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Topic no. 511, Business travel expenses

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Travel expenses are the ordinary and necessary expenses of traveling away from home for your business, profession, or job. You can't deduct expenses that are lavish or extravagant, or that are for personal purposes.

You're traveling away from home if your duties require you to be away from the general area of your tax home for a period substantially longer than an ordinary day's work, and you need to get sleep or rest to meet the demands of your work while away.

Generally, your tax home is the entire city or general area where your main place of business or work is located, regardless of where you maintain your family home. For example, you live with your family in Chicago but work in Milwaukee where you stay in a hotel and eat in restaurants. You return to Chicago every weekend. You may not deduct any of your travel, meals or lodging in Milwaukee because that's your tax home. Your travel on weekends to your family home in Chicago isn't for your work, so these expenses are also not deductible. If you regularly work in more than one place, your tax home is the general area where your main place of business or work is located.

In determining your main place of business, take into account the length of time you normally need to spend at each location for business purposes, the degree of business activity in each area, and the relative significance of the financial return from each area. However, the most important consideration is the length of time you spend at each location.

You can deduct travel expenses paid or incurred in connection with a temporary work assignment away from home. However, you can't deduct travel expenses paid in connection with an indefinite work assignment. Any work assignment in excess of one year is considered indefinite. Also, you may not deduct travel expenses at a work location if you realistically expect that you'll work there for more than one year, whether or not you actually work there that long. If you realistically expect to work at a temporary location for one year or less, and the expectation changes so that at some point you realistically expect to work there for more than one year, travel expenses become nondeductible when your expectation changes.

Travel expenses for conventions are deductible if you can show that your attendance benefits your trade or business. Special rules apply to conventions held outside the North American area.

Deductible travel expenses while away from home include, but aren't limited to, the costs of:

• Travel by airplane, train, bus or car between your home and your business destination. (If you're provided with a ticket or you're riding free as a result of a frequent traveler or similar program, your cost is zero.)
• The airport or train station and your hotel,
• The hotel and the work location of your customers or clients, your business meeting place, or your temporary work location.
• Shipping of baggage, and sample or display material between your regular and temporary work locations.
• Using your car while at your business destination. You can deduct actual expenses or the standard mileage rate, as well as business-related tolls and parking fees. If you rent a car, you can deduct only the business-use portion for the expenses.
• Lodging and non-entertainment-related meals.
• Dry cleaning and laundry.
• Business calls while on your business trip. (This includes business communications by fax machine or other communication devices.)
• Tips you pay for services related to any of these expenses.
• Other similar ordinary and necessary expenses related to your business travel. (These expenses might include transportation to and from a business meal, public stenographer's fees, computer rental fees, and operating and maintaining a house trailer.)

Instead of keeping records of your meal expenses and deducting the actual cost, you can generally use a standard meal allowance, which varies depending on where you travel. The deduction for business meals is generally limited to 50% of the unreimbursed cost.

If you're self-employed, you can deduct travel expenses on Schedule C (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Business (Sole Proprietorship) , or if you're a farmer, on Schedule F (Form 1040), Profit or Loss From Farming .

If you're a member of the National Guard or military reserve, you may be able to claim a deduction for unreimbursed travel expenses paid in connection with the performance of services as a reservist that reduces your adjusted gross income. This travel must be overnight and more than 100 miles from your home. Expenses must be ordinary and necessary. This deduction is limited to the regular federal per diem rate (for lodging, meals, and incidental expenses) and the standard mileage rate (for car expenses) plus any parking fees, ferry fees, and tolls. Claim these expenses on Form 2106, Employee Business Expenses and report them on Form 1040 , Form 1040-SR , or Form 1040-NR as an adjustment to income.

Good records are essential. Refer to Topic no. 305 for information on recordkeeping. For more information on these and other travel expenses, refer to Publication 463, Travel, Entertainment, Gift, and Car Expenses .

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Trying to boost corporate travel sales? Five questions for airline executives

For airlines, the corporate travel segment is a critical engine of value. Business travelers tend to fly in premium cabins, book more flexible tickets, and buy closer to departure—which all translate to higher yields. Despite making up only about 12 percent of air traffic before the COVID-19 pandemic, corporate trips  accounted for about half of the airline sector’s profitability in the United States.

About the authors

This article is a collaborative effort by Riccardo Boin , Jaap Bouwer, Danielle Bozarth, Vik Krishnan , Prashanth Kuchibhotla, Arthur Loubeau, and Caroline Tufft, representing views from McKinsey’s Travel, Logistics & Infrastructure Practice.

However, the pandemic wiped out the majority of business trips in 2020 and 2021. While opinions vary on the speed of recovery, the consensus is that business travel will rebound more slowly  than trips taken for leisure or to visit friends and relatives. Many expect that a portion of corporate travel may never return, making competition in this highly profitable segment even more intense.

Naturally, airline executives are eager to accelerate the recovery of the business travel segment. But before slashing prices or offering steep corporate discounts, decision makers should be aware of five pitfalls in business travel sales models, lest they lose even more value for their airlines. In fact, it may be time to put away the old playbook, since many carriers’ corporate sales operations were suboptimal even before the pandemic.

This article poses five questions airline executives can ask themselves to avoid missteps. If an executive answers “yes” or “I don’t know” to one or more of them, they may want to reconsider their approach to corporate travel sales. It’s not too late for course correction; there are steps decision makers can take to optimize airlines’ sales strategies.

Do your corporate deals dilute value for your airline?

Despite its importance to profitability, corporate sales at many airlines is a “black box,” managed more as an art than a science. Commercial executives often don’t have the data and insights to know if, say, a particular corporate arrangement with a customer truly adds to the bottom line or is priced too high or too low. We’ve observed commercial executives offer extensive corporate deals with discounts on fares that are already competitively priced, eroding the airline’s margins.

A better way: Create a data-driven cockpit that provides visibility

What’s needed, and what top-performing B2B sales organizations have, is a data-driven cockpit, drawing from internal and external data sources to provide the necessary visibility for commercial staff to make the right decisions and to track the impact of chosen actions.

It starts with developing a comprehensive data repository that consists of the components of different deals and corporate arrangements, as well as the airline’s market share vis-à-vis its competitors. It includes data on volume and revenue by account, by travel pattern, by point of sale, by commercial structure offered, by origin and destination, and by time. The data could be analyzed to measure the airline’s performance against other competitors as well as the general market.

There are a number of data sources available commercially that enable users to track performance. The commercial team could use that data to ensure that the structure of the corporate agreements they sign generates incremental value, where revenues generated from the deal would be greater than the discounts given. Data analysis could also help executives identify potential growth areas and opportunities to increase the airline’s market share.

Just as important, having a data-driven cockpit makes it easier to assess the overall effectiveness of corporate deals and agreements. Did a tweak made to the discount structure truly expand an airline’s market share, or was growth due to other factors? Where can an airline reduce discounts, preserve most of its share, and sell the freed-up seats to higher-value customers?

A data-driven cockpit will likely have the answers.

Are you overrelying on discounts?

We’re all familiar with the basic economic principle that underlies all discounts: when price falls, demand rises. Most airlines have a discount structure that their sales staff can reference to incentivize ticket purchases.

