Advantages of Starting a Travel Blog in the Digital Age

Better late than never! For those who have the knack of writing quality content, embarking on a travel blog journey can be incredibly rewarding. In India, fewer than 5.5% of the population hold passports, signaling a vast potential audience eager to explore and learn about the world through online resources.

New Travel Blogs in 2019

The year 2019 saw the rise of numerous travel blogs, showcasing a growing interest in the genre. However, it is important to consider where to host your blog. While platforms like Medium offer an easy way to test your audience and writing style with minimal cost, creating a blog on your own website provides more control and opportunities for monetization.

Starting a blog can be a flexible endeavor. If you find that initially you don't have a lot to say, you can write articles sporadically as new ideas come to you. However, if your goal is to sell products, having your own website is essential.

Why Start Your Own Travel Blog?

Here are some compelling reasons to start your own travel blog:

Family and Friends: Share your travel experiences with loved ones in real-time. Creates a Record: Document your journey, serving as a personal keepsake and a useful reference for future trips. Focus on Experience: A dedicated platform allows you to document your unique travel experience. Better Writer: Engaging with your audience through blogging can improve your writing skills. Future Publications: Blogs can serve as raw material for future e-books or monetization opportunities. Control: With your own blog, you retain full control over your content, unlike on other platforms.

Creating Timeless Content

One of the most cherished travel blogs that has stood the test of time is Mirjam Wouters' blog, which documents her years-long cycle tour around the world. Her blog provides a unique and timeless narrative, preserved for all time.

Initially, Mirjam limited herself to a separate entry for each day, capturing her daily thoughts and a single image. After a few months, she found herself writing more prolifically, inspired by her experiences. After nearly a decade, her blog has gathered over 1.5 million hits and has even been included in the Australian web archive, Mirandora, highlighting the lasting value of consistent and compelling content.

Travel itself often yields more material than one can possibly write, making it an ideal subject for blog posts. For instance, here is a snapshot of a day near the Cairns foreshore in Australia:

Day 365: Some Cairns Backpacker: the Years Go By

Humm. Day 365 since I departed Perth. Correctly speaking that means I've been on the road for a whole year. That seems an inordinate amount of time for a city planning and aerial shot, taken in the twilight from the edge of the Esplanade.

With focus on the present-day, a rich, detail-oriented description of the environment can make for engaging reading. Separating entries by day, rather than weekly or monthly, can capture the immediacy of travel experiences, such as the varied and often humorous sight of backpackers and tourists in Australia. After reflecting on a year spent traveling, Mirjam's entries tend to be more detailed and insightful, offering a wealth of material for her readers to enjoy.

Flexibility and Ownership

One of the best parts of maintaining your own blog is the flexibility it offers. You can tailor your content to fit your needs, whether you prefer a focus on images, text, or a combination of both. Blogging allows for the creation of a vlog or a mix of video and text content, as well as the option to write extensively or sparingly based on the topic at hand.

Conclusion

Starting a travel blog in 2019, or any year, can be a rewarding endeavor. Whether you want to share your travels, create a record, improve your writing, or monetize your experiences, a dedicated blog provides the perfect platform to achieve these goals. With the right preparation and a commitment to consistency, your blog can become an invaluable resource not just for yourself, but for countless others who share your passion for travel.