5 Ways to Improve Your Travel Content Writing

5 Ways to Improve Your Travel Content Writing

While most people dream of traveling the world, very few people get to. Fortunately, reading travel content provides a welcome alternative. Think of it like a window—a mini-portal that allows readers to experience the sights and sounds of distant cultures, all through the eyes of the writer. It comes with a catch, though. The quality of the experience is only as good as the writing. If you plan to launch a travel blog or write for a travel site, here are some ways to improve your writing. 

1. Use Short, Simple Sentences

Short, clear sentences make your content easier to read. They also make your writing accessible to a wider audience. Good travel content should come in easily digestible chunks to capture your readers’ attention. That said, do not completely abandon long sentences. Play with the length of your words by breaking up shorter sentences with the occasional long sentence. It’ll help keep the content engaging. You can also improve the engagement of your article by breaking up the flow with headers and shorter paragraphs.

2. Paint a Picture with Your Words

Don’t just rely on general words and phrases like "amazing" or "stunning." If you are writing about a personal travel experience, capture the imagination of your audience by describing it with vivid language. Talk about the colors of the trees in the city you visited or the “powdery feel of the golden sand beneath your bare feet” while you stood admiring the sunset at a beachside resort. Enrich your content by including conversations or experiences you had with locals. Be more than a writer. Be an artist. Imagine what you want your readers to see, and then paint a picture with your words. And, of course, if you’re writing travel content for a brand, use the brand’s style and tone to determine your approach.

3. Polish Your Text

Call it the writer’s curse or the "not-so-secret secret of writing"—a writer’s work is never done. Don’t be afraid to make multiple edits to your first draft. Then, consider getting a second or third opinion before hitting the publish button. And if you need help with editing, try working with a professional editor. The best editing agencies can help polish your work by correcting errors, improving word choices, and deleting clichéd material so your writing really stands out.

4. Know When to Use the First Person

Writing in the first person offers many benefits. It puts the reader directly in your train of thought, so they feel closer to the adventure. Articles written in the first person also have a more conversational tone, which makes them easier to read. The key is to know when to do it. While writing in the first person may be good for a travel blog or travel diary, it may not work as well if you plan to write a travel guide or give travel tips on behalf of a brand.

5. Read Other Travel Content

If you are going to write good travel content, you need to understand what qualifies as good writing. The best way to learn this is by reading more. Spend some time reading other travel blogs and articles from some of the best travel content writing agencies, publications, and writers. Identify why some articles work so well and why others don’t. Try applying the same rules to your writing, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes. It’s all part of the process. Like Jodi Picoult famously put it, "You can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page."