But there are dangers in relying mostly on discounts to drive up sales. First, some carriers apply the same discount uniformly to all customers with only minimal variations based on factors such as the size of the corporate account. But in a segment as competitive as corporate travel, the indiscriminate application of discounts can shave already thin margins. Second, discounts are no guarantee of brand loyalty. Customer commitments to discounted plans are often vague. Even when a concrete agreement is made, enforcement is often lacking. Thus, airlines assume material risk when they offer discounts—if the customer fails to buy the requisite volume of tickets, the eventual revenue flow would be diluted.

A better way: Tailor discounts and benefits according to each corporate account’s travel patterns

While discounts can be a powerful way to sell flights, other elements in the travel journey—such as lounge access, priority boarding, and elite status—may also factor into a corporate customer’s purchase decision. Airlines may protect their margins by tailoring the right mix of both discounts and other perks for each corporate client according to their specific travel needs and patterns.

Airlines may protect their margins by tailoring the right mix of both discounts and other perks for each corporate client according to their specific travel needs and patterns.

Consider two common client profiles: the first is a small corporate client with a tight travel budget and whose employees tend to travel in high volumes on a small number of flight routes. Such companies generally value discounts more than other soft benefits and priority services. An airline could potentially benefit more, then, by offering steeper discounts to this type of company, rather than to a larger corporate customer, especially if the former is able to steer more business travel traffic to a less popular route. When offering discounts, the carrier could require these corporate clients to buy from the carrier a stipulated percentage of their total air travel budget or share of wallet. That way, the carrier could continually track clients’ buying patterns and encourage them to honor their purchase commitments if they fall behind.

Next, consider a large company that prioritizes factors such as premium offerings over ticket price. In such cases, the airlines may rely less on discounts and cheap fares, choosing instead to offer other perks such as seat upgrades, lounge access, and priority service. Service-sector companies whose employees travel frequently to meet clients often prize priority service when rebookings have to be made because of delays or cancellations.

Delivering on the right mix of discounts and other benefits will require multiple departments to invest in the infrastructure needed to support these value-added services in a coordinated way, as we explain when addressing the fifth pitfall.

Do your sales representatives spend most of their time creating their own market and customer insight reports?

Even the best corporate packages fall short if customers are unaware of them. In our experience, direct customer engagement is woefully low at many airlines, with sales staff frequently spending more than half their working hours away from their customers. Instead, many sales executives spend much of their time stuck in a quagmire of user-unfriendly data, trying to extract useful insights instead of interacting directly with customers. This imbalance often stems from inadequate investment in the airline’s technology stack and a lack of centralized support for customer-facing sales staff.

A better way: Equip sales staff with what they need to drive effective customer interactions

Most carriers know that the art of cultivating client relationships is best rooted in data-driven analyses, yet very few of them empower their sales team with the tools they need to drive truly data-driven conversations. These leading airlines have a dedicated central team responsible for the analysis and insights, which are then communicated to the sales teams.

This process starts with the central team categorizing accounts based on the value each account brings to the airline—ideally with help from the aforementioned data repository—and then providing the segmentation to the sales staff through a “single source of truth.” Accounts could be prioritized based on the Quality of Service Index gap (the difference between the actual market share achieved and the “fair” or expected share based on the network quality) and expected volume. The team also equips customer-facing sales staff with standard performance analyses for their regular customer check-ins and prepares them with data on the most promising opportunities.

In our experience, this system frees up commercial executives to spend between 60 and 75 percent of their time doing what they do best—customer interaction.

Are star employees looking elsewhere for better growth and career opportunities?

Sales staff are core to corporate sales success, yet we’ve noticed that many airlines follow a generic approach to their staff. Generalists are hired, their accounts span segments (leisure, online travel agencies [OTAs], travel management companies [TMCs], corporates), compensation is not performance-based, and incentives are poorly designed or nonexistent. Training programs are not tailored to cultivate the specific skills that corporate sales staff need, and regular feedback and strengths-based evaluation sessions are often not set up in a structured way.

The risks of neglecting talent retention are higher now than before the pandemic. Nearly a quarter of the employers in a recent McKinsey survey  reported that they have more low-performing employees now than a year ago. Voluntary attrition is rising, and about 40 percent of employees are planning to leave their current jobs within the next three to six months. Employers that don’t give their top-performing sales staff compelling reasons to stay will likely see them leave.

A better way: Treat your sales staff as customers too

Wise employers understand that employees who feel a sense of belonging and feel valued are not only less likely to leave but also more invested in growing within the company. Compassionate employers are keenly aware that the pandemic has placed undue strain on their employees and proactively address these challenges and provide support where they can.

High-performing companies understand  what type of skills correlate with superior sales performance and use this insight to build their sales force. They know the importance of a separate group of corporate specialists who understand the training needs of their sales team and cultivate the needed capabilities further through specific training programs. The relationship between senior, more experienced leaders and relatively junior staff is mentor-like, with ample on-the-job coaching and frequent feedback. Compensation is tied to performance assessments based on clear metrics that track incremental share without dilution. Staff get regular updates on how they’re tracking and are clear (and ideally, excited) about their career paths within the airline.

Do you treat corporate travel as a pure sales play?

While simplistic, it’s not wrong to say that many airlines view corporate sales as an activity best pursued exclusively by experienced sales professionals scattered across key markets. Such carriers’ organizational structures tend to be siloed, with different functions across the corporate value chain—such as network, customer experience, revenue management, marketing, distribution, and sales—operating independently with minimal consultation and coordination from across the company.

The corporate sales function is very often further siloed, exacerbating the situation for many carriers. Corporate sales usually happen through three channels: TMCs, direct channels (on the airline’s main booking path or a corporate small and medium-size enterprise portal), and indirect channels like OTAs and offline agents. Airlines often have separate teams dealing with each channel: one team manages direct corporate accounts booked via TMCs, one deals with TMCs and noncontracted corporates, while another sales team works with OTAs and other agents. The direct channel is managed by an e-commerce team that usually resides in a different department.

Without alignment from all the departments, trade-offs are bound to arise when any single unit chooses to implement a new initiative. This includes optimization efforts— such as revenue management, network management, or customer experience—undertaken by nonsales units. Sales, while an important function, is the last link in the end-to-end corporate value chain and is often adversely affected by decisions made by other units.

One example of a lack of alignment between departments is when an airline’s distribution team implemented surcharges on bookings made through global distribution services (GDS), which are typically used by OTAs and corporate clients. The distribution team made the move in an effort to send leisure travelers to the airline’s platform. But it put the airline at risk of lost revenue from cost-sensitive corporate customers.

Another example is when one airline’s customer experience unit decided to strictly enforce its one-cabin-bag allowance and charge €60 for each additional piece of baggage. While this was in line with the department’s goal of maximizing ancillary fees, it probably dampened total revenues.

A better way: Break down the silos and coordinate the airline’s value proposition across all departments

To be effective, someone (or a group) within the airline has to own the corporate value proposition across silos. This effort starts with developing a clear understanding of each department’s goals and making any trade-offs clear. Many high-performing airlines create an independent group that coordinates across silos, ensuring that team initiatives and goals don’t conflict (exhibit).

