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Here's 10 things that happened most recently:
Here are the 10 most recent posts:
The finalists are in. Ten social enterprises from Bolivia, Malawi, Egypt, the Philippines, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Rwanda, Uganda, Nepal and Sri Lanka have been selected as finalists in the [2026 Social Entrepreneurs in Tourism Competition](socialtourismcompetition.com/finalists-2026).
This year the competition received 238 applications from 74 countries, making it the most global edition yet. Behind every submission is a person with a vision for a better, more just tourism industry. The 10 finalists stood out for bold, community-rooted solutions that are making tourism more inclusive, sustainable and socially just.
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All 10 finalists now enter a 6-week mentorship phase (28 September to 9 November), working one-on-one with dedicated mentors to strengthen their ventures. They will then pitch at the Final Pitch Contest and Award Ceremony on 23 November, livestreamed worldwide. [Register to watch online](www.travelmassive.com/events/2026-pitch-contest-awards-social-entrepreneurs-in-tourism-competition-6848645129).
The 2026 SET Competition is supported by Amadeus, Travel Massive, ITB Berlin, Lufthansa City Center, WIIF, Neusta Destination One, Social Innovation Academy (SINA), Tourism Cares, FutureTravel, Social Impact Award, Social Enterprise Thailand and the Eberswalde University for Sustainable Development.
The finalists compete in two tracks, with winners awarded in each:
- Launch Track: for early-stage ventures in the ideation phase that don't yet have a registered company and are looking for guidance and structure.
- Growth Track: for ventures that already have a registered company and a clear business model, and are ready to scale their impact with expert input.
Now, let's meet the finalists!
Launch Track finalists
Five early-stage ventures turning bold ideas into community-rooted tourism businesses.
#Ampuy (Bolivia) — Stephanie Guarachi Ayala
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Ampuy is a destination management company that connects Indigenous communities with researchers and student travellers, keeping academic knowledge local and directing tourism income to artisans, guides and homestay families.
#Chipatso Recycling Center (Malawi) — Ilia Carson-Letelier
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Chipatso Recycling Center is a community recycling and cultural tourism project that turns household waste into crafts and art, and supports education and nutrition for nearly 60 learners.
#SOCYT (Egypt) — Salma Osman
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SOCYT is a conscious travel platform that turns community initiatives in Egypt and Cyprus into bookable, measurable experiences, linking travellers with NGOs, artisans and local businesses.
#TahaK: Tahanan sa Kalikasan (Philippines) — Jovit C. Camata and team
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TahaK is an eco-wellness tourism brand and booking platform in Quezon Province that revives traditional Filipino healing and creates income for local healers, women and artisans. The team is Jovit C. Camata, David Apigo, Jeanwie Buhalog, Jiezel Costuna, Mark Ella, Eliza Margallo and Buhawie Santos.
#Mancub (Czech Republic) — Alix Guillard
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Mancub is a proposed cooperative in which small tourism creators jointly own and maintain their own digital booking tools, instead of relying on large platforms.
Growth Track finalists
Five established social enterprises ready to scale their impact.
#Xperience Stockholm (Sweden) — Francisca Leonardo
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Xperience Stockholm is an inclusive, majority women-led micro-enterprise that designs community-based experiences for visitors and creates quality tourism jobs for neurodivergent and underrepresented talent.
#Red Rocks Initiative for Sustainable Development (Rwanda) — Bakunzi Gregory
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Red Rocks Initiative is a national network of community-owned eco-tourism hubs that connects conservation, cultural heritage and inclusive economic development in rural areas.
#Joint Indigenous Tourism Hub (Uganda) — Roice Bwambale Kalengyo
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Joint Indigenous Tourism Hub is a platform linking ten local organisations in the Rwenzori Mountains for product development, market access and capacity building, rooted in Indigenous knowledge and conservation.
#3 Sisters Adventure Trekking (Nepal) — Lucky, Dicky and Nicky Karki Chhetri
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3 Sisters Adventure Trekking is a women-led social enterprise, operating since 1994, that trains and employs female trekking guides and challenges gender barriers in the industry.
#Nagenahiru Environmental Learning Center (Sri Lanka) — Sajeewa Emmanuel
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Nagenahiru Environmental Learning Center is a community-based tourism initiative at Madampa Lake that trains local youth as nature guides, supports fishers, artisans and women's cooperatives, and works to restore mangroves and wetlands.
Congratulations to all the finalists! We're looking forward to seeing you pitch in November.
Also recognised: 20 shortlisted projects
With so many strong entries this year, the competition is also recognising 20 additional projects with shortlist honours. They won't be pitching in the final, but each one stood out among the 238 applications and deserves a mention.
