Most of what you read about pitching brands as a UGC creator isn’t the full picture. A lot of the advice out there repeats the same 5 things:

• Make a list of brands you’d love to work with

• DM the brand asking them who you should send your pitch to

• Introduce yourself in the first paragraph of your pitch email

• Compliment the brand (”I saw your hotel on my feed and it’s so beautiful!”)

• Follow up a few days later with “Just wanted to see what you think!” if they don’t respond

Simple, right?

Except that’s actually not the best pitching strategy — especially not for UGC creators like us who are trying to secure four-figure contracts with hotels, tourism boards, and other travel brands.

Because while this simple checklist might’ve been the formula for getting a brand’s attention in the past, it’s not a complete strategy. Everyone is doing this, and nobody is standing out.

This “advice” that I see circulating online doesn’t even touch upon:

• The fact that not every brand you want to work with is a good prospect for a travel UGC collab

• How to find the name and email address of the right person on the brand’s team

• How starting your pitch with a paragraph about you is actually a missed opportunity — and why opening your pitch with a solution to a problem is what makes brands significantly more likely to pay you

• How to properly research the brand so you can include relevant and timely content ideas in your pitch

• The most effective way to follow up with a brand that’s playing dead (so that you actually get a response)

That’s what this guide is for — to break down the anatomy of a winning travel UGC pitch strategy.

By the time you’re finished reading this, you’ll understand exactly how to craft a pitch email that effectively communicates the value you provide to brands, even as a travel creator without thousands of followers. You’ll also be able to identify the person you should be emailing, and you’ll never see your brand outreach the same way again.

Ready? Let’s dive in.

Overview

✍🏽 Build the best possible pitch prospect list

🔍 Find the person in charge of distributing budget and hiring creators

📧 Craft the perfect opening to your pitch email

🤑 Brainstorm content collaboration ideas that basically write the check for you

📆 Write a follow-up sequence that feels more like a strategic push than a random nudge

Read more

This week’s best brand collaboration opportunities for travel UGC creators and small content creators

Every 2 weeks, I do a roundup of opportunities for travel content creators.

No minimum followers are required for any of these, so whether you have 100 followers or 100k followers, these opportunities could be for you. 😉

This week’s travel creator opportunity roundup includes:

• [Creators worldwide; 1 video; $250 USD budget; apply by August 31st] Luggage brand seeking UGC creators for fall-inspired travel content

• [US-based creators; deliverables, budget, and deadline not specified] West Virginia cabins seeking UGC creators with plans to create content for their socials

• [Australia-based creators; deliverables, budget, and deadline not specified] Hotel group with properties across Queensland seeking content creators to collaborate with

• [Creators worldwide; deliverables, budget, and deadline not specified] Surf and sports camp in Morocco actively seeking content creators, social media managers, and others for open positions

• 10 brands that are currently running UGC-style travel ads (so you know who has budget and who actively collaborates with UGC creators and smaller creators)

All the links are provided below!

If you’re not already a paid subscribed, click the button below to be notified when I send out this bi-monthly roundup of travel UGC creator opportunities. It’s only $8/month. 🫶🏽

Here are a few opportunities that paid subscribers were notified of from previous issues of the Travel Creator Opportunities newsletter. ⬇️

Ready for the newest travel creator opportunities + travel brands currently working with UGC creators? Read on. ✈️🤍

Read more

Every 2 weeks, I do a roundup of travel UGC jobs and travel creator opportunities.

No minimum followers are required for most of these, so whether you have 100 followers or 100k followers, these opportunities could be for you. 😉

This week’s travel UGC job and creator opportunity roundup includes:

• 🎁🇺🇸 [GIFTED; Creators from the USA; UGC creators and influencers wanted; no minimum followers; apply by September 29th] Hosted 5-night RV rental at a beach destination of your choosing.

• 💰🇷🇺🇹🇭🇮🇩🇲🇾 [PAID; Creators from Russia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia; creators with 5k-20k followers; apply by August 29th] Travel planning app hiring 25 creators to edit and post pre-filmed footage of a resort in China.

• 💰🇬🇧 [PAID; Creators from the UK; no minimum followers; apply ASAP] Hidden-gem camping and glamping platform seeking a Freelance Social Media & Content Creator for recurring work 1 day per week.

• 💰🌍 [PAID; Creators worldwide; no minimum followers; apply ASAP] Company that organizes group trips for remote workers around the world is seeking a contract-based Social Media Marketing Lead. All travel expenses are covered.

• 💰🇺🇸 [PAID; Creators from the USA; no minimum followers; apply by August 28th] USA-based regional tourism board seeking a retainer content creator to produce their content and manage their socials.

All the links are provided below!

If you’re not already a paid subscribed, click the button below to be notified when I send out this bi-monthly roundup of travel UGC creator opportunities. It’s only $8/month. 🫶🏽

Here are a few opportunities that paid subscribers were notified of from previous issues of the Travel Creator Opportunities newsletter. ⬇️

Ready for the newest travel creator opportunities + travel brands currently working with UGC creators? Read on. ✈️🤍

Read more

When I first started as a travel UGC creator, I blasted pitch emails to literally every travel brand I’d ever heard of.