Feedback loops among these departments could ensure that corporate agreements are optimized and are beneficial for nonsales teams too. Frequently the sales team has detailed insights into the travel needs of their corporate clients, as well as honest feedback from them on the airline’s service and product quality. Yet these insights are not often used to develop the airline’s network, product, pricing, and loyalty program. Deeper integration across all departments that tend to operate in silos will facilitate the information flow necessary to improve the airline’s holistic performance.

Corporate sales have been, and will continue to be, critical to airline profitability. However, the function is far from optimized at many carriers. By avoiding the pitfalls mentioned here and by making changes now, airlines can set themselves up to capture more of this critical segment.

Riccardo Boin is a partner in McKinsey’s Milan office; Jaap Bouwer is a senior knowledge expert in the Amsterdam office; Danielle Bozarth is a senior partner in the New York office; Vik Krishnan is a partner in the Bay Area office; Prashanth Kuchibhotla is a knowledge expert in the London office, where Caroline Tufft is a senior partner; and Arthur Loubeau is a consultant in the Dallas office.

This article was edited by Jason Li, a senior editor in the Shanghai office.

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Business Travel Management, Platform, Software And Technology

Business travel platform solutions

Follow a leader. One platform. One solution for all your corporate travel needs.

Travel technology pioneer

Egencia pioneered the way every digital travel management company (TMC) operates. Our technological innovations deliver solutions for business travelers and travel in a familiar and user-friendly way.

We deliver you the best corporate travel experience by continuously innovating the ways corporate travel can work for you. We do this by capitalizing on:  

• A network of suppliers that goes beyond air, rail, car and hotels — and caters to the in-between moments of business travel (lounges, Wi-Fi, destination information).
• Business travel software that supports your travel program and helps you save time managing expense reporting.
• Predictive analytics that deliver the best travel options to you and your travelers.
• Customer support bolstered by artificial intelligence.
• An omni-channel platform that works like you do — start booking a trip on one device and complete it later on another.

Savings and analytics

Stop spending hours consolidating data from multiple spreadsheets. We do the hard work for you and centralize your travel program data — online and offline — on our platform so that you can easily access it in one place.

This robust solution delivers data insights that come directly from our platform. Instead of relying on multiple third-party tools, our centralized approach allows you to save time by viewing dynamic visual reports on how your travel program is performing and helps you find savings opportunities .

Expert support

We have over 2,500 business travel consultants who provide support to travelers, arrangers and travel managers around the world, 24/7/365 .

Our agents use our platform to see what you see in order to help you and your travelers on any step of the journey. Agents recognize every traveler when they call to give them the service they deserve.

Egencia mobile app

Our industry leading mobile technology delivers robust features to every user: Travelers, approvers, arrangers and travel managers. We’re always updating and improving our app to deliver the best booking, itinerary and alerts for travelers and offer mobile-only features like special hotel rates and ground transport options.

Travel managers and arrangers have visibility into travelers’ bookings to manage itineraries on the go and can approve or reject trips with just two taps in the app, or they can monitor and track travelers across the globe with Traveler Tracker.

Policy and approval

We make managing your travel policy and travel approval easy by quickly viewing your travelers’ itineraries across every booking channel. Your company’s travel policy and approval process is also visible, automated, and integrated into the platform so that however your travelers book their travel, there are intuitive, visual guidelines to help them stay compliant.

The Egencia solution allowed Nasdaq’s travel manager to support the new corporate travel policy and easily guide travelers to in-policy choices when booking. The ability to adjust policy levers as needed allowed them to quickly react to trends and cost savings opportunities. They also introduced a pre-trip approval process.

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Traveller risk management

Travel security risks, from disruptive weather patterns, worker strikes or political events, exist everywhere and can happen at any time. This highlights the importance our customers have for a travel risk management solution that provides up-to-date news, clear and concise communication, traveler tracking, as well as medical and security assistance services.

Travel to some destinations may represent an unacceptable risk for your company and you can restrict travel as needed. We provide travel managers with daily alerts and flag any disruptive events by sending special alerts that include a list of impacted travelers. Travel managers can also pull a list of travelers from Travel Tracker when an emergency arises, online or in the app.

For clients that need a higher level of support when it comes to travel risk management, we also partner with a number of risk management providers.

Supplier network

Our expansive inventory is built on a broad network of global distribution system (GDS) aggregators for low-cost content, rail providers and hotel inventory options. This approach is fundamental to what our customers want: Choice with local, relevant travel options across the globe.

When it comes to booking travel having a massive inventory is great, but when you serve corporate customers, we know that offering relevant, preferred rates as quickly as possible is paramount in reducing the time spent booking.

With more than 500,000 hotels in our inventory, we offer Egencia Preferred Rates for more than 35,000 hotels and include amenities such as breakfast, Wi-Fi and parking, all negotiated exclusively for business travelers. We also recognize the Top 100 Preferred Corporate Hotel awards , an annual program that recognizes the top customer-focused hotels around the globe.

Beyond hotels, we’ve spent the last 20 years cultivating supplier relationships that span the entire travel experience, and our suppliers cover more than 30,000 cities in over 200 countries.

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7 Revenue-Boosting Strategies for Your Travel Business

Briana Morgaine

8 min. read

Updated February 26, 2024

Not only is the travel industry one of the largest in the world, but it encompasses a wide variety of business types and customer needs.

This makes the travel industry easy to break into, as there are plenty of niches to fill, but difficult to stand out in, as large players (think major airlines, hotel chains, and services like Uber and Lyft) dominate the market.

To help your travel business stand out and bring in more revenue, here are seven research-driven, data-backed strategies you can implement today—or plan for once you’ve got your business up and running.

• 1. Ask for referrals

Customer referral programs can be an effective way to increase revenue for your travel agency, if implemented correctly.

In an effort to suss out the actual statistical effectiveness of referral programs, Referral Saasquatch did a roundup of customer referral program statistics, and found that 65 percent of new business comes from referrals, and 92 percent of respondents trusted referrals from people they knew.

Sami Belbase, President of Encore Jets, listed asking for referrals as number one in his list of most effective strategies for improving revenue. When it comes to why he advocates for a referral program, Sami is succinct: “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

Now, the process of asking for referrals can be a bit tricky—in fact, Hubspot found that the discomfort employees often feel when asking for referrals was why many referral programs fail. To combat this, they compiled some useful tips and referral templates to help with the process, which can be implemented by your sales team.

• 2. Establish a strong social media presence

If your travel business isn’t using social media to its advantage, it’s a good idea to pick and commit to a few social profiles at the very least.

While each business will have a slightly different user base with different social media habits, there’s a good likelihood that your customers use social media for travel purposes. A report by Deloitte found that over a third of people use online booking for their vacations, and the same report indicated that most travelers will discuss their trip on social media sites as soon as the day they return.

Sami Belbase recommends a “multi-channel strategy” when it comes to social media, and attests that a well-executed social media strategy has been one of the most effective tactics for boosting revenue for his business, Encore Jets. “Each platform is slightly different and built for a different purpose,” he says. “Harness the benefits of each and compose a multi-channel strategy while keeping an integrated campaign in mind.”

