tourism sponsorship companies

All About Travel Sponsorship

Traveling around the world particularly to your favorite destinations and spending days doing what you enjoy doing may entail a big expense. It’s good if you have the funds in your pocket.

But what if you don’t have the budget? Will you let money stop you from doing one of the most fulfilling things you can ever experience?

Of course not! There’s always a way to travel without shelling out a big amount of money. One way to do it is through travel sponsorship.

Travel sponsorship means having someone pay for your travel expenses in conjunction with certain activities or business arrangements.

If you are not familiar with how traveling sponsorship works and how to find one, this guide is for you.

How Does Travel Sponsorship Work

You might have already been traveling a lot and you wonder if there’s a way to continue your way of life without breaking the bank. Or you just started traveling and wonder if it’s possible to get sponsorship or even get paid to travel.

The answer to the above is yes! However, it is not as easy as many may think.

No individuals or companies are willing to pay for your travels unless it is something that will also benefit them. This makes total sense.

It takes careful planning and a good marketing strategy to convince sponsors to pay for your travel expenses. This means that you need to conceptualize a travel project and market it to potential sponsors.

When it comes to travel projects, if you have an amazing idea that you think will interest other people, don’t be afraid to push for it.

How To Make Money While Overlanding

What is Overlanding?

Sponsor Travel Benefits

Before we will share with you some tips about sponsorship, we want to first show you its benefits.

You get to travel more with less expense – We can’t deny the fact that traveling can be expensive and not all people can afford it. But if you can find sponsors for your trip, you can visit more places with less expense. Your sponsor may partly or fully pay your travel expenses which is a good thing. Some are even willing to finance two or more travelers, allowing you to have a companion.
Experience new cultures and meet new people – The number two benefit of sponsorship has to do with learning about new cultures. And as a traveler, I can attest to this. With each destination, you gain new friends, taste local cuisines, visit where the locals go, and most importantly, learn their culture. Each destination will give you a unique experience.
You get to explore new places that you would not otherwise visit because of expense – Do you have a dream destination that has been on your bucket list for a long time because you can’t afford it? Find a sponsor and make your dream a reality!
You will be able to promote a good cause – There’s no better way to travel than to travel for a cause. For instance, you can promote environmental awareness or travel as a volunteer. These are just two of the most popular ways to get sponsorship.
You get to promote your brand – If you are a blogger, vlogger, or influencer, travel sponsorships will help you promote your website or channel while also promoting that of your sponsor.
You’ll be able to use products that otherwise you wouldn’t have purchased. Some expensive travel gear can be totally unaffordable, but if a sponsor wants to advertise them through your adventures, they will be sending you products for you to use and probably review either on your blog or social media.

3 Important Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Looking for a Sponsor

1. what is my ultimate goal.

As part of your initial travel plan, you should be able to define your goals for a particular trip. You surely want to achieve something at the end of your trip, be it climbing the highest mountain, exploring the unbeaten path, trying an extreme sport, and so on.

Knowing what you want to achieve will help you identify the possible ways on how you can find sponsorship.

2. Do I really need a sponsor or someone to pay for me to travel?

Traveling while on a sponsorship contract is more than just free traveling. If you spend your own money, you can do your own thing. But if someone will pay your travel expenses, typically there are some expectations and responsibilities attached to it.

Knowing these expectations and considering how much you would potentially spend on a specific trip, you can ask yourself if you really need a sponsor or can go by on your own.

3. Am I willing to give up some of my freedom to meet the demands of my sponsor?

More often, in travel sponsorship agreements, you will find that sponsors would require you to incorporate their ideas into your trip.

This may take a significant amount of your time and limit your freedom.

How to Spot Your Prospective Sponsors

Contacts and close friends.

You may have some friends or close contacts who are just waiting for an opportunity to promote their business or brand as your travel sponsor. It will not hurt if you send them an invitation.

The people who personally know you and what you are doing are the best people to be your sponsor. More likely, they already have a general idea of how you can help them and how they can help you.

Companies in your niche

If you have a travel blog or vlog, approach brands that have something to do with traveling. That way, it will be easier to establish how you can help the brand through your trip.

However, it does not mean that you should limit your reach among those in your niche. If you have a brilliant idea for promoting a certain product or brand throughout your trip, put that on the table.

Charities and other organizations

Working with charities and other organizations for a cause is also a great way to enjoy your travels while helping people or the environment.

If you can come up with a unique plan on how to promote the organization’s goals to your followers, that’s probably one of the most meaningful things you can do as a traveler.

Charities can work with you in two ways. You can either represent them, so you attract donors for them directly. A charity will recognize this and will support you to spread the word about them (attracting even more donors for their cause).

Secondly, since you’ll be supporting a good cause, companies will be more willing to work with you and sponsor your travels. They can be associated with a charity, therefore they will appear (rightly so) as a company that is not all about making a profit. It’s great PR for them. This has worked for us in the past.

If you are out of any idea who to contact regarding travel sponsorship, don’t be afraid to ask around and solicit recommendations or advice.

You may also search through search engines such as Google. You have nothing to lose and so much to gain if you do this.

If you’d like to learn more, check out this great offer below:

Tips to Make Your Prospective Sponsor say Yes!

