6 Travel Guide Website Success Stories [2024]
A travel guide website is a website that provides information about traveling. It can be for any type of travel, such as air, bus, or train. Some websites provide general information about different types of transportation and destinations.
Other websites may provide detailed information about one type of transportation (such as trains) or one destination (such as Kenya). To start a travel guide website, you need to know your destination and the types of content you want to publish.
A travel guide website can be a blog or a full-fledged website, but it should be informative and well-designed. You should also think about how it will look on mobile devices.
The next step is to create the content for your website and ensure that it's up-to-date with current events in the region. An SEO strategy and an understanding of online marketing campaigns can help travelers find your site when searching for regional information.
Lastly, you should work on building links with other relevant websites so that search engines can find and rank your site better in their search results pages.
In this list, you'll find real-world travel guide website success stories and very profitable examples of starting a travel guide website that makes money.
1. SmartGuide ($360K/year)
Jan Doležal, founder of SmartGuide, came up with the idea for his business while traveling with his family. Frustrated by the lack of quality digital guides available, he saw an opportunity to create an app that would provide travelers with personalized tour guides. Since its founding, SmartGuide has exceeded 500 destinations and is approaching half a million users, with top travel brands including the city of Prague and UNESCO sites utilizing the app as their official guide.
How much money it makes: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $600K
How many people on the team: 15
SmartGuide, a digital tour guide platform that turns every phone into a personal tour guide using audio, geolocation, and Augmented Reality, has exceeded 500 destinations and is approaching half a million users in just three years since founding.
2. Yolo Intel ($240K/year)
Yolo Journal is a travel lifestyle media brand that publishes a physical printed magazine three times a year and has a successful travel-focused newsletter, Yolo Intel, which is the most popular travel newsletter on Substack.
Yolanda Edwards, founder of Yolo Journal, came up with the idea after realizing there was a gap in the market for a travel magazine that focused on providing trustworthy and insider information. With her background in the magazine industry and passion for travel, she launched Yolo Journal and quickly gained success, with her weekly newsletter now bringing in $20k a month.
How much money it makes: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
How many people on the team: 1
Yolo Journal's founder, Yolanda Edwards, launched a travel lifestyle media brand with a magazine and newsletter that now generates $20k a month in revenue. Edwards' business success can be attributed to understanding the hole in the magazine market and creating trust-worthy insider information.
3. Travel Mamas ($180K/year)
traditional methods of promotion like passing out postcards, handing out business cards, and sending press releases to traditional media outlets. However, I quickly realized that these tactics were not effective for growing an online business. Through trial and error, I learned the importance of SEO and how to optimize my content to rank higher in search engine results. I also discovered the power of social media in attracting and engaging with readers. Over time, I became more proficient in using these digital marketing strategies to grow my audience and generate revenue. Another valuable lesson I learned is the importance of persistence and perseverance. Building a successful blog takes time and consistent effort. It's easy to get discouraged in the early stages when you're not seeing immediate results, but I stuck with it and continued to create valuable content that resonated with my audience. This dedication has paid off as Travel Mamas has grown into one of the most popular travel blogs in the world. Overall, starting and growing my own business has been a tremendous learning experience. I’ve gained valuable skills in digital marketing, content creation, and business management. I've also developed a deep understanding of my audience and what they are looking for. These lessons and insights will continue to be advantageous as I navigate the future of my business and adapt to changing industry trends.
How much money it makes: $180K/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
How many people on the team: 1
TravelMamas.com founder Colleen Lanin shares how she turned a family travel blog into a business that generates $15K in monthly revenue through ad network sales, affiliate sales, sponsored posts, book sales, public speaking appearances, and media campaigns.
4. Not a Nomad Blog ($120K/year)
After moving to Germany, the individual in question decided to launch a blog to share her experience of living in Europe and provide some travel tips.
With time, she noticed that her blog's traffic was increasing, and she identified an opportunity to generate income.
To accomplish this, she enrolled in affiliate marketing courses and integrated affiliate links into her blog with the goal of earning a commission for any sales made through those links.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
Not a Nomad Blog, founded by Monica Lent, generates an average of $10K/month through affiliate marketing, with a yearly income of $120K/year since 2013, focusing on SEO strategies to drive traffic and revenue growth.
5. ANTHONYKDO INC ($120K/year)
Anthony's passion for filming and moving led him to create films that were appreciated by his audience. As he gained more recognition, he started receiving requests to create films for others. After his first successful client project, he was convinced of his entrepreneurial potential.
How much money it makes: $120K/year
How many people on the team: 0
A nomadic Canadian filmmaker started their creative business six years ago and now has over two dozen loyal clients scattered across six different countries, earning between $7000-15000/month, with a website built on WIX and no traditional marketing approach, relying on word of mouth and social media, they operate like an agency these days aiming for more meaningful work.
6. Planit ($600/year)
Billy, a 20-year-old math student from Brisbane, Australia, came up with the idea for PlanIt after struggling to plan adventures in the physical world. Drawing on his experiences in designing cutting-edge recommender systems at venture-funded startup Atmos, he applied his knowledge to create a seamless travel search and planning experience. PlanIt has since expanded its database coverage and user growth, positioning itself as a platform for travel and lifestyle businesses to list their details and generate revenue.
How much money it makes: $600/year
How much did it cost to start: $1.5K
How many people on the team: 0
PlanIt is a travel recommendation and planning platform that has seen compelling growth in database coverage and user growth, covering every country in the world with several thousand users and a large SEO focus as well as a growing interest from travel and lifestyle businesses to list their details.
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
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