- Launch Track: Enrrutadores (Mexico), Echoes in Between: Living Archive Tourism Penang (Malaysia), Voices of the Land (Kenya), Wonder Ventures (Cambodia), NODE: Network for Open Destination Experiences (Indonesia), XenDirekt (Rwanda), The Rooting (Spain), Safe Trail (Botswana), Ruta de las Chacras Trevelin (Argentina), NUN Eco Tourism (South Africa)
- Growth Track: Trip Hive (Tunisia), KISEKI (Rwanda), SEE Turtles (USA / Costa Rica), Equera (USA), Camino Wayúu (Colombia), ECPC Travel (USA), Tropical Trekking (Vietnam), Karamoja Climate Peace Tourism Initiative (Uganda), The Travel Better Project (Australia), SmartGuest (Spain / South Africa)
[Learn more about the shortlisted projects](socialtourismcompetition.com/finalists-2026)
Want to see the finalists pitch? Join the Award Ceremony online on 23 November!
Watch all 10 finalists pitch live at the Final Pitch Contest and Award Ceremony, livestreamed worldwide. [Register to watch online](www.travelmassive.com/events/2026-pitch-contest-awards-social-entrepreneurs-in-tourism-competition-6848645129) and be part of this growing movement for impact-driven tourism.
I’m so proud that Travel Massive is supporting the Social Entrepreneurs in Tourism Competition again this year!
For anyone new to it: SET is the first worldwide competition focused on social innovation and entrepreneurship in tourism. It was founded in 2019 by @claudia-brozel and gives founders and change-makers from all over the world access to expert mentoring, international visibility, and industry recognition to help get to the next level.
We've been a supporting partner of this competition since the start and I'm always so glad to see so many of our members involved as either judges, mentors, entrants, and even on the SET team over many years (including @maria-stoyanova and @okev).
To the finalists.. good luck with the mentorship phase, and we can’t wait to see you pitch!
If you care about the future of sustainable tourism, please join us online for the Final Pitch Contest and Award Ceremony on 23 November. It’s a great way to hear from the entrepreneurs who are building it.
Register here: www.travelmassive.com/events/2026-pitch-contest-awards-social-entrepreneurs-in-tourism-competition-6848645129
Hi, I'm Matteo, a Digital Product Manager based in Italy. I'm also an avid traveler and the one who usually organizes trips for friends and family.
Here's the problem I kept running into.
You want to plan a trip with a friend, partner or family member. You live in Turin. They live in Munich.
So you start checking flight routes, opening multiple tabs, comparing airports… and trying to figure out: "Where can we both fly directly?"
That's how I came up with FlyMatch (flymatch.app).
The idea is simple:
1. Enter two or more departure airports.
2. FlyMatch finds the destinations that everyone can reach directly.
So instead of starting with "Where should we go?", you start with "Where can we actually go?" You begin with the possible direct destinations, and then check the prices.
I've built the first version and I'm now trying to understand whether this is actually useful beyond my own experience. So I'd really appreciate some feedback from people working in travel.
Would you use something like this? And even more importantly:
- Who do you think would benefit most from it?
- Do you see interesting use cases I haven't considered?
- Would this be useful for travel agencies, OTAs, travel communities or other travel businesses?
- What would make you actually come back and use it?
I'm not looking for compliments — I'm looking for honest feedback. If you have 2 minutes to try it, I'd genuinely love to hear what you think.
Hi Matteo, interesting concept! I can see this being particularly useful for friends and families living in different countries who want to meet somewhere without complicated connections.
From a travel planning perspective, I think adding flexible dates, approximate flight prices, and arrival time comparisons would make it even more practical.
It could also be useful for travel planners organizing small group trips from different departure cities.
Good luck with the project, and thanks for sharing it here!
Hi Ihsan! Thank you so much for your feedback . You know in the first version of the website there was the flexible dates (like that you can highlight days you want to depart and days you want to come back) but we thought it would have been confusing for some users.
Now that you tell this, we have to think abount a UI that doesn't confuse but that allow you to do that!
And thanks, yes the price indication would be great, we're working on that trying not to call too many APIs just for an indication
Thank you, appreciated!
p.s. did you manage to login and check features inside?
Hi Matteo! Thanks for your thoughtful reply.
I completely understand the challenge of keeping the interface simple while offering more flexibility. I think an optional flexible dates feature could be a good balance, especially for travelers who are still exploring their options.
It's great to hear you're also working on price indications.
I appreciate your openness to feedback, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the platform develops!
Hi everyone, Victor here. I’m Product Manager at GemsAround, and travel has been a big part of my life for years. I’ve visited more than 50 countries and worked in hospitality, so I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about how people discover places, plan trips, and share what they find along the way.
Travel inspiration is everywhere, but turning it into an actual trip still feels surprisingly fragmented. I’ll see a place on Instagram or TikTok, save it, maybe send it to someone, and then forget about it until weeks later when I’m planning a trip and trying to remember where I found it in the first place.
GemsAround grew from that gap between “I’d love to go there” and actually knowing how to fit that place into a trip. The question we kept coming back to was: how can we make inspiration easier to use, not just save?
If I find something interesting on social media, I can bring it into GemsAround instead of letting it disappear into another folder of saved posts. From there, it becomes part of a collection I can actually work with.
Discovery doesn’t have to start with social media, though. I can open the app and see interesting places around me, browse locations through videos and photos shared by other travelers, and get a sense of a place through someone else’s perspective rather than just a pin on a map.