Now that we have established that travel sponsorships offer a number of benefits to those who like to explore the world , your next step is where most of the hard work starts.

1. Submit your proposal early

The first thing you should remember is that most companies plan their budget early in the year. The earlier you submit, the higher the chance that your proposal will be approved because they can easily incorporate it into their budget.

Additionally, submitting your proposals early gives you enough time to find other potential sponsors in case you are getting many “No”-s for an answer.

Also, since time is of the essence when it comes to traveling the world, the earlier you submit your proposal, the earlier you can find a sponsor , and the earlier you can plan for your adventure.

2. Identify your goals and be specific about it

One thing is for sure. A potential sponsor will not be interested in financing your next trip if you will simply go out and do what other regular travelers would do. Your goals should be specific and unique so you would stand out from the rest of the world travelers.

This will also help you to find a travel niche. A travel niche will help you to not only specify a goal but also to narrow down the type of brand and product that you’d like to be sponsored by.

When identifying your goals, think of something you are passionate about. For instance, if you love cycling, you can say that your goal is to explore the beautiful island of Croatia in 10 days by bike.

While it’s important that your goal should be attractive to prospective sponsors, make sure that it is something you love doing. After all, traveling the world should be fun.

3. Highlight your followers

Businesses and individuals will not sponsor your trip if there is nothing in it for them. One way to establish that is by showing you have many active followers. This means people who are interested in what you are doing. Potential sponsors will see this as an opportunity to promote and get seen by your followers.

Followers can also be your website’s or blog’s visitors. The more visitors read your content each month, the more chance you have for landing a travel sponsorship deal.

4. Be clear with your sponsorship package

Be clear as to what you can offer to your sponsor in return for the monetary contribution to your trip. You should specify this in your proposal.

It’s a good idea to outline how you will promote the sponsor’s brand during your travel. While on location, do you plan to post daily on your Instagram account ? Do you intend to use their product during the trip and show it to your audience? These are just some of the ideas that you can consider.

Additionally, instead of just one sponsor, you can offer several levels of sponsorship based on the amount of contribution.

For instance, you can have a Silver Sponsor, Gold Sponsor and a Platinum Sponsor. In this case, a Platinum Sponsor will get the highest level of visibility on your website, channel, or social media posts.

But definitely, you may want to consider featuring the logo as well as the company description of the three types of sponsors in your content.

5. Learn how to pitch and prepare your media kit

Brands will not knock at your door to offer sponsorship for your next travel adventure. It is your responsibility to find them. With that said, you should also know who to contact and have a meeting with to show your proposal. Once you have the name, you can now prepare your pitch and medial kit.

Your sales pitch can greatly impact your chances to get sponsorships. It should be convincing enough to persuade the companies to sign the deal.

On the other hand, your media kit works like your resume. It should include this basic information:

Relevant information about your platform
Description of the type of blog or vlog you are running
Information about your site views, visitors, active followers and other similar information
How your trip can add value to their brand or cause
Highlight how your website or channel fits with their brand
Your contact information

Pitch Structure

You may already have your own structure on how you would like to curate yourself to get sponsorship for travel. Some people like their pitch to be short and concise while others like theirs to be very detailed.

But regardless of the format that you like, there are some important points that you should consider.

First and foremost is to be as personal as you can. Address the person using their name instead of just saying sir, ma’am, or miss. Doing so will not only create a good impression but it will also show that you did your job in researching who to send your proposal to.

After greeting the recipient, introduce yourself and let the reader understand the reason for contacting them. Give the recipient an idea of your content. Perhaps you could highlight the excellent stats of your vlog or blog site. You can also showcase the people you have previously worked with in the past.

After the introduction part, you can then thoroughly discuss your proposal. Include some key details about your trip such as the duration, how many people are coming and what you need.

If you already have an idea of how you can showcase the brand, this is the best time to share your idea. Tell them what you can do for them, and how often you will do it. Let the reader know that you have attached a media kit for more information on the travel sponsorship arrangement.

6. Don’t be easily discouraged with a “No” response

Getting one or two refusals is a normal thing. And the more offers you submit, the higher the chances of getting a “no” for an answer. This is especially true if you are just starting to create a name. Don’t be easily discouraged though.

If you don’t get a nod, just think that the sponsor may not have a budget at the time or that they still don’t see the benefit of sponsoring a trip. But don’t stop trying.

Even if a potential sponsor says no, stay connected as there will always be that possibility they will work with you in the future.

Preparing for the Actual Trip

Your preparations for a sponsored travel can be slightly different than when you are traveling at your own expense. You may need to do certain arrangements to ensure that you meet the expectations of your sponsor.

Depending on your contract, your sponsor may require you to have a daily post (while on location) in your social media account featuring their brand. Now, it gets really challenging if you go to places where there is no reliable internet connection. In this case, you need to prepare your plan B in advance.

It’s always a good idea to hire someone to take care of your social media commitments when you can’t go online. You may also consider scheduling important posts in advance to make sure that you are fulfilling your commitments to your sponsors.

Also, don’t forget the paraphernalia that you will use in promoting your sponsor. It could be a banner, a shirt that you need to wear, or a product that you need to bring.

What’s Next After the Trip

After the fun and adventure, it doesn’t end there. You still have to make sure that you are able to fulfill everything that you promised in your sponsorship contract.

