Why Tourism Boards are Crucial for Travel Creators: Step-By-Step Guide for Full-Time Content Creation Success

[00:00:00] You mentioned Kenya and it's making me think about tourism boards and stuff. Of course, you are a travel content creator. How important is it for travel content creators to have relationships with tourism boards and authorities and people like that? Oh, very important. Really?

[00:00:15] Very, very important. You know, there seem to be the gatekeepers, I like to say sometimes, of trying to get on a press trip or just doing anything in, especially when it comes to like droning and stuff. It's very helpful having them on your side.

[00:00:32] I remember there was a company that I was looking to do some business with and because they mainly do tours and stuff, they obviously don't have like accommodation or flights and all that stuff. And that's where the tourism board comes in. They are able to source all those other elements of tourism that you need in order to make the trip happen as well.

[00:00:56] So like with tourism boards, it's also just good to have them in your books because through them you're able to get more different, more contacts for other things and just know what's going on different seasons as well. So like, say for example, Taiwan is one I work with quite closely. They invite me to a few things. So they have an exhibition now that's going to be a tour.

[00:01:26] So I've got a tour called Waves of the Wonder or one of the waves that I was invited to that I got to see. And it's just seeing the stuff that they're highlighting for tourism in Taiwan. So I get to see what is the new things that they are putting forth forward, the destinations and stuff. So that's quite interesting because trying to do that by yourself is a lot of work.

[00:01:49] And also you tend to miss these gems when you try to do it yourself, the research. So it's always like great to have the tourism boards on your side because you get to discover new things that you won't be aware of if you were, you know, you just wouldn't be aware. So that's quite good.

[00:02:06] That's amazing. Well, let's have been used today. Absolutely. And yeah, so clearly being a travel content creator, of course, there's a number of things to consider. Now, for someone that wants to step into that, being a travel content creation, it can be part time, it can be full time. What steps would you say that person needs to take? But before I go into that, I've got some interesting stats in terms of the content creation world, right?

[00:02:32] It says over 36% of this is stats released between 2022 to 2024. 36% of creators earn money, but not enough to cover the expenses. 11% don't earn any money at all. 10% of influencers earn $100,000 or more each year.

[00:02:50] Only 0.3% of YouTubers earn $5,000 more each month. 96% of online creators earn less than $100,000 per year. Only 12% of full time creators make more than $50,000 a year. This is some interesting stats. So clearly, you know, the stats say that it's not as easy to be a content creator. And that's more so even a full time content creator.

[00:03:15] What would you say are the things that people need to consider to successfully become a full time content creator? Well, a few things. Yeah. First thing is your why. Your why. You have to be driven by your why. Like my why is, you know, to do with the things I mentioned before, time freedom, wellness freedom, financial freedom. But my biggest why is the 343 children in Kenya.

[00:03:43] You know, if I don't do anything, then, you know, I can't give anything back to them. Keeps you going. That is my key. That's what keeps me going. Because with the content creation world, it's very easy to go up and down. And that also will show in what you earn as well. And so that would be my first thing, your why.

[00:04:04] The second thing is pick your niche really well. And this is where a lot of people tend to slip up. So either people niche down to too much, or they keep it too expanded too wide. And the problem is, you're, if you niche down to too little, then it's going to be harder to find those partnerships, those deals and those opportunities.

[00:04:30] Yeah. And then if you niche down to too wide, I mean, so if you niche up too wide. Yeah. Yes, it's great because it means there's more opportunities. But then the problem is your message kind of gets diluted. And, and there's nothing to say that you're like different or special or unique because you're doing everything, you know, so you kind of, it's not the best because you don't have your signature, if you get what I mean, for what you're known for. That's true.

[00:05:00] Content creation is all about that signature that that person has. So pick your niche very well. And also you have to obtain that lifestyle as well, because content creation is a lifestyle. Like I know someone that does eat some Reese's, the chocolate. I love Reese's.

[00:05:19] Yeah. So that's their lifestyle. They have to eat Reese's all the time. Imagine if you didn't like that. So if you had a lifestyle where you're like, okay, I'm doing five different things, which you've opened up too wide. You're going to have to do that nonstop. And that's where people get creative burnout as well.

[00:05:35] So just pick your niche very well. Like travel for me, I absolutely love travel. I can do it all the time. And what I like about travel is it's not just overseas. You also your own neighborhood is travel. There's so many things you can do around staycation and stuff.

[00:05:50] So that's why it's very easy for me to implement travel and lifestyle in general and what I do in my niche. And then the third thing is diversify your income. A lot of people just shoot their shot one way. And you need to keep on shooting your shot several different ways. So yeah.

[00:06:11] Fantastic. Fantastic. I couldn't have said it any better, Cheryl. Those are fantastic steps and things that listeners can consider if they want to get to full-time content creation and even more so travel content creation.