Have you ever wondered how to become a professional traveler? You’re not alone!
Traveling provides experiences that sometimes we can only dream about.
But, becoming a professional traveler or traveling full-time often comes down to one thing – being prepared.
While it would be great to book a one-way flight with a backpack in tow, planning ahead of time can help your goal of becoming a professional traveler come to fruition.
Not sure how to become a professional traveler? We’ve got you covered with our comprehensive guide.
Let’s get into it…
What is a professional traveler?
Definitions may vary depending on who you speak to, especially as the term can be interpreted differently. Still, a professional traveler can be categorized as someone who spends much of their time traveling.
There are no requirements on how long they stay in a place, as many prefer to opt for more extended and focused travels, but many professional travelers have one thing in common – they travel without a fixed home base.
To make this aspirational life a reality, many travelers earn a passive income or make their money online.
What are the benefits of becoming a professional traveler?
You can explore, relax, and adventure as much as you wish as a professional traveler. One of the most significant benefits of this lifestyle is that it’s completely flexible.
Depending on how the traveler earns their money, they will likely have a schedule they choose.
Not a morning person? It’s fine. You can wake up to the sound of crashing waves against the sea shore and opt for a later start to the working day. Or take the day off at last notice; neither are an issue as a professional traveler.
And that flexibility means no two days are the same. You can decide your day, week, and month and incorporate various activities to create a perfect work-life balance.
The most apparent win out of these benefits? You get to explore new places as often as you like. Each new destination presents a fresh start, new friends to be made, and unique opportunities to be had.
For many, this is the dream (myself included!)
But, how do you go about it?
How to Become a Professional Traveler – 7 Ways
In 2022, it’s easier than ever to become a professional traveler.
With the evolution of remote working, and companies opting for a more flexible approach post-pandemic, there are various ways to earn money online – either corporately or through your own business.
Let’s break down how to become a professional traveler…
1. Working Remotely in a Corporate Role
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16% of companies globally are fully-remote, and that number is growing.
By 2028, it’s expected that 73% of all departments will have remote workers.
There’s a massive attraction to working remotely, and it’s easy to see why.
And with this new mindset, companies worldwide are re-writing their contracts to allow employees to work in this way.
Working for a company can guarantee stability and an income, so ask your employer if there are any remote working options if you want to stay in this line of work.
If you fancy a career switch in the process, various corporate careers require or allow travel.
These include consulting, private equity management, becoming a traveling nurse, foreign service, or being an international aid worker.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Scour the usual job sites with the ‘remote’ filter to find those corporate opportunities that allow for full-time travel.
2. Working Season to Season
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Have you got a knack for working with people? Do you enjoy working in public-facing roles?
Working in hospitality, entertainment, or seasonal resorts could be the perfect option.
In Winter, head to Austria, France, Switzerland, the USA, Canada, or Italy to work in a ski resort (there are many jobs available, including chalet host, manager, bartender, chef, housekeeper, front of house etc.)
Then, after your work is complete and as the rush of tourists dies down, move on to a more Summer-focused role. This could include working in a resort, theme park, or summer camp.
The opportunities are endless. You can season hop between places, so you’re earning money while exploring new destinations.
If you wish to work in hotel or resort entertainment, keep an eye out on many of the big resort recruitment pages. For Ski Resorts jobs, check out Ski Jobs.
Season Workers is a job board that features similar jobs.
3. Become an English Teacher
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Is the English language your mother tongue? If so, you can teach English online or in person, depending on your preference.
And you don’t have to have an education degree or formal teacher training.
However, you will have to pass a few tests or gain a TEFL certificate to allow you to do so.
But, it’s very much open to anyone.
A TEFL certificate is an acronym for ‘Teaching English as a Foreign Language,’ with many people then using this to teach English abroad.
This provides professional-level training, which is recognized in many places worldwide. TEFL training takes as long as you require; some complete in a month while some take six months – it’s up to you.
After receiving this certificate, you can work in countries around the world teaching English.
This can be done on your own time via digital companies that cater to your chosen hours and times or through schools and communities with set hours and requirements.
As many countries have open positions for English teachers, there’s no reason why you couldn’t teach English in Thailand one month and then Bali the next.
4. Make Super Yachts your New Home
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It doesn’t get much cooler than living and working on a super yacht.
Not only will you get paid for your hard work (the tips are notoriously great,) but they’ll also cover boarding as you live on the yacht.
This is a fantastic way to explore the world while getting paid.
You will need some certificates to say you’re safe to work at sea, but these can be completed in less than a week.
Once you have these, you can work anywhere your heart desires.