And listen, sometimes you gotta send out a high volume of messages. If you don’t know which brands, hotels, and tourism boards are actually interested in collaborating with UGC creators, it makes sense to try to cast a wide net.

But the problem with that is you end up getting ghosted. Most travel brands aren’t a good fit for your specific travel vibe, so they don’t respond.

Here’s what happens when you try to work with everybody and recycle the same pitch:

1. You miss the opportunity to “wow” the brand with an idea that feels like it was literally built for them

2. Brands that aren’t really aligned with your travel sub-niche or content style are left confused about why a partnership with you would even make sense

If you try to speak to everyone, you speak to no one.

So do this instead: Specialize in one type of travel niche, and get specific about who you’re actually pitching.

“But Roxanne, I don’t just travel in one way. I don’t want to niche down.”

You don’t have to give up a certain travel style to make this work — I’m just saying that specificity is your biggest leverage when you pitch.

Whether you consider yourself to be a solo traveler, a bougie traveler, a dog mom who won’t go anywhere without her fur baby, or a budget backpacker traveling on $50 per day — there are brands out there with budgets, and they’re actively looking for someone who creates the type of content you’re already making.

Feel free to read this entire article or skip down to your specific niche.

Overview
✈️ Why pitching within your niche gets you more “yes”es
✈️ Solo travel
✈️ Couple's travel
✈️ Family travel
✈️ Outdoors and camping
✈️ Traveling with pets
✈️ Special diet and culinary travel
✈️ Budget travel and backpacking
✈️ Luxury travel
✈️ Wellness and spiritual travel

Why pitching within your niche gets you more “yes”es

Let me paint you a picture.

A marketing manager at a boutique glamping resort gets two pitch emails on the same day.

Pitch #1: “I’m a travel content creator who loves exploring beautiful destinations around the world. I’d love to collaborate with your brand!”

Pitch #2: “I create content specifically for outdoor and adventure travel brands. I’d love to create content that showcases the experience of staying with you.”

Which one do you think gets the reply?

Nobody likes to hear this, but simply having good quality content doesn’t qualify you to work with a brand (sorry not sorry!)

Above anything, brands want UGC that feels like it naturally belongs on their socials, website, and ads. That means it’s got to fit the vibe (the branding). If your vibe fits the brand’s vibe, it’s easier for the brand to come to the conclusion that they should absolutely choose to work with you.

Generic pitch: “I’m a travel content creator who loves to explore!”

Niche pitch: “I create licensable UGC for brands that make it easier for solo female travelers to travel on a budget, and I love that your travel insurance brand is on a mission to make traveling more accessible to all budget types.”

Do you see the difference? The first example gives the brand no reason to think, “This creator’s content is super aligned with our brand’s mission.” The second example lays it out clearly.

Last thing before we get into it: whatever your niche is, you’ll def need a strong pitch email. That’s what makes all the difference. If the thought of writing those emails from scratch makes you want to chuck your computer out a window (no judgment) take a peek at my Pitch & Portfolio Templates Bundle.

Let’s figure out who to pitch based on your specific travel sub-niche!

Read more

Every 2 weeks, I do a roundup of opportunities for travel content creators.

No minimum followers are required for any of these, so whether you have 100 followers or 100k followers, these opportunities could be for you. 😉

This week’s travel creator opportunity roundup includes:

• [Creators worldwide; apply by August 9th] Canadian tourism board seeking content creators, photographers, videographers, and drone pilots for projects

• [Creators worldwide; apply ASAP for travel dates in August] New Zealand campervan rental company seeking creators for a trade partnership in August 2026

• [Creators worldwide; no application deadline mentioned] Boutique hotel near Amsterdam with luxury cabins and sauna seeking UGC creators

• 10 brands that are currently running UGC-style travel ads (so you know who has budget and who actively collaborates with UGC creators and smaller creators)

All the links are provided below!

If you’re not already a paid subscribed, click the button below to be notified when I send out this bi-monthly roundup of travel UGC creator opportunities. It’s only $8/month. 🫶🏽

Here are a few opportunities that paid subscribers were notified of from previous issues of the Travel Creator Opportunities newsletter. ⬇️

Ready for the newest travel creator opportunities + travel brands currently working with UGC creators? Read on. ✈️🤍

Read more

So you sent out your pitch email a week ago and you still haven’t heard back?

Don’t call it quits just yet!

Many times, the brands I pitch don’t reply to my message until the 3rd or even 4th follow-up. Other times, my email tracker tells me that my emails are in fact getting opened – but for one reason or another, the brand contact is lurking instead of replying.

There are lots of reasons why you might not be hearing back. And it’s not always about you, your content, or even the pitch itself.

• The decision-maker at the brand is forwarding your message internally and waiting to hear back from their team before replying to you

• The brand has no need for new content (or thinks they don’t need it)

• The brand already has a roster full of creators, photographers, or production agencies they go to for new content

• The brand doesn’t have budget, and they’re too embarrassed (or not bothering) to tell you

• The brand doesn’t fully understand what they gain from working with you and doesn’t have the time (or energy) to ask you to clarify what it is you’re asking of them

• Your pitch landed in the wrong inbox (here’s a simple way to tell, btw)

That’s why it’s important to follow up.

Your pitch gets buried in an inbox. People get busy and forget to reply.

