Do you love to travel and wish you could spend more time exploring everything the world has to offer? With some creativity and careful planning, along with a computer and internet access, you can do exactly that! Earn money to fund your travels while you live your dream life.
Remote work has become more common, offering the ability to work from anywhere. However, if you prefer more flexibility to your schedule, there are still plenty of lucrative freelance opportunities.
Below, we'll explore 20 ways to earn an income from anywhere in the world, so you can enjoy unlimited earning potential as a digital nomad.
20 Ways to Make Money While You Travel
1. Teach English Online
Teaching English online is one of the best and most well-known avenues to earn an income while traveling. If you are a native speaker and have access to the internet, consider joining an agency like VIPKid.
Each company has its requirements and you may need to pass an interview or assessment to gain employment. Getting your international TEFL license can open up higher-paying opportunities. If you wanted to go solo and teach English without joining an agency, you can do that by using a platform that allows you to sell access to downloadable PDFs, messages, and video calls (like Whop!).
2. Try Freelance Writing
Put your knowledge to good use by doing some freelance writing. All businesses require fresh new content to gain views and attract customers. Your travel expertise gives you the perfect background to write blog posts, articles, and social media posts for companies of all sizes.
You can find work on freelance sites, such as Upwork or Fivver, or reach out to your favorite blogs and publications with a great pitch. As you build your writing skills, you'll find more work and be able to charge more for your services. Experienced travel writers can earn as much as 50 cents per word for content writing.
3. Write (and Monetize) a Travel Blog
Create a travel blog to share your experiences and insights with other travelers. It's easy to set up a website and get started. The key is to frequently update your blog with interesting and unique content. Pay attention to the latest travel trends and include content that addresses these popular topics. Keep it personal by sharing stories and providing helpful tips and tricks you've discovered along the way.
Once you establish your blog, you can begin to use it to generate income. Advertising with paid ads and affiliate marketing, where you recommend or link to various products and services to earn a commission from any sales, are both wonderful ways to earn money by blogging. Others include selling guest posts or selling products and services you have created. This could be merchandise featuring your brand or "how to" courses to teach others what you've learned.
4. Become an Influencer
Do you have impeccable taste and expert advice to offer? Then becoming an influencer could be the perfect way for you to make money. Share your opinions on social media and build an audience that resonates with your personality and your message.
As you expand your following, whether it's on TikTok, Facebook, or another social media platform, you can start to make money through affiliate marketing and by collaborating with other brands you love. The real money-maker comes when you create your own online community and charge a subscription fee for membership (but more on that later).
5. Work Remotely
Plenty of careers now offer the option to work remotely. Find out if your current job allows for remote work, or apply to companies that do. Depending on the job, you could find yourself working part-time or full-time as a remote worker.
Make sure you understand the schedule before accepting the job. Some companies allow you to create your own schedule and work flexible hours, while others require you to be logged in and active during certain business hours, so it's important to remember any time zone differences that could factor in. You also need to consider the level of internet access and speed that you will need to work efficiently, so that you can factor that in to your travel destinations.
6. Become a Nanny
Another awesome money-earner for English-speaking travelers who like to live in one place for an extended time is nannying. You can expect to work up to 45 hours per week but still have time to explore the city and surrounding areas.
If you love kids, this is a great way to earn a dependable income, and it can also be a great way to see the country or city that you are staying in. Some nannies even accompany families on their personal holidays, providing babysitting services while the parents enjoy their trip.
7. Start a Paid Newsletter
Do you have amazing tips and information to share about your travels? Do you continuously explore new places that give you plenty of inspiration for new content? If so, then you could start a paid newsletter to make money.
Your audience can pay a fee and sign up to receive exclusive content not available through your public blog or social media. Getting access to behind-the-scenes information is a huge draw, and if you incentivize your readers with free resources (like packing lists or travel itineraries) and exclusive discounts for affiliated services, then they will gladly pay a small fee for your newsletter.
8. Try Affiliate Marketing
If you have a blog, website, or active social media, you can make money with affiliate marketing. This is a tactic that links in easily with many of the methods we have already mentioned, as you can use affiliate marketing in your blog, on your social media, in your newsletter, and within your community. By promoting products from other businesses and brands, you earn a commission for every sale that results from a lead generated from your content.
For people who have a large audience, this is an easy way to earn passive income. Plus, it requires no special skills or investment.
9. Write an Online Course
Share your expertise by creating an online course to teach others what you know. This way you can get paid for your knowledge while giving other people insight into topics that interest them. Course topics can vary widely from travel to blog writing to skills you've mastered.
10. Sell Digital Art
Are you an artist? Share your creations with the world by selling digital art. You can sell multiple prints of an original work to generate passive income while you get out and explore the sites. Why not try creating a different artwork in each place that you travel and then sell these online? Target other travelers who value mementos of their travels.
11. Become an Online Coach
If you love interacting with others, then being an online coach is a wonderful way to earn money while on the road. Anyone can become a coach, as long as you have something of value to offer.
Establishing a coaching business will take time and effort as you build your brand, get the word out, and acquire clients. But once it takes off, you'll have the freedom to work from wherever you choose and set your own hours.
12. Create a Paid Community
Now, we have already touched on this - paid communities are another great way to deliver high-demand content to your established audience.
If you already have a following for your blog or social media, consider setting up a community on Telegram or Discord (or even better - on Whop) and selling access to members-only materials and exclusive content. Travel influencers are incredibly popular, as people love to experience the world through the eyes of someone else. Connect with your audience even further by creating a paid community, selling access to behind-the-scenes content like exclusive photos, travel itineraries, and travel discounts, in exchange for a small membership fee. You can even get creative with it as you grow, letting your community help to plan your next adventure, or running giveaways for those who share your profile with others.