And that works both ways. If I find somewhere worth sharing along the way, I can add my own video, perspective or place and contribute it back to the community.
Once I start saving places, the planning side becomes much simpler too. Instead of manually figuring out what to visit first, second or third, GemsAround can help organize the route and logistics between the places in a collection. And if I want to continue navigating elsewhere, I can export that collection to Google Maps rather than rebuilding everything again.
What interests me most is that whole journey from inspiration to discovery, then planning, and eventually sharing something back.
💎 Try GemsAround: visit www.gemsaround.com or download the app on iOS and Android, and let me know what you think.
I’m curious how others here manage that process today. When you find a place you want to visit, what usually happens next, and where does it still become unnecessarily complicated?
Hi, I’m Inga, and my husband Dileep and I create travel videos as Let’s Never Settle.
We travelled to Mongolia expecting endless steppes, ancient Buddhist monasteries and a traditional yurt stay. Instead, our booked accommodation disappeared. Thanks to the kindness of a local family, we ended up spending the night in a real Mongolian ger, and it became one of the most memorable experiences of our travels.
In this video
• Staying with a Mongolian nomadic family and experiencing traditional ger (yurt) life
• Erdene Zuu Monastery and Lavrin Temple
• Turtle Rock and Gorkhi-Terelj National Park
• The Genghis Khan Equestrian Statue, the world’s largest equestrian statue
• Mongolia’s wildlife and landscapes, including drone footage
If you’re planning a trip to Mongolia or simply love travel documentaries, we hope it inspires your next adventure.
If you like our content, please visit our blog at letsneversettle.com to learn more.
👉 We’d love to hear from other travel creators who have visited Mongolia. What experience stayed with you the most?
Hey folks, I'm a Cape Town-based safari guide and photographer who has spent 30 years living out of a Land Cruiser across Southern and East Africa. In this video, I take you on a sunrise hot air balloon flight over Kenya's Maasai Mara. I filmed it in September during the Mara-Serengeti migration, and it covers the full flight: the pre-dawn launch, wildebeest and zebra on the plains below, and a champagne breakfast after landing in the bush.
I hope you enjoy the video!
Travel wasn’t the hard part. Finding a sense of belonging was.
After a major life reset, I began traveling solo and eventually made my way through 13 countries. Booking flights, finding accommodation and building an itinerary were relatively easy. But finding genuine community, women I could explore with, share a meal with or simply message when I arrived somewhere new....was much harder.
I found myself piecing together connections across Facebook groups, WhatsApp chats and social media. The communities existed, but they were fragmented, difficult to discover and not always easy to trust.
That experience inspired me to create RoamCircle: a social travel app helping women traveling solo, living abroad or working remotely build meaningful connections before they arrive in a new city.
Women can use RoamCircle to discover one another, join trusted communities, find local meetups and experiences, and travel together. But the larger vision goes beyond helping women meet.
I want RoamCircle to make it easier for travelers to discover women-owned accommodations, local businesses and experiences, directing more tourism visibility and spending toward women entrepreneurs around the world.
Today, RoamCircle is live across 13 global cities selected for their strong solo travel, expat and digital nomad communities. We’ve brought women together through coworking sessions, dinners, happy hours and local experiences in Miami, Lisbon, Barcelona, Paris and Mexico City. We’re also developing small-group trips with women who have built trusted communities of their own.
We’re still early, but one thing has become clear: women aren’t simply searching for somewhere to go. They’re searching for people to belong with when they get there.
Here's a short intro video about my journey and why I built RoamCircle:
youtube.com/watch?v=gtZJBdwEi5U
I’d love to connect with Travel Massive members who operate women-led properties, experiences or travel communities. What have you found creates genuine connection among travelers....not just attendance?
Take a look at RoamCircle at roamcircle.app and let me know what you think.
My audience is mostly women age 30 to 45 ... I feel like when I talk about not waiting to live life and not needing permission to romanticize your own life I get more conversation from them under my post.
I love that, and it makes so much sense. So many women reach their 30s and 40s realizing they don’t need to wait for a partner, friend or “perfect time” to start living the life they want. The desire for independence is already there; they just want to know they won’t have to experience everything alone.
This is a really interesting idea, Liz. Traveling solo can be an amazing experience, but finding a sense of community in a new place makes a big difference. Wishing you success with RoamCircle!
Thank you Ihsan! We also are a community for expats as well so women new to city can also build community there :)
That’s a great point, Liz! Moving to a new city can feel just as overwhelming as traveling solo. Having a community to connect with can really make a difference. Wishing you all the best with RoamCircle!
The real value here is turning online connections into actual friendships, especially during those first few days in a new city. I imagine the biggest challenge will be building active local communities so travelers can reliably find people to meet wherever they land. Getting that right could make RoamCircle genuinely valuable beyond just another social app. Best of luck with the launch, Liz! 🙌
Yes, 100%! RoamCircle has actually been active for several months now, and we intentionally launched in cities popular with women traveling solo and living abroad, including Mexico City and Lisbon. We’ve partnered with established women’s communities in those cities so members can immediately access active local networks, even when we don’t have a meetup scheduled. We also work with local city hosts who are solo female travelers themselves, which makes the meetups feel much more approachable and welcoming!