Now, you technically can check back in with a simple, “Hi there, just following up.” But I recommend taking this as an opportunity to nonchalantly address any of the possible reasons for their silence.

Follow-up cadence

Every 5 business days. If you send your first email on a Tuesday, send your first follow-up on the following Tuesday, your second follow-up on the Tuesday after that, and so on.

Follow-up sequence

💌 First email – Your pitch email

💌 Follow-up #1 – Address objections

💌 Follow-up #2 – Show social proof

💌 Follow-up #3 – Share a time-sensitive idea

💌 Last follow-up – Leave the door open

I’m pulling the follow-up email templates, examples, and explanations directly from the travel UGC online course I’m working on (coming soon!) Consider this your official first sneak peek. 😉

Follow-up email #1

Address the biggest objections brands might have about working with a new creator.

Remember how I mentioned that the reason a brand might be avoiding you is because they don’t know how to tell you they’re already working with creators, a photographer, or a production agency? They might already think, “We have plenty of influencers, photographers, and creators. We don’t need you.” Your job with this first follow-up email is to address this and counter it.

Email template for follow-up #1:

Hi [Contact Name],

I’m circling back to see what you thought of my earlier message, where I proposed a content licensing partnership with [Brand Name].

You likely already have a team responsible for content production. To clarify, I’m proposing a partnership where I produce content that complements and expands upon your existing content library… [Give a reason your content or ideas or specific skillset is different and beneficial to them].

Would love to know if that’s something that [Brand Name] would find useful?

Kind regards,

[Your Name]

Some examples you could plug into the bold part of this template:

1. One way is by showcasing your destination through the lens of a real traveler. The result is authentic, social-first content that resonates with your target audience and helps inspire future travelers to choose you.

2. Working with a one-person production team means you get the flexibility and efficiency of someone who researches, scripts, films, edits, and delivers content without needing to coordinate multiple photographers/agencies or long production timelines.

3. The photos and videos I produce are intentionally designed for the social platforms that [Brand Name] is on. The finished product is a broader library of licensed assets that your marketing team can use for organic social, paid ads, email, and more.

✅ Acknowledges that the brand probably already has a team that handles professional content

✅ Explains that our content is supplemental instead of a replacement

✅ Explains how our content style and content ideas are different from the content they already have

OK, so you’ve touched on one of the biggest reasons why brands, hotels, and tourism boards don’t reply to creators pitching them. But what if after sending that first follow-up, you still hear radio silence?

That means it’s time to move on to phase 2.

Read more

Every 2 weeks, I do a roundup of opportunities for travel content creators.

No minimum followers are required for any of these, so whether you have 100 followers or 100k followers, these opportunities could be for you. 😉

This week’s travel creator opportunity roundup includes:

• [Creators worldwide; budget and application deadline not specified] Hosted stay at a villa in Puglia, Italy

• [Creators in the USA and Canada; unpaid collaboration; and application deadline not specified] Global hotel brand looking to host creators for up to 4 nights at one of their American or Canadian properties. Creators of all audience sizes encouraged to apply.

• [Creators worldwide; 1 video; $600 USD budget; apply by July 16th] Tortilla chip brand seeking UGC creators with plans to create summery, outdoor, trend-based content

• [Creators worldwide; 1 video; $550 USD budget; apply by July 16th] Potato chip brand seeking UGC creators with plans to host friends or family with a late summer/early fall aesthetic or “East Coast” aesthetic

• [Creators worldwide; 1 video; $250 USD budget; apply by July 17th] Headphones brand seeking UGC creators to showcase their product as the “must-have travel hack”

• [Creators in the USA; brand hinted at a budget; apply by July 31st] Christmas market located in Midwest USA has opened their applications for content creators living in or traveling to Indiana this Christmas/holiday season

• 10 brands that are currently running UGC-style travel ads (so you know who has budget and who actively collaborates with UGC creators and smaller creators)

All the links are provided below!

If you’re not already a paid subscribed, click the button below to be notified when I send out this bi-monthly roundup of travel UGC creator opportunities. It’s only $8/month. 🫶🏽

Here are a few opportunities that paid subscribers were notified of from previous issues of the Travel Creator Opportunities newsletter. ⬇️

Ready for the newest travel creator opportunities + travel brands currently working with UGC creators? Read on. ✈️🤍

Read more

Every 2 weeks, I do a roundup of opportunities for travel content creators. No followers are required for any of these, so whether you have 100 followers or 100k followers, these opportunities could be for you. 😉

This week’s travel creator opportunity roundup includes:

• [Creators worldwide; $300-$400 USD budget] Travel bag brand seeking UGC creators traveling through an airport sometime this summer

• [USA and Dominican Republic creators; budget not listed] Casting call for major hotel brand in Punta Cana doing a “girls trip” shoot

• [Australia, Europe, USA and Canada creators; budget not listed] Beach towel brand seeking UGC creators

• 10 brands that are currently running UGC-style travel ads (so you know who has budget and who actively collaborates with UGC creators and smaller creators)

All the links are provided below!