• 3. Motivate your team members (especially your sales team) with great incentives

When it comes to increasing revenue for your travel business, your sales team is on the front line.

So, how do you encourage your sales team to work as hard as they can to bring in the most clients and book the most trips possible?

“The biggest boost in sales has been through the motivation of our sales employees through personal incentives,” says Emmelie De La Cruz, Digital Marketing Manager for Shofur. “Our top sales rep is going to be awarded an all-expense paid trip to the NBA finals if he meets his sales goals this month.”

The data backs up the success of sales incentive programs: Blackhawk Engagement Solutions found that when structured properly, sales incentive programs can increase employee performance by up to 44 percent. Not only that, they found that annual revenue increase was three times higher among companies that use tangible sales incentives!

“This kind of personalized approach to employee incentives is a much better motivator that commission, and helps to build team morale,” says Emmelie. “When our team is happy and excited about the work that they do, it translates into better interactions with our customers and thus, more sales.”

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• 4. Encourage your customers to leave reviews

We all know online reviews are of huge importance —how many times have you looked up a restaurant, only to be put off by negative reviews on Yelp?

The importance of good online reviews doesn’t just end with dining, however. “Real customer reviews are the answer to more business,” says Natasha Malinsky, Shopping and Lifestyle Consolidator for ShopNYC Tours. “TripAdvisor is golden, and customers treat it like a travel bible.”

But just how important are online reviews for increasing revenue? Studies suggest that when it comes to buying decisions, 90 percent of consumers are influenced by reviews, and 87 percent of potential customers will not consider a business with a low rating on review sites.

All that being said, how do you get your customers to leave you reviews?

Simple— just ask.

• 5. Establish a personal connection with your customers

While revenue-boosting strategies tend to focus on bringing in new customers, don’t forget the importance of returning users.

Returning customers should be getting plenty of your attention: The likelihood that you’ll be able to sell again to an existing customer is 60 to 70 percent, while selling to a new customer is only five to 20 percent.

So, knowing this, how can your travel business make sure that you build a solid connection with your existing customers, to keep them coming back? Simon Harding from Theatre Breaks recommends reaching out personally.

“We contact those who have just booked, to make sure the booking process is okay, and we contact those who have just come back to make sure they had a good time,” he explains.

“It is really personal. We try to keep our own customers so that we establish a relationship with them,” says Simon. “Okay, it is a bit of extra work, but life in a travel agency has its ups and downs and we are finding it saves time because, by keeping up the communication, we know what the client wants to do next, earlier. So, no last minute rushes, and more chance of finding a deal.”

For Simon and Theater Breaks, reaching out to customers personally also has had the added benefit of increasing customer reviews and word of mouth, which has benefitted business. “While we are talking, we do now ask for official reviews,” he says. “We now have the opportunity to find out where customers are most likely to leave a review and help them to do so.”

• 6. Go where your customers are

While social media and other online marketing is certainly effective, there is something to be said for getting down in the trenches and actually going where your customers spend time.

David Feldsott, founder, and CEO of PanTrek, recommends just that. “We went out to find our potential customers, in the real world,” he says.

“Since we are an online travel agency that sells inter-city bus tickets, our target consumers are typically millennials (students, tourists, young professionals, and backpackers),” says David. “So, we went to hostels and hotels and told the staff about our website to make their job fielding questions easier, went to local universities and advertised to the students, posted on travel forums where tourists seek answers to common questions about bus travel, etc.”

PanTrek saw a marked improvement in their business as a result of actually speaking to their potential customers. “People checked out our product, fell in love with it, and our business took off via word-of-mouth,” says David. “We brought in new customers who didn’t know our service even existed and they spread it to other travelers they met along the road.”

This isn’t just one business’s success talking—word-of-mouth marketing is extremely powerful, with an estimated 500,000 conversations generated from every 1,000 customers. Not only that, but 92 percent of customers trust word-of-mouth recommendations over advertising.

• 7. Establish strategic partnerships

A strategic partnership involves your business coupling up with another business for an arrangement that benefits you both.

In the context of the travel business, this could look like an agency partnering with a hostel at their destination, where travelers get a discounted rate on a room.

Partnerships can be incredibly effective when it comes to boosting revenue. Just look at this case study from Kissmetrics, which details how one business’s partner network was responsible for a 1,983 percent increase in revenue!

Sami Belbase has had huge success with the partnerships he has established for Encore Jets. “The strongest way to partner with another company is leading in with the interest for a client,” he explains.

“[For example], when my client has a need to book at a high end property in, let’s say, St. Tropez, I will call a couple real estate firms, speak directly with someone in upper management, and discuss my client’s interest in their property. Immediately, a level of trust, and mutual interest will be stimulated between my agency and the real estate agency. Almost always they will propose a partnership moving forward as they have clients that need my service.”

• Ready to get started?

Maybe you’re still in the planning stages, and not quite ready to implement these strategies yet. If that’s the case, you’re in luck—we’ve done a lot of the legwork for you.

First, check out my other article, How to Start a Travel Agency. It’s filled with advice from entrepreneurs who have started successful travel businesses, and it covers the basics you’ll need to get started.

Second, make sure you check out Bplans  free travel and tourism sample business plans, which will give you a framework for how to structure your own business plan, and maybe some inspiration, too.

Bri Morgaine is a seasoned content marketing leader with a decade of experience in copy editing, social media operations, and content strategy— having honed her skills at industry giants like Palo Alto Software and Andreessen Horowitz.

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The dutchman who gets nike and lego into wartime russia’s stores.

Nike stopped selling its sportswear to Russia soon after Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine over two years ago. But that hasn’t stopped footballstore.ru, an online sports retailer owned by Russia’s Zenit soccer club.

Looking to travel? Here are some useful tips to avoid travel scams

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — With summer upon us means, families are setting their travel plans and getting ready to take as many vacations as possible.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects to exceed profits by over $25 billion.

However, the Better Business Bureau (BBB) received multiple reports of fraudulent flight cancellations targeting travelers.

How the Scam Works:

When searching for budget-friendly flights customers may see unbelievable deals that well-known airlines such as Delta, American, etc. You then proceed to book the flight through the website or over the phone through customer support once you complete the booking.

You will receive another call saying there was a price hike, out-of-the-blue fees, or additional charges to confirm your booking. Which they use to get more money out of you.

"Scammers are hijacking dreams with their deceitful schemes, turning the joy of travel into a nightmare for unsuspecting consumers," said Robyn Householder, president & CEO of Better Business Bureau Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky.

Always make sure you are booking through a reputable website when planning your next vacation so you don't end up losing money and no vacation.