Nomadtable already does similar.
There are definitely other platforms working to help travelers connect, which only validates how real the need is. RoamCircle is specifically built for WOMEN traveling solo, digital nomads and expats, combining friend discovery with trusted local communities, women-led meetups, group travel and access to women-owned businesses and experiences around the world. There’s plenty of room to approach this problem differently.
Hi Liz, your first line really spoke to me. As a Third Culture Kid I have lived in six countries, and belonging has always been the hard part for me too, not the travel itself.
From hosting women here in San José and designing retreats, what I see create real connection is time and curiosity. People need more than one evening together, and they open up when nobody knows their usual role back home. Going through something a little challenging together, like a tough hike or plans falling apart in the rain, bonds people faster as well. And it helps when someone takes care of the logistics so everyone can just focus on each other.
I noticed RoamCircle is not in Central America yet. If you ever look at Costa Rica, I would be happy to talk about being a city host here.
Kind regards,
Dewi
Hi Dewi, thank you so much for sharing this. You’re absolutely right, real belonging goes far beyond one meeting. I love seeing women connect through RoamCircle and remain friends long after the first meetup or retreat, whether they begin traveling together or reconnect in other countries. That is exactly the global network of women supporting women that I hope to build.
RoamCircle is actually available in Costa Rica, and we hosted a women’s pool party in Guanacaste this past May! I would love to make the region more active, especially in San José, and explore partnering with you as a city host. Your experience creating meaningful retreats and taking care of the logistics so women can focus on connecting feels very aligned with what we’re building. I’d be happy to chat!
What a great evening at our latest TravelTech Meetup at [Edinburgh Futures Institute](efi.ed.ac.uk) last September. We explored the growing intersection between sports, wellness, travel and technology, and it was brilliant to bring together people from across these sectors to share ideas, challenges and opportunities.
#Thank you to our contributors
- [Swellbase](swellbase.io): booking and operations software for adventure and outdoor activity businesses
- [Tethered](tetheredapp.com): a Scottish-themed sleep and relaxation app
- [SportsTech Scotland](www.linkedin.com/company/sportstech-scotland/home/): the community connecting founders, investors and sports organisations in Scotland's sports tech ecosystem
- [MotionLab Ventures](accelerator.motionlab.ventures): a free accelerator for Scottish founders building sport and wellbeing tech
#What we talked about
- How technology is changing sports travel, from ticketing and fan experience to trip planning and destination discovery
- What's driving the growth of wellness tourism, and where AI fits in
- How destinations can get value from major sporting events beyond the event itself
- Where the innovation opportunities sit as these sectors converge
A huge thank you to everyone who came along and contributed to the conversation. The discussion highlighted just how much potential there is at the intersection of these industries, from new visitor experiences and active travel to wellness tourism, sports technology and the role of innovation in shaping the future of travel.
Thank you to our contributors for sharing what they're working on and giving us a glimpse into how technology is being used to create new experiences and opportunities across sport, wellness and travel.
And of course, thank you to everyone who asked questions, shared their own experiences and stayed on for the conversations afterwards. The community is what makes these meetups work.
#About Edinburgh Futures Institute
Our meetups are hosted at [Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI)](efi.ed.ac.uk) at the University of Edinburgh. EFI's [tourism, travel and festivals](efi.ed.ac.uk/engage-and-innovate/tourism-festivals/) work uses design, futures thinking and data-driven innovation to help the sector collaborate locally and globally, make the most of data and new technologies, and make more sustainable choices, tackling challenges such as net zero, workforce and skills, AI and funding.
That work includes the [Traveltech Innovation Hub](efi.ed.ac.uk/ecosystem/traveltech-innovation-hub/), which connects industry, startups, investors and university researchers, as well as the Scottish Tourism Data Partnership, executive education, postgraduate courses, student challenge projects, and hot desks and office space for organisations in the sector.
— See you at our next event!
We're already looking ahead to our next TravelTech Meetup. If you'd like to get involved as a speaker, showcase something you've built, or suggest a topic for a future session, we'd love to hear from you at engagement.efi@ed.ac.uk
Hi everyone! I’m Nasir, a Berlin-based software engineer and the creator of TalkAssist.
I started building TalkAssist around a problem that sounds simple but can become really frustrating while travelling: translation apps work well for translating a sentence, but real conversations don’t stop after one sentence.
Imagine getting into a taxi in a country where you don’t speak the language. You translate where you want to go, and then the driver asks something back. Maybe it’s about the route, payment, traffic, or a different drop-off point. Now you translate again, reply, wait for another answer, and repeat the whole process.
The same thing happens at hotels, restaurants, pharmacies, shops, and many other places while travelling.
That made me think: instead of making the traveller manage every translation, what if AI could help manage the conversation itself?
That’s what I’m trying to do with TalkAssist.
You choose the situation you’re in and give context to TalkAssist what you’re trying to achieve. It can then listen and speak with the other person, keep track of the context, and involve you when your decision is actually needed.
