5 Travel Guide Website Success Stories [2024]

Updated: November 1st, 2023
Start A Travel Guide Website

A travel guide website is a website that provides information about traveling. It can be for any type of travel, such as air, bus, or train. Some websites provide general information about different types of transportation and destinations.

Other websites may provide detailed information about one type of transportation (such as trains) or one destination (such as Kenya). To start a travel guide website, you need to know your destination and the types of content you want to publish.

A travel guide website can be a blog or a full-fledged website, but it should be informative and well-designed. You should also think about how it will look on mobile devices.

The next step is to create the content for your website and ensure that it's up-to-date with current events in the region. An SEO strategy and an understanding of online marketing campaigns can help travelers find your site when searching for regional information.

Lastly, you should work on building links with other relevant websites so that search engines can find and rank your site better in their search results pages.

Here are some real life success stories of starting a travel guide website:

1. ANTHONYKDO INC ($120K/year)

Anthony's passion for filming and moving led him to create films that were appreciated by his audience. As he gained more recognition, he started receiving requests to create films for others. After his first successful client project, he was convinced of his entrepreneurial potential.

How much they make: $120K/year
Current team size: 0

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How I Make $120K/Year As A Travel Filmmaker And Photographer

A nomadic Canadian filmmaker started their creative business six years ago and now has over two dozen loyal clients scattered across six different countries, earning between $7000-15000/month, with a website built on WIX and no traditional marketing approach, relying on word of mouth and social media, they operate like an agency these days aiming for more meaningful work.

About
Anthony started ANTHONYKDO INC over 6 years ago
Revenue
Anthony grew the business to $10K/month
Read by 3,464 founders

2. Yolo Intel ($240K/year)

Yolo Journal is a travel lifestyle media brand that publishes a physical printed magazine three times a year and has a successful travel-focused newsletter, Yolo Intel, which is the most popular travel newsletter on Substack.

Yolanda Edwards, founder of Yolo Journal, came up with the idea after realizing there was a gap in the market for a travel magazine that focused on providing trustworthy and insider information. With her background in the magazine industry and passion for travel, she launched Yolo Journal and quickly gained success, with her weekly newsletter now bringing in $20k a month.

How much they make: $240K/year
How much did it cost to start: $15K
Current team size: 1

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Losing My Job Motivated Me To Build The Top Travel Newsletter On Substack [$20K/Month]

Yolo Journal's founder, Yolanda Edwards, launched a travel lifestyle media brand with a magazine and newsletter that now generates $20k a month in revenue. Edwards' business success can be attributed to understanding the hole in the magazine market and creating trust-worthy insider information.

About
Yolanda started Yolo Intel over 5 years ago
Revenue
Yolanda grew the business to $20K/month
Costs
It cost Yolanda $15000 to start the business
Read by 4,669 founders

Learn more about starting a travel guide website:

Where to start?

-> How much does it cost to start a travel guide website?
-> Pros and cons of a travel guide website

Need inspiration?

-> Examples of established travel guide website
-> Marketing ideas for a travel guide website

Other resources

3. SmartGuide ($360K/year)

Jan Doležal, founder of SmartGuide, came up with the idea for his business while traveling with his family. Frustrated by the lack of quality digital guides available, he saw an opportunity to create an app that would provide travelers with personalized tour guides. Since its founding, SmartGuide has exceeded 500 destinations and is approaching half a million users, with top travel brands including the city of Prague and UNESCO sites utilizing the app as their official guide.

How much they make: $360K/year
How much did it cost to start: $600K
Current team size: 15

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How We Started A Digital Tour Guide Platform With Over 500K Users [Czech Republic]

SmartGuide, a digital tour guide platform that turns every phone into a personal tour guide using audio, geolocation, and Augmented Reality, has exceeded 500 destinations and is approaching half a million users in just three years since founding.

About
Jan started SmartGuide almost 6 years ago
Revenue
Jan grew the business to $30K/month
Costs
It cost Jan $600000 to start the business
Read by 2,882 founders