Tips to Avoid Travel Scams:

• Research Companies:  Prior to engaging with unfamiliar entities, consult BBB.org for reviews and customer feedback. Opt for travel businesses accredited by Better Business Bureau for added security.
• Verify Flight Details:  Double-check flight information before contacting support. Scammers disseminate bogus airline cancellation emails and texts, often resembling authentic communications. Confirm the accuracy of details such as flight and reservation numbers before reaching out to customer service.
• Authenticate Website URLs:  Exercise caution when entering personal and payment information online. Verify the legitimacy and security of websites before proceeding with transactions. Visit BBB.org/BBBSecure for further guidance.
• Exercise Caution with Third-Party Websites:  Remain vigilant of websites lacking valid customer-service contacts, displaying grammatical errors, or featuring dubious addresses.
• Use Credit Cards for Online Purchases:  Utilize credit cards for online transactions, as they offer recourse for disputing fraudulent charges, unlike alternative payment methods.

For More Information: For comprehensive guidelines on safeguarding against travel scams, visit BBB.org/Travel. Victims of airline ticket or travel-related scams are encouraged to report their experiences at BBB.org/ScamTracker, aiding in preventing future victimization.

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Womp, womp: Jacksonville ranks worst city for summer travel in new survey

Sometimes, a perfect score isn’t something to brag about. 

In a recent ranking by Forbes Advisor , Jacksonville's perfect score of 100 earned the River City the dubious title of “Worst City for Summer Travel.” 

In its comparison of the country’s 43 most-populated cities, Forbes ranked Jacksonville worst based on a number of metrics spanning three categories: city experience, air travel experience and driving experience. 

Here’s what Forbes’ analysis found: 

• Scores lowest for walkability and third lowest for access to public transportation
• Jacksonville International Airport has the second highest percentage of disrupted summer flights (28.9% on average) 
• Sixth fewest parking lots and garages (1.49 per 100,000 residents)
• Eighth highest crime rate (63.99 crimes per 1,000 residents)
• Ranks eighth for fewest restaurants with four or more stars on Tripadvisor (728)

The survey — which cites statistics from Expedia, TripAdvisor, NOAA, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, AAA, The U.S. Census Bureau and others — appears with other content promoting travel insurance on forbes.com.  

The worst cities for summer travel, ranked

Other cities named to Forbes’ “Worst Cities for Summer Travel” include: 

• Jacksonville, Florida (100)
• Colorado Springs, Colorado (99.59) 
• Fresno, California (78.54) 
• Memphis, Tennessee (78.37) 
• Albuquerque, New Mexico (73.37) 
• Indianapolis, Indiana (70.66) 
• Louisville, Kentucky (67.67) 
• Tampa, Florida (67.31) 
• Tuscon, Arizona (64.14) 
• Miami, Florida (62.49) 

Things to do in June: Concerts, festivals, recitals and other fun stuff to do around Jacksonville

Dining destinations: What are the best restaurants in Jacksonville and the Beaches? See our favorites

The best cities for summer travel, ranked

On the other end of the spectrum, the following ranked as best cities for summer travel: 

• Minneapolis, Minnesota 
• Long Beach, California 
• Washington, D.C. 
• Seattle, Washington
• Omaha, Nebraska 
• San Diego, California 
• San Francisco, California 
• Columbus, Ohio 
• Chicago, Illinois 
• Houston, Texas 

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12 Travel Business Ideas

Jacqueline DeMarco is a freelance writer and editor. She has written on everything from finance to travel for publications including Fundera, LendingTree, SoFi, MagnifyMoney, LearnVest and Northwestern Mutual, among others.

Robert Beaupre leads the SMB team at NerdWallet. He has covered financial topics as an editor for more than a decade. Before joining NerdWallet, he served as senior editorial manager of QuinStreet's insurance sites and managing editor of Insure.com. In addition, he served as an online media manager for the University of Nevada, Reno.

Many or all of the products featured here are from our partners who compensate us. This influences which products we write about and where and how the product appears on a page. However, this does not influence our evaluations. Our opinions are our own. Here is a list of our partners and here's how we make money .

If there is one thing most people can agree on, it’s that traveling is one of life’s great pleasures. Exploring new cultures, visiting the world’s great wonders, spending days following your instincts and trying exotic foods — there’s a lot to love about discovering new places.

If you want to take your love of travel to the next level and start a business to serve your like-minded wanderlusters, you should consider these fun and profitable travel business ideas.

What is a travel business?

There are two overarching types of travel businesses worth considering. First, you could think about starting a business that provides services or goods for travelers — running a hotel, for example. The second option is to start a business that you can run from anywhere in the world while you yourself travel. In many cases, this type of business revolves around travel, such as working as a travel writer and writing stories about your latest adventures.

What makes a travel business idea a good one?

A good travel business should combine two things: reliability and excitement. When you run a travel business, your clients need to be able to trust you. They need to feel confident that the tour group you run is legitimate and will show them the best sites. Or that the blog you run about the best inns on the east coast actually gives honest reviews.

At the same time, you need to offer services or create content that excites your customers. Introduce them to sights off the beaten path. Help them unwind and relax while on their vacation. Find a way to create trust amongst your customer base while offering them an experience they can’t find anywhere else.

How much do you need?

with Fundera by NerdWallet

We’ll start with a brief questionnaire to better understand the unique needs of your business.

Once we uncover your personalized matches, our team will consult you on the process moving forward.

12 travel business ideas for 2021

If you’re unsure of what type of travel business ideas could work for you, keep reading for some popular options. These ideas range widely and you should put your own creative spin on them. At the end of the day, think back to your passion for traveling. What services or products have made the most difference to you on past trips? What did you feel was missing? Can you find a way to make a living on the road while capitalizing on your skillset? Chances are, you have more ideas at the ready than you think.

1. Modernized bed and breakfast

B&Bs have been popular for decades — they outlive trends and are clearly here to stay. But why not step things up a notch and find a way to modernize the bed and breakfast experience a little bit? Make sure your rooms are outfitted with nice televisions so guests can enjoy a movie night in their cozy room. Offer unique culinary experiences. Decorate in a way that feels timeless but fresh at the same time. A bed and breakfast is a smaller operation than a hotel and is a great way to break into the hospitality business. If you need a little help funding your bed and breakfast, consider one of these financing options.

2. Off-the-beaten-path tour guide

Tour groups are a dime a dozen. But if you can offer a unique tour, you’ll be able to stand out from the competition. What do you love about your city? Maybe you can find the best coffee, chocolate, or salty treats at your local shops and restaurants. Organize a foodie tour of your town that highlights how your local delicacies are made. Of course, you’ll have to include tastes of all the local treats.

Or consider organizing a tour of some lesser-known sites. Surely there is a natural activity or historical site that tourists haven’t caught onto yet. If you can give your travelers a taste of local life or make them feel like they’ve uncovered something special, then your tour guide business will thrive. Maybe some locals will even join in on the fun.

3. Glamping

Here’s a fun fact for you: By 2025, experts estimate the glamping market in the United States alone is projected to reach a revenue of around $1 billion. It sounds like the great outdoors is getting a little fancier. What exactly is glamping? Glamorous camping.

Glamping combines nature with the comforts of home, and usually Champagne. That’s right, after a long day of hiking or river rafting, campers can return to decked-out campsites that offer spa treatments, wine and gourmet meals. The perfect combination of adventure and relaxation. If you can create a campsite that melds the best parts of nature with resort living, you’ll be in business.

