What are the best travel affiliate programs for your new travel blog? I love this question; it has fueled a frenzy of research to help me find the best programs for a new travel blogger to join.
Granted, I am not raking in the bucks or rolling around dollar bills like Demi Moore in Indecent Proposal. But I am currently funding my Starbucks addiction and gym membership, and I have a monster travel fund getting some love, too.
If your goal is to become a full-time travel blogger, joining travel affiliate programs is one of the easiest and quickest ways to start monetizing your blog.
Why do you travel?
I travel to spend quality time with my family, learn new cultures, and step out of my comfort zone. I aim to teach my kids that there is more to this awe-inspiring Earth than our quaint little town here in North Central Florida.
My love for travel is vast and all-consuming. I love it so much that I want to share tips, recommendations, pictures, successes, and failures with you. And you know what? I can make a bit of cash while sharing what I love.
Thus began my journey into affiliate marketing for travel bloggers.
Affiliate Disclosure: There are affiliate links throughout this post. This means if you click on a link and purchase a product through that link, then I will receive a small commission for the referral. And that is kinda cool.
Before we dive into how to make money with your travel blog, make sure you are self-hosted.
Why do you need to be self-hosted?
- Your content is yours.
- Control over the customization and individualization of your blog is all yours.
- You can add multiple plugins to enhance the look and functionality of your blog.
- Create a professional look and feel in order to easily be approved by affiliates and ad networks so you can begin monetizing your blog.
Why Bluehost?
- Bluehost is relatively inexpensive at $3.95 per month. However, you will be required to pay for the whole year of hosting upfront.
- Bluehost is user-friendly. If I can do it, so can you!
- One free domain is included for one year (if the domain is available).
- You can upload WordPress with one click, and that is a true statement.
- Tech support is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- You will be self-hosted, therefore your content is yours.
- You will have the capability to monetize your blog with advertisements and affiliates immediately.
- And most importantly, you will look like the real thing!
HERE is an 11-step tutorial on how to set up a new self-hosted travel blog with Bluehost.
Glossary of Affiliate Marketing Terms
Affiliate Marketing ~ Earning commission for marketing and recommending a company’s product or an individual’s course. For example, you place an affiliate link on a blog post; your reader clicks on the link. The link directs the reader to where they can learn more about the product, purchase the product, enroll in a course, or provide their email address for further communication. You earn a commission if they purchase through your link.
Affiliate ~ An affiliate is a person who promotes a product or course for a fee. The fee is often monetary. Sometimes, the commission is a discount for themselves on a course or a product.
Affiliate Network ~ Let’s call networks the “middle-man.” An affiliate network is a company that hosts a multitude of affiliate programs. Some of these networks have thousands of affiliates available. You will have access to these programs if you are part of the network. You must apply to each affiliate individually through the network.
Affiliate Link ~ A specific URL that contains an affiliate’s username or unique ID. Affiliate programs use affiliate links to record the traffic generated from the affiliate to their website.
Conversion ~ When a person clicks your affiliate link and follows through with a purchase, signs up for an account, or provides their email address to the company.
Travel Affiliate Programs
I am going to cover different types of travel affiliate programs, and I have added this table of contents to help you navigate through all of this information. You can click the category in the table of contents to fast-forward to the information you want or read it all.
Affiliate Networks.
An affiliate network is a company that hosts a multitude of affiliate programs. You will have access to these programs if you are part of the network. You will find something travel-related in all of the networks I list; they are simple to join and will accept most new bloggers. It takes a few minutes to fill out the application. And about 24-48 hours to be accepted.
These networks are the perfect place to start monetizing your new travel blog.
- The application process is quick and seamless.
- You will be approved quickly.
- There are so many affiliates to choose from.
- AND you will learn so much.
Travel Payouts.
Yuliya, the Community Outreach Manager for Travel Payouts, wanted you to have this information about Travel Payouts.
- Travelpayouts is the largest travel affiliate network.
- It unites 80 travel brands, including Booking.com, HomeAway, Kiwi.com, RentalCars.
- It is trusted by 270,000 bloggers and webmasters, who have already earned $25,000,000 working through the network.
