Picture this: you roll out of bed in a little apartment in Barcelona, grab a coffee from the corner café, and open your laptop to start your workday. A few weeks later, you’re doing the exact same thing—except now you’re in Thailand, working from a co-working space five minutes from the beach, and the week after that, you're writing a pitch for a travel magazine while sipping espresso in a Parisian park. This is not just some unreachable dream.
This lifestyle isn’t reserved only for tech wizards and Instagram influencers; this is the reality for many digital nomads and if you specialise in travel writing, your living expenses will become the tax deductions that bring with them freedom, flexibility, and fulfilment through remote work.
More and more people are working online, choosing where they want to live, and building a life that’s a mix of work, travel, and freedom.
What Does It Really Mean to Be a Digital Nomad?
At its simplest, being a digital nomad means you can earn money online and live anywhere you choose. Some people spend their time travelling constantly; others split their time between a “home base” and new and exciting destinations.
If you're craving adventure and tired of the 9-to-5 grind, or you want more control over your life, becoming a digital nomad might be for you. Becoming a digital nomad is an opportunity to design your work around your life—not the other way around.
Okay, But How Do You Actually Start?
That’s the big question, isn’t it? It’s one thing to daydream about working from Bali, but another thing entirely to figure out how to pay for it, where to go, and how to make it all work.
That’s exactly why you should consider completing The Ultimate Travel Journalism Course with us here at the British College of Journalism.
The course comprises 12 tutorials, delivered weekly or fortnightly, over 12 or 24 weeks, and you will be tutored in all aspects of travel writing by a team of experienced journalists and editors. This vast wealth of accumulated knowledge is provided to you together with the ways to apply this knowledge to the areas of travel journalism and writing that most interest you.
It’s fine if you take longer than 12 or 24 weeks to complete the course, as it is entirely self-paced and you have up to a year to finish your course, if required.
Our comprehensive course takes you step-by-step through everything you need to know — from breaking into the industry, finding your niche, and writing compelling stories, to building your personal brand and staying ahead in a competitive market. With contributions from leading travel journalists, practical assignments, and insider secrets, you’ll gain the skills and confidence to see your name in print — and get paid to travel the world.
Course Breakdown
Tutorial 1: The Ultimate Travel Journalism Kickstart
Discover what it really means to be a travel journalist. Learn how to transition from unpublished writer to paid professional, set up a productive workspace, and explore the British travel journalism market. You’ll also uncover the secret to choosing strong story angles. Assignment: Critique a published travel story.
Tutorial 2: What Makes a Travel Journalist?
Learn how to “see” destinations like a writer. Develop the ability to quickly understand a place, connect with locals, and use multimedia to bring your stories to life. Guest contributor Kerry van der Jagt shares her top 5 insider tips for breaking into the industry. Assignment: Write your first travel article for a target audience.
Tutorial 3: Standing Out from the Crowd
Find your niche in a competitive industry. From adventure and food travel to business, transport, and hotel writing, you’ll explore exciting opportunities and understand how publishing structures really work. Assignment: Develop unique story ideas.
Tutorial 4: Writing Winning Stories (Part One)
Go back to the foundations of great writing. Learn essential techniques, editing skills, and the use of photography and storyboards to craft publishable stories. Explore the world of airline and regional magazines and their editorial demands. Assignment: Write a full travel article.
Tutorial 5: Writing Winning Stories (Part Two)
Expand your writing toolkit. Master short formats, listicles, postcards, hotel reviews, flight tests, and online content — from blogs to columns. Learn how to tailor your style to any platform. Assignment: Create a list-style travel article.
Tutorial 6: Writing for Travel Books & Online Platforms
Step into the world of travel books and online journalism with insights from leading authors Brian Thacker, Julietta Jameson, and Julie Miller. Learn how to pitch, publish, and promote your own travel book.
Tutorial 7: From Guidebooks to Apps
Discover diverse opportunities beyond magazines — including guidebooks, travel apps, advertorials, and press releases. Learn directly from veterans like Tim Richards, Susan Gough Henley, and Kris Madden. Assignment: Create material for guidebooks or apps.
Tutorial 8: Travel Photography, Video & Documentaries
A picture tells its own story. Gain skills in photography, video, and travel documentaries, plus insights into radio, podcasts, and television travel shows. Assignment: Submit a photography piece.
Tutorial 9: Working with PR
Understand the role of PR in journalism, how to build relationships with industry professionals, and how to make the most of organised media trips. Assignment: Write a professional approach email to PR.
Tutorial 10: The Business of Travel Journalism
Travel journalism isn’t just about writing — it’s a business. Learn about income opportunities, safety and packing tips, and the professional organisations that can support your career.
Tutorial 11: Marketing Your Work
Think of yourself as a brand. Learn how to pitch to editors, use social media effectively, and grow a professional network that supports long-term success. Assignment: Build your first portfolio.
Tutorial 12: Staying Ahead of the Game
Wrap up the course with expert strategies for keeping editors happy, staying fresh in your writing, and choosing the right assignments. Contributor Brian Johnston shares his top advice for long-term success. Final Assignment: Submit a polished, feature-length travel article.
Why a Self-Paced Course?
Because life is already busy, maybe you’re working full-time or have family commitments. This isn’t a program where you have to show up live at 3 am to join a call—it’s something you can work through at your own pace, at times that best suit you and from any location in the world.
Most importantly, our course developer, tutor, and course contributors know all about this. They have been through this themselves.
They know the doubts, the excitement, the messy middle bits. This course isn’t just theory—it’s the things our course creator, Daniel Scott, wishes he’d known when he started.
Your “Someday” Could Be Sooner Than You Think
There’s never a perfect time to leap. But if the idea of working from anywhere makes your heart race, then it’s worth exploring as soon as possible.
By the end of The Ultimate Travel Journalism Course, you’ll have:
- A professional travel writing portfolio
- First-hand knowledge from award-winning travel journalists
- Skills to pitch and publish across print, online, books, and broadcast media
- A clear plan to turn travel writing into a profitable career
The first step is always the hardest—but once you take it, the path gets clearer. If you’re ready to stop scrolling and start building the life you’ve been imagining, we’d love to guide you. Click here to request your free course guide and find out more!