If you’re not already a paid subscribed, click the button below to be notified when I send out this bi-monthly roundup of travel UGC creator opportunities. It’s only $8/month. 🫶🏽

Here are a few opportunities that paid subscribers were notified of from previous issues of the Travel Creator Opportunities newsletter. ⬇️

Ready for the newest travel creator opportunities + travel brands currently working with UGC creators? Read on. ✈️🤍

Read more

If you’re an aspiring travel content creator who has gone down the YouTube rabbit hole in search of videos that will clear up how the hell creators are making a full-time living creating content for travel brands like hotels and tourism boards, then you know how it is. 👀

Almost every video is an affiliate plug for the most expensive DSLR camera (which, no shade — I totally respect the hustle!) But the reality for a lot of new creators is that we don’t have thousands of dollars saved up for an expensive camera setup (yet).

And don’t even get me started on the video editing tutorials. There’s got to be an easier way to edit short-form video than paying a monthly fee and learning a complex new software from scratch, right?

We know we need to build a portfolio of great travel content if we want to reach out to brands for collaborations, but we run into problems — some of us have kids, day jobs, no trips planned in the near future (gasp)… So how will we create travel content??

It’s no wonder that so many of us spend our first few months as newbie creators wondering if getting paid to travel is just not in the cards for us.

But what most creators get wrong is thinking they need to go broke to kickstart their travel UGC journeys.

I’ve been doing this for years now, working with brands like Hyatt, Klook, and Visit California, and I still use a setup that doesn’t cost me much.

I’m breaking down every tool and app I personally use, broken into the 5 stages of being a travel UGC creator: filming, editing, hosting your portfolio, finding brands, and staying organized.

Overview

✈️ What I use to film travel UGC

✈️ What I use to edit my short-form video content

✈️ Where I host my portfolio

✈️ How I find brands to pitch

✈️ How I find the right contact at those brands

✈️ How I craft my actual pitch

✈️ How I stay organized through it all

Psst… This post is for paid subscribers, but if you’re not a paid subscriber yet, I’m giving you a free gift: You can unlock this post to get a taste of the value that my paid community gets access to each week.

Read more

Every 2 weeks, I do a roundup of opportunities for travel content creators. No followers are required for any of these, so whether you have 100 followers or 100k followers, these opportunities could be for you. 😉

This week’s travel creator opportunity roundup includes:

• [UK creators only] A paid brand trip (flights included) to one of the following: Costa Rica, Portugal, or Spain

• [Creators worldwide] A UGC agency is looking to add more travel UGC creators to their network

• [Creators worldwide] A travel insurance comparison site wants to know your rates

• 8 brands that are currently running UGC-style travel ads (so you know who has budget and who actively collaborates with UGC creators and smaller creators)

All the links are provided below!

If you’re not already a paid subscribed, click the button below to be notified when I send out this bi-monthly roundup of travel UGC creator opportunities. It’s only $8/month. 🫶🏽

Here are a few opportunities that paid subscribers were notified of from previous issues of the Travel Creator Opportunities newsletter. ⬇️

Read more

Pitching travel brands, hotels, and tourism boards is not that hard once you know what you’re doing.

What is hard? Figuring out what you’re doing wrong when brands keep ghosting you.

I’ve been there. I spent way too long sending pitch emails into the void, convinced that the problem was my follower count, or my portfolio, or the fact that I hadn’t worked with a big-name brand yet. Turns out, the problem wasn’t any of those things.

It was the pitch itself.

So today I’m breaking down the mistakes I see travel creators making when they reach out to hotels, tourism boards, and travel brands (and more importantly, what to do instead!)

Get your notebook ready. Let’s get into it. 👇🏽

Mistake #1: Pitching like an influencer when you’re a UGC creator

This one is so common and so easy to fix, but too many UGC creators lose out on potential collabs because they’re pitching the wrong services and not mentioning the value they’re actually able to provide.

Here’s what I mean:

❌ “Hi! I’m a content creator who would love to collaborate with your brand.”

That sentence tells the brand nothing about what you actually offer. And here’s the thing… most brands automatically think “content creator” = “influencer” (UGC is growing, but there are still some brands that aren’t familiar with it.) So when they read that, they immediately start wondering how many followers you have. How’s your engagement rate? Do you have a media kit?

That’s not the conversation you want to be having as a UGC creator.

Try this instead:

✅ “Hi! I create photos and videos that travel brands can use for their own social media, ads, and websites.”

That sentence does something completely different. It tells the brand that you’re not asking for a sponsored post deal. You’re not trying to sell them on your audience. You’re offering them marketing assets, something they actually need (regardless of how many people follow you on Instagram.)

Here’s a quick reminder of what UGC actually is, because if you’re pitching it, you need to be able to explain it clearly:

Tourism boards and hotels don’t just need content creators who can post about them to a big audience. They need content to post to their own socials, their own websites, and their own ads. And since that content is going on their page? Your follower count is completely irrelevant.

So the next time you write a pitch email, ask yourself: “Does this sound like I’m selling my influence, or my content?” If it’s the former, rewrite it.

Before I get into the rest of the mistakes — If you've ever stared at a blank email not knowing how to even start a pitch, that's exactly what my Pitch & Portfolio Templates Bundle is for. It’s 16 done-for-you pitch email templates, follow-up templates, a DM template, and a customizable travel UGC portfolio template all for $37.

Okay, back to the mistakes. 👇🏽

Mistake #2: Not giving the brand a reason to choose YOU

Think about it from the brand’s perspective for a second.

