With AI producing more content and Google constantly changing the rules, how does a travel creator actually stand out? Josefine and Dom of Red White Adventures have a refreshingly simple answer: be more yourself.

The Danish-Canadian couple has travelled together for more than eight years and turned what began as a casual travel blog into a full-time content business focused on outdoor adventures, slow travel, and the digital nomad lifestyle.

Recorded at TBEX Europe in San Sebastián, this conversation gets into the reality behind that journey – from learning SEO and affiliate marketing to working with tourism boards, building multiple income streams, and deciding to commit fully to the blog.

They also talk candidly about the uncertainty created by Google updates, why creators need to think long term, and why following every social-media trend can eventually make everyone look the same.

Perhaps their most useful advice comes down to something no algorithm or AI tool can easily reproduce: your own experiences, personality, and point of view.

In this episode:

• Why staying longer in a destination can lead to better travel content
• How Red White Adventures turned a hobby blog into a business
• Their approach to affiliate marketing, brand partnerships, and diversification
• Why community matters when the industry is changing
• How personality and authenticity can help creators stand out in the age of AI

Relevant links

• Red White Adventures: https://redwhiteadventures.com/
• Produced by RadioGuru: https://radioguru.co.uk
• TBEX: https://tbexcon.com/

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Can AI save travel creators hours of work without removing the personality, experience and human perspective that make people trust them?

At TBEX Eau Claire, Palle Bo and Rick Calvert sat down with content entrepreneur and author Julia McCoy, who had recently made a dramatic transition from outspoken AI sceptic to President of Content at Scale (now BrandWell).

Julia explains what changed her mind. Early AI writing tools produced generic, unreliable content filled with fluff. Then she discovered technology capable of researching, writing and producing content at a speed that forced her to reconsider what the future might look like for professional writers and content creators.

The conversation also explores the risks. AI can confidently invent facts, places and even legal cases, making human judgment and fact-checking essential. For travel bloggers, the bigger question is whether travellers will continue searching for blogs when an AI tool can build an itinerary in seconds.

Julia's answer is that personal experience matters more than ever. AI may provide information, but it cannot replace your stories, your observations or the trust created by a recognisable human voice.

In this episode:

• Why Julia changed her mind about AI almost overnight
• How AI hallucinations make fact-checking non-negotiable
• Where AI can save travel creators significant time
• Why firsthand stories remain a travel blogger's greatest advantage
• Whether ChatGPT and similar tools will take traffic away from travel websites

Update Since Recording

This conversation was recorded in 2023. Content at Scale later became BrandWell, and Julia McCoy has since left the company. She is now the founder of First Movers, which helps businesses implement AI systems, automation and digital-clone technology.

Relevant links:

• First Movers:
  https://firstmovers.ai
• Content at Scale – now BrandWell:
  https://brandwell.ai
• Julia McCoy on LinkedIn:
  https://linkedin.com/in/juliaemccoy/
• The Content Writer's Handbook:
  https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Content-Writers-Handbook-Audiobook/B0CX793N8L
• Transcendent Man documentary:
  https://transcendentman.com/
• Learn more about TBEX:
  https://tbexcon.com
• Find more Travel Matters episodes in your podcast app or at:
  https://tbexcon.com/podcast/
• Podcast produced by RadioGuru:
  https://radioguru.co.uk

Follow Travel Matters in your podcast app for a new conversation every Friday.

Shelley Marmor turned travel blogging into a multiple-six-figure business within two years. In this episode of Travel Matters, she shares why mindset matters, why SEO comes before monetisation, and how travel creators can use affiliate marketing more strategically instead of simply adding links and hoping for the best.

What separates a travel blog that makes a little side income from one that becomes a serious business?

In this episode of Travel Matters, Palle Bo and Rick Calvert sit down with Shelley Marmor, founder of TravelMexicoSolo.com, TravelBlogging101.com and several other niche travel sites. Shelley started her first blog in April 2020 and was making multiple six figures by her second year of blogging.

Her secret? She says it starts with treating the blog as a business from day one.

Shelley explains why tracking your money changes your mindset, why SEO is the foundation of affiliate income, and why travel bloggers should focus on "buying keywords" that attract readers who are already ready to book.

Instead of simply placing affiliate links into random posts, Shelley breaks down how to create content for "hell yes" buyers – the people searching for things like the best hotels, tours, rental cars and travel services in a destination.

She also shares what she has learned from running five blogs, working with human writers, testing affiliate partners like Booking, Expedia and Stay22, and balancing affiliate income with display ads and her own courses.

The conversation also touches on AI, conference networking, the value of attending TBEX, and why independent creators often need to get out from behind the screen and meet like-minded people in person.

Key Takeaways

• Treat your blog like a business from day one if you want it to become one.
• Tracking your income and expenses is a major mindset shift for creators.
• SEO comes before monetisation – no page views usually means no affiliate sales.
• Affiliate marketing is not the same as simply adding affiliate links to a post.
• Focus on "buying keywords" that attract people ready to make a purchase.
• Travel bloggers should test different affiliate partners, including Booking, Expedia, Stay22 and direct relationships where possible.
• Affiliate income can outperform display ads when it is done strategically.
• Running multiple niche sites can work, but Shelly warns that five blogs may be too many for most people.
• AI may become hard to ignore, even for creators who are not early adopters.
• Conferences like TBEX can create unexpected connections, ideas and opportunities.

Relevant Links

• Travel Mexico Solo: https://travelmexicosolo.com
• Travel to Merida: https://traveltomerida.com
• Travel to Oaxaca: https://traveltooaxaca.com
• Tulum Travel Secrets: https://tulumtravelsecrets.com
• Travel Blogging 101: https://travelblogging101.com
• Start With Why by Simon Sinek https://simonsinek.com/
• TBEX: https://tbexcon.com