An overview of the best affiliate programs that are perfect for travel bloggers to make a living.
One of the best ways to start earning money with your travel blog from the beginning is to implement affiliate marketing on your website. For affiliate marketing, you don’t need a big audience, but just people who trust you (and that, my friend, is all in your writing style; it’s easy, I promise). In this post, you’ll find all the affiliate programs for travel bloggers that you will need to start making money this week!
Ps. I know you might’ve seen more articles covering 30+ affiliate programs. I feel that that is a waste of time, and I will explain to you how I’m using only these seven, in a way that saves time and frustration 😉
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of the product links, we’ll receive a small commission at no cost to you. We only promote products and services we 100% believe in. Thank you so much for supporting us! Read more about it in our disclosure policy.
What is affiliate marketing?
Affiliate marketing is one of the main ways that bloggers make money. A simple explanation would be: you recommend a product or service in your blog post, and add an affiliate link to it. When people click on your link and make a purchase, you receive a commission (a percentage of what the customer paid), without it costing them anything extra.
For example, you were on vacation in Tuscany and did a wine tour that you loved, and think that everyone who loves wine has to know about. Here’s what you can add to your blog post:
‘’On our trip to Tuscany, my partner and I decided to book a wine tour. We quickly got overwhelmed by the many options, but a good friend of ours recommended this one. We booked it and enjoyed some of the best wines in the country! Not only was it a delicious tasting and Tuscan lunch, but the tour through the castle and the wine cellars was so romantic and interesting. I highly recommend booking this special wine tour for your trip to Tuscany!’’
Note: The link added here is an affiliate link, created through one of the affiliate programs that I will talk about shortly.
Should you get into affiliate marketing as a travel blogger?
Yes. Absolutely.
As a travel blogger, you can talk about romantic hotels, fantastic tours, practical travel gear, airplane essentials, and so on! The list is endless!
The great thing about affiliate marketing is that you don’t need a huge audience to start making money. You don’t have to wait until you get 10k monthly visitors before making any money. Only 500 or 1000 visitors might be enough to make a couple of sales.
For example, Michelle from Making Sense of Cents made her first sales through affiliate marketing within only 6 weeks! Now, her affiliate strategy brings in about $50.000 every month!
Affiliate marketing has so much potential for travel bloggers to start making money before your blog even takes off, but also to scale that income into something a lot bigger.
Ps. Make sure to be honest about your affiliate marketing strategy
One quick thought before you start adding links to all your blog posts. For legal reasons, you have to be transparent about using affiliate links in every single blog post, and you need to have an affiliate disclosure. In case someone is not happy with the purchase they made from one of your affiliate links, this disclosure will protect you.
Read more about why it’s crucial to protect your blog legally here!
List of the 8 best affiliate programs for travel bloggers
Now, let’s start taking actionable steps towards making money through affiliate marketing! Here are the best affiliate marketing programs that you can sign up for today!
Travelpayouts
My favorite affiliate marketing program is Travelpayouts. Why? Because it brings together over 50 major travel companies in one place. Instead of signing up for dozens of separate affiliate programs, you get access to brands like:
- Booking.com
- Agoda
- Expedia
- Tripadvisor
- Viator
- Discovercars
- Hostelworld
- Flixbus
- Trainline
- …and many more!
Just imagine managing all those platforms individually; you’d be drowning in passwords, dashboards, and scattered performance data. Total chaos.
However, with Travelpayouts, everything is streamlined into a single, user-friendly platform.
Here’s what makes it a game-changer:
- Effortlessly build affiliate links for top travel brands
- Track your earnings in a clear, intuitive dashboard
- Use their AI tools to boost your conversions
- Get powerful content analytics to see which blog posts or pages are making you money
- Learn from their super helpful blog, packed with affiliate tips and insights
Once I switched to Travelpayouts, affiliate marketing finally started to make sense, and more importantly, it began to pay off. I could see which strategies worked, so I doubled down on them and saw my income grow fast.
And here’s something I really appreciate: Travelpayouts is transparent about payouts. They don’t sugarcoat the fact that some companies (like Booking.com) take months to confirm bookings. I’m still getting paid in July for bookings made back in January. Some brands pay faster than others, but the key thing is: you always get paid.
Sign up to Travelpayouts and start making money this week!
Worldpackers
With affiliate marketing, my opinion is: The more focused, the better.
Now, what do I mean by that?
You want to give a specific type of traveler what they are looking for. If you try to please everyone, you won’t see money rolling in. But when you target a specific type of traveler, what you are saying will speak to them, and they are a lot more likely to purchase through your links.
And this is the case with Worldpackers.
Worldpackers is a company that specializes in connecting volunteers to projects. You can get free food and accommodation in return for 5 days of working 5 hours per week on their farm, hostel, party boat, the list is endless!
For a yearly fee, individuals receive a membership that grants them access to this unique community, includes insurance, and a range of additional benefits.
And you won’t get a luxury traveler to purchase a membership so that they can work in exchange for free stuff. A luxury traveler wants to enjoy a vacation by the beach or a pool, with a cocktail in their hand.
