How I make money from travel — My business model

How I make money from travel — My complete business model

The question I get asked most often is: "Max, how do you actually make money from travel?" The short answer: It's a full-time business with multiple income streams. You'll find the long answer in this post—honest, transparent, and with real numbers.

I've been traveling professionally for over ten years and have built a business that allows me to work from anywhere in the world. But the road to get here was anything but easy. Here's my complete business model.

The 5 pillars of my income

Pillar 1: Paid collaborations (60-70% of revenue)

The majority of my income comes from paid partnerships with tourism boards, hotels, airlines, and premium brands. These include:

• Tourism Board campaigns: Complete travel packages where I visit a country or region and create content. Fees in the high four- to five-figure range.
• Hotel partnerships: Stays in luxury hotels (Hilton, Rixos, Melia) including content production. Not just "accommodation in exchange for mail" — but paid campaigns with a clear brief.
• Brand Deals: Long-term partnerships with brands like Audi, BMW, Sony, and Turkish Airlines. These are often the most lucrative because they last for several months.
• Sponsored Content: Individual paid posts or story sets for products that match my target audience.

Prices vary considerably depending on the scope: A single story set starts in the high four-figure range. A complete campaign including travel, Reels, and blog content can easily reach five figures. For duo campaigns with Janet (2.3 million followers), prices start at around €12,700 for story packages and can rise to €45,000+ for large campaigns.

Pillar 2: Content production for third parties (15-20%)

Many tourism boards and hotels book me not only for my reach, but specifically for my content production. This means I create professional photos and videos that the client uses for their own channels—website, brochures, social media, advertisements.

These "content-for-hire" assignments are paid separately, often in addition to the influencer's fee. Usage rights are a separate point of negotiation: time-limited vs. unlimited, regional vs. worldwide, exclusive vs. non-exclusive. The more extensive the usage rights, the higher the price.

Pillar 3: Affiliate Marketing (5-10%)

Through my blog and social media channels, I recommend products and services that I use myself — and receive a commission if someone makes a purchase through those links. These are mainly:

• Camera equipment and drones (Amazon affiliate links)
• Travel insurance (HanseMerkur partner program)
• Booking platforms (Booking.com, GetYourGuide)
• Software and apps (Lightroom, VPN services)

Affiliate marketing isn't a huge revenue generator, but it's a passive income stream that flows even when I'm not actively creating content. My blog post about travel health insurance, for example, generates commissions every month—completely without any active effort on my part.

Pillar 4: Advice and Consulting (5-10%)

With over ten years of experience in influencer marketing, I'm increasingly being booked as a consultant. Tourism boards and agencies want to understand how they can optimize their influencer strategy. Hotels ask how they can improve their content. And up-and-coming creators book mentoring sessions.

This consulting work has developed organically and now provides a solid source of income. I charge a four-figure daily rate for each consulting day.

Pillar 5: Passive Income (2-5%)

The smallest but growing share comes from passive sources: stock photography (my drone images sell well on Adobe Stock), older blog posts with SEO traffic, and occasional licensing of my existing images.

Typical month — this is what the numbers look like

To make it more tangible, here is a typical working month (numbers rounded, for illustration purposes):

activity	days	Gross revenue
Tourism Board Campaign	7	High four-figure range
Hotel Review (2 Hotels)	4	Mid-four-figure range
Brand Deal (3 Posts + Stories)	2	Mid-four-figure range
Post-production	8	(included in the fee)
Affiliate revenue	passive	low 3-digit range
Business Management	5	(Overhead)

From the gross revenue, the following are deducted: taxes (approx. 30-40%), equipment costs, travel expenses not covered by the partner, insurance, software subscriptions, accounting, and occasional assistance for large projects.

The journey there — How I started

I started my Instagram account in 2014. For the first two years, I didn't earn a single cent—just traveled at my own expense and posted content. My first paid deal came when I had around 50,000 followers: A small hotel in Greece offered me a night in exchange for a post. In retrospect, it was a bad deal, but at the time it felt like hitting the jackpot.

