How much does a travel creator actually earn, and from what? Stay22 and Travel Massive set out to answer that, surveying more than 500 travel creators and industry players across 56 countries. As far as we could find, nobody had summarized this research in Dutch yet, so we did, and checked it against our own experience along the way.
Travel Creator Economy Report · Stay22 & Travel Massive
$200 billion
The share of global travel marketing budgets that creators can directly influence, drawn from a total budget of $512 billion.
The market is bigger than most creators think
Travel brands spend an average of 6.7% of revenue on marketing. Added up, that’s a global budget of roughly $512 billion, with over 60% of it going digital.
Of that digital budget, an estimated $200 billion flows through channels creators can directly influence: video, sponsored content, podcasts and affiliate links. Video alone accounts for 10.7% of digital travel marketing spend, sponsored content for 5.5%, and podcasts for 7.5%. That’s the field we operate in every day.
Affiliate sales is the most popular way to earn
61% of surveyed creators earn through affiliate sales, ahead of sponsored content (51%) and advertising (36%). Affiliate network use also grew 16% compared to last year. On average, a creator earns through four different income streams at once.
That matches exactly what we see ourselves. Since switching to an affiliate setup through Stay22, this has become our most stable income source too.
Most popular income methods among travel creators
On average, a creator earns through four different methods at once. Affiliate network use grew 16% year over year.
Stay22 is the most-used affiliate network
Among creators who work with affiliate networks, 90% use Stay22. For comparison, GetYourGuide comes in at 60%, Amazon Associates at 51%, Travelpayouts at 48% and Booking.com itself at 35%. The average creator works with four affiliate partners at once, and 26% also partner directly with brands, outside the major networks. We use two networks side by side ourselves too: Stay22 for accommodation, Travelpayouts for flights and car rental, among other things.
Top affiliate networks among travel creators
The average creator works with four affiliate partners at once. 26% also partner directly with brands, outside the major networks.
Signing up yourself?
On top of your regular commission on every booking, you normally get a one-time $100 bonus at 100 bookings. Through our link, that bonus is $300. We’re giving away most of our own referral bonus to make that happen, which makes our code stronger than any other referral link out there.
What other creators actually earn
Incomes vary widely, but a few numbers stand out. 48% of creators saw their income rise over the past year, against 27% who saw it drop. Among creators reporting in dollars, 31% earn under $5,000 a year, while 13% top $100,000.
The group earning over $75,000 a year is worth a closer look, about 14% of respondents. Within that group, 89% work as full-time creators. They combine three or more income streams on average, with sponsored content, affiliate sales and advertising as their main sources. On top of that, 77% of this group actively use data to guide their content, and 76% use AI to support planning and editing.
What travel creators earn
Profile of the $75,000+ group
89% work as full-time creators · average of 3+ income streams · 77% actively use data to guide content · 76% use AI for support
A website remains the foundation
Instagram is the most-used channel among creators at 93%, followed by a personal website (85%) and Facebook (82%). But website owners benefit the most: 75% of them monetize through affiliate networks.
That’s exactly why we keep pushing the importance of owning a platform alongside social media. Reach on Instagram or TikTok can disappear overnight. A website with affiliate links stays put, even when a platform changes its algorithm.
What the travel industry sees
The other side of the story: 80% of industry respondents define a successful creator partnership mainly in hard terms: conversions, leads, bookings and sales. Content quality (72%) and authentic storytelling (66%) follow behind that. 47% of travel suppliers now offer affiliate partnerships.
At the same time, many industry players cite slow, ineffective communication as a problem, flagged by 40% of respondents. On the creator side, missing payment or low fees remains the biggest frustration. 20% of creators now turn down every unpaid press trip.
It confirms what we’ve noticed for a while: the industry is professionalizing, but there’s still plenty of room for improvement on both sides of the table.
FAQ about this research
- What is the Stay22 and Travel Massive creator research? An annual survey in which Stay22, Travel Massive and several industry partners ask more than 500 travel creators and travel industry players across 56 countries how creators earn money, what rates are standard, and how creators and the travel industry can work together better.
- How much do travel creators earn on average? Incomes vary widely. Among creators reporting in dollars, 31% earn under $5,000 a year, while 13% top $100,000. 48% saw their own income rise over the past year.
- Which affiliate network do most travel creators use? Stay22, used by 90% of creators who work with affiliate networks. GetYourGuide (60%), Amazon Associates (51%) and Travelpayouts (48%) follow.
- Is affiliate marketing still the best way to earn as a travel blogger? According to this research, yes. 61% of creators name affiliate sales as their main income source, ahead of sponsored content or advertising. Affiliate network use grew 16% compared to last year.
Signing up yourself?
On top of your regular commission on every booking, you normally get a one-time $100 bonus at 100 bookings. Through our link, that bonus is $300. We’re giving away most of our own referral bonus to make that happen, which makes our code stronger than any other referral link out there.