In fact, your next actions are so crucial that they will possibly affect your ability to get another sponsor for your next travel goals.

Deliver What You Promised

Review your contract to see what else needs to be done. It’s easy to miss the small details if you are busy with your travels. So after the trip, the first thing that you need to do is review your contract and take note of your deliverables.

Showing sponsored product on our social media

Documentation

It is important to document the exposure that you are giving to the brands that help finance your trip. Once you are done, send the details to your sponsors. This will help build your credibility as a partner. Not only that, but it will also help you build a connection after an event.

Brands, companies, and organizations would want to work with someone they can trust. Make sure that they will have that impression of you so that you will not find it difficult to find a sponsor for the next item on your bucket list.

Don’t forget to send a ‘Thank You’ Card!

This may sound very basic but believe it or not, many people forget about this. Sending a personalized card or email that says thanks can go a long way in developing a good relationship with your sponsors.

And if you can also include a travel souvenir item, that would be great.

Traveling around the world and completing your travel bucket list doesn’t have to be expensive. With travel sponsorship, you can now freely plan your travel without worrying about where to get the funding from.

Travel sponsorship is a win-win arrangement between an avid traveler and the companies who like to promote their brand.

Traveling sponsorship is for you if you are willing to commit part of your travel time to promote a brand or a cause. It’s also for you if you don’t have any problem carrying some responsibilities in exchange for a free trip.

Traveling while on a sponsorship arrangement can still be fun and exciting. It doesn’t have to be all work and promotions.

All it takes is for you to carefully plan your itinerary and make sure that you get to visit and do what you love doing.

Getting a sponsor is not a walk in the park for sure, but our online course can help you get started . And don’t forget our tips on how to persuade a prospective sponsor to sign the contract.

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How to Find Travel Sponsorship and Creating a Proposal

Written By: The Planet D

Digital Nomads

Updated On: February 8, 2024

Finding a travel sponsor for your event, travel blog, or adventures is an important part of achieving success in your field. This comprehensive guide will show you how to get sponsorship for an event or for your travels.

We have found the working on partnerships and developing relationships with our travel sponsors has been of great value not only from our past adventures but for all of our future travels.

Table of Contents

How to Create a Travel Sponsorship Proposal

We learned a great deal about how to find sponsors for our event, the Mongol Rally.

In this Sponsorship Guide you’ll learn:

How to Approach Travel Sponsors
How to Define your Goals
How to Create an Attractive Package to Get the Sponsors Attention
How to Find Sponsorship for Travel
What you do After you Have Secured Sponsors
What Exposure to Offer
When to Start
How to Approach Travel Companies
How to Fulfill Your Commitments

on how to approach sponsors and we now feel confident when seeking sponsorship that we do indeed have something valuable to offer them.

1. Define your Goals.

Having a hook will help immensely when seeking sponsorship for your travels.

A company may not be interested in sponsoring a blog that is simply going out to backpack around the world. You must find some way to stand out from the crowd. The Mongol Rally gave us and our teammates Rick Griffin and Sherry Ott a unique adventure to attract new readers and sponsors. Driving 1/3 of the way around the world definitely helps to make you stand out from the sea of travel bloggers and companies feel confident when there is not only the built in audience from the rally, but also the value of combining the audience of three blogs into one event for triple the exposure.

Mongol Rally Sponsors

Other travel bloggers that have had great success in finding sponsorship are The Professional Hobo , Go See Write and Nomadic Chick for the Ultimate Train Challenge, As We Travel for their European Train circumnavigation and GlobeTrooper for their hike across the Gobi Desert. Each of these trips was unique, epic and attractive to sponsors.

2. Have an Attractive Package.

Your sponsorship package is the most important aspect of finding sponsorship.

Be clear as to what you can give your sponsor in return for their product or monetary contribution. The first thing we did when putting together our proposal for the Mongol Rally was work on our package. We compiled our numbers and statistics together and input them all into a pdf file explaining what our venture was, what we will offer and how their product will be displayed.

We offered 3 levels of sponsorship.

Give value to the companies that contribute more. Offering 3 levels of sponsorship will give smaller companies the opportunity to get on board, but will nudge larger companies in the direction of offering more. If they give a monetary value along with product sponsorship, they will be more prominently displayed, mentioned more in posts and if you have a car, T-shirt or backpack that will be displaying your sponsors, you they will receive the primo spot on the item.

3. Be Clear on Exposure

1. We clearly defined how many posts we would give each sponsor, how many tweets they would get and how many Facebook shares we would offer.

2. Tell the company what you expect from them.

Outline exactly what you require from the company you are seeking sponsorship from. People prefer to be told what you want rather than having to think about what to offer. Don’t leave it up to them. Tell them how much product you require, how much money you require and why you are approaching them.

How to Find Travel Sponsors

5. approach companies in your niche.

We are travel bloggers so we approached travel companies or companies that have something to do with adventure. However, the Mongol Rally gave us the opportunity to seek sponsorship outside of the travel business.

We could approach cell phone and satellite companies, we found GPS and Audio Sponsors and of course we found the most important sponsor for our car in AllWAysRentals. A Rental company base in Christchurch New Zealand that offers campervans and cars for hire .