There are dozens of travel communities on the Whop marketplace, where individuals create a travel-focused space for people to chat, plans, and share their love of traveling.
13. Write and Sell Ebooks
Try your hand at writing and selling ebooks online. Use your travels for inspiration, or draw on your other talents to write for other niches, from children's books to novels to self-help books.
14. Sell PLR Digital Products
Private label rights (PLR) products are everywhere, from website designs to journal templates. You can use these designs as inspiration and create your own customized version that you can then sell.
Selling PLR products is great for anyone who wants to make money fast, as you don't have to start completely from scratch. You could resell other PLR products, or even create and sell your own. If you're reselling existing digital products, you must take care to avoid copying another's work. While you can use an existing product as a baseline, you need to transform it into your own. If you want to create PLR products to sell to others, why not sell digital travel planners, packing lists, journals and travel ebooks? All of these can easily be created in Canva and resold over and over again.
15. Sell Travel Services
As an experienced traveler, your knowledge and insights can help other travelers experience a more enjoyable trip. Put your know-how to good use by selling travel services.
You could start an online business to organize trips and handle bookings, or even create guidebooks to give travelers a better experience using your first-hand knowledge. You can even sell your knowledge with online video calls. Simply create a whop, add the Video app, and link it with a 'travel planning' product to sell access to your one-on-one call. If you price it well then you can provide the tailored service of a travel agent in a more personalized and less expensive way.
16. Try Trading
Trading stocks is another great way to earn money while you're abroad. To get started, you need to know the basics of your chosen trading app, and you should conduct some research into which stocks you want to buy and sell.
Day trading gets easier to do as you learn to recognize trends and have more money to invest. However, trading can be volatile, especially if you are trading in cryptocurrencies. Make sure that you are as informed as possible - one way to do that is by joining a private trading community, where you can learn from experienced traders.
17. Complete Online Surveys
A relaxing way to earn some extra cash in your downtime is by doing online surveys. It's typically best to sign up for several sites, so you have a constant stream you can get stuck into when you choose.
Most surveys only pay a few cents to a few dollars, so you won't get rich with this method, but you can make some easy side money while soaking in the scenery around you.
18. Sell Photos
Many people are interested in buying quality, high-resolution photos to enhance website content, advertising, and more. As a traveler, you are in an excellent position to earn money from the photographs you already take on your travels. By uploading your photos on seller platforms like Shutterstock, you can reach a wide audience of potential buyers.
For the best chance of success, it's important to know the rules of every platform you use. Some may require the photos you upload to have no visible brands or recognizable faces along with the quality requirements. Also, some platforms will take hefty fees, or may even require a membership fee. A platform like Whop allows you to sell digital products, including files, for no upfront fees and just a 3% cut of your sales.
19. Sell Stock Videos
Like stock photos, stock videos can help you earn some money. Learn what types of travel videos are in demand by doing some research into what's popular.
This income stream may require a little more of an initial investment in both money and time, as you'll need to have the right video equipment and editing skills to produce high-quality content with stunning visuals.
20. Start a Dropshipping Business
Begin a prosperous dropshipping business with low startup costs. While selling products may seem like an odd choice while you're traveling, you don't need to keep inventory or package items to ship to the buyer when you're dropshipping! Simply choose your products and focus on advertising. When a customer orders a product, your supplier ships the item to your customer on your behalf (for a fee).
What are Some Quick Ways to Make Money While Travelling?
Plenty of income opportunities allow you to get paid right away for a service you provide. This may require a little groundwork to get started, but once you establish a business like online consultancy or tutoring, you can accept clients and start getting paid.
Depending on where you travel, you can also earn near-instant money from on-demand gigs. Join an app like Instacart and accept available jobs on your schedule, then fulfill the customer's order requirements by doing the shopping and delivering the order. You can try other delivery service apps for food deliveries to make some fast cash.
Another instant money maker is performing various jobs through TaskRabbit. Customers post all kinds of jobs they need to be done around the house, from cleaning to home repairs to furniture assembly. Choose the jobs you want, complete the work, and get paid!
Alternatively, create passive income by selling digital products. When you sell things like ebooks, online self-led courses, stock photos, and downloadable templates and guides, you're creating income streams that make money while you sleep. If customers can buy these items around the clock, then you can earn money for as long as your products are listed.
What is the Best Way to Make Money While Traveling?
Pinpointing the best way to make money as you travel will be different for everyone. Some pursuits require an initial investment of time and money to get started, while others involve an ongoing hourly schedule or other time commitment. It may take some trial and error to discover which ones work for you, but it is possible to find one or more ways to make money remotely. However, the ideal way to make money is through multiple passive income streams like selling ebooks, digital courses, and PLR digital products.
Pursuing these types of opportunities is an excellent way for travelers to make money without having to sacrifice too much time. Most of your effort goes into creating the product, and once you've done that, you can sell it again and again through your website or on an online marketplace. This lets you earn money from continuous sales without you having to lift a finger.
Join Whop and Make Money Wherever You Are in the World
Making money while you travel is easy when you use Whop. Whop is a social commerce platform where you can sell digital products and services, from online courses to exclusive communities. With your imagination as the only limit, you can sell nearly anything you can think of.
Whop offers a great way to establish passive income streams by selling your products and expanding into multiple ventures. Take your ideas and build an internet business that funds your travels and lets you enjoy every day to the fullest.
