When Tia Cooper arrives at her apartment after teaching physical education all day, she doesn’t turn on the TV or read a book to relax.
Instead, she goes straight to her computer to review the flight and hotel reservations she makes for her clients as a travel advisor. She then gets to work finalizing her own travel plans and coordinating with brands on paid sponsored content.
Cooper first started posting photos from his travels on instagram In 2015, then TikTok account We produce videos that focus on luxury budget travel. Currently, she has traveled to her 44 countries and has approximately 129,000 followers across her two social platforms.
She has worked with brands such as Tourism Ireland, Sofitel, Visit Dubai, Emirates Red and Travel Noir to monetize their content by creating videos and carousel posts, but is looking to further increase her income? I hope that. She also wanted to take a more active role in coordinating her travels with her community online.
“Instead of just posting content and getting it seen, I wanted to find a way to use my travel knowledge to help other people actually go there,” Cooper told Business Insider. Ta.
She is one of several people who are using their experience as travel creators to build profitable businesses. Some, like her, become certified travel agents, while others organize group trips.
In the past eight months, Cooper sold $119,000 worth of travel to customers around the world who booked specific travel packages offered by her through an online travel advisory company, according to documents seen by BI.
Wide variety of certifications and fees
When Cooper first considered becoming a travel agent in 2018, she was overwhelmed by the process.
“I didn’t know where to start, so I decided to focus on making an impact,” she said.
But in early 2023, one of her mentors, a certified travel agent, offered to help walk her through the process step-by-step. Currently, Cooper has nine of her agent certifications accredited by BI, including Carnival Cruises and Marriott International Hotels.
She offers clients a variety of travel packages, including VIP concierge experiences, and when a client books, Cooper receives a commission ranging from $200 to $600 per person. Many people have asked her for help because they see her content and she trusts her experience, but word of mouth is one of her most successful tactics for getting work. One of hers, she said.
That’s why travel creators don’t need to have a lot of followers to be successful in this profession.
“I have to be proactive and talk to people at my husband’s dinner parties and on the street,” she says. “You don’t have to sell travel. People already want to travel, so you just have to tell them you’re the person who can make it happen.”
A “boom” of travel creators becoming agents could be the future.
Currently, Cooper personally mentors several travel creators who are interested in pursuing agent certification.
She also tries to convince other friends in the travel community to consider work in this field, but said the idea is sometimes met with skepticism because of the time it takes.
However, she says that brand deals, which are the main way many influencers make money, are often unstable sources of income, so she thinks it will be a popular side hustle for travel creators. ing.
“I don’t think many creators realize how much money they can make,” she says. “These days, people want to book their trips with travel experts they trust. As creators, we naturally build that trust through the content we post.”
Cooper hasn’t stopped traveling himself, and still works with brands to help pay for his travels.
The minimum fee for a sponsored TikTok video is $750, and we charge at least $500 for an Instagram reel or carousel post. She said these rates would be higher if she were a full-time influencer, but these prices give her more flexibility in negotiating terms with brands, such as how many countries she goes to. .
“I still work a 9-to-5 job, so if my schedule doesn’t work out, I can’t go and pick you up somewhere all week,” she said. “I love what I do, but traveling is also a passion of mine, so I’m juggling that now.”
