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Welcome to the May edition of the Travel Creator Newsletter, and a special hello to everyone who joined this month!

It was a turbulent month for the global economy, which had a knock-on effect for blog RPMs in early April. The good news? There will be no tariffs on this newsletter! Lots to share this month, so let's get to it.

Happy reading, Kieren (more about me at the end).

GENERAL NEWS

🔔 The '2025 Creators & Travel Industry Report' is live - A joint project between Stay22 and Travel Massive, the report is a must-read for travel creators. It highlights how much creators get paid, top-performing channels, highest-earning affiliate programs, biggest challenges, and more. Get a copy here.

🔔 Beautiful Destinations launched a 3-month influencer academy - Teaming up with Visit Dubai, content powerhouse Beautiful Destinations launched an all expenses paid 3-month-long academy for 12 budding travel creators. Find out more.

🔔 TravMedia Awards finalists announced - Nominees announced for travel blogger of the year, travel creator of the year, and rising star in the TravMedia Awards. Congrats to all finalists! See the full list.​

🔔 Creators are looking to alternative revenue streams - A report by eMarketer shows how creator income streams grew year-over-year, with tipping and gifting the fastest-growing income source. See the chart.

🔔 Snapchat study examines how social media impacts travel decisions - The study highlights that traditional search is declining and how social platforms now drive more travel inspiration and bookings. Travelers trust creators and personal connections more than ever. Read the full report.​

BLOGGING & AFFILIATE NEWS

🌐 HARO makes a comeback - The original platform for connecting journalists with expert sources has made a return. Help A Reporter Out (HARO) was acquired by featured.com, and the thrice-daily emails have resumed. A great link-building opportunity for bloggers. Read the article here.​

🌐 Latest version of WordPress launched - WordPress 6.8 went live in April, with mostly small improvements to design and performance. One interesting change is that any image on the page can now be set as the featured image. See all changes in the update here.

SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS

📣 Facebook to crack down on spam content - Meta announced a crackdown against spammy content and fake engagement on Facebook. By targeting irrelevant hashtags, impersonation, and spam networks, they aim to boost original content, which should benefit creators using the platform. Read the article​

📣 Instagram's much-anticipated Edits app goes live - Instagram’s new Edits app is a free Capcup rival for creating short-form video. With a familiar interface, it's easy to pick up, but with additional features such as trending audio right in the app. Get it on Apple or Android.

TIPS & TRICKS

💡 From Instagram: Secrets to Growing on Instagram in 2025 - This interview with the head of Instagram, Adam Mosseri, gives a lot of insight into the platform's focus in 2025 and how to take advantage of it as a creator. Topics covered include Instagram search, shadow banning, and how your profile is recommended.

💡 Tips + Tricks for Instagram Edits - Buffer shared 7 tips for making the most of Edits, Instagram's new app for creating short-form video.

💡 How Travel Bloggers Can Stay Relevant, Despite AI Overviews - This article from Search Engine Land explains how search results are being impacted by AI and suggests how travel/lifestyle bloggers can adapt.

TRENDING TOPICS

🔥 How long did it take for your blog to make actual money? [Reddit thread]

INDUSTRY EVENTS

📅 16th - 18th May - Women in Travel Sumit, New York (tickets onsale here)

📅 27th - 29th May - ITB China, Shanghai (media applications here)

📅 28th - 30th May - AdventureElevate North America, Colorado (media applications closed)

📅 4th - 8th June - TMAC Conference and Media Marketplace, Saskatoon (ticket info here)

📅 14th - 18th June - IPW, Chicago​

📅 16th - 19th June - TBEX North America, Québec City (tickets onsale here)

📅 7th - 9th July - Media Getaway, Chester (media applications closed)

📅 15th - 16th July - Traverse Waypoint, London (media applications here)

AD REVENUE PREDICTIONS

Below are Mediavine's predictions for the highest-performing ad revenue days this month. Even if you use another ad partner, these trends are worth noting.

MONTHLY POLL

📊 Result of last month's poll: How do you feel about the future of content creation?

📊 This month's poll: Initial thoughts on Instagrams new Edits app?

WHO'S BEHIND THIS NEWSLETTER? Hi, I'm Kieren, I've been travel blogging for 6+ years (full-time since 2021). I love nerding out about all things blogging, SEO, social media, and AI. I started this newsletter to connect with fellow content creators - whether you're just starting out or a seasoned pro. Hit reply to chat!