15 Best Guest Blogging Sites for Travel, Events, and Ticketing Enthusiasts

Search for “guest blogging sites for travel” and you will find long lists of websites that supposedly welcome contributors. Most of those lists are not really about writing. They exist to trade links: you supply an article, the site publishes it with a link back to you, and sometimes money changes hands along the way. That approach does little for a writer’s career, and search engines treat it as spam. If you love travel and want to write about it, there is a better path: pitching real publications, building a portfolio of work you are proud of, and learning how editors think. This guide explains how that works. It covers the difference between guest posting and genuine contributing, how editors evaluate pitches, what a strong travel story needs, how to handle rights, contracts and disclosure, how to build a portfolio from scratch, and the red flags that tell you an “opportunity” is really a link scheme.

The short answer

Skip the lists of “sites that accept guest posts”. Instead, choose a few publications you actually read, study what they publish, and find their official contributor or pitch guidelines. Pitch a specific story, not a destination, in a paragraph or two, with a working headline, your angle, your sources and a clear reason it matters now. Disclose any sponsored travel up front. Do not send finished drafts unless a publication asks for them. Read the contract so you know which rights you are selling. And build a portfolio on your own site with your best published clips. Two well-known travel publications that publish detailed pitch guidelines are AFAR and Condé Nast Traveler; reading both is a free education in what editors want.

Guest posting, contributing and freelancing: what is the difference?

These terms are often used interchangeably, but they describe very different arrangements.

The first two build a writing career. The third can be legitimate paid work. The fourth is a marketing tactic, and it is increasingly risky.

Why link-driven guest blogging is a dead end

Google’s own spam policies list large-scale guest posting campaigns with keyword-rich anchor text links as an example of link spam, alongside buying and selling links. Google also asks publishers to mark paid or sponsored links with the appropriate attributes, as explained in its guide to qualifying outbound links. In practice, that means:

• Sites built to sell guest posts tend to have few genuine readers, so your work reaches almost nobody.
• Editors notice. A portfolio full of thin, keyword-stuffed guest posts on low-quality sites can hurt your credibility with serious publications.
• The links may be discounted or penalized, which defeats the purpose for anyone trying to promote a business.
• Some arrangements are simply scams: pay-to-publish sites that disappear, or “editors” who ask for payment for a placement they never deliver.

If your goal is to write, write for readers. The links, reputation and income follow from good work in credible places.

How editors evaluate travel pitches

A pitch is a short proposal for a story you have not yet written. Editors read a lot of them, and the ones that succeed tend to share the same qualities. The guidelines published by AFAR and Condé Nast Traveler are unusually explicit about this, and they echo what editors across the industry say.

A story, not a place

“I’m going to Lisbon next month; do you want anything?” is not a pitch. Condé Nast Traveler’s guidelines put it plainly: pitch stories and angles, not destinations. A story has a subject, a tension or a discovery, and a reason a reader would care. “How a new generation of chefs is reviving a nearly lost regional cuisine” is a story. “Lisbon” is a destination.

A reason to run it now

Editors look for timeliness: a news peg, an anniversary, a new opening, a trend, a seasonal hook or a change in how people travel. Without a reason to publish now, a good idea can sit in an inbox indefinitely.

A fit with the publication

Every publication has sections, formats and a voice. A pitch that shows you have read the publication, knows which section it belongs in and has checked that it has not already covered the story is far more likely to get a reply. If it has covered the topic before, explain what is new about your angle.

Why you

Editors want to know why you are the right person to write the piece: expertise, access to people or places, local knowledge, language skills or lived experience. Condé Nast Traveler also asks writers to consider whether they are the best person to tell a particular story, especially one about a community they do not belong to.

Sources and substance

Name the people you plan to interview, the places you will visit and the reporting you will do. Both AFAR and Condé Nast Traveler ask for specifics like characters, sources and news pegs, and Condé Nast Traveler says it is not looking for diary-like travelogues that simply follow the course of a trip.

Brevity

Condé Nast Traveler asks for pitches no longer than a paragraph or two. A long pitch suggests a writer who has not yet found the story.

Transparency

If your trip was sponsored in any way, say so. AFAR says it allows press trips but appreciates being told, and Condé Nast Traveler asks writers to disclose any sponsorship and notes that trips can be pitched after the fact with clear disclosure.

No finished drafts

Both publications say they do not accept completed stories on spec; send the pitch, not the draft. Many other outlets work the same way, although some smaller publications and personal essay sections do ask for complete pieces. Follow each publication’s guidelines.

The anatomy of a strong pitch

A pitch email usually contains the following, in this order.