- You can register with Travelpayouts for free.
- And start monetizing your traffic right away.
How Does It Work?
Apply for the different affiliate programs. Advertisers are grouped into Flights, Accommodations, Car rentals, Bus transportation, Package tours, and more.
Tip: Check the requirements for affiliates and their websites. Some advertisers don’t accept websites under construction, and others only work with bloggers.
Once you’ve joined affiliate programs, place links with your affiliate ID on your website.
Tip: Encourage visitors to make a booking with promotional tools such as banners, widgets, search forms, text links, white labels, and more. These tools catch the reader’s eye and may improve your conversion rates.
Each time a reservation is made through your link, you’ll get a commission according to the program terms. Cookies allow you to get rewarded even if your reader doesn’t purchase immediately. You can keep track of all your earnings for all affiliate programs on one dashboard.
To learn more about my favorite travel affiliate, Travel Payouts, click this.
Amazon.com ~ Here is why.
- Amazon is addicting, and everyone has an account.
- Becoming an Amazon Affiliate is easy. You can get started in minutes.
- Amazon has millions of travel-related products to choose from; travel gear, tents, jackets, luggage, accessories, photography equipment, clothing.
- The entire process will help build confidence in your affiliate marketing skills.
- User-friendly links that look appealing and clickable.
You may not end up using Amazon much in the end. The commission is low, averaging about 4%, so it isn’t easy to make good money, but it is possible. I assure you that the process will teach you a lot. For example, you will learn how to place an affiliate link or banner, market your product, and what works and what does not.
This is how an Amazon link looks and how it works.
These are the Beats Studio3 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones in Desert Sand. Our entire family has a pair. Click the link HERE, or on the image to purchase. And I receive a commission. Easy as that.
Addendum (5/21/2020): Amazon Affiliates recently slashed commission rates for their affiliate program. Many programs now provide less than half of the commission than before.
ShareASale ~ Another popular and easy affiliate network with multiple travel affiliate programs available.
ShareASale is a user-friendly affiliate network that has been in business for almost twenty years. It offers more than 2,500 programs that allow you to earn a commission. You must apply individually within the network to each program you wish to join. Your acceptance (or denial, in some cases) typically takes a day or two.
ShareASale has 150 travel-related programs to apply to, including Arlo Skye luggage, Viator, and City Pass. ShareASale is another network that will get you started and teach you a lot.
Flex Offers ~ More affiliates to join, 12,024 to be exact.
Flex Offers has the following affiliates (and many, many more): Orbitz, Skyscanner, Virgin Atlantic, Loews, Hilton, IHG, Sandals, Alamo, Travelocity, Ebags, and Samsonite.
CJ Affiliates
CJ Affiliates is the world’s largest and most established affiliate marketing network. Several affiliate partners are travel-related, and you can join quickly and easily. These include Big Bus Tours, Cruise Direct, and Expedia.
Ad Networks.
I hesitated to include ad networks because I only recently began using them. I have struggled with their appearance in the past.
➡Then, well, COVID.⬅
I took the time during COVID to research ad networks for this travel blog and decided on EZOIC. So far, so good. I have learned so much since joining this ad network, and I think the ads look good on my website. Learn more about EZOIC here.
The truth is that ads are everywhere you look. You can tastefully place them on your website where you want them with most ad networks. Plus, if you have stellar content, people will not run away because of the ads.
Be mindful of how the ads look and, equally crucial, how the ad pertains to your blog niche and your audience.
Here are examples of ad networks many bloggers use:
Flight Affiliates.
Skyscanner ~ If you have been searching for travel affiliates to partner with, you have undoubtedly run across Skyscanner as one of the most popular. Skyscanner will find the best flights, cars, and hotels. You will find the best deals on day trips AND epic adventures. Apply to become an affiliate partner through CJ Affiliates.
Flex Offers has multiple airline affiliates, including Qatar, Iberia, Hawaiian Airlines, Emirates, Air France, British Airways, and KLM.
Hotel Affiliate Programs.
Flex Offers has over 200 affiliates for hotels and accommodations, including the following.