Hotels, tourism boards, and travel brands get a lot of collaboration requests. Like, a lot.

And a big chunk of them sound exactly the same: “I love your brand/property/destination, I’d love to work together, here’s my portfolio, let me know what you think!”

Which, fine. But… Why can’t they pass on your pitch specifically?

This is where so many creators leave money on the table. They spend all their time talking about what they want (a free stay, a paid collaboration, the chance to work together) and almost no time talking about what they’re offering.

Fix this by leading with what makes you different.

Maybe you specialize in a specific content style that aligns perfectly with that brand’s aesthetic. Maybe you’ve done a deep dive on their Instagram and noticed they have zero Reels showing off their pool (and you have some concepts ready to go). Maybe you’ve worked with a similar brand and have results to show for it.

Whatever it is, that’s what should be front and center in your pitch.

And speaking of thinking like a brand: Stop pitching ideas based on what you think viewers will love. Start pitching ideas that help the brand actually hit their goals.

❌ “I think my audience would love content like this!”

✅ “This concept is designed to inspire more direct bookings by showcasing the experience that guests can expect before they even arrive.”

See the difference? One is creator-focused. The other is brand-focused. Brands pay more attention to the second one. Always.

Ask yourself before you hit send: “Does my pitch show that I understand this brand’s priorities? Am I offering something that actually serves their goals?”

That mindset shift — from “content creator who is seeking an opportunity” to “creative partner who offers solutions” — is the difference between creators getting free stays vs. creators getting paid $500-$5,000+ for a single UGC collab.

Read more

Every 2 weeks, I do a roundup of opportunities for travel content creators. No followers are required for any of these, so whether you have 100 followers or 100k followers, these opportunities could be for you. 😉

This week’s travel creator opportunity roundup includes:

• A luxury hotel photography residency (PAID; open to creators of all countries)

• An opportunity to get a hosted stay at the #1 hostel in the USA (GIFTED; open to creators of all countries)

• An all-expenses-paid 4-day culinary trip, hosted by a tourism board in Europe (GIFTED; open to creators of all countries)

• Flights and accommodation across incredible destinations in the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Australia for you and your guest (GIFTED; Australia residents only)

• 10 travel brands that are currently running UGC-style ads (so you know who has budget and who actively collaborates with UGC creators and smaller creators)

All the links are provided below!

If you’re not already a paid subscribed, click the button below to be notified when I send out this bi-monthly roundup of travel UGC creator opportunities. It’s only $8/month. 🫶🏽

Read more

If you knew there was a way to get paid to make travel content without being an influencer, would you take the time to learn how it’s possible?

I did. I’ve been able to work with incredible travel brands like Hyatt, Klook, and Visit California since learning how to actually make money as a travel UGC creator.

But before my “Travel Creator CEO Era” was my “Struggling-Nanoinfluencer-Sans-Monetization-Strategy Era.”

Vanity metrics used to live in my head rent-free. I’d obsessively refresh Instagram and feel instant despair when I realized the content I spent so long creating flopped.

Then I’d open my email inbox and get hit with another wave of despair when the brands I had pitched responded with, “We’re not really looking to work with nanoinfluencers right now.”

Here’s a hot take, and it’s something I don’t hear many creator coaches talk about:

Brands expect creators who call themselves influencers to provide proof that they can influence. It kinda makes sense that brands told me “no” when I pitched sponsored posts as a creator with under 10K followers and fewer than 2K views per Reel.

And if you’re in the same boat right now thinking, “Jeez, this isn’t the feel-good article I was expecting to read today,” please continue reading, because I promise there’s a silver lining!

Brands have an influencer budget for influencer collabs offering sponsored posts. But did you know that brands also have a separate budget for content creation?

Think about every time you’ve see a photo or video on a brand’s website or socials that wasn’t influencer-coded. The brand paid someone to make that content for them (a photographer or a content creator).

Creatives are making money creating content for hotels, tourism boards, and other travel brands without needing a social media following.

You might already know this deep down, but you’re struggling to figure out how to make this your reality.

That’s what this article is for.

Because the first step to making this possible is to create a portfolio of content that proves to travel brands that your content is worth paying for.

Overview

✈️ What is travel UGC?

✈️ Best ways to create content with just your phone

✈️ What to put in your travel UGC portfolio

✈️ How to make a travel UGC portfolio on a budget

✈️ Where to host your travel UGC portfolio

What is travel UGC?

Everyone knows that hotels, tourism boards, and other brands pay influencers to post about them to the influencer’s page.

But brands benefit from more than just a slot on an influencer’s Instagram grid. Brands also need content to post to their OWN Instagram.

Brands need content to use for their own ads. Their own websites.

And since that content is going on their own page… they don’t need to know how many followers you have. It’s irrelevant.

This content is called UGC (user-generated content). You create photos and videos for the brand without needing to post it to your own social media.

Some brands that travel UGC creators can make content for include:

• 🏨 Hotels and Airbnbs

• ✈️ Airlines

• 🧳 Luggage brands (suitcases, backpacks, etc.)