For example, if a hotel receptionist offers a paid room upgrade, TalkAssist shouldn’t decide for you. It comes back to you, gets your choice, and then continues the conversation.
It also keeps important details from the conversation and gives you a summary afterwards - useful when someone has just explained things like check-out time, breakfast hours, a deposit, directions, or other information that’s easy to forget after a long day of travelling.
TalkAssist currently covers situations such as taxis, hotels, restaurants, shopping, pharmacies and other everyday conversations, with support for around 25 languages.
I’m still improving it and trying to understand where this approach is genuinely useful compared with simply translating one sentence at a time.
I’d especially love to hear from people here who travel frequently:
1. What was the last situation where not speaking the local language made a conversation difficult for you?
2. Taxi, hotel, restaurant, pharmacy or something I haven’t thought about yet?
That kind of feedback would be really valuable as I continue building TalkAssist.
Hi Nasir thanks for sharing TalkAssist with the Travel Massive community!
If it's relevant... about 15 years ago I built an MVP of an interpreter app in China. The idea was you could call a local number and get routed (in realtime) to an available interpreter. The interpreter could help with ordering food, talking to a taxi driver, etc. I tested it in Shanghai and it worked really well. There was a market for specialised business interpreters (e.g. for a business meeting, talking about factory production) but for consumer use (e.g. ordering food) the economics of the app were more challenging. The investors I spoke to at the time (~2014) all seemed concerned that "in a few years" that translation would happen on-device. So I decided to shut down the MVP and move on to other projects... Sure enough, mobile phones are now powerful enough to run the translation on-device. Last year I had a fully translated conversation between English and Korean with a fellow passenger on a flight to Australia, on their Samsung Galaxy with no internet.
I believe that on-device translation will continue to get better, and more people are using "conversation mode" in Google Translate when making transactions (e.g. buying something).
There could be a market for your app for people with accessibility needs.
Hope that feedback is helpful!
The conversation summaries might actually be one of TalkAssist’s strongest features! Being able to check what was agreed about a taxi fare, hotel deposit, or checkout time could be just as useful as the live translation itself. One thing I’d prioritize is making sure the assistant always asks for confirmation before agreeing to any additional charges or changes on the traveler’s behalf. Getting that balance between automation and user control right could really set it apart from regular translation apps. 👏
Thank you to everyone who attended this month's [PDX Travel Massive event](www.travelmassive.com/events/portland-sips-and-a-show-at-the-paris-theatre-new-date-1788644998) in Portland's Old Town at [Can Can's Paris Theatre](www.cancanportland.com). We greatly appreciate you spending your Sunday afternoon with us, and it was the perfect excuse to soak up some sun before the rain starts up again later this week.
We are especially grateful to Cooper and the team at Can Can for opening early for us and giving us an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the magic behind the Paris Theatre. Guests enjoyed a guided tour of the newly renovated space, heard from the Can Can team about their vision for Portland's entertainment scene, and caught up over drinks in the courtyard bar, with an exclusive discount for that evening's performance of [*Hitchcock Hotel*](www.cancanportland.com/hitchcock-hotel-2026).
We're so excited to help them further the mission of Portland's [Pink Light District](www.pinklightpdx.org) and encourage you to venture back downtown, because Portland is back, baby!
#Can Can's Paris Theatre: Celebrating Art and History
The Paris Theatre is a restored 1890 landmark at [6 SW 3rd Ave](maps.app.goo.gl/H4T65ziZDR1RbQ6U7) in Portland's Old Town, reborn as a cabaret and cocktail theatre. Can Can presents original productions featuring dance, live music and comedy, created by Portland-based performers and crew, alongside craft cocktails and culinary concessions. The team describes the theatre as "a symbolic beacon of light" celebrating art as well as Old Town's history and bright future.
See a show: check what's on at [cancanportland.com](www.cancanportland.com) and follow [@cancanportland on Instagram](www.instagram.com/cancanportland) for new shows and behind-the-scenes moments.
*Want to be at the next one? [Join Portland Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/portland-travel-massive-242096280) to stay up to date with upcoming events and connect with Portland's travel community. If you would like to support a future event, contact chapter co-leaders [Kylie Curtis](www.travelmassive.com/@kylie-curtis) or [Erin Fish](www.travelmassive.com/@erin-fish). See you at the next event!*
Jealous you got to meet Rachel!
Transitioning to paid partnerships can be one of the hardest moves a travel creator can make, so this October Travel Massive and Stay22 assembled [a panel of experts](www.travelmassive.com/events/the-business-of-travel-content-partnerships-that-pay-creator-and-dmo-panel-with-stay22-1456700461) at Le Germain Hotel Toronto Mercer to discuss the business of travel content with the [Toronto Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/toronto-travel-massive-156537040) community.
The conversation ranged from how to prepare your brand for revenue-generating partnerships, to where to find them when you’re ready, and how to make the most of these opportunities when you get them.
