16 Best Travel Blogger Conferences to Level Up

1. TravelCon

TravelCon was the first conference I ever attended as a blogger and the one that probably had the most significant impact on my life.

It was started by Nomadic Matt, one of the world’s top travel bloggers, who describes it as “the place to learn the business of travel media.”

I attended TravelCon in Boston in 2019 and was blown away by the quality of the speakers and amount of talks.

They covered every topic, from starting your blog as a beginner to high-level advanced link-building and e-mail marketing techniques. As a newbie blogger, I learned so many valuable skills. 

They also had photography and writing workshops, which were included in the pass at the time.

But for me, the best part of attending TravelCon was the connections I made. It’s where I made my first travel blogging friends that changed my life.

After a two-year pandemic hiatus, I went back to TravelCon in Memphis, which was a completely different but equally wonderful experience. 

I’d grown so much as a blogger in those three years, and it was cool to reflect on that and see how far I’d come. I was terrified of the media room in 2019, but that year I was booking meetings in advance with brands to discuss partnerships.

After that conference, Matt announced TravelCon would be shutting down – but happily, it has come back in 2024 and be held in Portland, Oregon. I’ve got my ticket and am so excited to see what it brings! You can 30% off your TravelCon ticket this year by using the code Explore!

2. Traverse 

Traverse is a European-based event that describes itself as the ‘the anti-conference that’s more like a festival than a conference.’

I went for the first time in November 2021 in Mallorca, Spain, just before moving to Tenerife, and it’s one of the most fun conferences I’ve ever attended.

Although the conference is only two days, the host destination puts on several mid-week events leading up to the event, which are included with your ticket.

In Mallorca, they had scuba diving, hot air balloon rides, hikes, wine tasting, olive-making workshops, and more.

They also host events almost every night of the week, which in Spain meant a lot of free tapas and wine.

Honestly, even without the networking and talks, the ticket is a fantastic value for a fun week (especially if you get the early bird ticket price).

But on top of all the fun, you’ll also learn valuable skills at the sessions. In Mallorca, I mainly attended the talks about YouTube/video editing and found them very useful, as this is an area I am just starting in.

The cool thing about Traverse is that because it’s a smaller conference (I don’t think there were more than 200 attendees in Mallorca), you get to mingle with almost everyone, including the speakers, who were all very down-to-earth.

They didn’t have much of a media room for sponsors, but I did meet a few PR and brand representatives.

I just attended the latest Traverse in Tbilisi, Georgia, and it was even more fun than Spain. As I knew many of the attendees from the previous years, it was such a cool feeling to reconnect.

Georgia was an incredible host destination (world-class hospitality), and we were plowed with delicious food and wine the entire time and a beautiful post-trip around the Svaneti region.

Traverse also has an event called KeyFrame, which is more video-focused, as well as regular networking events in London.

They have not accounted for where the next events will be, but the best way to stay current is to join their mailing list.

3. Travel Blog Exchange Conference (TBEX)

TBEX is one of the oldest travel blogging conferences around. It started in 2009 and brings hundreds of travel content creators together to network and build partnerships with travel brands, PR firms, and DMOs.

They host several conferences annually in North America, Europe, and Asia.

At the conference, you’ll hear from speakers covering everything travel blog-related, including social media, influencer marketing, SEO, affiliate marketing, how to improve your writing, and more. In addition, there are tours, events, and pre/post trips.

The first time I tried to attend TBEX was in Catania, Italy when the world fell apart, and I got lockdown in Italy.

It was terrible timing because the week leading up to the conference was when COVID was becoming a major concern in Italy.

Due to that, the conference got canceled just a few days before. But since many of us were already in Europe or on the way, they told us to come anyway and that the tourism board would still host events for us.

Unfortunately, the day I arrived in Catania, they told us the country was going into lockdown, and we had to leave ASAP. Not fun.

I still met some cool people (nothing like a disaster to bond people together), but it was a really stressful few days.

I decided to keep my ticket credit for a future TBEX conference, which I used for Thailand.

After Italy, I didn’t have high expectations for the conference, but I was completely blown away. It was an incredible week, and many attendees said it was the best TBEX they’ve ever attended.