• 🚢 Cruises

• 🚐 Car, van, or RV rental companies

• 🌆 Tourism boards (organizations that are in charge of marketing a travel destination, a.k.a. convincing people to spend their time and money there)

  • Visit California

  • Travel Oregon

  • Destination Canada

• 👙 Clothing brands

  • Resort wear

  • Swimwear

  • Accessories (jewelry, hats, shoes)

  • Ski or winter gear

• 📲 Travel apps (there are soooo many out there looking for creators to use and fill up their apps with travel content, you guys, seriously!)

  • eSIM

  • Travel insurance

  • Travel planning or booking apps

And while, yes, plenty of brands hire influencers and production agencies, studies show that user-generated content converts better for brands.

So now that you know what brands you could get paid to create content for as a UGC creator, what should you even put in your portfolio?

What to put in your travel UGC portfolio

UGC portfolio vs. influencer media kit — What’s the difference?

Before I get into this, I want to make something clear: a UGC portfolio is not the same as a media kit.

• Media kit = a document that outlines your social media or blog metrics (super important if you’re selling your influence)

• Portfolio = a document whose primary purpose is to show your quality of content, as well as testimonials if you have them (super important if you’re selling your content creation services as a UGC creator or professional photographer)

Both a media kit and a portfolio are meant to give the brand context on who you are and the services you can provide.

What type of content should I put in my travel UGC portfolio?

First, you’ll need to decide what content will go in your portfolio. It should be a good mixture of photos and videos, all relating to the travel experience.

If you plan to mainly pitch to hotels, you’ll want to go through your camera roll and find your best hotel content.

For tourism boards, you’ll want B-roll of you exploring a destination.

For product brands, you’ll want clips of the product being used.

Read on to see how to film and edit your UGC videos to make them portfolio-worthy.

How to make your travel UGC look amazing

If you plan to film new content, don’t feel pressured to buy fancy camera gear. Most of the content I’ve sold to brands was filmed on my iPhone (remember: we want quality-looking content, but it’s allowed to feel authentic!) It’s less about the device you use and more about the quality of the video.

Always film videos like this:

• 9:16 format (same as Reels and TikToks)

• 4K (high resolution)

• 60 fps (smooth video, less motion blur; makes it easier for you to slow a video down if necessary without losing quality)

• Make sure your lens is clean (no finger smudges!)

• Good lighting (no harsh shadows or highlights)

Practicing these tips when filming already puts you ahead of the curve.

When it’s time to edit your videos, consider this:

• Short clips (1-3 seconds each) capture attention better than longer clips

• Edit your clips to match the beat of whatever music you use in the background

• Start your video with a strong hook in the first 3 seconds of your video

  • Visual hook: something that visually captures the viewer’s attention

  • Verbal hook: something you say on camera (or in a VoiceOver) that captures the viewer’s attention

  • Written hook: text on screen that visually captures the viewer’s attention

• End your video with a call to action (CTA) — Brands that you work with will likely ask you to include a CTA in the content you create for them.

  • Comment “SALE” for the link

  • Follow for more travel inspiration

  • Let me know in the comments if you agree or disagree

  • Share this with a travel buddy who needs to see it

I use CapCut to edit my short-form videos. There are lots of tutorials online, which makes this app very accessible and easy to learn!

How to make a travel UGC portfolio on a budget

Let’s say you don’t already have travel content in your camera roll and you don’t have any trips planned for the near future. What do you do???

Don’t sweat it. Here’s the workaround.

How to film hotel content for your portfolio

• Covertly film content in a hotel lobby for free

• Buy a day pass on ResortPass (or just inquire with the hotel directly)

• Rent a home or studio by the hour on Peerspace

• Pitch hotels and tell them since you’re building your portfolio, you’re happy to offer them content for free (send them a DM!)

How to film tourism content for your portfolio

• Be a tourist in your own city/state/region

• Look at the type of content tourism boards already post

• Make a listicle video (a roundup of things to see and do in a destination)

  • 5 restaurants every foodie should try when they come to Chicago

  • 7 things to do in Los Angeles this summer

  • Most Instagrammable spots in NYC

• Make an itinerary video

  • How to spend 48 hours in Toronto

  • Spend a day with me in my hometown

  • Hidden gems no one talks about in Richmond

How to film product UGC for your portfolio

You can find examples of the following videos on Instagram and TikTok and use them for inspiration, no matter the product you’re filming for your UGC portfolio.

• Unboxing video

• Product demo video

• Problem vs. solution video

• Testimonial video

• Natural integration video

Where to host your travel UGC portfolio

Most UGC creators I know either have their own portfolio website (like on Squarespace) or use Canva.

Is one better than the other? Not necessarily, although having a professional website does often look more professional, especially since it comes with your unique domain (whereas a free Canva site ends with my.canva.site). If you’re just starting out, don’t sweat it. Go with whatever you have the budget for. I’ve gotten plenty of paid gigs with tourism boards with just a simple Canva portfolio.

Regardless of what you choose, you should format your portfolio in this way:

Cover page or home page

This is a brand’s first impression of you, so make it count! Your cover page or home page should include a photo of you and answer these questions:

• What’s your name?

• Where are you based?

• What type of content do you specialize in? (Don’t just say “travel” — tell us “authentic, user-generated content for tourism boards” or “luxury drone footage”)

• How does your content help brands?