The breakthrough came in 2017 when I surpassed 500,000 followers. Suddenly, it wasn't just hotels contacting me anymore, but tourism boards and major brands. My first five-figure deal was a collaboration with an automotive manufacturer—and from that moment on, I knew: This could become a real business.

Today, with over 4.2 million followers and more than 82 countries visited, the deals are bigger, the partners more renowned, and the business more stable. But the fundamental principles remain the same: high-quality content, professionalism, and a clear market value.

The uncomfortable truths about making money from travel

It's not a vacation

The idea of lying on the beach all day and getting paid for it is a myth. On a typical travel day, I get up before sunrise (best drone light), shoot for 6-8 hours, edit photos in the evening, and post stories. Those are 12-14 hour days. I take vacations separately—and then I leave the camera at home.

You need business skills, not just creativity.

Good content alone isn't enough. You need negotiation skills, accounting, contract understanding, tax knowledge, pricing expertise, and marketing know-how. Many talented creators fail not because of their content, but because of their lack of business acumen.

Revenues fluctuate greatly.

Influencer income is not linear. There are months with three big deals and months with none. Seasonality plays a role (Q4 is strong due to Christmas campaigns, January is often quiet). A financial cushion of at least six months' living expenses is essential.

Follower counts alone don't bring in money.

One million followers with a 0.5% engagement rate are worth less than 100,000 followers with a 5% engagement rate. Brands no longer focus solely on follower count—engagement, target audience, content quality, and credibility are at least as important.

5 tips for aspiring travel creators

1. Find your niche

„Travel influencer“ isn’t a niche – there are millions of them. „Drone photography in volcanic landscapes“? That’s a niche. The more specific your focus, the clearer your profiling and the easier the monetization.

2. Invest in quality, not quantity.

One outstanding post per week beats five mediocre ones. Learn photography, video editing, and storytelling—that's your craft.

3. Build a media kit

Once you reach 10,000 followers, you should have a professional media kit. Real numbers, not inflated metrics. Brands can spot fake followers immediately.

4. Diversify your income

Never rely on a single source of income. Instagram algorithms change, platforms come and go. Blog, YouTube, affiliate marketing, consulting—the more pillars you have, the more stable your business will be.

5. Say no to barter deals

Your work has value. If a brand doesn't have a budget, it's not a partner. Exceptions are only made for strategically valuable projects that enhance your portfolio.

FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions about Making Money with Travel

How many followers does it take to make a living from traveling?

It depends on many factors—engagement rate, niche, quality, negotiation skills. Realistically, with 50,000–100,000 engaged followers and a clearly defined niche, you can start generating significant income. Making a living from it? That becomes realistic with 200,000–500,000 followers—provided you maintain a professional image.

Do I have to pay taxes?

Yes, on all income—including benefits in kind like free hotel stays or flights. A tax advisor is mandatory from the first paid deal. The good news: travel expenses, equipment, and even a portion of your rent (for home offices) are tax-deductible as business expenses.

Do you need a business license?

Yes. As soon as you start earning regular income, you need to register a business. In Germany, this is straightforward — a business license from the local trade office costs €20-65 and takes about 15 minutes.

How much do I really work?

On average, 40-60 hours per week. Of that, perhaps 301,003 hours is "visible" work (traveling, photography, posting) and 701,003 hours is "invisible" work (editing, negotiations, emails, accounting, planning). It's a full-time job, not a hobby.

Conclusion — Yes, you can make money with travel. But…

Making money through travel is possible—I'm living proof. But it requires years of work, investment, professionalism, and the willingness to turn what might seem like a dream job into a real business. If you're ready to take this path, one of the most fulfilling careers I can imagine awaits you.

About the author: Max Haase is Germany's most influential travel influencer with over 4.2 million followers. He specializes in drone footage and luxury travel. Cooperation requests here.

My daily workflow as a travel creator

To give you an even better insight, here is my typical daily routine on a paid trip:

5:30 — Get up. Before breakfast, I launch the drone for sunrise shots. The morning light is invaluable—soft, warm, and dramatic. The most modern travel drone is ready to fly in two minutes.