4. Remote travel agent

Long gone are the days of travel agent offices. The truth is, thanks to the internet it’s easier than ever to plan a trip. Anyone with a computer can choose between hundreds of flights, hotels and restaurant reservations. The ease of access is great, but the time it takes to weed through those options might not be available to everyone. This is where a remote travel agent comes in.

You’ll work out of your own home which saves the customer costs on overhead expenses. For a more affordable price, remote travel agents can help busy travelers plan their next vacation from anywhere in the world. Help them book the best hotels, unique activities and provide them with all of their important travel bookings and documentation.

5. Travel consultant

Even though their job titles sound similar, a travel consultant is different than a travel agent. A travel consultant usually specializes in solving complex travel issues. For example, they may specialize in helping adoptive parents travel abroad to make the task of adopting a child from a foreign country run smoothly. Or they might assist businesses with complex assignments like learning how to cater to new cultures during business deals. Travel consultants generally focus less on tourism and more on helping iron out logistical issues.

6. Travel photographer

As a travel photographer, you’ll have plenty of options for making money off your passions for travel and photography. You can sell photos taken while traveling to newspapers, magazines and websites. Or you can sell your favorite shots in your own online shop. You could license your gorgeous photos of Paris or Peru to companies that create goods like calendars or art prints. Perhaps you want to help create stock photography for big companies like Getty Images. Point being, we live in a very visual world and there are plenty of options for starting a travel photography business.

7. Create a haunted attraction

Want a surefire way to make sure your hotel or guided tour drum up enough business? The solution is easy: Make it haunted. This may seem like a business better suited for Halloween time, but people are ready to get their scare on year-round. These haunted attractions do particularly well in historic locations like towns on the east coast where there are plenty of ghost stories to go around. Do some research and then let your imagination take care of the rest. You might want to load up on business insurance just in case your haunted attraction is too scary.

8. Teach cultural classes

It’s time to share your unique culture with the world. Offer fun classes for tourists that will make them feel like locals, whether that be a Creole cooking class or an art class that captures a local style of painting. Help tourists pick up a skill that they won’t learn anywhere else, like how to make an authentic cup of Turkish coffee or bake a truly Parisian croissant.

9. House or pet sitting

Sometimes a travel business does its best work when helping travelers look after what they left behind. House or pet sitting can be a great side hustle to take on if you’re looking for a little extra cash. Of course, you could always start a larger business like a kennel that takes care of beloved pets while their owners are jet-setting around the world. Some people are even willing to pay for plant hotels that keep their plants in tiptop shape until they return from vacation. Consider a travel business that will give your customers peace of mind while they are far from home.

10. Travel blogger

You’ve traveled the world and, boy, do you have some good stories to tell. So why don’t you then? By starting a travel blog, you can make money by sharing your experiences. You can offer up travel advice, share photos from your journey and review restaurants and hotels. Once your blog picks up some steam (aka gets a decent amount of pageviews and monthly visitors) you’ll be able to make money from ads hosted on your website, sign up for affiliate programs, or create sponsored content for brands. If this sounds like your ideal business, this guide can help you start a travel blog.

11. Ecotourism

Sustainability is all the rage right now and for good reason. It makes sense that those who value exploring the world want to keep it safe. Which is why ecotourism (also known as green tourism) is such a potentially profitable idea. Essentially, ecotourism allows travelers to learn about local culture and wildlife in a low-impact way.

Generally, these types of tours or services (like hotels) try to minimize the impact of traveling while giving tourists the education and tools to help positively impact the environment and community they visit. Many travelers are even willing to spend more on hotels if they are environmentally friendly. If you can find a way to show tourists a good time while helping them make a positive impact, you’re sure to have a popular business on your hands in no time.

Start Your Dream Business

12. Home rentals

Do you have a gorgeous pool house just waiting to be turned into an oasis for weary travelers? Consider starting a home rental business. You can list any rooms in your house that are available to rent out (or even your entire house if you’re headed out of town yourself) on home rental websites like Airbnb or HomeAway. If you live in a popular area where hotels are particularly pricey, then you may be able to fetch a pretty penny by allowing customers to rent rooms in your home.

The best part is, you get to set your price. You only have to rent to people who can meet your price and who you think would be a good tenant (Hint: They need as many good reviews as you do). This can be an ideal business for bringing in extra money to help fund your next vacation. Just make sure that your town, apartment complex, or homeowners association allows you to rent out your property and that you’re following proper regulations.

This article originally appeared on JustBusiness, a subsidiary of NerdWallet.

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US widens sanctions on Russia to discourage countries such as China from doing business with Moscow

Biden National Security Council spokesman John Kirby speaks during the daily briefing at the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh) (Susan Walsh/AP)

The United States widened its sanctions against Russia Wednesday as G7 leaders prepared to gather in Italy for a summit where the top priorities will be boosting support for Ukraine and grinding down Russia’s war machine.

Wednesday's package targeted Chinese companies which help Russia pursue its war in Ukraine and raised the stakes for foreign financial institutions which work with sanctioned Russian entities.

It also targeted Russia’s financial infrastructure, in an attempt to limit the amount of money flowing in and out of Russia. Shortly after the sanctions were made public, the Moscow Exchange announced it would suspend transactions in dollars and euros.

The U.S. has sanctioned more than 4,000 Russian businesses and individuals since the war began, in an effort to choke off the flow of money and armaments to Moscow, whose superior firepower has given it an advantage on the battlefield in recent months. Nonetheless, new companies continually pop up as Russia attempts to rework supply chains.

“We have to be very honest with ourselves that Putin is a very capable adversary who is willing to adapt and find those willing collaborators,” Aaron Forsberg, the State Department’s Director for Economic Sanctions Policy and Implementation, told The Associated Press.

Sanctions against Russia, he said, are therefore a “dynamic affair.”

That includes listing addresses for the first time in a bid to crack down on companies reopening at the same address under a different name.

While sanctions have not stopped the flow of illicit goods, the aim is to make it harder for Russia to source crucial technology as well as drive up the markup on the goods. Wednesday's package targets more than $100 million in trade between Russia and suppliers for its war.

More than 300 new sanctions are largely aimed at deterring individuals and companies in countries including China, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey from helping Moscow circumvent Western blocks on obtaining key technology. They also threaten foreign financial institutions with sanctions if they do business with almost any sanctioned Russian entity, underscoring the U.S. view that the Kremlin has pivoted the Russian economy to a war footing .

Russia’s military is “desperate for access to the outside world,” said Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen.

The announcement came shortly before President Joe Biden arrived in Italy where he and other G7 leaders are urgently looking at aiding Ukraine, including turning frozen Russian assets into billions of dollars of support for Kyiv.

Seven Chinese and Hong-Kong-based companies were targeted Wednesday for shipping millions of dollars of material to Russia, including items which could be used in Russian weapons systems.

U.S. officials say China is the leading supplier of critical components to Russia, supplying both Chinese and Western technology.

On Wednesday the U.S. sanctioned a Chinese state-owned defense company which officials said had shipped military equipment for use in the Russian defense sector.

The move sends the message that the U.S. is “willing to wade into more treacherous territory” by increasing the pressure on the Chinese government, said Benjamin Hilgenstock, senior economist at the Kyiv School of Economics.