Services

A simple bullet point list should do. Here’s mine:

• High-resolution photos

• Short-form video

• Drone footage

Your content

This is the real money maker. Let your awesome content do the talking. 3-5 UGC examples is already enough to leave a lasting impression on the brand marketing manager who is reviewing your UGC portfolio. No need for more than 5 UGC examples — pick your best work.

Pro tip: Keep a couple versions of your portfolio on hand. For example: I have a portfolio with content that has a calm, aesthetic vibe and I have a portfolio with my more energetic, upbeat content. Which portfolio I send to brands depends on their vibe.

Testimonials and case studies

Obviously, beginner travel UGC creators won’t have any social proof yet. But one day, you will!

When that day comes, add any positive words from brands you’ve worked with + positive results your content has gotten these brands to your portfolio in the Testimonials and Case Studies section of your portfolio.

CTA

Tell the brand how to reach you (a.k.a. your professional UGC creator email address). This is how the brand will contact you when they decide they’d like to move forward with a partnership.

Travel UGC portfolio templates

If you’re reading this the week of May 25th, 2026, I’m having a sale on my Pitch and Portfolio Templates Bundle.

How would it feel if you could pay for your travels with your content creation skills?

I don’t need to imagine it because, well... I’ve done it! Working with tourism boards, hotels, and travel brands as an influencer or UGC creator is one of the most fun and rewarding ways to get paid to travel!

I’ve worked with over two dozen brands, hotels, and tourism boards over the past couple years and sent hundreds upon hundreds of variations of pitch emails. Some of them were well received and others... not so much.

But with experience comes wisdom, and that’s why I created this template pack. I went through all the pitch emails I’ve ever sent and compiled the best into one easy-to-access downloadable file for you.

This template pack is for you if:

• You want to make a great first impression when reaching out to hotels, tourism boards, and other travel brands as a travel content creator

• You’re a beginner travel creator OR an experience travel creator who’s struggling to get responses from brands

• You’re ready to make your dreams of collaborating with tourism boards, hotels, and/or travel brands a reality!

Click the button below to get the templates. The discount is already applied!

UGC Portfolio Template

Catch you in the next one!

Roxanne (Travel Creator CEO) ✈️🤍

This week’s travel creator opportunity roundup includes:

• An opportunity to create UGC for a tourism board in the Caribbean

• An opportunity for India-based creators to create content for a beach resort in Chennai

• A $5k UGC gig for USA-based hotel creators

• 10 travel brands that are currently running UGC-style ads (so you know exactly who has budget)

All the links are provided below!

If you’re not already a paid subscribed, click the button below to be notified when I send out this bi-monthly roundup of travel UGC creator opportunities. It’s only $8/month. 🫶🏽

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It’s no mystery that some brands, hotels, and tourism boards don’t work with content creators unless they’ve got a big following.

But you know what I don’t see too many people talking about?

Brands, hotels, & tourism boards that care more about having the literal content itself than about how many followers you’ve got.

❌ When you offer UGC (user-generated content) to brands, you’re not telling them, “Hey, I’ve got a following! Let’s collaborate so I can show them your brand.”

✅ Instead, you’re saying, “Hey, I create marketing assets that your brand will be able to use on your own social media and for your own ads. The photos and videos I create for you are designed to be engaging and actually convert your passive viewers into real fans.”

So many brands need content for those purposes.

And you don’t need to have any followers to do that.

So how do you find brands, hotels, and tourism boards that actually want UGC (and are happy to pay $500-$5,000+ for it)?

Today I’m sharing the 5 questions I ask myself when sourcing brands, hotels, and tourism boards to pitch to as a travel UGC creator. So grab your favorite beverage and whatever you use to take notes. Let’s dive in!

Question #1: Which brands are already posting UGC-style content?

If a brand is already posting user-generated content to their own page, that is a strong signal that they understand and value creator content. It’s much easier to start a conversation about a possible collaboration if they already know why collabs benefit them in the first place.

Read more

• A 10-day creator trip to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef

• A $20k digital nomad hub campaign across 3 destinations

• A comped 5-night RV rental in the USA

• 5 travel brands that are currently running UGC-style ads

All the links are provided below!

Read more

When you pitch to brands, hotels, and tourism boards as a travel content creator, what do you write in the subject line?

Most creators use something like:

• “Collaboration request”

• “Let’s work together!”

• “Travel UGC collab”

Sure, there’s nothing inherently *wrong* with making that your subject line, but if you want someone to actually read your message, your subject line needs to stand out.

Here’s how to make your pitch email subject line so eye-catching that the brand’s decision-maker feels they have no choice but to click.

Tip #1: Name the brand in the subject line

❌ “Collaboration request”

✅ “Hilton London content collaboration idea”

Tip #2: Tease what you can offer the brand

UGC creators — you’ll want to mention how you create content for the brand’s own use. Influencers/bloggers — mention your reach or the most relevant statistic.

❌ “Let’s work together!”

✅ “Would love to know what you think of these social-first content ideas for Hilton London”

✅ “Couple’s staycation at Hilton London (UK-based influencer collaboration)”

Tip #3: Personalize the subject line to the brand / mention something specific about them

❌ “Travel UGC collab”

✅ “Fresh social + ad content to promote Hilton London’s renovation”

Want to truly stand out? Combine all three tips.

