is supposed to and a managed calendar allows things to run smoothly.
Following that, whenever I have a post scheduled to go live, I will spend 30 minutes researching destinations that are coming up. I do a lot of blog reading, contact local guides and do itinerary planning. For every outing, I plan it really well so that I get to capture all the moments possible known and unknown places/events with ample content for multiple platforms. It does take a lot of research to make travel seem impromptu and require little preparation — the fine print, if you will.
Next I spend 1 hour coming up with new content ideas for future trips. When I am planning shoots, its always good to keep notebook where you can write the shot ideas, captions or theme. Sometimes inspiration can come from the most mundane things – a conversation, a newspaper article or even just remembering something from an old trip. When I have ideas for content to create, my workflow is better and I always have something new for my people.
Late Afternoon: Inside Stories from Brands
I have a call planned with a brand I wanted to engage with for some time around 4 PM. It’s a travel gear company, and they’re keen on sponsoring part of my upcoming trip. Calls like this are always exciting but a little nerve wracking. I am merchandising myself — my brand, my audience, my value as a creator. Treating these calls like any other business meeting, my media kit is well-prepared and sharp.
The call goes smoothly — they are interested, and we talk through details about the type of content they hope to place and how we can make it feel authentic. How exciting, they will send a contract over later this week.
I had another call with a brand and then spent some time drafting a proposal for them. A key element of being a travel influencer is maintaining that eyes wide open attitude towards the next opportunity to work with brands. Whenever I pitch ideas, they are always true to my style and what resonates with my audience, because at the end of the day it is about keeping things real and providing value. I have to walk a thin line between wanting to partner with brands, but also keeping true to what my audience expects from me.
I spend then a little bit of time reviewing my numbers. A travel influencer is also someone who has to juggle various streams of income – brand deals, affiliate marketing, ad revenue… the list goes on. Besides that, I have to make sure that I am hitting my income targets and also making room for upcoming travels. Financial management is key to sustainability, and this is a part of the job that a lot of people don’t see.
Evening: Golden Hour, Take II
And just as the day began, the day is coming to an end with another one of those golden hours. Again, I was at the beach for sunset. One shot that I get the most requests from my audience for is a sunset Silhouette. I slip into a pretty maxi, grab my phone and tripod, and start taking photos. Some have the look of being candid, others are posed and a handful were intended to make it seem like I was just staring out into the horizon.
Getting it right takes time — the dress doesn’t always blow just how I want in the wind nor do the waves always roll perfectly. I do, but most of the times I am still content with what I catch. Sunset has this magic quality, that makes me calm and grateful to my surroundings when I finally take a seat for a minute or two after the photos.
Then, after a few pictures I sat down to soak in the colors of the sunset. These experiences are the purpose behind my Why. The serenity of the wilderness, solitude for contemplation and perspective of being just one tiny part of something far larger than me. I pause, breathe a few times, like, goddamn this is great before going back to work.
I also film some behind the scene footage to post for my audience. They appreciate the behind the scenes reality of what it takes to get that perfect photo. You should call attention to the fact that although the whole thing looks easy on the surface, a ton of effort goes into making it happen. I placed my phone in a few places to film me fidgeting with the camera, battling the wind, and chuckling at the disasters. These are the genuine moments that truly connect me with my audience.
Dinner = be real
Once I am done at the beach, I go out for dinner. Tonight, it is in conjunction with a local restaurant scene. They have invited me for a dine and I will execute my experience to all my followers. This is where authenticity comes into play. I never pull punches with a review — my readers expect me to be frank, and I’m always frank. If I disagree, you will hear about it but have the courtesy of knowing that I never mean to offend.
Tonight’s dinner, on the other hand, rocks. The chef emerges to describe each course, and I am impressed with both the passion and creativity contained on each plate. As we converse I make notes — this will help me write a factual caption subsequently and provide my audience an authentic feel of the experience later on.
I use meal-time to review the day (to some extent as a content creator) and what I have produced. I write down notes for future posts, what was effective and what I could potentially improve. I’m always learning what my audience responds to and how I can continue to grow as a creator.