The ticket included two pre-conference days of tours around Phuket. On the first day, I went on a catamaran sunset trip to a beautiful secluded beach, and on the second day, I joined GoPro Thailand for another beach and water sports day filming content.

The conference was two days of talks and three nights of parties hosted by the Thailand Tourism Board, which were all in unique venues, including a water park, aquarium, and 5-star hotel. They were so much fun!

After the conference, I joined a 2-day FAM trip (you had to apply and be selected) to Krabi. From the quality of the hotels to the food, activities, and company, it was an unforgettable two days.

Of course, much of the success can be attributed to Thailand being an incredible host destination, but it was also a great group of attendees. I made so many new connections!

I was generally very impressed with this conference and will definitely be attending future TBEX events.

The next TBEX events will be in Spain in May, and Puerto Rico in June 2024.

5. Propel Travel Blogger Conference

Propel by Captivate Media is an intimate conference (20ish) for intermediate bloggers looking to bring their blog to the next level. It’s a fully hosted conference you must apply for and be selected to attend.

I applied at the end of 2019 for the conference in Vorarlberg, Austria, and was accepted, but it only happened in September 2021 due to COVID. All my costs were covered to attend, including plane tickets and a two-day FAM trip afterward.

I’d rank Propel as the top conference I’ve attended in terms of what I learned. Because only intermediate bloggers go, the talks are more advanced and focused on bringing you to the next level.

While at most conferences, the sessions are aimed at beginners, which isn’t that helpful when you’ve been blogging for a while.

The small group size is nice because you get to know everyone pretty well, including the speakers.

Terry and Sarah, who run the conference, are lovely people, and you can really feel the passion they put into making this an incredible event.

Austria was a fantastic host destination. We stayed in a beautiful hotel in the quaint village of Mellau, dining on delicious Austrian cuisine (aka cheese and wine heaven) and enjoying the breathtaking mountain scenery.

I also loved the FAM trip to Montafon, Austria after the conference. We had so much fun hiking through the mountains, and once again, I was put with an amazing group of women. It was actually because of a girl I bonded with on that trip that I ended up on my solo trip to Africa in Egypt!

Definitely subscribe to their e-mail list for the announcement of the next one! It was a game-changer for me.

6. North American Travel Journalist Association (NATJA)

NATJA is one of the oldest organizations for travel journalists, established in 1991. They also host a conference every year which members and non-members can attend (members get a discount).

Since I primarily lean on the content creation/influencer side rather than freelance writing, I wasn’t sure how much I’d get out of this conference, but I was pleasantly surprised.

Unlike most travel conferences where you have to buy your hotel separately, NATJA offers the opportunity to buy it as a package.

For $699 (the ticket itself is $499 if you are a member), I got three nights at the Sheraton in San Juan, which is good value considering the hotel normally costs $250+ a night.

Your ticket also includes transfer to/from the hotel, all meals during the conference days, afternoon tours, and a pre or post-trip (you have to apply and be selected). 

Puerto Rico is an expensive destination, so $699 for an almost entirely covered fun week was excellent value. Then, of course, there’s networking with other journalists, bloggers, and DMOs, which is always invaluable. 

Although $699 may seem steep compared to the price of other conference, it’s really not when you consider what’s included.

There aren’t a lot of sessions, but the few I did attend had some valuable insights, particularly about pitching editors. If you are a blogger who also freelance writes, it’s worth attending this conference.

I also found this conference extremely well-run. They had sessions in the morning and then hosted tours in the afternoon, which I thought was a nice mix, as a full day of sessions can be pretty exhausting.

All meals are covered during the conference, plus a fun opening party, a closing dinner, and two afternoon tours. I visited the Bacardi factory and took a walking/eating tour around old San Juan, which were both super fun.

I also got to go on a two-day hosted FAM trip to the Central Region of Puerto Rico, where we went zip-lining, explored caves, enjoyed a farm-to-table lunch in a Finca, and learned to make cheese.

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They also have a dedicated morning for speed networking with the DMOs. Unlike other travel conferences I’ve been to, it was almost entirely North American Tourism Boards rather than a mix of DMOs and travel brands. Although the conference is aimed at journalists, I found that the DMOs were receptive to talking with me for the most part.