But when your focus shifts to a specific audience: budget travelers, for example, you will start making money, because you’re offering a solution. You are offering these people free accommodation, free food, the possibility to make friends, and have unforgettable experiences. And if the only thing they have to pay for is a yearly membership fee (of only $39), your readers will convert into buyers.
One of the best things about Worldpackers is their unique affiliate communities. These communities are very supportive, offering content ideas, strategy tips from other affiliates, and genuine encouragement. Plus, top affiliates receive recognition, which feels very rewarding.
Honestly, I never expected to be one of them.
I didn’t succeed on Instagram like many other affiliates did. Instagram is often the main traffic source for Worldpackers creators, but I couldn’t make it work; it’s not my strength. Instead, I took a different route: I started writing blog posts. Not just any posts, but honest, sometimes unconventional, and critical ones (check them out here). Since the content is evergreen, it continues to generate passive income month after month.
Now, I don’t rely on viral Reels or social media trends to earn affiliate income. Instead, I focus on promoting the monthly Worldpackers promos in my content, and that alone brings in $150–$300 in commissions each month.
And there’s more: Worldpackers often rewards affiliates with bonuses when you hit milestones like 10, 25, or 50 sales in a month. Those extra rewards are such a motivating boost!
So if your audience includes budget travelers, gap year adventurers, purpose-driven explorers, digital nomads, or even solo travelers just starting out, then you need to apply for the Worldpackers affiliate program. It’s genuinely one of the most rewarding (and fun!) programs I’ve ever joined.
How to sign up?
Even though Worldpackers does have an official affiliate dashboard, you won’t be able to find a page to become an affiliate on their website. This is because they only want people to sign up as an affiliate who are serious and actually want to travel with Worldpackers, so they can sell plans from their own experience stories.
To become an affiliate, first sign up to the platform and get your own plan for $49 (don’t worry, you’ll get your membership fee back when becoming an affiliate).
Then on Instagram, send @worldpackers a message about becoming an affiliate.
When I first started out, I did it this way as well, and it worked pretty well. However, times may have changed. If they don’t respond to you on Instagram, you can also contact them via their website (or contact me, so I can give you a better way to sign up)
Trusted Housesitters
If you’re a travel blogger looking to diversify your affiliate income with a program that genuinely helps your audience, TrustedHousesitters is a fantastic option. I’ve been part of their affiliate program for a while now, and it’s one of those rare programs that aligns perfectly with the values of slow, immersive travel.
TrustedHousesitters matches homeowners who need a person to take care of their pets for free in return for lodging in properties all over the world. As an affiliate, you earn commissions on every individual who subscribes to a membership through your link. And with memberships costing less than $150 annually, it’s simple and well worth selling, especially when you talk about the accommodation savings.
This program is perfect if your readers consist of:
– Frugal travelers
– Remote workers
– Slow travelers
– Animal lovers
– Gap year students
Or anyone who wishes to travel more for less.
What I love most is that this isn’t so much about sales, it’s about offering a lifestyle solution. People get to explore the world snuggling up with animals and living life like a local. And because it’s such a quirky idea, it does well when explained in blog posts, newsletters, or even YouTube videos.
The affiliate program is run through a reliable platform, offers solid commission rates, and provides creatives and tracking tools. I’ve personally seen great results by targeting keywords like “how to travel with no money” or “free accommodation while traveling.”
If you’re a travel blogger focused on authentic, affordable travel, and your audience values experiences over luxury, TrustedHousesitters is a must-join affiliate program. It’s one of those partnerships where everyone benefits: you, your readers, and some very happy pets.
Sign up to the TrustenHousesitters affiliate program here!
Safetywing
I once got stranded in Croatia without a phone, passport, or bank cards. In 2021, the Croatian borders were still closed and more heavily guarded than ever due to COVID-19. And guess who couldn’t leave the country, ran out of cash, and had to pay for many unforeseen costs (including a new phone, driver’s license, atm cards, passport, and so on).
That’s when I found out the value of having travel insurance.
This story (that did happen, but was a little less dramatic than it sounds) is what helps me sell travel insurance on my blog. Storytelling makes people feel like they were there. And then pointing out how much easier the ending would have been if only we had travel insurance (not only because of the support that SafetyWing offers, but also getting the money back for the unforeseen costs) is what stirs up emotions in people, and that is what sells.
SafetyWing is one of the top travel insurance companies available. Unlike normal insurance companies (that offer several kinds of insurance), SafetyWing is only focused on travel insurance. And that makes for excellent support, incredible value, and a stress-free trip.
And when you offer SafetyWing as a solution to a problem that your audience deals with, you will make money through this amazing affiliate program.
Sign up to the SafetyWing affiliate program here!
Tortuga
If you’re a travel blogger looking to recommend quality gear and earn good commissions, Tortuga is one of the best affiliate programs available. Tortuga focuses on carry-on-sized travel backpacks for city travelers, digital nomads, and minimalist explorers. Their products are well-designed, durable, and very functional, making them easy to promote with confidence.
As an affiliate, you’ll earn a 10% commission on each sale, with a 30-day cookie window and an average order value of over $250. That means each sale could bring in $25 or more, making it one of the most profitable gear affiliate programs around. Tortuga also offers bonus incentives and regularly updates affiliates with promotions, helping you maximize your earning potential throughout the year.