UGC creator subject line example:

👉🏽 “Hilton London renovation content refresh (produced by a social content expert)”

Influencer/blogger subject line example:

👉🏽 “Let’s promote Hilton London’s new renovation to 50k+ UK-based travelers”

In an industry where there’s already a lot of competition, optimizing your email subject line is crucial.

Curious to see how I form not only subject lines, but the pitch email messages themselves, too? I’ve put all my best-performing travel creator pitch templates in a bundle for you below.

Pitch templates

Next time you pitch a brand, will you be giving your email subject lines a makeover? Let me know if this quick guide was helpful by leaving a like and subscribing!

Catch you in the next post,

Roxanne (Travel Creator CEO) ✈️🤍

So what happened?

Well remember how earlier this year, I announced ​my super exciting UGC content creation trip in Japan?​

Yeah... I’m literally on that trip right now as I’m typing this, and to say it has been a lotta work would be an understatement. 😅

Not only is content creation tons of work (obviously), but when you combine it with the overwhelm of traveling to Japan during peak season (IYKYK) and the demanding workload of running a brand like Travel Creator CEO...

Some stuff slips through the cracks.

For the record, I totally planned to batch my Instagram and Substack content in the weeks leading up to this trip so I wouldn’t have to worry about it on the trip itself.

But then the actual trip planning took too long. And next thing I knew, I was at the airport boarding my flight to Osaka. It has been go-go-go nonstop for the past 20-something days.

My time in Osaka, Tokyo, and Kyoto has been as exhilarating as it has been exhausting, and I can’t wait to share more about it with you over the next few days as I begin to wrap up my trip and slow things down a bit.

Have you ever been to Japan? Tell me your Japan travel recommendations by commenting below. I read every response.

Talk soon!

-Roxanne (​@travelcreatorceo​) ✈️🤍

Want to skip the explanation and grab some plug-and-play hotel pitch templates? Grab them here: Pitch & Portfolio Templates Pack for travel content creators.

Can I be real with you for a sec? I’ve had a few regrets since deciding I wanted to pursue this travel content creator thing.

But my biggest regret? Holding off on pitching hotel and tourism board collaborations because I believed I didn’t have enough followers.

And my second biggest regret: Finally deciding to put myself out there, but pitching in all the wrong ways.

If you’re anything like me, you’ve been overwhelmed by the sheer workload that comes with making “getting paid to create travel content” a possibility. You might have questions like:

• How will I know if I’m ready to pitch and get brands to take me seriously?

• I’m a small creator… Don’t brands want to work with influencers who have way more followers than me?

• I send pitch emails but why don’t brands ever get back to me?

I’ve learned that there’s a method to the madness. A way to communicate to brands that you’re able, enthusiastic, and (most important) worthy of working with them even if you don’t have thousands of followers.

So let’s talk about why the problem isn’t that you’re a small creator.

Brands and hotels need more than just influencers

If you’ve followed me for a while, then I’m starting to sound like a broken record, but…

People think you need to be an influencer with thousands of followers to get paid brand deals with travel brands.

But that’s a myth.

I’ve secured multiple 4-figure collaborations with ZERO mention of a social media following in my pitch.

Sure, brands and hotels love to work with travel influencers because who wouldn’t want to get that level of exposure?

The thing is… that’s not the only way brands work with content creators.

Brands don’t only care about your follower count or your social media analytics. They ultimately care about usable content. Because every brand that’s trying to get noticed online needs fresh content that converts.

I’m talking about photos and videos they can use for their own social media, website, or ads to sell their product/service/destination.

That content you create for brands (that you don’t post yourself) is called user-generated content, or UGC for short.

Your social media following and analytics only matter if you’re pitching to brands as an influencer and offering an ad slot on your page.

When you pitch as a UGC creator, all of that stuff becomes irrelevant.

So what actually does matter if you’re pitching to brands as a creator without a big following?

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Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. This is not legal advice. This is only my personal experience.

Rates are not “one size fits all.” These are simply some guidelines you can follow based on my experiences + other creators’ experiences.

As easy as it would be to tell you that your rate will be the same every time a brand asks you for a quote, I’d be lying.

Your rate will depend on things like:

• Your experience level

• How/where the brand wants to use your content

• How long the brand wants to use your content

• The size and niche of the brand

• And more

Before we dive in, here’s a refresher on common licensing terms you should know.

In this UGC rates guide…

1. How to calculate your base rate as a UGC creator

2. How much to charge for organic usage rights as a UGC creator

3. How much to charge for paid usage as a UGC creator

4. How much to charge for whitelisting as a UGC creator

5. How much to charge for perpetual rights as a UGC creator

6. How much to charge for exclusivity as a UGC creator

7. How much to charge for raw footage as a UGC creator

8. How much to charge for extra hooks or CTAs

Let’s get into it!

How to calculate your base rate

Base rate: How much you charge just to create the content. It’s important that you establish your base rate first, because almost every other component in the rest of this article is a percentage of your base rate.

Your base rate accounts for the minimum you are willing to charge for a piece of content. I’ve included some typical industry averages below.

Your base rate does NOT include:

• licensing/usage

• add-ons

• any other costs associated with completing this collaboration

As of 2026, I’ve seen the following to be pretty standard UGC base rates:

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