“We will address (China's) support for the Russian defense industrial base. And we will confront China’s non-market policies that are leading to harmful global spillovers," White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Tuesday.

China did not sanction Russia after President Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, and Putin ended a visit to China in May by emphasizing the two countries' burgeoning strategic ties.

“The Chinese leadership is not interested in making these sanctions a success,” said Janis Kluge, a Russia sanctions specialist at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin (SWP.)

Beijing, Kluge said, is reluctant to stop a valuable trade that is worth large amounts of money and it does not want to “add to the pressure on Putin in this war."

Imports from China are vital to Russia because Beijing is a major producer of critical components, including for Western companies. Chinese companies also act as intermediaries for the sale and shipment of Western components to Russia.

But while Chinese technology has been found on the battlefield in Ukraine, most of the components still come from Western nations including those which are “overwhelmingly” found in high-tech drones and ballistic missiles, said Hilgenstock.

As well as China, the U.S. targeted businesses in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates which officials said sent high-priority items to companies in Russia, including to businesses which were already sanctioned.

In December, the White House said foreign financial institutions could be sanctioned if they worked with entities in Russia's defense sector. Wednesday's expansion of sanctions now means that those institutions could face such measures if they work with almost any sanctioned Russian entity.

U.S. President Joe Biden’s top foreign policy adviser, Jake Sullivan, told reporters on the way to the G7 that the message to China and other countries was that they are “at serious risk of running afoul of the Treasury Department and falling under a sanctions regime.”

The fear of triggering secondary sanctions is an effective threat, analysts said.

While President Xi Jinping may not want to facilitate Western sanctions on Russia, “Chinese banks have always been very careful not to become a target of secondary sanctions because it would be very costly,” Kluge said, pointing to cases where Chinese banks have ended relationships with Russian customers.

The package also aims to hobble the development of Russia's energy sector and future sources of cash , including Arctic liquified natural gas projects which have been shipped critical LNG technology by a Chinese company.

In addition, the package targeted people involved in the forced transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia. Five people in Russia and Russian-occupied Ukraine were sanctioned after participating in the forced militarization and reeducation of the children and providing them with Russian passports.

AP White House Reporter Colleen Long aboard Air Force One contributed to this report

Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Extreme heat is already ruining summer travel — and it's only going to get worse

• Tourists are in for another summer of sweltering heat and extreme weather.
• Greek authorities closed the Acropolis this week amid scorching midday temperatures.
• Life-threatening temperatures are also set to scorch the US this week.  

Summer travel is already under attack — and it's technically still only spring.

Record-breaking temperatures and extreme weather events around the globe in recent days portend another blistering summer as the surge in travel after the height of the pandemic continues to climb.

Greek authorities closed the Acropolis in Athens on Wednesday and Thursday during a sweltering midday heat wave. Temperatures soared above 104 degrees Fahrenheit across much of central and southern Greece this week, resulting in all archeological sites in the Greek capital going dormant from midday to 5 p.m. local time, The Associated Press reported.

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The Acropolis , Greece's most popular tourist site, also closed last summer because of heat. But meteorologists said this week that this was the earliest heat wave recorded in Greek history, and the soaring temperatures have officials on high alert for potential wildfires.

Passengers stuck on board a Qatar Airways flight in Athens on Monday resorted to stripping as they sat in 95-degree heat with no air conditioning.

In Cyprus — one of Europe's sunniest destinations — a wave of heat-related wildfires has broken out near Paphos. The island draws scores of tourists each summer, eager to explore Cyprus' Roman ruins and beautiful beaches.

Further north, a holiday village in Turkey's Antalya Province was battered by flames as temperatures surpassed 102 degrees Fahrenheit, Euronews reported.

Meanwhile, torrential rains in parts of Spain wiped out crops in Murcia and grounded some flights on the popular tourist island of Mallorca, the outlet reported.

And the crisis is only likely to worsen as the summer drags on. Todd Crawford, the vice president of meteorology at Atmospheric G2, told The New York Times last month that the firm expected 2024 temperatures across Europe to be on par with heat levels on the continent in 2022 — the hottest summer ever recorded on the continent.

Crawford said July and August, especially, would be blistering throughout the world's fastest-warming continent. But the perils of the climate crisis haven't stopped people from flocking to places such as Italy, Croatia, and Greece — all countries that were afflicted by scorching heat last summer.

Sweltering summers aren't a problem unique to Europe. The US is set to be smacked with life-threatening temperatures in the coming days, too.

Starting in the Southwest, potentially record-breaking heat is set to reach the East Coast by the end of the week. New York City is forecast to reach 90 degrees by Friday — just in time for the Big Apple's busiest tourist season.

Watch: Greece's resort islands are on fire as heat wave intensifies

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15 Awesome Travel YouTube Channel Ideas for 2024

L aunching a travel YouTube channel can be quite the task; especially, when you’re not sure what to upload. That’s why I’ve compiled this list of travel YouTube channel ideas to help you fill up your content calendar. 

Even if you’ve already started uploading videos to your channel, you may find these video ideas helpful. Also, this list might help jog your creativity to come up with even more video concepts! 

Travel YouTube Channel Ideas

1. airport vlog.

What’s the difference between an airport vlog and a travel vlog? An airport vlog is more focused on getting to a destination than the destination itself. 

For example, if you’re taking a 15 hour flight or have a 24 hour travel day you can vlog about your experience and how you survive such a long travel day. You can also talk about flying with a specific airline, what the food on the plane was like, and how the different airports were. 

This is also a good time to throw in a little airport ootd or what’s in my carry on. 

2. Pack With Me

Pack with mes are another popular video idea for travel youtube channels. Whether you’re packing for a cruise, Disneyland, or a tropical getaway, a pack with me video is a great way to share packing tips with your audience. 

You can share things like what toiletries you’re bringing, how you keep things organized, what outfits you’re bringing, etc. You can also include affiliate links in your video description to help generate some income. I use RewardStyle for style and Amazon products.

Sample Ideas:

• Pack with me for Paris – Winter Edition
• Packing for a 10 Day Caribbean Cruise
• What to Pack for for a Aspen Ski Vacation

3. Bucket List

Share with your audience what destinations you’re dying to visit. 

Don’t simply list them off, tell them WHY you want to visit these destinations. Is there great food? Is there a specific resort you really want to stay at or a really cool attraction? Educate while you share. 

People are always looking for suggestions on where to travel and by sharing your bucket list you may just be influencing their next vacation!

4. General Travel Tips

General travel tip videos are another great travel YouTube channel idea. Again, this is an opportunity to educate your audience. While we like to think everyone’s traveled before, there’s tons of people who may be taking their first trip ever at any given time. 

In these videos, you can share ways to save money, packing hacks, tips for a better plane ride, etc. 

• Tips for Solo Female Travelers 
• How to Make Traveling with Kids Easier 

5. Destination Specific Travel Tips

Piggybacking off of general travel tips, is destination specific travel tips. 