Then I talk to the owner of the restaurant about the difficulties of owning a business in an area that sees lots of tourists. Whenever I engage in these conversations, it provides me a fresh perspective of life and the people here, stories which I make an attempt to share with everyone. It gives some substance to my content and shows that travel is not just about nice locations but also about people living there and their stories.
At Night: Relaxing and Organizing
It will be around 10 pm by the time I return to my room. You would think I would be burnt out, and I am, but there is still much to accomplish. One hour editing sunset shots, one last Instagram story for the day and a note filled with content ideas now ready for tomorrow. I also read the messages of those who follow me. Listeners also tell me their travel stories, seek tips from me and share how my content motivates them. Had to throw this in as it is one of the more rewarding aspects of the job – knowing that my work isn’t simply pretty pictures but also inspires people to get out there, dream and create their own adventures.
I also take some time to go over my content calendar. So as you can see, we need to plan ahead in this business. I scan the deadlines coming up, when I will be working with whom, and make sure that I have all of the contents for the next few weeks. Organized plan is a great way to tackle the workload and avoid last-minute rush stress.
Finally, I unwind. To shift from work to rest, I sip herbal tea while stretching and write a quick journal entry about the day. Travel influencing is delightful but physically and psychologically tiring at times. Whenever I feel overwhelmed with any tasks I remind myself that it is fine to do nothing, take a little break and think about my well-being. I pause to write three things I am grateful for — this practice roots me in staying humble and grateful for this fucking surreal ride.
I do approximately 10 minutes of meditation before falling asleep. It makes me empty my head after a day that was just so busy and full with creating content. I clear my head: breath in, breath out – ditch the stress and get back into a center ready for the next day. Finding balance in this lifestyle is crucial — meditation has been a huge part of that for me.
Challenges of a Travel Influencer!
On the surface, it seems like being a travel influencer is just one unending holiday. But you can see, it is a job that takes planning, discipline, creativity and hustle. It can be a frustrating journey with bad weather or the web connection dropping out while I am uploading content. You also enjoy those eureka moments — being on a peak at first light or snorkeling in aquamarine waters or seeing a tiny business flourish due to the publicity I provided for it.
Each day is different, and each day has something beautiful to offer as well as the toil of a normalization attempt, an effort to infiltrate this world in a way that makes sense for people. There is a story of effort, patience and passion for the journey behind every good post.
Sometimes I am homesick, miss my friends and family, need to settle down. There is always another piece of content to create, or a suitcase to pack and unpack it gets exhausting being perpetually on the go. However far, the upcoming thinks are to be compensated. I have met amazing people, gotten to know cultures like few do, and developed a community with other people who love travel as much as I do.
Travel influencers: the strategy of social media pressure. You always have to keep up with the trends, make content that pops and be the kind of person who inspires others. The likes, and comments, and followers — oh my! However, I have to remember that the end goal of this work is not just measurables, it truly is also people getting inspired and going out to discover the world.
Final Thoughts
A travel influencer goes beyond where to go; we talk about why. Being intentional with your content, the connections you make with people; and being balanced in an incredible but ever unforgiving lifestyle. In my experience, the pros far exceed the cons. I am living my dream–if by sharing it I manage to inspire one soul or more to pursue theirs IT DOES NOT MATTER what time I set the alarm clock for.
The reality, which I have learnt is that being a travel influencer is a continuous process of learning, adapting and evolving. It is about having peace in the inexplicable, staying connected to the little things that bring you joy and maintaining a level of curiosity at all times. It is a job and, at the same time, also a passion. And for that, I wouldn’t exchange it with anything on this planet.
Those magic moments … being in a country you have never been able to find on the map, enjoying the solitude of a beach during sunrise, sharing food with people who speak another language and now and then catching sight of someone following along behind you into an adventure because of something I wrote — these are what make all the frustrations worthwhile. Travel is not just a job, it is my lifestyle and I am thankful every day I get to experience that with other people.