6. Involve a Charity

It is fulfilling to give back when traveling through communities so involving at any time during your travels is a great idea. When you decide to take on an epic adventure and are seeking specific sponsorship having a charity on board helps.

Many companies are already involved with a charity, so it may be worthwhile to approach your premium sponsors first and offer to raise money for their specific charity in return for the largest premium spot.

Intrepid Travel also donated our carbon offsets for the fuel that we used driving from England to Mongolia.

7. Start Early

Companies plan their year in advance and the sooner you can seek sponsorship the better.

We waited far too long for the Mongol Rally to attract a Gold Sponsor. We originally wanted 1 main sponsor. They would be an exclusive sponsor that would receive all of the publicity throughout the Mongol Rally.

how to find sponsorship for an event start early

We wanted to ask for a large monetary value that would cover all costs in return for exclusive sponsorship. This is something that you should start seeking at least a year in advance. By the time we got around to approaching companies in January, although they were interested, they already had their advertising budgets allotted for the year.

8. Just Ask

One of the best pieces of advice I ever got was from Andy Hayes when trying to figure out how to get something. His reply was “Have you Ever Thought to Ask? Great advice!

Our biggest fear was sending that first email. We didn’t know what people would say and how they would respond. Once we got over the fear of rejection, we started approaching companies that we would never have had the nerve to speak to before. Companies will say no that is a fact.

But you will be amazed at how many people will respond with a polite letter explaining why they can’t sponsor you at this time. Thank them for their time and keep them in your database for future reference. As your statistics grow and if the right opportunity comes along for partnership, you can try them again.

Once you receive that first acceptance letter, you will be filled with confidence and ready to approach more people.

9. Fulfill Your Commitments

Don’t offer what you can’t follow through on. We found it difficult to tweet and facebook from the desert in Kazakhstan and Mongolia but we found ways to fulfill our commitments to our sponsors.

We hired Social Media Atlantic Canada who were able to take care of our social media commitments when we couldn’t be online. We also scheduled our important tweets in advance to make sure that the word was getting out about our sponsors.

If there was one thing that we did when we pulled into a small town with slow internet, was to get online and make sure that our duties to our sponsors were fulfilled.

10. Follow Up

It is important to keep documentation of the exposure that you are giving your sponsors. We took snapshots of our hashtag #mongolsms and for 3 little bloggers working on their own, we reached over 1.2 million impressions in just 97 tweets.

Once you are finished, send your sponsors the posts that you wrote about them during the event and the analytics on how it was received. A great follow will help you continue your relationship beyond just one event. Building relationships is the key. Companies want to work with people they can trust and if you are professional with them during your first business venture, you have a good chance of working with them again.

How to Be a Travel Blogger – How We Do It and Make Money
How to Start a Travel Blog
Best Travel Tips

Travel Planning Resources

Looking to book your next trip? Why not use these resources that are tried and tested by yours truly.

Book Your Flights: Start planning your trip by finding the best flight deals on Skyscanner. We have used them for years and have found that they have the best flight deals.

Book your Hotel: Find the best prices on hotels with these two providers. If you are located in Europe use Booking.com and if you are anywhere else use TripAdvisor.

Find Apartment Rentals: You will find the cheapest prices on apartment rentals with VRBO .

Travel Insurance: Don't leave home without it. Here is what we recommend:

Safety Wing - Occasional Travelers.
Medjet - Global air medical transport and travel security.

Book Your Activities: Looking for walking tours, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more? Then we recommend Get Your Guide.

Need more help planning your trip? Make sure to check out our Resources Page where we highlight all the great companies that we trust when we are traveling.

About The Planet D

Dave Bouskill and Debra Corbeil are the owners and founders of The Planet D. After traveling to 115 countries, on all 7 continents over the past 13 years they have become one of the foremost experts in travel. Being recognized as top travel bloggers and influencers by the likes of Forbes Magazine , the Society of American Travel Writers and USA Today has allowed them to become leaders in their field.

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49 thoughts on “How to Find Travel Sponsorship and Creating a Proposal”

This is an eye opener. Thank you for the detailed post. I have always wondered the other ways to get content without spending.

This post was very helpful and insightful… and inspiring!

Thank you so much for this blog! . I try to apply this guide now. thanks

I am now considering your list – this is reasonable enough and the most charitable so far.

Hi! This was really so helpful because my twin sister and I are studying in college in India at present and we’re planning this eurorail trip next summer. We are going to start a blog soon and we were thinking about what companies would like to sponsor us. We don’t really know how to go about this but we’re really excited about this trip and are willing to work really hard to make it happen! It would be great to hear from you ! Thanks

Best of luck Mallika. The best advice we can give you is to really sell what you have to offer. You need to make the companies see that you are an asset to them. Just going on an adventure won’t get you sponsorship, you need to show something in return and show them that you are worth the money/product that they will be giving you. Best of luck!

This is really useful, thanks for being so honest. It’s gone into my bookmarks for future reference 🙂

This was great – thanks so much! My sister and I are going to Dubai in March so I think I’ll start with a baby step and see if we can get one sponsored thing to do while we’re there. It’s so nice of you to share this information with those of us who are new.

I”m trying to think of our angle – two middle-aged sisters, one who is a smart ass and one who is well behaved…..maybe I need to think a little longer!

