This guide to Press Trips for Travel Bloggers will help you do the best work for your client.
We have been fortunate to have been invited on several press trips as Travel Bloggers. From tourism boards to cruise lines, hotel chains, and tour companies, we have definitely had some exciting sponsored travel. We’ve learned a lot and made various mistakes.
A Travel Bloggers Guide to Press Trips
We have learned extensively during our press trips. We’ve experienced a different way of travel, been spoiled and pampered, and enjoyed some of the most amazing adventures of our lives.
Moreover, we discovered many factors that a travel blogger must consider before accepting just any free trip.
We were lucky to kick off our travel blogging careers with the Princess Cruises Twitter Trip. It set the standard for what we knew to expect from each press trip afterward. When you start high, you know what should be included in other press trips.
Press Trip Tips for Travel Bloggers
As travel bloggers, we take our work very seriously; a press trip is challenging and requires significant effort.
There is a lot expected of you, and you’re not there to simply party and enjoy the beach. While other guests are enjoying their vacation, you are busy working until late hours to get posts published and share photos and updates.
1. Ask the Right Questions
When you receive your initial invitation for a press trip, excitement may lead you to accept without inquiry.
However, it’s crucial to clarify access to everything necessary for you to perform your job effectively.
- Are flights covered?
- Are tips and gratuities taken care of for you?
- Is the trip within your niche?
If you lack any of the above, how can you do your job properly? You aren’t getting paid for this trip; they offer you a tour in exchange for your writing about the experience.
2. Internet – Reliable Connections
You are a travel blogger, not merely a travel writer for a newspaper. Your job involves being online. Therefore, you need consistent access to tweet, Instagram, and Facebook about your trip. The best way to generate interest is by sending out social media updates during your time on the press tour.
If you cannot access the internet, you cannot fulfill your job requirement. Every trip should offer complimentary internet service during your stay.
Internet should ideally be covered at hotels; if you lack a sufficient global data plan, they should supply a portable Wi-Fi or local SIM card. We’ve even had companies provide a cell phone for use.
3. Be Clear on What They Expect From You
- Will you tweet, share Instagram stories, and post on Facebook regularly before, during, and after your trip? How many posts will you write, and where will they be featured?
- Will you be required to provide content for their blog in addition to writing on your own site?
- Will you need to be available for interviews?
- Do they want to use your photographs for promotional purposes, and what rights will they have to your images and articles?
- How many articles or videos do they expect you to deliver?
Everything should be clearly defined before the trip begins.
As mentioned, our trips have been tailored so well that we can provide extensive coverage for our partners, and in return, we gain high-quality content for our blog.
Our trip to China with Intrepid Travel marked a pivotal point for our blog. We gained new followers, inspired many to visit China, and developed an excellent partnership with Intrepid Travel.
4. Don’t be Taken Advantage of
Some companies mistakenly think that just because you receive something for free, you should feel grateful and deliver as much as they want. This notion is incorrect.
Your time is valuable; during a media trip, every minute is organized. You won’t have time to network, handle advertisers, or promote your blog.
Companies must recognize that your time is your livelihood and respect that. It is disheartening when a company conveys that you should simply be happy to be there, and if anything goes wrong, it’s perceived as a consequence of having received a free trip.
Tourism Fiji, for example, excelled in ensuring our comfort in Fiji. They reached out via phone and email to see if there was anything more they could do and actively sought our feedback upon our return to improve future trips.
5. What Excursions are Included?
Will the excursions align with your niche? It does not benefit you or your readers if you focus on adventure and spend the trip sitting and traveling by bus.
Ensure you are sent on relevant excursions that are included in your trip without incurring additional costs, especially if your audience will find them engaging.
The Flying Kiwi did an outstanding job arranging adventures for our time in New Zealand.
If we didn’t engage in daily excursions, they would not receive their value from us, as we wouldn’t have substantial material to write about.
By allowing us to skydive, swim with dolphins, and bungy jump, we could showcase New Zealand’s highlights and share our experiences with our readers effectively.
6. You Can Change Your Itinerary
You have the right to modify plans if desired. We experienced a situation where we assumed an adventure would be provided simply because it was promised.
After arriving, we realized we needed to take matters into our own hands, rather than await clarification via email.
Companies typically want you to have a great time, and if certain tour elements don’t suit your travel style, they are generally open to adjustments.
However, if you don’t voice your preferences, you risk coming away without content, which is unbeneficial for both parties.
Before the tour, we discussed our itinerary via Skype, leading to an exceptional two weeks tailored to our blogging style. It was unprecedented for a company to pay such close attention to ensuring a mutually rewarding media trip.
7. Be Prepared
Press Trips consume significant time, making regular work nearly impossible.
Prior to leaving for a press tour, we schedule tweets and posts to minimize concerns about internet accessibility. We even plan out our daily itinerary in advance.
For instance, if we are going to Petra by Night, we prepare a tweet in advance expressing our excitement for the occasion. This preparation is essential to reducing workload.
We refrain from posting during the trip, opting instead to take our time elaborating once we return home.
Instead, leverage social media to generate interest in your future posts and take notes during your travels. Additionally, use the press releases and brochures provided by your hosts, gathering any flyers relevant to your destination.
8. If the Dates Don’t Work, They Can Be Changed
Occasionally, trips are scheduled to harness the attention of multiple Bloggers simultaneously.
However, if the dates don’t align with your schedule, don’t hesitate to decline the initial offer. If you have prior commitments or are occupied with another trip, inform them that an alternative time could work better for you. They are likely to be accommodating.
Alternatively, they may invite you for a future opportunity.
Once a company becomes familiar with you, they will keep you in consideration for their next projects. We have declined several trips recently due to our preparations for the Mongol Rally, which is fast approaching.
9. You Can Say No
Sometimes, a trip may not be a good offer. We have encountered invitations where we were asked to purchase our flights for a short travel period, or where the trips did not align with our audience.
We cannot accept these offers. By saying “no,” we often observe other bloggers accepting similar trips and question their rationale.
Maintaining integrity is essential. There will be other opportunities.
As your blog expands, people will want you to promote their destinations, recognizing your unique voice. While the temptation of free travel can be strong—travel expenses can accumulate—it’s vital to retain your vision without incurring significant costs for a few days away.
10. Tell the Truth
Communicate honestly with the company that you intend to present a truthful account of your experience.
Nobody is interested in a polished press piece endorsing a property merely due to reciprocity.
We inform companies that our “About Page” explicitly states our commitment to truthfulness regarding travel experiences. If we fail to convey both the good and the bad aspects, our readers won’t take our words seriously. Moreover, it’s important to disclose that the trip was sponsored.
Your audience will appreciate this transparency, and if you sincerely narrate your experience, they won’t mind that it was sponsored.
People trust our opinions about a place or destination, largely because we communicate honestly. Just because a trip is offered for free does not obligate you to craft an exceptional review. We view ourselves as akin to movie reviewers; it’s our role to provide readers with enough insight to decide whether they want to visit a destination.
We won’t alter our blogging approach simply due to receiving complimentary trips, but we ensure the company benefits from unparalleled coverage across online and social media platforms.
