If you're passionate about travel, you can leverage travel affiliate programs to earn income online. The travel niche has a huge earning potential, with global spending on leisure tourism exceeding $4.06 trillion in 2022 and 1.3 billion international tourist arrivals. According to affiliate marketing statistics, the average travel website marketer earns nearly $14,000 per month.
Despite the challenges caused by the pandemic since 2020, the desire to travel and explore the world remains strong. The travel industry is expected to make a strong comeback as the world moves towards normalcy. Starting a travel blog or website now can be advantageous as it takes time to establish and grow your online presence. This approach positions you to take advantage of the complete resurgence of travel.
Discover the top affiliate programs in the travel industry and generate passive income by promoting your favorite destinations. Join the ranks of successful travel bloggers with our comprehensive guide.
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Expedia Group is a well-known travel brand that operates over 20 globally relevant brands and over 200 travel sites in 70+ countries, providing access to over three million properties worldwide. As of March 2023, Expedia attracts an average of six million daily visitors across all its sites and apps.
They provide discounted flights, vacation packages, cruises, and car rentals. With more than 500 travel partnerships with accommodation and airline suppliers, Expedia offers a network that helps travelers save up to $500 when they combine airline tickets and hotel bookings.
Expedia provides a loyalty program that allows users to earn points for their bookings. Expedia users can redeem points for future travel experiences, providing an extra incentive to book with Expedia. The Expedia affiliate program offers different commissions based on the type of successful referral, ranging from 2% for rental cars to 6% for cruise bookings.
Despite the affiliate program's seven-day cookie window being among the least favorable on this list, the seven-day EPC exceeding $83 highlights the substantial potential for affiliate income within the Expedia program.
In addition, Expedia offers excellent affiliate resources that include a user-friendly link builder with link-shortening features, a vast selection of stylish banners that showcase a mix of images and messages, a seamlessly integrated search widget specifically designed for your travel website, and additional resources to improve your affiliate experience.
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According to Statista "Travel & tourism is one of the biggest sectors in terms of global economic impact. In this respect, leisure travel represents by far the most important segment. In the United States and China – the leading countries based on travel & tourism contribution to the global GDP – leisure travel accounts for roughly 65 percent and 80 percent of the total tourism spending, respectively."
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Booking.com is an online platform that offers various travel services, such as hotel bookings, airline tickets, and car rentals. Booking.com is accessible in 43 languages and provides a wide range of accommodation options with over 28 million reported listings, including more than 6.6 million homes, apartments, and other distinctive places to stay, as stated on the Booking.com website.
It is one of the top travel comparison sites globally. Booking.com enjoys strong partnerships, meaning users can make fee-free bookings, giving it an advantage over its competitors.
Booking.com is a renowned travel company recognized for its robust brand identity and comprehensive services. The company has an affiliate program that is popular among travel bloggers, influencers, and people from diverse backgrounds. The program has more than 12,500 travel affiliates who earn a commission of 4% on all bookings. With a seven-day EPC of over $160, it is among the highest paying travel affiliate programs.
Affiliates who work with Booking.com can use various valuable resources, including a search box for offers, banner integration options, and deep linking. However, it's important to note that the session-based cookie window requires careful consideration. To earn successfully, it's crucial to ensure that users convert immediately after clicking the referral link. It highlights the need to direct only warm, pre-qualified traffic to Booking.com.
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As implied by its name, Hotels.com is a prominent provider of hotel accommodations, boasting a portfolio encompassing over one million properties across 200 countries.
Whether you seek a luxurious resort or a quaint bed-and-breakfast, Hotels.com offers a diverse selection.
Hotels.com has over 85 localized websites available in more than 35 languages. This offers an opportunity to reach a global audience through its various affiliate programs hosted on the Commission Junction affiliate network.
Each affiliate program is designed to cater to travelers in specific markets, which ensures that affiliates focusing on the US & Canada programs earn commissions only from bookings made in those locations.
Hotels.com allows affiliate marketers to promote exclusive voucher codes featuring competitive discounts to enhance convenience.
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Note: Please note that Hotels.com is part of the Expedia Group and its affiliate program is under the Expedia Affiliate program.
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Tripadvisor is a premier online platform focusing on reviews and is well-known for its exceptional review database, which currently contains approximately 1 billion reviews as of 2022.
In addition to its review capabilities, Tripadvisor also serves as a booking portal for hotels and activities.
While Tripadvisor's affiliate program centers exclusively on accommodation, it stands out with an attractive 50% commission on the revenue generated from hotel bookings. It's important to note that the program does not offer commission for flights, restaurants, vacation rentals, or tourist attractions. However, the commission rate can increase to 80% during incentive campaigns.
Note: The Tripadvisor affiliate program is unique because you can earn commissions without requiring users to make an actual booking. Instead, you make money when a user clicks from your website to any of Tripadvisor's booking partners.
This program has high conversion rates, exceeding 30%, making it one of the most profitable affiliate programs in the travel industry. However, your earnings depend on your ability to drive significant traffic to Tripadvisor.
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Let's talk about Kayak's travel affiliate network. Kayak effectively operates its own travel affiliate network as the owner of several brands, including HotelsCombined, Momondo, and its eponymous platform.