*Did you miss it? Get your free copy of [The Travel Creator Economy in 2026 Report](www.travelmassive.com/stay22/creators-2026-report?ref=toronto-panel) (more than 2,000 downloads so far!), which features insights from 500 content creators and travel brands on earnings, success metrics, AI use, and monetization.*
A Full House for the Business of Travel Content
Moderating the panel was photographer, writer, and Toronto Travel Massive chapter lead [Kateryna Topol](www.travelmassive.com/@katerryna), joined by panellists [Tania Kabanyana](www.travelmassive.com/@tania-kabanyana-4047505365) of Stay22, providing the affiliate platform perspective; [Erin Hynes](www.travelmassive.com/@erin-hynes-1002396570) of Pina Travels, representing creators; and [Ashley Rochefort](www.travelmassive.com/@ashley-rochefort-1240176150) of Destination Toronto, offering insight from the Destination Marketing Organization (DMO) side.
The event was attended by people from across the travel spectrum, including [Maria Stoyanova](www.travelmassive.com/@maria-stoyanova), Content & Partnerships Manager for *Stay22*; travel businesses and entrepreneurs representing *Therme Canada*, *Triprecos*, *Wondering Concierge*, and *Fringinto Media*; and bloggers from *Goat Roti Chronicles*, *Liisa Wanders*, *She Roams About*, *Life On The Roam*, and *Traveling Mitch*.
Rounding out the room were journalists from the *Toronto Star*, *Travel + Leisure*, *Condé Nast Traveler*, *The Globe and Mail*, *DreamScapes*, *TABLET Magazine*, *Travel Life*, *Explore Magazine*, *Landsby Northern Soul*, *Fodor's Travel*, *TIME*, *Yahoo Canada*, *PAX News*, *Paths to Travel Magazine*, *BOLD Traveller*, *Air India*'s in-flight magazine, *Travelweek*, *Matador Network*, *HerSide Magazine*, *NUVO Magazine*, *Wander Niagara*, and *Azure Road*; representatives from DMOs, brands and public relations organizations including *Destination Ontario*, *Hustle House PR & Media*, and *Chimu Adventures*; and content creators including Mike Rizzi, Ildiko Siklodi, Cat Mansouri, Maiku Wong, Lotoya Jackson, and Garbo Kwan.
Five Ways Travel Creators Can Land Better Partnerships and Earn More
Our panel discussion covered a range of topics, with the big themes being the value of a distinct voice, deep destination expertise, clear and upfront pitching, diverse revenue streams, and a firm grip on your numbers. Here are the top five takeaways:
#1. Define Your Voice and Identity
Creator Erin has spent a decade building a trusted voice in travel, and she only takes opportunities that align with her values.
It’s important to go to places you genuinely want to go to.
— Erin Hynes, Pina Travels
That commitment has led her to turn down partnerships that clash with her responsible travel ethos, something her audience has come to know her for.
Stay22’s Tania agreed that a strong voice helps people feel they can really connect with who you are. It matters to DMOs too: Ashley from Destination Toronto receives countless emails from creators every day, and a generic pitch is one of her top dealbreakers.
#2. Be an Authority
Tania and Erin both stressed being an authority on the destinations you cover. Stay22’s top-performing bloggers create content clusters that build topical authority, and Erin always writes multiple posts per destination so her audience can learn everything they need to take the same trip she did.
In Tania’s experience, the best performers balance aspirational content with practical advice, and the most lucrative content answers all the decision-making questions: where to stay, how to do things, and what is best for certain travellers, such as families.
Well-rounded coverage makes you a one-stop shop for travellers planning their trip and shows potential partners you know your topic.
#3. Communicate Clearly and Efficiently
For Ashley, pitches to busy DMOs and businesses should be direct and brief. A niche idea will catch her attention, and information about your audience, performance metrics, and pay expectations should be right up front.
Erin includes her rate card in her first pitch to avoid wasting anyone’s time. At this stage in her career she doesn’t do unpaid work: it helps build a portfolio in the beginning, but it’s not a long-term business strategy.
Tania applied the same thinking to affiliate marketing: make links as visible as possible. Stay22 finds that inline links convert twice as well as any of the other tools they offer to creators. Since most people view content on their phones, colours, buttons, and other eye-catching elements help stop the scroll and encourage clicks.
#4. Diversify Your Revenue Streams
Many creators believe partnerships are the only way to make money, but Erin sees them as just one piece of the puzzle. Her top two revenue streams are affiliate marketing and sponsorships, but she also earns from display ads on her blog, ads in her podcast, and content licensing, which she thinks is often overlooked.
After a trip, she shares a folder of photos with relevant brands and DMOs to browse and license. DMOs often come back to her later for more images, making it a clever way to get paid for work you’ve already done.
Stay22 adds earning potential to blogs and websites with smart tools bundled into one easy-to-install script. [Spark](www.stay22.com/bloggers-spark?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=event&utm_campaign=travelmassive-toronto) uses context to automatically place relevant affiliate links in existing content, and [Nova](www.stay22.com/publishers-nova?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=event&utm_campaign=travelmassive-toronto) reads user behaviour to quietly open a new tab with the recommendations the reader is most likely to book. Tania shared that the tools were recently revamped to make them even more effective, and self-serve controls should roll out in the coming months.
