We all want to plan a vacation and to get the best deal on that vacation. Travel search sites are a hot commodity when you are looking at the combined costs of airfare, hotel expenses and rental cars. As most influencers know, you have to go to where your audience goes. If you are a travel blogger, a travel influencer or a working in the lifestyle field with an emphasis on consistent travel, you know that by working with affiliate programs and reputable affiliate managers, you can earn an income as well. But how do you know which affiliate programs are for you? How do you know that those affiliate programs fit into your travel niche and how do you decide which one will benefit you most?
While payout levels are generally what entices bloggers and influencers to certain affiliates, it is also important that you promote what you and your audience knows and wants.
Listed below are the top affiliate programs with reputable affiliate managers on board!
TripAdvisor Affiliate Program
I, for one, know enough about travel sites to start with TripAdvisor. Because the site is huge for planning trips, the affiliate program offers a large audience for you to earn from. With 600+ million reviews, plus 500,000 city and hotel pages, you can pick and choose what you want to promote. They boast a 50% commission, incentive programs and deep linking to over 500,000 city and hotel pages, among other perks.
Joining is easy and approval generally happens within 72 hours.
Booking.com Affiliate Program
Another big name in travel planning is Booking.com. The affiliate program boats ‘1 million reasons to join’. With 2.2 millions properties in their network, you have a large travel base to choose from. With a completely customizable program, affiliates can pick and choose how to promote and who to promote with ease. You can work anywhere you have WiFi and the payouts, of course, are based on the amount of promotion you choose to do.
Joining is free and they have the 24 – 72 hour acceptance window that most carry.
Expedia.com Affiliate Program
Expedia.com is arguably the number one travel website out there. It has a huge following and markets itself well. If you have planned a trip, you have probably been on Expedia.com. Therefore, having a top notch affiliate program is par for the course. The website alone has 60+ million visitors a month so imagine if you can lead some of them to the site.
Every transaction through your link earns you revenue. That and the inventory alone make this a program worth joining to bring in some extra income.
Join quickly to get started!
Agoda Partners
There are some affiliate programs that are really good for international travelers. Agoda Partners is one of them. If you are bilingual or love to travel overseas, this may be the affiliate program that helps you find unique properties. With over 250+ millions properties, they are a worldwide powerhouse that no one seems to talk about. You must have a website or blog to apply to the affiliate program, so influencers beware. But with each $200 booking at a commission rate of 5% earns you $10 in commissions, your payout can increase quickly.
Research their terms and join easily on their affiliate program website!
ShareASale Affiliate Marketplace
ShareASale belongs in this article because it is a top affiliate marketplace that can guide you to the affiliates you want to work with. If you want to work with a specific company, like Quatar Airlines, you can do so through ShareASale. The site can be quite scary and confusing at first but stick with it for banners, widgets and variety in promoting the travel deals you want.
The great thing about ShareASale is that you can pick and choose without committing to one brand.
Cruise Direct
Let’s be honest. Cruising is a big deal. You board the boat and everything is taken care of for you. The rooms can be small, yes, but the fact that you don’t have to drive or fly from place to place is appealing. Taking a walk on a moonlit deck and all that jazz makes cruising a very popular way to travel. So, if you are a water bug, or know that your audience is, Cruise Direct can help you earn from the industry. With 3% of commission on gross sales and a 45 day cookie, you can really benefit from promoting cruises quickly. Their affiliate manager team is hands on and ready to help when you need them as well!
Now, 3% may seem low but think about the price per person for a cruise! That 3% means decent payouts if just a few people book through your link!
Amazon Affiliates
Still the number one e-commerce site in the world, it is a no-brainer to join the Amazon Affiliate program. Especially for travel. Not for the deals on airfare and hotels but for the accessories people need to travel. If you are on a plane, on a train or in an automobile heading to your next adventure, you need things. Like cameras and maps and sleep pillows. As we all prepare to leave our humble abodes to seek relaxation, books, electronics and other necessities are easier to shop for online versus in a store. You really can’t be a travel blogger or influencer without Amazon!
TravelPayouts
Install your affiliate tools on your website, tell your followers about them, they book through your 30 day cookie and you get paid. Anyone can join this versatile and simple affiliate program that gives you the API, widgets and other tools to draw conversions. Revenue share can be up to 80% with this affiliate program and, like all the others, the more you use it, the more you earn. This travel affiliate network offers you everything from AirBnB and RentalCars.com.
Any reputable travel blogger or influencer can really benefit from an affiliation here.
There are so many great affiliate programs out there. Narrowing them down to travel based sites does not seem to narrow the list very much. However, the ones that are reputable and have affiliate managers that understand the importance of creative marketing tools, reliable payout schedules and easy to convert offers stand out on our list.
Whether you want to promote your personal family trip or a dream trip to a remote location no one has heard of, using your audience to help finance your hard work planning just makes sense.
When choosing the program you should join, however, make sure research drives your decision. If you have no intention of going on a cruise in your lifetime, promoting that form of travel may not resonate as well with your audience. If you only travel in and around your hometown, using an affiliate program that relies heavily on international travel may not work either.
Persistence is key in affiliate marketing with your payouts being directly related to your efforts. Make sure you choose platforms and programs you will actually use. Also, the same advice for any business applies here too. Diversity matters. Putting all of your travel eggs in one basket, so to speak, makes for a very fragile base!
What affiliate programs so you use on your travel blog?
