​

Hello and welcome to the first edition of TCN - congrats, you’re officially part of history!

Each month, this newsletter will be your guide to the latest happenings in the travelsphere, with a curated mix of news, events, tips, and must-read stories - all tailored towards travel bloggers, vloggers, and content creators.

Don’t hesitate to hit reply and let me know what you think! Happy reading, Kieren.

GENERAL NEWS

📣 Controversy at Germany's New AI Travel Influencer - Germany Tourism recently introduced "Emma," an AI-powered travel influencer and chatbot. It sparked criticism among travel creators who called it out for a lack of authenticity and diversity. Read all the comments here.

📣 It's Awards Season - This month saw award ceremonies in London for both the bCreator Awards (formerly Blogosphere) and the Travel Media Awards. Huge congratulations to @cheapholidayexp, @budgettraveler, and @sassywyattofficial among others!

View all winners of the bCreator Awards​

View all winners of the Travel Media Awards​

📣 Travel Trends For 2025 Unveiled - It's that time of year when all the big travel brands start releasing their predictions that will shape the industry over the next 12 months, including upcoming travel destinations and new travel styles. Read the reports from Skyscanner, Expedia Group, and Hilton.

BLOGGING & AFFILIATE NEWS

🌐 Get Your Guide Join Stay22 - As of October 15th, those using Stay22 now have the option to add Get Your Guide links through the Let Me Allez script and Nova. If you're already using Stay22, you'll still need to opt in through this form.

🌐 Travel Payouts Offer 5% on Booking.com Until Dec 31st - If you're direct with Booking.com affiliate and making under 50 bookings per month, it's worth switching to get 25% extra commission (from 4% → 5%). Just install their plugin and it will switch the links for you. Find out more here.

🌐 Google Hosted a Web Creators Summit (it didn't go well) - Creators attended an event at which Google revealed an algorithm update is coming and that some site owners should 'just move on'. Read a compilation of feedback here or follow @goingawesomeplaces on Threads for ongoing updates.

SOCIAL MEDIA NEWS

🔔 Instagram Boss Recommends Carousels For More Reach - Mosseri released an update announcing that carousels with music can now appear in the reels tab. He explained why carousels can help increase your reach. Watch it here.

🔔 X Changes Revenue Sharing For Creators - The new system will pay creators based on engagement from premium subscribers, rather than ads in replies as before. Find out more here.

TIPS & TRICKS

💡 How To Use ManyChat For Automation - Yvonne from Now in Portugal and Now in Rio shares how she is using ManyChat to build travel communities. Not just on Instagram, but Facebook and WhatsApp too.

💡 A Travel Publisher’s Guide to Flipboard - Your complete guide to starting with Flipboard from a platform expert. Includes examples of travel bloggers using it successfully, such as @2foodtrippers.

💡 Using Pay-What-You-Want Pricing - How creators can use PWYW pricing to sell digital products.

TRENDING TOPICS

🔥 Is $1,000 a month hard to achieve? [Reddit Thread]

🔥 On which platforms do you promote your blog? [Reddit Thread]

🔥 Future Of Blogging After Google Core Updates & AI [YT Video - Jessie on a Journey]

🔥 I Drank the Kool-Aid at the 2024 Google Web Creator Summit [Blog]

UPCOMING EVENTS

📅 3rd Nov 24 - Traverse Creator Awards, London (sold out, waitlist here) - see awards shortlist​

📅 4th Nov 24 - BGTW Awards, London (members only) - see awards shortlist​

📅 5th-7th Nov 24 - WTM, London (media applications here)

📅 12th-16th Nov 24 - SATW, Istanbul (applications closed)

📅 17th-19th Nov 24 - AdventureNext Costa Rica (media applications closed)

📅 20th-22nd Nov 24 - AdventureNext Fiji (media applications closed)

📅 22nd-23rd Jan 25 - IMM North America, New York City (media applications here)

📅 22nd-26th Jan 25 - Fitur Interntaional Tourism Fair, Madrid (early bird tickets here)

*WTM SPECIAL*

Heading to WTM this year? Here are some helpful resources to make the most of the influential travel & tourism event:

👉 Tips For Creators Going To WTM London 2024 - by @wanderfully_you

👉 Preparing For WTM 2024 - by Traverse

👉 Suggestions For WTM 2024 - Thread on Travel Massive

MONTHLY POLL

Do you allow repost accounts to share your content on social media?

ABOUT ME 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!