- Hotels.com
- Loews
- Hilton
- IHG
- Great Wolf Lodge
- Sandals
- Hilton Honors
Agoda is one of the fastest-growing online hotel providers worldwide and a top-rated traveling affiliate program with a commission rate of typically 5%. It utilizes 700,000 hotels worldwide and offers honest recommendations and services in 40 different languages. The award-winning website Agoda is fast and easy to use. Like Skyscanner, many travel bloggers use Agoda as one of their favorite affiliates.
Or you can apply to this affiliate through, yep, you guessed it, Flex Offers.
Travel Networks.
With Get Your Guide, travelers can book activities in multiple destinations worldwide. If I could call an affiliate network fun to work with, this would be it. You can create links, activity widgets, and destination widgets and embed them wherever you want them on your website. The banners are colorful and striking, making them irresistible to your readers. Here is an activity widget for Barcelona.
Booking.com
Booking.com connects travelers with the world’s largest selection of incredible places to stay, including everything from apartments, vacation homes, and family-run Bed and Breakfasts to 5-star luxury resorts. The Booking.com website and mobile apps are available in over 40 languages, offer 28,990,110 total reported listings, and cover 140,436 destinations in 230 countries and territories worldwide (per Booking.com website).
Booking.com has the best variety of options for banners, widgets, links, and search boxes. Commission rates can be up to 40%. Here is an example of an inspiring search box.
Travelocity
Travelocity is an online travel agency that offers low fares on flights, hotels, and vacation packages worldwide. Sign up through Flex Offers. Check out this terrific banner on your website. Orange and blue are my favorite color combinations.
Trip Advisor
I have used Trip Advisor for many years for its recommendations, reviews, and honest feedback from its customers. Trip Advisor includes bookings for hotels, flights, museums, and tours (with a commission of up to 50%). You may apply with Flex Offers.
Expedia
Expedia offers more than 140,000 lodging properties worldwide and a commission of up to 11%. Plus, there are 500+ travel partnerships with airlines and hotels, with up to $500 savings by booking the flight and hotel together.
Expedia has a rewards loyalty program where travelers earn points for FREE travel with no blackout dates. You can sign up through CJ Affiliates.
Viator
I have used Viator personally on multiple occasions. Book with Viator, and they do the rest for you. Viator offers over 200,000 things to do in more than 75 countries and lots of banners to choose from.
Becoming a Viator Travel Partner means your customers can be browsing and booking our range of thousands of sightseeing, tours, attractions and transfers in 75+ countries and over 450 destinations worldwide. And you’ll be earning commission on every sale.
Taken Directly from Viator Website
Big Bus B Tours
Big Bus B Tours is the largest operator of open-top bus tours in the world, with tours in 18 cities and 17 different languages. Our first experience with Big Bus B Tours was in London, a super cool experience for the kids. Apply for the Big Bus B Tours Affiliate program through CJ Affiliates.
Conquest Maps (affiliate program closed as of 3/26/2020)
Conquest Maps is a company that makes high-quality pinboard maps, plus many other beautiful and unique travel-related gifts. As an affiliate, you receive a 10% commission on every sale.
World Nomads
World Nomads provides video tutorials on selling, placing links, and creating widgets. I placed a suitable sidebar banner so you can see how good they look.
World Nomads also provides copy for you to use on your website. Below is an example.
Travel insurance: simple & flexible
You can buy and claim online, even after you’ve left home. Travel insurance from WorldNomads.com is available to people from over 130 countries. It’s designed for adventurous travelers with cover for overseas medical, evacuation, baggage, and a range of adventure sports and activities.
Affiliate Marketing for New Travel Bloggers: How to Get Started in a Few Simple Steps.
- Find a product, service, or course that you believe in that is relevant to your blog post or niche.
- Apply to become an affiliate.
- Get accepted.
- Insert the affiliate link into your blog post.
- Market your affiliate link.
- People start clicking on your recommended product or course.
- They purchase the product, course, or service.
- Receive commission.
Affiliate Marketing Recommendations For New Travel Bloggers.
- Do not apply for too many affiliate programs at first. You will be surprised by how many accept you. It is easy to become overwhelmed trying to keep up with too many.