Thanks again!

Good for you Kay. That is exactly how we started out, baby steps. I remember sending that first email and I was so nervous. I like your idea. I’d read about that for sure! Even two sister’s traveling together period is an interesting dynamic and I know you’ll be able to find something there.

thank you for your tip; i m going to knock at doors to . you never know. leaving next february for my europe tour on inline skate. excited and nervous but this cool me down a bit. thanks again.

Great advice, we are not looking for sponsors for a trip but instead companies to sponsor a single page on our site for that particular destination.

We are thinking about offering each page for a year but not too sure how much to charge? What are your thoughts?

This is so cool and very helpful . bookmarked this page

Great tips here!

I’ve been looking for sponsors for the upcoming event on my blog and will apply some of your tips here. It’s just I’m really new in finding some sponsors on my blog.

Cheers! Gay Aida

Superb post Deb n Dave. I love the way your names sound together – sorry, I digress. You demystify the holy grail of surviving on the road nicely. Now we have the lowdown, no one has the excuse not to succeed – a bit scary I think! Thought the guys and gals over at twitter would appreciate your words of wisdom so tweeted it is 🙂

Tanks wellan, we appreciate the tweet! Good luck with your travel blogging and may we all have success together!

Great advice! I have always been wondering how people get sponsorship! It’s good to know you have to start well in advance! I don’t think James and I are at the level to attract lots of money like that, but maybe in a few years.

Thanks so much for being generous to have shared your ideas and experience of sponsorships. There isn’t much blogging on this topic and as travel bloggers it should all be a part of our tool belt. Instead, I just thought it was something only certain bloggers were getting propositioned to do. Thanks so much for decoding the magic veil and hope y’all get more sponsorship in the future!

Glad we could help Christine. While, companies will approach bloggers that are higher profile and receive higher traffic, it is still important to have a package to present to people when you are seeking it yourself. Things just don’t magically happen all the time and when you work at it, you will eventually reach your goals.

You guys have helped so many travel bloggers. You always have so much advice to share and a lot of people are learning from you on a daily basis (myself included). Keep it up and cheers.

Thanks Cole. We feel that anything you want to find out about can be found on the internet. Why not make it easy for our readers so that they can find it here:)

I really can’t thank you guys enough for this post! We’re currently working on getting sponsorship for a couple of different things, most notably, our next women’s travel guidebook to Argentina. This was so clear and so informative! One question though: what program were you using to monitor the reach of your tweets?

Hi Kelly, we use TweetReach and Hashtracker. They are excellent tools to let a company know how far your social media reaches. Cheers and good luck!

What is the URL of Hashtracker?

Hey Victor. It is actually Hashtracking. Here is the URL: http://www.hashtracking.com/ Cheers D&D

Lots of good advice there, mate. I think I’ll stick to my traditional google adsense, though. Our completely different style makes for short visits, and quick answers. Simple google adsense clicks seems more profitable in such a speedy environment.

Great post you guys! This is fantastic information for that day in the future when I’m going after sponsorships. Hopefully soon 🙂

Glad we could help Kit. Good luck with your future sponsorship and you must let us know how it goes. It will help inspire others to know that they can do it too!

Thank You for the tips. I just started my travel blog and need information help.

Good luck with the new blog Victor. It is a lot of fun being a travel blogger. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Thanks, as always, for your sound advice!

Thank you NLM, glad that you could find it useful.

Hey guys, Thanks for the post. I got into blogging into a way of extending my travels. I had in mind something related to sponsorship but I wasn’t sure how to proceed. Now, I have a clear idea on what to do. Perfect!!!

Glad we could help Ruth! Good luck and happy travels.

Thanks for this — really appreciate your transparency AND generosity. And the timing is good too, as I am just now beginning to seek sponsors for a big trip I am planning next year.

And I completely agree about the “just ask” philosophy!

You are welcome Mariellen. Good luck with your sponsorship proposal and hopefully this post helped you out a bit. Cheers!

Great transparent post guys! Thanks for that. I’ve just done well selling local sponsorships for my Meet Plan Go event…I should figure out some packages now for LLworldtour! You are right…having a ‘hook’ or special ‘thing/trip/event’ helps it be more packageable/sellable. Now, more importantly, WHEN am I going to get to meet you cool people?! 🙂 Lisa

Hi Lisa, we are so glad that you had success for Meet Plan Go. It is these types of events that help you to learn and get started. Once you have landed some sponsorship, it is easier the next time out. I know that you will have great luck with LL World Tour! And yes, I hope we meet soon:)

Great advice guys! Thanks for sharing such valuable info. We are working on some sponsorship stuff now. It is exciting and definitely the way in which blogging is heading. As you said it is scary, but you just have to jump in there. We always say, If you don’t ask then the answer is always no. EAch no is one step closer to a yes and we can learn from each no to help get us to that yes.

Hi Caz, you and Craig have already done so well and I agree, Sponsorship is the way that blogging is heading. As travel bloggers we have such a great industry and the possibilities are endless. I love your quote, If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. As scary as it is to ask, it is always better to get a no than to not ask at all.

Thanks so much for sharing the details of your sponsorship package. We are getting very close to launching our product and this is going to be very helpful if we decide to approach sponsors.