7:00 — Breakfast and Instagram Stories. While I eat, I'll post the first behind-the-scenes stories. Authentic, unfiltered, straight from the moment.

8:30-12:00 — Content production. This is the most productive phase. Location scouting, photography with the professional full-frame camera, action cam footage, B-roll for reels. On good days, I shoot 300-500 photos and 30-60 minutes of video footage.

12:00-13:00 — Lunch break. Even on paid trips, I need breaks. Besides, restaurant content is practically produced on the side.

13:00-17:00 — Other locations. Afternoon light is harsher, so I focus on architecture, interiors and action shots where shadows are less distracting.

17:00-19:00 — Golden Hour. The second magical phase of the day. Drone out, camera out — every minute counts. Some of my best pictures were taken during these two hours.

19:00-20:00 — Dinner. Often with the Tourism Board team or local guides. Networking is part of the job.

8:00-11:00 p.m. — Post-Production. Import images, make initial selections in Lightroom, edit 2-3 images for the next day, and edit the Reel in LumaFusion. Also: respond to Instagram engagement — comments, DMs, and community management.

23:00 — Sleep. The alarm clock rings again at 5:30.

This isn't a vacation—it's focused, creative work in an inspiring environment. And that's exactly why I love this job: because it challenges me every day and allows me to discover the world along the way.

The biggest myths about Travel Creator

Myth: "You just fly somewhere and post a photo"„

Reality: Behind every single post lies 3-5 hours of work — location research, travel, shooting, editing, writing, hashtag research, community engagement. A single picture that looks "spontaneous" is often the result of 50+ attempts.

Myth: "Anyone can do it"„

Reality: Technically, anyone can open an Instagram account. But fewer than 0.11 TP3T of all creators can make a living from it. It takes a combination of creativity, business acumen, perseverance, and—yes—luck and timing.

Myth: "Influencers easily earn a lot of money"„

Reality: Income fluctuations are brutal. One month can be excellent, the next completely empty. Add to that high operating costs: equipment (€8,000+), insurance (€600/year), software subscriptions (€200/month), travel expenses, and tax advisor fees. From a gross revenue in the mid-five-figure range, significantly less remains after deducting all costs and taxes than one might expect.

Myth: "This only works if you are young and attractive"„

Reality: The most successful travel creators I know score points with expertise, storytelling, and unique perspectives—not with looks. A 55-year-old hiking expert can be more successful in her niche than a 25-year-old with a perfect six-pack.

My best financial advice for aspiring creators

Before you quit your job to become a "full-time influencer," build your creator business on the side. Only quit when your monthly influencer income covers your living expenses for at least six months. I took the plunge when I had 200,000 followers and my monthly income from collaborations was consistently in the four figures. In retrospect, that was the right time—any earlier would have been too risky.

Making money through travel isn't a dream—it's a business. And like any business, it requires planning, discipline, and a willingness to work hard. If you understand that, all doors will be open to you.

Income streams I still want to build

Even after more than ten years as a creator, I still see untapped potential. Three areas I want to expand in 2025 and 2026:

YouTube: Longer videos are the next logical step. While YouTube revenue from ads is smaller than direct brand deals, the platform has a much longer content lifespan than Instagram. A good YouTube video can still generate views and revenue three years after it's uploaded.

Digital products: Lightroom presets, drone guides, an e-book on "Becoming a Travel Creator" — all products I create once and can sell an unlimited number of times. Scalable, without any additional time investment per sale.

Speaking engagements: Presentations at conferences such as ITB Berlin or marketing events. As one of Germany's most successful travel creators, I possess expertise that is valuable to the industry. Typical speaker fees range from €2,000 to €5,000 per appearance—an attractive additional income.

The beauty of the creator business is that it's constantly evolving. New platforms, new formats, new monetization opportunities. Those who stay on top of things and adapt have the best chances—for the next ten years and beyond.