#5. Know Your Numbers
All three panellists agreed on the importance of knowing your numbers. Destination Toronto looks most closely at social media reach and engagement when considering partners, and Ashley warned against inflating numbers, as there are tools available to check influencer performance.
Tania suggested that creators who are comfortable with it use an AI tool to identify trends and anomalies, which could surface opportunities that traditional analysis misses.
Erin relies on built-in, native analytics, regularly pulling reports from affiliate platforms and Google Analytics, and refreshes her media kit and rate card annually. Her rates are flexible, but she sets expectations early, offering à la carte deliverable pricing plus strategically priced bundles that give partners better value and encourage them to increase the scope of their partnership.
Erin and Ashley both said most of their partnerships come from in-person conferences, marketplaces, networking events, and cold pitching, and knowing your numbers is crucial to finding the right partners.
Preparing to be a good partner is half the battle, and it lays the groundwork for earning more through successful partnerships that could turn into repeat collaborations.
Thank You To Everyone Who Participated
A big thank you to our panellists [Tania](www.travelmassive.com/@tania-kabanyana-4047505365), [Erin](www.travelmassive.com/@erin-hynes-1002396570) and [Ashley](www.travelmassive.com/@ashley-rochefort-1240176150) for sharing their expertise, to [Kateryna](www.travelmassive.com/@katerryna) for moderating, to everyone who came along and filled the room, to our Toronto Travel Massive co-leaders, and to Stay22 for supporting the event and making it possible.
Want to be at the next one? Join [Toronto Travel Massive](www.travelmassive.com/posts/toronto-travel-massive-156537040) to stay updated on upcoming events, creator and brand opportunities, and more.
___
*Stay22 gives creators and publishers a smarter way to monetize travel content across blogs and websites. It offers quick setup, clear performance tracking, and a way to start earning without rebuilding the content you already have. Learn more at [stay22.com](www.stay22.com/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=event&utm_campaign=travelmassive-toronto). Or connect with [Tania Kabanyana](www.linkedin.com/in/tania-kabanyana-24684721b/) to discuss creator partnerships.*
Such a beautiful event!!! Thank you for having me!! Can't wait for the next one.
Thank you for this wonderful recap Ashlea!
Great event!
HERE'S THE NEXT 5 UPCOMING EVENTS:
The Flavors 2026 conference, part of Flavors Vietnam 2026, is designed for chefs, founders, operators, brands, investors, suppliers, and innovators shaping Vietnam's F&B ecosystem. A full-day conference held in the exhibition area, it features thematic discussions, events providing direct market information, practical case studies, and high-value networking opportunities—all packed into one day.
📅 October 10, 2026 · 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
📍 Le Méridien Saigon, 3C Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
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Three Shifts Shaping the F&B Industry Right Now
The keynote sessions and discussions focused on three movements shaping the industry today:
Shifting Tastes: From ingredients and flavors to health trends and premium offerings. Understand what your customers want next so you can be the first to serve them.
Changing Consumer Behavior: Shifts in what diners choose, trust, and are willing to pay for. Learn how leading brands maintain their appeal when expectations change faster than menus.
Reshaping the F&B Industry: The real-world shifts around capital, technology, policy, and scaling. Understanding who is experiencing profitable growth and why.
Designed for industry professionals and decision-makers:
* Chefs, restaurant owners, and operators of restaurants, bars, cafes, and hotels.
* Brand and F&B chain management team
* Suppliers, distributors, investors, and funds
* Journalists, media professionals, and content creators in the industry.
Learn more at vietcetera.com/en/collection/flavors-vietnam/conference
Link to event pageWhat if the next big opportunity in travel isn't selling experiences... but owning them?
The future belongs to those who don't just participate in the travel industry, but strategically build and own assets within it.
Join us on October 10 for an insightful conversation on:
🏡 Building and managing profitable Airbnb and short-let businesses
🏨 Owning hospitality assets that generate long-term value
📈 Creating sustainable income streams within the travel ecosystem
🏠 Understanding how to leverage the Federal Government's NHF mortgage solutions for property ownership and investment
💡 Positioning yourself for wealth creation through travel and real estate
Whether you're a travel entrepreneur, tour operator, hospitality professional, investor, content creator, or simply exploring opportunities in the tourism economy, this event will provide practical insights, real-world strategies, and valuable connections.
The travel industry is evolving. The question is no longer just how to sell travel. It's how to own a piece of the ecosystem.
10:00am - 2:00pm
Saturday, October 10
TerraKulture, Victoria Island, Lagos
Come ready to learn, connect, and discover pathways to sustainable growth!
Link to event pageThe heartbeat of the global business events industry.
IMEX America is the largest trade show for the global meetings, events and incentive travel industry.
Our award-winning show brings the meetings industry together to do a year’s worth of business under one roof. Suppliers and buyers from every sector of the meetings industry come together at IMEX, held at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas.
Our free-to-attend four-day program offers specialist education, networking and much more, on and off the trade show floor.
Talking Point: Design Matters
In 2026–2027, we’re making Design Matters our Talking Point. Because good design isn’t just good business—it’s how things work, feel and change us.