Hi Christy, I can’t wait to hear what your new product is. Good luck with approaching sponsors, I am sure that you wil have great success!

Amazing article! I’m not a blogger, but his is still great info for anyone running a website.

Thanks Sogo Travel. You are right, anyone can follow these steps to help gain sponsorship for their own events.

Thanks for the tips. I’ve done this for events & charities, but never (yet) for myself… 🙂

That is awesome Rachel. Have you done anything differently for events? Or have you found your experiences to be similar.

Thanks for the tips and advice guys! It is generous of you to share how to manage such a large piece of the business side of blogging. This will come in handy in the next couple of weeks as I take my first small steps into the world of sponsorship and trying to partner with companies large and small. Thank you!!

Hi Gillian, good luck with seeking your sponsorship. It can be a daunting task shifting to the business side of travel blogging. We are all writers and photographers, but learning how to run a business is a whole new ballgame.

Thanks so much for writing this! I have an idea for something just like this and might want to approach Honda and/or Amtrak. Now I know what I’d need to do. Your information is great. Very smart, by the way, to have someone handling social media when you couldn’t.

Good luck with your sponsorship. You have such an amazing product, I know that you can do it. You must let us know how it goes.

Travelers Plans How to Travelers Plans in The World

Travel sponsorship companies.

Traveling is one of the greatest experiences anyone can have. It allows us to explore new places, meet new people, and gain a deeper understanding of the world we live in. However, travel can be quite expensive, especially if you want to travel to multiple destinations or for an extended period of time. This is where travel sponsorship companies come in. In this article, we will discuss what travel sponsorship companies are, how they work, and how you can benefit from them.

What are Travel Sponsorship Companies?

Travel sponsorship companies are businesses that help travelers fund their trips by connecting them with sponsors. These sponsors can be individuals, companies, or organizations that are willing to provide financial support in exchange for exposure or other benefits. The sponsorship can cover various aspects of the trip, such as flights, accommodation, meals, activities, and transportation.

The concept of travel sponsorship is not new, but it has become more popular in recent years due to the rise of social media and influencer marketing. Many travelers, especially those with a large following on social media, are able to attract sponsors who are interested in reaching their audience. However, travel sponsorship companies make the process easier and more accessible for everyone, regardless of their social media presence.

How do Travel Sponsorship Companies Work?

The process of working with a travel sponsorship company varies depending on the company and the type of sponsorship you are looking for. However, most companies follow a similar process:

You apply for sponsorship by filling out a form or submitting a proposal that outlines your travel plans and what you can offer to sponsors.
The company reviews your application and decides whether to accept you as a member or not.
If you are accepted, you will be given access to their platform or network, where you can search for sponsors and communicate with them.
You negotiate with the sponsors and agree on the terms of the sponsorship, including what they will provide and what you will offer in return.
You fulfill your part of the agreement by promoting the sponsor and their products or services through your social media channels, blog, or other means specified in the agreement.
The sponsor pays you or reimburses you for the expenses covered by the sponsorship.

Some travel sponsorship companies charge a fee for their services, while others take a percentage of the sponsorship amount. It’s important to read the terms and conditions carefully before signing up with a company to avoid any surprises.

What are the Benefits of Using a Travel Sponsorship Company?

Using a travel sponsorship company can offer several benefits, including:

Access to a wider range of potential sponsors, which can increase your chances of getting sponsored.
Expertise and support from the company, which can help you negotiate better deals and avoid scams.
Opportunities to connect with other travelers and learn from their experiences.
Potential cost savings on your trip, which can allow you to travel longer or to more destinations.
Increased exposure and credibility, especially if you are able to attract high-profile sponsors or create engaging content that resonates with your audience.

Of course, there are also some potential drawbacks to using a travel sponsorship company, such as the cost of the service, the competition for sponsors, and the pressure to deliver on your promises to the sponsors. It’s important to weigh the pros and cons and do your research before committing to any sponsorship agreement.

How to Choose the Right Travel Sponsorship Company?

Choosing the right travel sponsorship company can be a daunting task, as there are many options available and not all companies are created equal. Here are some factors to consider when making your choice:

Reputation: Look for companies that have a good track record of providing quality service and delivering results for their members and sponsors.
Network: Choose a company that has a large and diverse network of sponsors, so you have more options to choose from.
Transparency: Make sure the company is transparent about their fees, terms and conditions, and the level of support they provide to their members.
Specialization: Consider whether the company specializes in a specific type of travel or sponsor, such as adventure travel or eco-tourism.
Reviews: Read reviews and testimonials from other travelers who have used the company to see what their experiences were like.

Ultimately, the right travel sponsorship company for you will depend on your individual needs and goals. Take the time to research and compare different options before making a decision.

Travel sponsorship companies can be a great resource for travelers who want to make their dream trips a reality without breaking the bank. By connecting you with sponsors and providing support and expertise, these companies can help you save money, gain exposure, and create unforgettable experiences. However, it’s important to choose the right company and to be realistic about the expectations and obligations of sponsorship. With the right mindset and preparation, travel sponsorship can be a win-win situation for everyone involved.

FootLoose Dev

Travel blog by an Indian travel blogger.

Getting Your First Few Travel Sponsorships

Looking for a travel sponsorship? Wondering how bloggers travel the world so much? Want to know how I have travelled to over 25 countries without any permanent source of income? If yes, then this blog is for you!