These brands disburse over $76 million in affiliate earnings each year, facilitate more than six billion travel searches, and collaborate with over two million properties.
Signing up for multiple travel affiliate programs through a single platform is a great opportunity. Kayak's commission rate of 50% makes it even more attractive.
However, it's important to remember that payments will only be visible once you have earned $500 in commissions.
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Travelpayouts is unique among the travel platforms reviewed in this guide. Unlike other platforms that operate as standalone brands with individual affiliate programs, Travelpayouts is a pay-per-action affiliate network. They offer various referral programs such as flights, hotel bookings, car rentals, and insurance.
Travelpayouts provides access to over 90 travel affiliate programs, including popular brands like Tripadvisor, Hilton Honors, Vrbo, and others. Additionally, Travelpayouts offers some exclusive offerings unique to their affiliate network. Since its inception in 2011, Travelpayouts has paid over $28 million in commissions to around 300,000 affiliates.
The affiliate network offers a generous revenue-sharing program for referral partners, allowing them to earn up to 70% of the network's earnings. Affiliate marketers who refer customers to book flights can earn commissions from 1.1% to 1.15% of the total booking value. In comparison, those who refer hotel bookings can make 4% to 5% commissions.
With these attractive commission rates, Travelpayouts is a clear and appealing choice for affiliate marketers looking to monetize their travel-related content.
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G Adventures is a leading provider of small-group adventure travel, offering immersive experiences beyond traditional fly-and-flop trips to all-inclusive resorts.
Its clients seek challenging hikes in the stunning Andes Mountains of Peru, explorations of volcanoes in the highlands of Guatemala, treks through the awe-inspiring Himalayan landscapes in India, or the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the Swiss Alps.
It is important to note that G Adventures operates in a specialized market: adventure travel. However, the adventure travel sector is expected to grow significantly and be worth $1.6 trillion by 2026. This makes G Adventures one of the best affiliate programs for adventure travel blogs.
An advantage of adventure travel is the premium price due to the unique offerings. These trips are often once-in-a-lifetime experiences that customers prioritize over cheaper options.
When considering G Adventures' impressive average order value of $2,600, the 6% commission rate becomes even more compelling.
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Viator has over 395,000 attractions and activities across 2,500 destinations, making it the ultimate platform for curating unique travel experiences.
Viator's top priority is to provide a seamless booking experience for its users. To achieve that, it offers support in more than 35 languages. With a catalog containing over one million reviews, customers can make well-informed decisions. Viator also provides flexibility by allowing cancellations for 85% of its affiliate products up to 24 hours in advance. This feature delivers a user-friendly experience for both customers and affiliate marketers.
This user-centric approach makes it notably easier for affiliate marketers to capitalize on the traffic they refer. Travel bloggers and content travel partners receive an 8% commission on each booking, and the referral program offers a generous 30-day cookie duration, which is longer than what many other programs on this list provide.
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Amazon is a popular option for general travel purchases made at the last minute. However, regarding purchasing specialized outdoor gear, REI is the better choice. With over eight decades of experience and 165 retail stores across the US, REI has established itself as a strong brand in the outdoor industry.
If you need hiking shoes or a new backpack, REI has many options to suit your needs. Although it may not adhere to the typical structure of a travel affiliate program, there are many ways for travel bloggers to earn money within the REI program.
Despite the seemingly modest 5% commission rate, REI's average order value is remarkable, surpassing $120 and significantly enhancing affiliates' earning potential. Moreover, REI offers free pickups from their stores and complimentary shipping on orders exceeding $50, which provides compelling incentives for readers to click on your affiliate links.
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Traveling involves more than just booking flights and hotels. It includes acquiring various essentials before a significant journey, including luggage, clothing, shoes, travel adapters, etc. Amazon becomes the go-to destination when there is a need for last-minute purchases.
As many affiliate marketers across different niches can attest, the Amazon Associates program offers varying commission rates depending on the category. Commissions for clothing sales are 4%, 3% for sports gear, and only 1% for health and personal care products.
Additionally, the 24-hour cookie window adds a layer of challenge - without highly qualified referrals, earnings through the Amazon affiliate program may not materialize.
Nevertheless, Amazon's expansive and highly trusted brand simplifies persuasion, making it relatively easy to encourage purchases.
Additionally, you can earn a commission on potential sales made by customers you refer within 24 hours. This could result in unexpected bonus commissions.
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In conclusion, for those passionate about exploring, venturing into travel affiliate marketing holds tremendous promise. The travel industry has shown remarkable resilience, particularly after the pandemic, which now makes for an opportune moment to dive into travel blogging and affiliate partnerships.
To achieve success in the travel niche, it is crucial to have a strategic approach. It includes selecting the appropriate affiliate programs and creating compelling content that connects with your audience. While pursuing this journey, it's essential to keep track of industry trends, take advantage of the strengths of each affiliate program, and consistently improve your strategies to optimize your earning potential.
By aligning your passion for travel with savvy affiliate marketing, you can share your love for exploration and generate a sustainable income online. So, gear up, set your course, and let your travel blog catalyze wanderlust and financial success. Safe travels on your affiliate marketing adventure!
By Gary Schwartz | Last updated: 02/15/2024
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