Tortuga’s affiliate program is perfect for bloggers and creators who appeal to:
- Digital nomads
- Remote workers
- Minimalist travelers
- Solo travelers
- Backpackers
It’s especially great if you write about packing tips, long-term travel, or smart gear for urban exploration. Since Tortuga products are of high quality and built to last, they typically have strong conversion rates, especially when incorporating personal reviews, comparison posts, or gift guides.
From my own experience, it’s been one of the most reliable and rewarding affiliate partnerships. I only recommend gear I trust, and Tortuga meets all my standards. When I published a blog post comparing carry-on backpacks, Tortuga consistently outperformed other brands in clicks and conversions.
If you’re ready to suggest top travel gear while earning a solid affiliate income, Tortuga is a clever choice that competes well with brands like Nomatic (also a great affiliate program, but not available in Europe). It benefits both your readers and your earnings.
Sign up for the Tortuga affiliate program here!
Amazon associates
Suppose you are new to affiliate marketing or just want to diversify your income streams with a good, far-reaching alternative. In that case, the Amazon Associates Program is one of the easiest and most flexible programs to join. With thousands of products, you can sell almost anything from travel accessories and electronics to books and camera gear, making it a natural choice for travel bloggers with diverse content.
The appeal of the Amazon affiliate program lies in its high trust factor. People are already on Amazon, which makes conversions likely, even if they don’t buy the exact product you recommended. You get paid on the entire cart, not just the item you linked to, which creates greater income opportunities. Commissions also vary by category, but typically range from 1% to 10%, with travel accessories often falling within the 3–5% range.
This course is ideal if your audience is:
- Budget travelers
- First-time backpackers
- Photographers
- Vanlifers or remote workers
- Anyone who is thinking about what to pack, wear, or bring on a trip
Personally, I include Amazon affiliate links in gear reviews, packing lists, and even travel guides. Therefore, for example, if I am writing about trekking in the Dolomites, I could link to my favorite-recommended hiking daypacks or boots. Those types of articles are evergreen and earn passive money in the future.
The Amazon Associates site is easy to get around, and the SiteStripe enables you to copy affiliate links as you browse the website quickly. While commission rates might not be as rich as for niche programs, the significant conversion rate and range of products enable you to make money from almost any blog post.
Sign up for the Amazon affiliate program here!
Manawa
One of the affiliate programs that has genuinely changed the game for me is Manawa. When somebody from Manawa reached out to me about becoming an affiliate, I said ”No, I’m good. I’m using GetYourGuide for tours”. However, I was not making money with GetYourGuide, so clearly I was either doing something wrong, or I wasn’t offering tours that my audience was interested in.
So, I thought, ‘Let’s give Manawa a try.’ After seeing the incredible tours they offer and the potential income, I seriously started promoting these tours. And with the incredible support from Manawa, via email (usually the same person you’re in contact with), I didn’t even have to brainstorm ideas; they came up with them. And that is simply priceless. I love when they send you an email with: ‘’Hey, I just read your Tenerife Itinerary and I think this tour will benefit your audience and fit perfectly into the itinerary’’.
With a base commission of 8% and a user-friendly dashboard, I couldn’t recommend Manawa more! If you love promoting adventurous tours and that’s precisely what your audience is looking for, you have to sign up to Manawa today!
Sign up for the Manawa affiliate program here!
Haven’t registered with Travelpayouts yet? Now’s the time!
If you need to choose just one affiliate program to get started, Travelpayouts has to be the one! It simply provides you with numerous options for a broad audience. Now’s the perfect time to sign up (no worries, it’s completely free) and start adding affiliate links to your posts soon!
Sign up for Travelpayouts here!
How will readers convert to buyers?
Let’s say that affiliate marketing is a journey. Unfortunately, it’s not as easy as just placing random links in your blog posts. However, once learned how to implement links in the right places, under the right CTA’s (call-to-action), your income potential has no limits!
I could tell you all about what works for my blog and what doesn’t, but that doesn’t necessarily work for you as well. And that is why I highly recommend enrolling into a course that will certainly teach you all that you need to know about monetizing your blog through affiliate marketing: Making Sense of Affiliate Marketing Course.
Created by Michelle Schroeder, who, after several years of blogging, reached an income of $50.000+ per month just by using the right affiliate marketing strategies that she shares in her course.
Yes, it is an investment, but believe me, when implementing Michelle’s strategies in your blog, you can earn back your investment within months*.
*I cannot guarantee results. I had great results using Michelle’s course, and so can you. Results may vary for different participants with varying blog experiences.
Final thoughts on the best affiliate programs for travel bloggers
I’m thrilled that you can now take the first steps on your affiliate marketing journey! It is super important to set goals for yourself, so you know what to work towards.
So tell me, what are your goals? What monthly income do you hope to reach with your blog?
Let me know in the comments below!
The 7 Best Affiliate Programs for Travel Bloggers (With High Commission Rates)
Great list! Thank you for putting it together. Will check out the ones I’m not familiar with.
Thank you! 🙂