How travel bloggers are creating content in the pandemic
The tourism industry among many others was affected during the lockdown. This meant no new breathtaking pictures and videos from travel bloggers online. Everything had come to a screeching halt with over 200 countries severely affected. Now we have more people getting vaccinated and the travel industry slowly opening up with precautions. But what went on in the last year and most of this one? Let’s take a look at how travel bloggers have been generating content during this never-ending pandemic and what they have to say about the new normal.
Trotting the globe has come to a standstill
Shreya Bondre is a marketing professional and consultant who loves travelling and has been to 25 countries. For her travel is a learning process, something that is not found in textbooks, but in experience. She says humanity is the biggest culture and the pandemic is a time to support one another. This is the only way to bring everything back on track. Travelling is her passion for sure. Even then, staying indoors and being grateful, contributing wherever possible is the ideal thing to do in the midst of a pandemic.
Khyati Thaker worked in a law firm and left to become a full-time travel blogger. In her travel blog, she writes all about her travel experiences, itineraries, tips and photo stories. She says that travel bloggers rely specifically on movement so generating content apart from throwbacks has been hard. Bloggers and influencers monetize through ads and paid campaigns. During the lockdown it was uncertain when fresh travels would get booked. However, blogging is a choice we make and like Khyati says, we owe a responsibility to the audience to promote safety first.
Ami Bhat is a post graduate in marketing and a travel writer and blogger. She noticed that travel websites across the world started reporting a dip in their website traffic and online bookings since January 2020. While the clicks dropped even on her site, she encourages consumption of travel content. This is to keep virtual travel ongoing until actual travel happens.
Content for travel bloggers rely solely on travelling. When the industry is hit hard, nostalgic posts on travel memories, throwbacks have come to the rescue.
About travel in the post-pandemic era.
Shivya Nath hopes that the pandemic will make people understand how our travel choices adversely affect the environment. In terms of tourism policies as well as individual choices she is hopeful to see more sustainable, meaningful and low impact travel. We should look at travel that also supports local communities, reducing negative impact on the ecosystem. In short, she urges people to make travel choices that are not just ethical but better for our survival.
Kopal Goel, a travel photographer turned to experimenting with other artistic avenues such as trying out self-portraits, her old point-and-shoot camera and making aesthetic spreads on her bullet journal.
Archana Singh, a travel journalist and photographer had been revisiting old projects and working on her weekly show on YouTube instead of finding new projects.
Through memes, awareness posts, fundraiser drives, repurposing old content or trying new kinds, travel bloggers, influencers and photographers have kept the wanderlust alive as the pandemic exceeded beyond a year. Though it has been tough, they managed to take us on virtual adventures until we stepped out again.
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