1. A clear subject line: “Pitch: [working headline]” plus the section, if you know it.
2. A greeting to the right editor: check the masthead or the guidelines for who handles your section. Pitch one editor at a time; Condé Nast Traveler specifically asks writers not to send the same idea to several of its editors.
3. The hook: one or two sentences that make the editor want to read on.
4. The story: what you will report, who you will talk to, what the reader will learn, and why now.
5. The format: proposed length and section, and any photo or video possibilities.
6. Why you: a sentence or two about your relevant experience, with links to two or three of your best clips.
7. Disclosure: any sponsored travel or relationships with the places or companies involved.

Here is an example of the kind of structure that works. The details are illustrative, not a real assignment:

Subject: Pitch: Quebec City in January, without a car. Hi [editor], most winter visitors to Quebec City see the old town for a weekend and leave. But the city’s ski hills, cross-country trails and ice canoeing are all reachable by public transit and shuttles, making it one of the few North American winter destinations you can do properly without driving. I would report a service-driven feature of around 1,500 words, with interviews with a local ski instructor, a transit planner and an ice canoe team captain, and practical sections on getting there, where to stay and what to pack. I have lived in the region for eight years and write regularly about winter travel; links to recent clips are below. My trip is self-funded.

It is short, specific, timely for a winter issue, and makes clear what the reader gets.

What a strong travel story needs

Once you land the assignment, the work begins. Good travel writing combines storytelling with reliable information.

A sense of place

Readers should feel the texture of a place: its sounds, smells, people and rhythms. That comes from specific, observed detail, not from adjectives like “breathtaking” and “hidden gem”.

Reporting, not just impressions

Talk to people who live and work there. Get their names, their roles and their exact words. Their voices make a story credible and alive.

Service information

Many travel stories, especially online, include practical information: when to go, how to get there, where to stay, what it costs and what to watch out for. Readers use this to plan. Look at how service-driven guides are structured, such as our guides to things to do in Paris and the best time to fly to Paris, which combine context with decisions a reader can act on.

Accuracy

Travel details go out of date quickly. Check opening hours, prices, entry rules and transport links on official sources close to publication, and note when you visited. If you cannot confirm a detail, leave it out or flag it for your editor. Many publications have fact-checkers who will ask for your sources, so keep your notes, recordings, receipts and links organized.

Structure and a point of view

A strong travel story has a shape: an opening that pulls the reader in, a clear throughline and an ending that lands. It also has a point of view. Tell the reader what you think, and why.

Rights, contracts and getting paid

Before you write a word on assignment, understand what you are agreeing to.

Know which rights you are selling

• First rights give the publication the right to publish the piece first, after which you can often resell or republish it.
• Exclusive rights for a set period prevent you from publishing the piece elsewhere for that time.
• All rights or work-for-hire arrangements mean the publication owns the work outright, and you may not be able to reuse it.

Copyright law differs by country. For the basics, see the US Copyright Office FAQ and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office’s copyright guide. If a contract is complex or the stakes are high, consider advice from a lawyer or a writers’ organization.

Understand payment terms

Check the rate, whether it is per word or per piece, when you will be paid (on acceptance or on publication), whether expenses are covered, and whether there is a kill fee if the story is canceled. Some publications publish their rates in their guidelines; others do not. Send a clear invoice with the agreed amount and keep track of payment dates.

Photos and other media

Only submit photos you took yourself or have the right to license. If your photos show identifiable people in private settings, consider whether you need their permission. Discuss image rights separately from text rights.

Disclosure and ethics

Trust is a travel writer’s most valuable asset. Protect it.

• Disclose sponsored travel. Tell your editor up front if any part of your trip was paid for by a tourism board, hotel, airline or tour company, and follow the publication’s policy on disclosing it to readers.
• Follow advertising rules on your own channels. If a brand gives you free travel, products or payment and you post about it on your blog or social media, advertising rules apply. In the US, see the FTC’s Endorsement Guides FAQ; Canada’s Competition Bureau has published similar guidance on influencer marketing.
• Keep editorial and advertising separate. Never accept payment in exchange for favorable coverage in a piece presented as independent editorial.
• Be fair to the people you write about. Quote accurately, give context and consider the impact of your story on communities, especially small or vulnerable ones.
• Do not plagiarize. Attribute facts and quotes, and never copy another writer’s work, including from guidebooks or other websites.

How to build a travel writing portfolio from scratch

Editors want to see clips, but you need clips to get assignments. Here is how writers break that loop.

1. Start where you live

You are already an expert on your own city or region. Local newspapers, city magazines, community sites and regional travel publications often need stories about nearby places, and you have access nobody else has.

2. Pick a focus

Generalist travel writers compete with everyone. Specialists stand out: winter sports, rail travel, accessible travel, food, family travel, budget travel, hiking or a particular region. A focus also makes your pitches more credible.