While general travel tips will serve many travelers, destination specific tips are for those visiting a particular place. You could also think of this as a “Know Before You Go” type video. For example, a Positano travel video might include things like the best time to go to avoid crowds, what airport to fly into and the transfer options, how to get around the area, and other info visitors might find helpful.

• 10 things to know before visiting Greece 
• 5 Tourist Traps to Avoid in Paris
• Tokyo Travel Tips to have the best trip ever 

6. Travel Vlog

If you’re starting a travel youtube channel, chances are you’ve already planned on doing travel vlogs. Depending on the trip, I will either break my travel vlogs down by destination or by day. For example, for my 10 day trip to Spain and Portugal , I did a vlog for each city we visited. However, for Disneyland I did two vlogs, one per day we were there.

Very few people will sit around and watch a 40 minute travel vlog. So, I like to break down the content into more digestible segments. 

7. Travel Essentials

Sharing Amazon Travel Must-Haves or general travel essentials is another popular video idea for travel YouTube channels. 

People are always looking for ways to be more efficient when traveling and for products that help them with this. These videos are also a good way to generate some affiliate income. I like to use LiKETOKNOW.IT to link all my products. It works with Amazon and a bunch of other brands.

Sample Video Ideas:

• Camping Travel Essentials
• Road Trip must-haves 
• The Best Amazon Travel Finds 

8. What’s in your Travel Makeup Bag/Toiletry Bag

If you’re like me and like to share a mix of beauty and travel content, a “what’s in your travel makeup bag” or “what’s in your toiletry bag” video is a good way to blend the two. 

Talk about the different skincare and beauty products you bring with you when you travel and why. 

Looking for more beauty channel ideas? Read my Beauty video ideas post ! 

9. Destination Budget Breakdowns

Follow up your travel vlog with a destination budget breakdown. 

For this video you can do a mix of talking head clips with some destination footage. Walk your audience through how much each attraction cost, what you spent on meals and transportation, and any other expenses for your trip. 

You can also throw in a few tips on how to save money. 

10. Travel Makeup Routine

Another beauty/travel crossover video idea is a travel makeup routine. 

If you’re already sharing different makeup looks on your YouTube channel, this is an easy video idea to implement. 

• Glowy Summer Vacation Look
• Simple 5-Step travel makeup routine
• My Go-To Beach Makeup Look

11. Luggage Unboxing

My most popular video on YouTube is my Monos Luggage Unboxing .

People are always on the hunt for the best suitcases and carry on bags. So, if you’ve recently purchased a new travel bag or have an old reliable piece, film an unboxing or luggage review sharing the ins and outs. 

12. Travel Camera Equipment

If you have a variety of cameras and accessories that you bring with you when you travel, show what’s inside your travel camera kit .

And this doesn’t just have to be cameras and lenses. Share what memory card you use, which bags and pouches you use to keep everything organized, and any other tools you use.

13. Travel Resources

For a travel resources video, share which sites and apps you use to plan, book, and execute your travels.

Think Rome2Rio, Booking, Going (formerly Scott’s Cheap Flights), Viator, etc. 

Some people have never traveled before or have only traveled locally, which is why sharing resources is one of the more helpful travel YouTube channel ideas.

14. Lookbook

Lookbooks are an oldie but a goodie YouTube video concept. The idea is to show off all the different elements of your outfits for a particular season or event. 

For example, you could do a Hawaii Lookbook or a cruise lookbook featuring all your outfits that you wore during your vacation.

This is another good opportunity to share affiliate links and generate some extra income. 

15. Plan A Trip with Me/ How to Plan a Trip

For this video, walk your audience through your travel planning process . From picking the destination and booking flights to building an itinerary, show off how you plan your vacations.

• Planning my Southwest Road Trip
• Travel Plan with Me 
• How I’ve Planned my 2 Month Trip to South America

I hope you find these travel YouTube channel ideas helpful! I know when I was first getting started I had trouble coming up with ideas, so hopefully this list helps.

Pin it for Later!

The post 15 Awesome Travel YouTube Channel Ideas for 2024 appeared first on LIKE THE DRUM .

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Critical Baltimore Shipping Channel Reopens 11 Weeks After Bridge Collapse

The 700-foot-wide section of the Patapsco River where the Dali slammed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge is open for business.

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By Campbell Robertson and Heather Knight

It took more than 2,000 people working for nearly 11 weeks, but the main shipping channel into the Port of Baltimore, which had been clogged by the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, has fully reopened.

In announcing the restoration of the channel on Monday, officials with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said a survey of the site confirmed that the channel was safe for transit at its original depth of 50 feet.

“We are proud of the unified efforts that fully reopened the Federal Channel to port operations,” Lt. Gen. Scott Spellmon, commanding general of the corps, said in a statement.

The 700-foot-wide channel, known as the Fort McHenry Federal Channel, in the Patapsco River, had not been fully accessible to ships since the Dali, a container ship as long as the height of the Eiffel Tower, lost power and slammed into the Key Bridge on March 26 , causing the bridge to collapse and killing six men working on the bridge at the time.

The ship became stuck in the twisted crumple of the bridge, leaving about 50,000 tons of debris in the river to clean up before the channel could be reopened.

Like the ship, the cleanup operation was enormous, requiring pilots, sonar experts, dump-truck drivers, divers and engineers. It also included dozens of barges, tugboats, excavators, floating cranes and even small explosives.

Temporary channels were opened to vessel traffic, though none of them were as deep nor as wide as the Federal Channel. But in late May, after enough wreckage was removed, the Dali was dislodged and made the two-and-a-half-mile trip back upriver to the terminal it had left two months before. The ship is undergoing further work and is expected to head to Norfolk, Va., soon for more repairs.

Maryland’s governor, Wes Moore, hailed the restoration of the channel on Monday night. “We can get more Marylanders back to work at the Port of Baltimore, increase the flow of commerce through the city and accelerate our economic recovery,” he said in a statement. “But our work is not over until we rebuild the Francis Scott Key Bridge.”

Federal investigators said last month that the Dali had suffered two electrical failures on March 25 and then faced a complete blackout that killed power to its engine and navigation equipment as it left the Port of Baltimore early the next day. The ship issued a mayday call just before hitting the bridge, giving officers a few minutes to close the bridge to traffic, a move that officials said most likely saved lives.

The Dali is registered in Singapore and was heading for Sri Lanka at the time of the crash. It had around 4,700 containers, and 1.5 million gallons of fuel and lubricant oil on board. Its 21 crew members, mostly Indian citizens, and two pilots were not injured in the collision. The crew has remained on board ever since, said Darrell Wilson, a representative for Synergy Marine, which manages the Dali.

Hundreds of vessels have been able to enter and exit the port by using more shallow alternate channels. But the reopening of the permanent channel has been eagerly anticipated because it is part of one of the country’s most important shipping hubs, particularly in the automobile industry, and employs 8,000 people.

Rebuilding the bridge will take much longer. State officials have said that it will take four years to reconstruct the Key Bridge and cost up to $1.9 billion.

Campbell Robertson reports on Delaware, the District of Columbia, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia, for The Times. More about Campbell Robertson

Heather Knight is a reporter in San Francisco, leading The Times’s coverage of the Bay Area and Northern California. More about Heather Knight