There’s also the opportunity to rise the ranks with the more experience you gain, but you can start as a newbie (or ‘green’ as you’ll affectionately be called.)
Many people work a season, travel for a few weeks after earning money, then join a new season on a new yacht.
This is a very viable career option for those who love traveling.
5. Run Your Own Business
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This is one of the more common approaches which you’ll notice if you visit any trendy cafe or coworking space in major cities.
Becoming a freelancer, self-employed, or running a business is a great way to earn money and utilize skills while building a fantastic career.
There are many approaches to this. I’m a freelance Content / Copy Writer and Editor, but there are also Photographers, Digital Marketers, Consultants, Social Media Managers, Virtual Assistants, and bloggers.
As long as you can work from a laptop to complete tasks, you can work anywhere in the world.
6. Start Implementing a Passive Income Stream
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It’s much easier said than done. But, if successful, having income rolling in without much work needed to keep up is incredible.
Picture this: You’re sitting in a hammock overlooking Coral Beach in Gili Trawangan when a notification pops up on your phone – $1340.00 deposited. A couple of hours go by. You’re now sipping a Bintang in a local beach bar when another notification pops up – $567.00 deposited…
And that happens every day, again and again. There’s nothing better.
Earning a passive income will allow you to travel while making money without having to do much work (after setting up and working hard initially.)
If you’re interested in earning a passive income, follow key experts in your chosen field, join social media groups, and watch plenty of YouTube videos to learn the basics.
Passive income streams could include:
- Monetizing a blog
- Stocks
- Becoming an affiliate marketer
- Selling stock photos online
- Investing in real estate and renting it out
- Dropshipping
But, be wary of anyone approaching you selling the dream or an ‘easy way to make six figures overnight.’
It’s never that simple.
It can be done. But, it often takes a lot of work in the beginning stages – a lot of work, time, and resources.
7. Start Sharing your Travels with Others
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While the term ‘influencer’ may make some people cringe, and others think it’s not for them, simply sharing your travels online can open up more opportunities than you would ever think possible.
Traveling is an activity loved and adored by many, with hundreds of thousands of people searching for quality tips and advice daily.
If you’ve noticed something interesting about an area or have some tips to share, why not start sharing these on an Instagram or TikTok page?
It could be a fun way to interact with others, be part of a community, and earn money.
6 Top Tips to Remember When Traveling – How to Become a Professional Traveler Guide
After deciding on how to become a professional traveler, here are six essential tips to keep in mind.
Stay Prepared
If you know you need a stable Wi-Fi connection to do your job and speak to clients, check ahead of time that you can work efficiently in a specific spot, hotel, or area.
Being without the internet, when needed, is incredibly frustrating and can leave you feeling jaded when you should be happy and appreciative of your new location.
If Wi-Fi is limited, research for a coworking space that you can work from throughout your stay.
Stay Covered
Travel insurance is necessary, especially when you’re bringing expensive electrical items like laptops, cameras, iPads, etc.
Make sure you have insurance to cover these items should they go missing, stolen, or lost.
Nothing is worse than that gut-wrenching feeling of panic, which rises when you’re unsure how to replace or pay for a new item.
Keep in Touch
Let friends or family back home know where you’re traveling, where you’re staying, and what your plans are – this is a must for solo travelers.
While you’ll likely (and hopefully) be fine at all times, it’s great peace of mind for yourself and your loved ones to know where you are should they need to find you.
Keep Local Currency and a Travel Card on Hand
It may seem like everything has turned digital back home, but many places still only trade with cash.
Keep some local currency and a travel card which doesn’t charge for international transactions on hand at all times, so you’re never caught in short.
Purchase a Local SIM Card
This will depend on where you’re from and what phone provider you’re with, but staying in touch with people and accessing Wi-Fi can be cheaper using a SIM card.
There’s often a phone store offering local SIMs at every airport, or there’ll be one close by if not.
Google will Become your New Best Friend
Being spontaneous is terrific, but researching ahead of a new destination could save you money, time, and resources.
There are a multitude of forums, online groups, and travel boards which share top tips and advice for almost every location.
Through researching, you can find cool adventures you otherwise might have missed. Or exclusive events you have to book online, or some general safety advice that could come in handy.
Becoming a professional traveler is easier than ever before
Thanks to social media and the open-mindedness of employees and clients, becoming a professional traveler has never been easier.
The opportunities are endless, with money to be made in various ways, so that you can live your best life traveling between places.
And you definitely don’t need to be rich to become a professional traveler.
Decide how you’d like to earn an income, start pursuing your business, employers, or dream clients as early as possible, and then go for it.
If you’re interested in traveling the world on a budget, read our ultimate guide to achieve this here.