But first things first … if you are new to this blog let me introduce myself. I am Dev, a full-time travel blogger from New Delhi, India. In 2016, I quit my corporate career in England, moved to India and became a nomad. I’ve been travelling and writing on this blog ever since.

Newspapers like TOI and ET and many others have moreover written about me, featuring my journey as a blogger. Read this page for more . I have travelled to 25+ countries in the last 4 years, with almost all my journeys being sponsored.

If you are wondering who are travel sponsors. They can be anyone in the travel industry: a country tourism board, an airline, a hotel chain, or a tour company.

If you’re looking for more tips on why they provide travel sponsorship, I have written another blog post on how to find travel blogging sponsorships that will set you going on why they sponsor travel bloggers in the first place. This blog will also help you understand a few basics that we are going to skip in this blog.

Here’s another useful resource if you want to know specifically about tourism boards and how to contact them .

Please note that if you are looking for travel sponsorships as a travel writer, especially a blogger, then only this article is going to make sense. If you had another definition in mind, then a few things may sound irrelevant. Nevertheless, there’s no harm in reading.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Footloose Dev (@footloosedev) on Jan 9, 2020 at 1:42am PST

Now, coming back to the topic at hand…

Travel Sponsorships

When I became a blogger in 2016, all my trips were self-sponsored.

Later, as I became a travel influencer , brands started reaching out to me to promote them on my channels. And this is how it all began!

I have experiences like flying in business class , doing a solo road trip in Germany , travelling in a luxury train travel in India , and other such experiences.

I have even earned a Scuba diving certification, learned snowboarding, and tried sky-diving, all without spending a dime.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Footloose Dev (@footloosedev) on Feb 26, 2019 at 5:50am PST

Getting Travel Sponsorships Takes More Than Just Impressive Numbers On Your Blog!

As I started blogging, (in January 2016) I thought, “If I keep writing great content, increase my blog readership and gain an impressive number of followers on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, I’m going to succeed. People will notice me, and travel companies will run after me asking if I can promote their brand”. However, I am not claiming that it was an incorrect way of becoming a successful blogger. But it was not entirely correct, either.

In the last few months (precisely speaking, after July 2016) I’ve realised that there’s more to blogging than just getting impressive traffic, or writing great content. I mean you sure want good numbers for getting travel sponsors (or paid gigs) but if you’re investing all your time in improving the figures, and are not approaching the sponsors on your own — writing at least 10 emails per day — you’re not doing yourself any favour. You’re only losing hope, slowly, every day.

This particularly applies to new bloggers — those who are still taking baby steps in establishing their identity.

If you haven’t started a blog yet and are thinking of starting one, here’s a detailed travel blog I have written on How To Start A Travel Blog In India .

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Footloose Dev (@footloosedev) on Nov 3, 2018 at 11:05am PDT

How Much Traction Is The ‘Minimum Required Traction’ Before You Can Start Contacting Brands?

Though there is no ideal number, I believe that once you start getting a couple of hundred page views per day on your blog, and have at least over 5 thousand likes on your different social media networks like Facebook and Twitter – you’re ready to approach travel sponsors.

Start Writing To Travel Companies And PR Agencies!

Understand what kind of travelling you’re into. Search for the companies working in your niche (for example motorbiking, adventure travel, backpacking, luxury getaways etc) and start pitching them.

Send them an email introducing yourself and your blog, and how you can help redirect your readers to their website. Be very precise with numbers.

Speaking of how to contact travel sponsors and make sure you get travel sponsorship, here are a few practices…

1. Crafting The Right Email

When I had initially started approaching companies for travel sponsorships, my email often sounded more like a request — having no authority at all. Following a little introduction, I would use sentences like “Since I am travelling in your city next, I was wondering if you’d be interested in working with Footloosedev. Any help (regarding accommodation/activities etc) would be greatly appreciated”. And the template worked just well. I got around 30 per cent replies to my emails – this makes 3 replies for every 10 emails. Not a bad figure at all.

I think it was because the term “any help” gave the other party the upper hand, from small startups to big companies, and they at least replied. Often, it wasn’t a very beneficial deal, but it didn’t matter. Initially, it was all about scoring more and more sponsors and building my portfolio.

Keep your email short and crisp, and include all additional information.
Read: How To Create A Media Kit For A Travel Blog

2. Write More Emails. Contact More Travel Sponsors

Since July, the time I realised I should start pitching sponsors, I have been writing about at least 10 emails per day when I’m not travelling. Some days I even write over 20 or 30. The point here is, that when you’re new in the business, you have to reach out to people and tell them who you are, and how you can bring value to their business.

I wrote about 50 emails for my Goa and South India trip – I found 5 sponsors (in 2016). I wrote about 50 emails for my Gujarat trip – I found 3 sponsors (in 2017). I’ve written about 50 emails for my upcoming Europe trip – and have found 4 sponsors (in 2017).

If it wasn’t for the first email from my side, I would still be travelling without and travel sponsorship. During my 58-day Europe trip, I spent only 70,000 Rupees including my flight and visa costs). How did it happen? Because of travel sponsorships and free travel. Read more about it here: 2 months of Europe travel for less than 70,000 Rupees .

