Press Trips 101

All about press trips and hosted travel

Hey crew! Taking a moment here to explain more on the press trip opportunities I share — what they are, how you can land them, and how you get paid. Let’s go!

What is a press trip?

You’ll often see me sharing press trip opportunities here. These are hosted trips where a travel journalist or content creator is working on a story or video during their visit. The level of hosting provided can vary, from accommodations to flights to all activities.

Who hosts press trips?

Press trips are hosted by tourism boards, destination management organizations (DMOs), public relations companies hired by a destination or brand, a brand directly, airlines, tour companies, and hoteliers and property owners.

Earned media press trips: These are for journalists. It’s called earned media because traditionally brands have to earn coverage in a magazine or newspaper, otherwise they pay for a sponsored ad.

Freelance travel writers are paid by the media outlet they are writing for, usually per word or a flat rate, for each article they publish.

To apply to these, you need work samples of your writing in an established media outlet. Not just your blog, a media outlet like Cruise Critic, Buzzfeed, etc.

Influencer/creator press trip: These are for influencers and content creators. You are paid or hosted by the brand or PR firm bringing you out to promote, usually with a requirement of deliverables that vary, from social posts to blog posts to photos to usage rights.

Influencers and content creators sometimes accept these in trade, otherwise they’re paid based on their rates for the deliverables requested.

To apply to these press trips, you need a media kit and to know your numbers regarding views, audience age/sex/location/income, past brand partners and ROI of similar campaigns, etc.

If you need to get your first byline to apply for an earned media press trip, I have a free 5-day travel writing challenge that teaches you how to pitch your article ideas to editors. I also have calls for pitches in this Substack account from editors looking to commission articles.

If you need to get your first brand partnership and want to build your media kit and portfolio as an influencer, I recommend going to a travel conference, particularly one with hosted tours or press trips included in the price of your ticket. I also share influencer brand deal opportunities on this Substack.