I was surprised by how many other bloggers were at the conference (maybe 20%); I met some awesome people. It’s an older crowd, but everyone was extremely kind and welcoming to me.

7. SATW

Society of America Travel Writers is another membership for freelance writers and travel bloggers which hosts an annual conference in unique destinations. You have to apply to join and pay an annual membership. I haven’t joined the community yet, but I plan to this year.

8. Travel Media Association of Canada

The Travel Media Association of Canada is a membership for accredited travel media and tourism industry professionals in Canada. I finally joined this year, and I plan to attend my first conference in June 2024, which will be held in my hometown in St. John’s, Newfoundland!

9. World Travel Market (WTM)

WTM brings together travel professionals worldwide for strong networking opportunities, expert insights from the world’s best minds, and more. It’s free to attend; you just have to apply before as media. However, the event is hosted in London, which can be an expensive destination to visit.

I attended WTM in November 2021 and had mixed feelings about my experience, mainly due to my lack of preparation. Unlike other travel blogging conferences aimed at content creators, WTM is for the entire travel industry.

Hundreds of tourism boards worldwide will be there, but you need to book meetings in advance and come prepared. Learn from my mistakes, and don’t expect to walk up to a booth and find the right person to talk with. Everyone is very busy here, and I found it very overwhelming.

I also felt that the DMOs I did talk to were more interested in those with a European audience, and since mine is primarily North America, this often just led to them telling me they would connect me with their counterpart.

There are parties all over the city in the evening, but they aren’t open to everyone, so you will need to find PR connections to be put on the list.

The next WTM will be in London in November 2024.

10. Travel Media International Media Marketplace

The International Media Marketplace (IMM) by Travmedia is the world’s largest networking event for the travel industry, bringing together top journalists, editors, influencers, and broadcasters.

I have not attended before, but I know a lot of bloggers who go to this event and said they made terrific connections. It’s a full day of speed networking with brands, so it sounds exhausting but ideal for networking.

Registration does not cost anything, but you have to be prescreened and approved to go. 

There are IMM events all over the world, so check on their website for upcoming events in your region. The main one for North American based travel creatives happens in New York every January.

11. IPW

IPW is a travel trade fair that aims to showcase travel destinations and products in the United States to consumers from over 70 countries worldwide. 

You can apply as a travel journalist or content creator to attend, where you’ll have the opportunity to network with brands and colleagues.

I haven’t attended IPW before, but I talked to many people at NATJA about it. And apparently, they go all out with the events.

12. ITB Berlin

ITB Berlin is the world’s largest tourism trade fair that ‘brings together tourism professionals and key players from the global travel industry.’

I haven’t attended yet as it was canceled for three years due to COVID, but I know many bloggers who previously went and said they made good connections. It happens every March in Berlin and is back in 2024.

The truth is that being a content creator can be isolating. I didn’t network with many other creators during my first year as a travel blogger, and as a result, I didn’t get very far.

When I started taking blogging courses and attended my first conference (TravelCon), things began to turn around for me.

The sessions at blogging conferences are on the topics you need to succeed in the industry. You’ll hear firsthand from the top creators about SEO, affiliate marketing, YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, working with brands, and so much more.

But the best part of attending conferences was the connections I made with other creators. Before TravelCon, I didn’t have a blogging community. And in this industry, community is everything.

I met the most incredible group of women at TravelCon in 2019, and we decided to stay in touch and form an accountability group that would meet monthly to stay on track with our blogging goals. Those monthly calls turned into weekly calls during the pandemic, and we grew closer as friends.

I moved to Barbados because of Nicola and then to Puerto Vallarta because of Courtney, where I started my niche website, Take Me To Puerto Vallarta.

Most opportunities I’ve gotten have been because of people recommending me, and travel blogger conferences are a quick way to meet other people in the industry.

Plus, conferences have a ton of sponsors, including some of the top travel brands and tourism boards.

You’ll have the chance to make 1-on-1 meetings with these brands to see if there is potential for a partnership. While cold pitching can work, having a warm lead is much more effective.