3. Contact Tourism Boards

When I had initially started blogging, and found other bloggers working with the Tourism Board, I always thought that it would take at least two to three years to persuade a Tourism Board to sponsor my trip. But I was wrong!

Indeed, top travel bloggers always have better prospects than you but working with tourism boards isn’t a tough deal to crack.

The first-ever Tourism Board I worked with was the Goa Tourism Board, and it was when they were organising an annual blogging event, inviting a group of bloggers from across the world. At the time they were hosting the bloggers’ trip, I luckily ended up writing them an email. And I happened to be lucky. One blogger had to cancel her trip because of some reason and I got a chance.

So yeah, keep contacting tourism boards, and you never know if they invite you on a FAM trip as a travel blogger. I have shared a link to my other blog on how to contact tourism boards for travel sponsorships.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Footloose Dev (@footloosedev) on Jul 16, 2019 at 12:00pm PDT

Give Blogging Some Time

Last but not least, blogging tests your patience like a slow, uphill journey. So be prepared for it!

Before I started blogging, I found almost 90% of (travel) bloggers claiming that it took them at least ten months before they started getting sponsored trips – while many lost the fight before they even turned 10 months old.

If you look at the industry at the moment, most of the successful travel bloggers out there have been doing it for the past few years – some for as many as 5 or 7 years, or even more.

Travel blogging requires a tremendous amount of work, as well as a tremendous investment of time and effort before you begin to see any benefits.

But on the bright side, remember that the travel industry is the fastest-growing industry in the world. No automobile, no banking, no retail industry is growing as fast. There are hundreds and thousands of travel startups entering every day – looking for new and cheaper means of marketing. And what could be better than promoting their brand on a website which is delivering its posts to a few thousand people, every month – almost 90% of whom are only interested to know about travel, right? And that’s when travel bloggers come into the picture. We Are Needed! And There’s No Denial To This Fact!

Further Reading: How I Make Money Travel Blogging

Hi dev, it’s me Abhishek, and me and my friend wanna visit all around the world, but we don’t know blog writing, because we used to paly sports that is the reason we couldn’t learn any skill, but we are very seriously about our traveling journey, but we aren’t good from our financial. this is the we wanna your sponcership, we don’t need money but you’ll help us, it’s your obligation on us. THANK YOU FOR YOUR IMPORTANT AND BEAUTIFUL TIME ..

If you are into travel. You might wanna use a plug and play platform like Pathfndr – to effectively construct your own trip. Based on your expertise, you can also create your own packages and sell them online alongside all other travel services in your network.

I am intrusting world tour by road.i neet spouncer.plz help me.

hi I am nature beauty lover. So please guide me for free sposorship.

Hello, may I get a sponsorship

Hi travelling to Bhutan from 29th September to 7 October we had plan to explore Bhutan on bike any suggestions plz guide what’s app number 9821259605

Hi Dev, I’m Usha, an entrepreneur from South India who likes travelling. WE TRAVEL AS A FAMILY and by family I mean me and husband with two kiddos along with in laws from both sides( 8 in all). We hire a self rental in Delhi and drive up the himalayas. We have done this twice so far and are going to start on the third one this month end. This time we are planning to go to Uttarakhand – Patal Bhuvaneshwar and Munshiyari. I wanted to know if there is any scope for getting sponsorships. We can display banners on our car, take pictures with it, show that their state is a family friendly destination…lots more(please help on what else we can say). Kindly help with ideas on how I can get sponsored. Or is it even an option.

Thanks Usha

P.S: Your blog is awesome.

Nice Blog….Your blog gave me lot of information about the Indian Travel. Thanks for your blog. Keep blogging.

hi Dev , i am very new to community ..but your valuable suggestion gonna help me…thanks

Great informative post..but errr…Basil Tourism Board in Switzerland? Or do you mean Basel? Sorry just got confused with the sponsor‘s name. Best Wishes.

Whoops! My bad, I meant Basel. And thanks for the correction. 🙂

Dev you are amazing writer. Sharing your experience & valuable tips is really useful. I will be following all your lessons in my blogging journey now. Thankyou!

I wish someone sponsored my trips! I would be travelling all the time.. lol.. Btw amazing tips!!!

Thanks for sharing these amazing tips Dev. as a newbie they will be really helpful. Can you also please let me know if you have any fixed email template that you use while contacting sponsors?

These are some really amazing tips for bloggers , specially for new bloggers. It requires a lot of patience and hardwork to find sponsored trips. You are doing so well.

Very informative post for all the newbies

That was a very interesting read. I have not thought about sponsors yet. I will have to give that some thought and explore it further.

I really agree when you say “Give Blogging SomeTime”. Nice post anyway. thanks for the share

Cheers mate.

I think you’re absolutely correct with ‘writing emails’. it is very much required for those who are new in the business. making your portfolio and working with more and more clients is the key to successful blogging.

Absolutely Ance. As I said, I initially thought that focusing traction building will only suffice in this game, but I was wrong. You need to take a step forward and contact people on your own.

Hi Dev, Good tips man! Thanks!

Great post Dev. I’ve been following your posts for some time now, and being a new travel blogger I’m sure these tips will prove to be super handy for me!

Cheers Vibeke. And thanks for following/reading my posts.