3. Publish your own work well

A personal website or newsletter with a few carefully written, well-reported pieces shows editors how you write. Treat it like a publication: accurate, edited and useful. Quality beats quantity.

4. Write for trade and niche publications

Industry, hobby and alumni publications are often more open to new writers and pay attention to expertise. The clips count.

5. Collect your best clips in one place

Create a simple portfolio page with your three to six best pieces, a short bio and a way to contact you. Link to it in every pitch.

6. Track your pitches

Keep a simple spreadsheet of each pitch, the editor, the date sent and any response. AFAR, for example, asks writers to follow up only if they have not heard back within two weeks. Follow up once, politely, then move on and pitch the idea elsewhere if it is not picked up.

7. Build relationships

Once an editor accepts your work, deliver clean copy on time, respond quickly to edits and pitch them again. Many writers get most of their work from a small number of editors who trust them.

How to find publications to pitch

• Start with what you read. You already know the voice, sections and readers of your favorite publications.
• Look for official guidelines. Many publications have a contributor, pitch or “write for us” page, often linked from the footer, the About page or the masthead. Use that information rather than third-party lists, which go out of date quickly.
• Read the masthead. It tells you which editors handle which sections.
• Read recent issues and stories. Make sure the publication has not just run your idea, and note which formats appear regularly.
• Check that it is a real publication. A credible outlet has named editors, a clear editorial focus, real readers and a history of original reporting.

Red flags: when an “opportunity” is really a link scheme

• You are asked to pay to be published. Legitimate editorial outlets do not charge writers.
• The pitch is about links, not readers. Requests for “do-follow links”, specific anchor text or “domain metrics” are signs of a link-selling operation.
• There is no named editor. Or the only contact is a generic sales email.
• The site publishes on every topic. A “travel” site that also runs posts on loans, casinos and supplements is usually selling links.
• Nobody edits your work. Real publications edit, fact-check and push back.
• You are asked to hide sponsorship. Any request to disguise paid content as independent editorial is a reason to walk away.

Planning research trips on a writer’s budget

Few writers are fully funded for every trip, so traveling efficiently matters. Our pillar guide to budget travel destinations explains how to weigh the cost of getting there against the daily cost of being there, and our guide on how to save money for a trip helps you plan ahead. When you have a story in mind, compare a whole month of fares on our flight search, then find a well-located room on our hotel search. If your story involves a concert, game or festival, check event listings first and plan the trip around the date. Our guide to planning and booking a trip on TicketScanner walks through the process.

Common mistakes new travel writers make

• Pitching a destination instead of a story.
• Sending the same pitch to many editors at the same publication.
• Writing the whole piece before pitching, when the publication wants a pitch first.
• Ignoring the publication’s guidelines, word counts and sections.
• Relying on superlatives and clichés instead of specific detail and reporting.
• Not disclosing sponsored travel.
• Signing away all rights without realizing it.
• Chasing links instead of readers.

Frequently asked questions

Is guest blogging still worth it for travel writers?

Guest posting purely for backlinks is not a good use of a writer’s time, and search engines treat large-scale link-driven guest posting as spam. Contributing genuinely useful work to credible publications, paid or unpaid, can be worthwhile because it builds a portfolio and reaches real readers.

How do I pitch a travel publication?

Read the publication and its official pitch guidelines, identify the right section and editor, and send a short email with a working headline, your angle, your sources, why the story matters now and links to your best clips. Disclose any sponsored travel.

Do I need published clips to pitch?

Clips help, but a strong, specific pitch can get attention on its own, especially for local stories or topics where you have genuine expertise. Start with local and niche outlets and your own well-edited site.

Should I send a finished article?

Usually not. Many publications, including AFAR and Condé Nast Traveler, ask for pitches rather than completed stories. Follow each publication’s guidelines; some essay sections do want complete drafts.

How long should I wait before following up on a pitch?

Follow the publication’s guidance if it gives any; AFAR, for example, suggests following up if you have not heard back within two weeks. Otherwise, one polite follow-up after a couple of weeks is reasonable, then move on.

Can I write about a press trip?

Many publications accept stories from press trips if you disclose the sponsorship, but policies vary and some do not. Check before you travel and tell your editor up front.

How do travel writers get paid?

Publications pay per word or per piece, on acceptance or on publication, depending on the contract. Check the rate, payment terms, expenses policy and kill fee before you start.

More guides in this series

This article is part of our destinations and planning series. For destination ideas and story inspiration, start with the pillar guide to budget travel destinations, then explore the best places to visit in Europe in fall, traveling to Japan, America’s most unique state parks and relaxing vacations for doing absolutely nothing.

Ready to research your next story? Compare fares across a whole month on our flight search, find a room in the right neighborhood on our hotel search, and, if you are starting with a classic, look at flights to Paris.