- Focus on a few at first.
- Learn how to properly place the link, market the product, and see what works for you and what does not.
- Grow on this foundation.
- You can do affiliate marketing without being annoying, without looking spammy, and without appearing desperate to make a sale.
- Educate yourself, and don’t be scared to try new things.
- Stay strong and committed.
- Have fun!
Recommended Course for New Travel Bloggers Beginning Your Affiliate Marketing Journey.
Affiliate Marketing Simplified!
Affiliate Marketing, Simplified! ~ Cate Rosales teaches everything you need to know about affiliate marketing in a straightforward, easy to understand kind of way. The course is for those who want to learn how to generate income from your blog.
Cate begins with teaching you how to choose proper affiliates for your niche, followed by how to get approved by these programs. From there, you will learn how to write a blog post that converts to sales, plus how to disclose affiliates legally so you will stay out of trouble. She will also teach you how to maximize affiliate sales on social media and through your email list.
Don’t Forget Your Affiliate Disclosure.
An affiliate disclosure informs your audience or potential customers that you will earn a commission if they purchase your recommended product through your link. Ensure you place an affiliate disclosure before placing any affiliate links into your blog post.
Here is my advice on your journey to making money as a new travel blogger.
- Write quality content about your favorite travel destinations.
- Be honest, be genuine, and be helpful.
- Build trust and credibility by being honest.
- Know your product and believe in it.
- Be creative.
- Please don’t overdo it, don’t be spammy, and don’t be pushy.
- Quality over quantity, always.
- Always disclose your affiliate link.
- Please pay attention to holidays because gift guides are the best; they are popular in all niches, and everyone is looking for a gift.
This post includes many opportunities to make money with your new travel blog.
Take it one step at a time.
Don’t become overwhelmed.
And most importantly, have fun.
Good luck with your affiliate marketing endeavor, and let me know what has worked for you.
So much info! Thanks for gathering all this together into on master list!
You are welcome. I hope it helps!
I haven’t been focussing on affiliate marketing yet, but this is a great list! I haven’t even heard of a number of programmes! I will have to have a closer look and see what works best for me. Thank you!
Yes, please do. I am sure you will find a few things that will give you some extra cash! Plus, it’s fun.
I travel a lot and have often wondered how I can turn my passion into a business. This post was really helpful and has given me some great ideas to turn my travel into posts.
Yes, let me know what you come up with and what helps!
What a detailed and amazing list! I love how you provided the definitions of each.
Thank you. It was fun to research and write. I definitely learned a ton and now using lots more affiliates!
I’m sure many travel bloggers (not only one) can benefit from these affiliate programs, thumbs up for helping them!
Thank you. I hope it helps, definitely helped me.
Suuuper helpful!! Thank youu!!
You are welcome, I hope this is useful and you can make some cash $$!
This is an amazingly informative post, Jenny! It makes me want to be a travel blogger (then I would need to travel though haha 😉 ) Great job putting this together and helping others get off on the right foot with starting their blog!
Thank you. Yes, girl, you need to get out there!
Wow that’s a very good list! I knew only a few of them like amazon,booking,shareasale and cjaffiliate. Didn’t knew they were many more for travel bloggers!
So many more. Check Flex offers, there are a ton on that network.
I use Amazon, Google Adsense, and a few others but have had limited success. These other options sound worth pursuing- I have heard of some but not others.
It is definitely worth pursuing, you will find what works and what doesn’t. In the meantime, you learn how to do all of it.
Awesome post with great info! I have a lifestyle blog but it turns into a travel one during my trips. I look forward to doing more and more travel pieces.
They are the most fun for me. But, I do love the teaching pieces, too, because I learn so much. Check out a few of them and see how it goes.
y Toney Bhatia this was a great read Jenny. I’m a new blogger and only just turning to affiliates. Already having a tech issue with Amazon as my links disappear when I convert to advanced layout in wordpress but I’ll figure it out 😊
Ugh. Gotta love the tech side, always learning something new. And often the hard way!
These are some really great suggestions. I didn’t even realize many of them had affiliate programs. I will be checking out several of them. Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome. I hope this helps you.