Design is the ultimate differentiator. It’s design that helps organizations, brands and events stand out and be remembered. So, we’re inviting the global events industry to embrace design as a business superpower. Because it matters.
Where is IMEX America held?
Welcome to Las Vegas! IMEX takes place at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Mandalay Bay is the fifth largest convention center in the US, with 2.1 million square feet of meeting and exhibit space. Just a short car ride from the airport, Mandalay Bay is located on the dazzling Las Vegas Strip.
Learn more at america.imexevents.com
Link to event pageRegister for Travel Tech’s 2026 Start-Up Summit
Travel Tech Association (Travel Tech), the unified voice for the travel technology ecosystem, will host its second annual Start-Up Summit, taking place on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, at Concorde in National Landing, Arlington, Virginia. The event will bring together travel technology founders, investors, industry leaders, and innovators for a day of networking, education, and collaboration focused on advancing the next generation of travel technology companies.
Why Attend?
The Travel Tech Start-Up Summit is the only conference exclusively dedicated to bringing together early-stage travel technology start-ups, angel investors, and industry leaders.
• Meet founders, investors, and potential partners.
• Build relationships that accelerate growth.
• Join the community shaping the future of travel technology.
• Compete for $10,000—and support that extends beyond the stage
Learn More About the Pitch Competition at traveltech.org/two-weeks-left-to-apply-for-travel-techs-2026-start-up-summit-pitch-competition/
Link to event page🌴 10 days where remote work meets island life
Nomads in Paradise (NIP) returns to Siargao Island, Philippines — and it's more than a conference. It's a 10-day festival that blends world-class talks with surf, wellness, and the kind of networking that actually leads somewhere.
Set in General Luna during peak October weather and consistent swell, NIP brings together 150 location-independent professionals for keynotes and workshops by day, and beach parties, island hopping, and bioluminescence tours by night — all on fast fiber and satellite internet so you never miss a beat.
Because proximity creates opportunity. NIP is where the international nomad community and the Philippines' digital talent meet, mingle, and make deals happen naturally.
👉 Who Nomads in Paradise is for
Digital nomads and remote workers, Filipino freelancers and creators, founders and entrepreneurs, developers, marketers, and VAs — anyone building a life that isn't tied to a desk.
✨ On the program
- Keynotes & workshops from nomad-world speakers
- Coworking sessions with reliable, fast internet
- Wellness day — yoga, ice baths, and fitness meetups
- Island hopping, surf lessons & bioluminescence tours
- Networking dinners and beach parties
📍 The details
🗓️ October 16–25, 2026 (10 days)
📍 General Luna, Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, Philippines
🎤 Featuring Ace Gapuz, Lian Carla De Ocampo, Tressia Lee, Stefan Williams, Nat Barbosa, and more
🎟️ Multiple ticket tiers available — from social passes to full festival access
Organized by NIP & Baybayin Hub, supported by the Department of Tourism Caraga.
👉 Grab your ticket — Spots are limited to 150
View the full program and speakers at nomads-in-paradise.com
Link to event pageAsia's largest travel trade show
ITB Asia, Asia’s Largest Travel Trade Show, is an annual 3-day B2B trade show and convention designed to bring together the key travel industry leaders in the region. It convenes international exhibitors and buyers from the MICE, Leisure and Corporate segments.
Today, ITB Asia is the premier meeting place for the travel trade industry for forging new partnerships and strengthening existing business relationships with the most important players in the region.
ITB Asia 2026 will be held in Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore from 21-23 October 2026. The show is organised by Messe Berlin Asia Pacific.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovXgWileF7k
Why Attend ITB Asia
Asia’s Largest Travel Trade Show
Bringing more than 18,000 attendees from the MICE, Corporate, Leisure sectors
Buyer & Exhibitor Ratio
Approximately 1:1 ratio between buyers and exhibitors
Most International Travel Trade Show
Over 132 countries & territories represented; the most international travel trade show in the region
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ITB Asia?
ITB Asia, Asia’s Largest Travel Trade Show, is an annual 3-day B2B trade show and convention designed to bring together the key travel industry leaders in the region. It convenes international exhibitors and buyers from the MICE, Leisure and Corporate segments.
Today, ITB Asia is the premier meeting place for the travel trade industry for forging new partnerships and strengthening existing business relationships with the most important players in the region.
Where is ITB Asia held?
ITB Asia 2026 will be held in Sands Expo & Convention Centre in Singapore from 21-23 October 2026. The show is organised by Messe Berlin Asia Pacific.
Who should attend ITB Asia?
ITB Asia is a B2B travel trade event for industry professionals, including buyers (corporate travel managers, MICE planners, agents), exhibitors (tourism boards, hotels, airlines, travel tech providers), and trade visitors seeking to network, source products, and explore business opportunities across leisure, MICE, corporate travel, and travel technology.
What industries are represented at ITB Asia?
ITB Asia represents key sectors across the travel and tourism industry, including leisure travel, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions), corporate travel, and travel technology, alongside related industries such as hospitality, aviation, cruise, destinations, attractions, and tourism boards.
Learn more at www.itb-asia.com
Link to event pageHere's the 10 latest classified ads:
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