In our series of interviews with travel blogger and influencers across the globe, we look for travel bloggers and influencers with interesting lives who can share some inspiring stories and useful advice from their experience. This week we have Victoria from Guide Your Travel blog.
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An Interview With Victoria from Guide Your Travel
Tell us a bit about yourself
Hi, my name is Victoria and I’m 23 years old. I’m originally from Germany but I’m currently living in Scotland (when there isn’t a global pandemic). I was always fortunate enough to travel a lot with my family so instead of going straight to university after school I decided to do a working holiday gap year in Australia instead. Had one of the best years of my life driving through Australia in a camper van and making money by working in bars and restaurants on the way.
It was the perfect way to see the country and I really want to buy another van in the near future and do something similar in either Canada or New Zealand. After Australia, I managed to see quite a lot of South East Asia before I had to return to Europe to begin my studies at university. Now three years later I’m almost finished with my degree and was fortunate enough to be able to continue traveling off and on while I study.
Most recently I was living in Perth, Australia for a semester, however, I sadly had to return home to Germany much earlier than planned because of the coronavirus. At least this gives me a lot more time to focus on my travel blog now which I’ve been running for almost exactly one year now. It’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and I can’t wait to see new places in the future and blog about them.
What’s your biggest achievement as a Travel Blogger?
Gaining a small but steady audience and receiving positive feedback from readers. I’m always eager to try out new things and it makes me so happy when I discover that others are enjoying what I write about.
You have an unlimited travel budget for 24 hours. Give me your itinerary.
Definitely head to South America which I haven’t seen enough off yet! I’d love to go to Ecuador or Peru as I’ve heard amazing things about these countries and it would give me an opportunity to work on my Spanish.
How do you fund your travel?
So far I’m funding my travel by working part-time while I study as well as my travel blog which gives me a small income but not nearly enough to sustain myself completely. I’m fortunate enough to have some savings which come in handy for travel. I’m also a very strict budget traveller and make sure any trips are always as affordable as possible.
What is the single most effective strategy that a blogger can use to bring traffic to a blog?
Pinterest without a doubt. Any blogger you ask will say this I’m sure. If you’re not using Pinterest then you’re definitely missing out. It’s also so crucial to make friends and connect with other bloggers in your niche. Also keep an eye out for what your audience enjoys and try to move in that direction. Don’t expect your readers to be interested in everything you write. Listen to them and adapt your blog to what interests them.
What tools do you use to monetize your blog? Which works best for you?
I am definitely not a monetization expert. I’m still learning every single day. At the moment I use targeted ads as well as some affiliate links to help make money but I’m looking into other options at the moment so stay tuned.
What is the first trip you remember taking and how old were you?
I can’t pinpoint a specific trip but I would say it was probably southern Spain where my family has been going for more than 20 years. I must have been around one or two years old.
Have you been anywhere which turned out to be totally different to how you imagined? If so, how?
We went to Playa del Carmen in Mexico about two years ago and were a bit shocked when we arrived. Unfortunately, we came during a time when Mexico had a huge problem with algae being washed up on beaches which made the water murky and smelt very bad. There were literal mountains of algae everywhere and it was impossible to swim at all. Definitely not what we expected especially since we had been to Playa del Carmen before and its beaches had been some of the most beautiful I can remember. Fortunately we could still enjoy some of the beaches on the nearby islands and had a great time in Playa nevertheless.
Have you had any bad experiences whilst travelling?
I am lucky enough to have never experienced something really horrible while travelling. Of course there are scams or bad hotels or overcrowded tourist attractions but that’s just something you have to expect. I would say my worst experience so far has to be the current coronavirus situation and how it affected my travel plans for the coming nine months.
Where is your favorite place in the world?
This is a very hard question to answer. My favorite place in the world has to be the mountains in southern Spain where I spent most of my summers as a child. It’s a magical landscape and a great place to grow old.
Do you have a bucket list? If so what is on it?
My bucket list would be way too long for this interview. It definitely includes South America which I’m so excited to see. Also Vietnam which I’ve somehow missed out on so far in South East Asia. Of course there are also New Zealand which so many of my friends have been to and would be great to do another working holiday trip.
If you were not traveling what would you be doing instead?
I’m really not sure what I would be doing to be honest. I’d probably still be working in the travel industry either with an airline or maybe the marketing sector of a travel business.
What has travel taught you?
Travel really helps you realise how small and insignificant you and your personal problems are. I like to think that it gives you a better perspective on the world and broadens your horizons a bit.
Who, in your opinion, is the most successful travel blogger? Why do you think that is?
I can only speak about who my personal favourites are but I’d definitely have to say Nomadic Matt, Lost Leblanc, Goats on the Road, Drew Binsky and The Blonde Abroad are absolute role models for me. It’s so impressive to see how people can somehow do the impossible and make a living from traveling which most people don’t think is impossible. I think this comes from working incredibly hard behind the scenes and holding on to a vision without giving up.
Do you prefer solo travel or with someone else?
I love both but I do have to admit I have more fun travelling with a partner usually. It’s just more exciting to share your new experiences with someone.
If you could swim with dolphins or go shark diving, which would you pick? and why?
I think I’d be too scared of diving with sharks so I have to choose swimming with dolphins. However, a big focus of my blog is animal cruelty in tourism and I usually try to avoid anything related to animals in captivity.
What is your dream travelling experience?
I’d love to buy a van again and drive around a country while really taking time to explore with no time pressure. With the right travel partner and a camera that could be the perfect trip for me. Which country it is doesn’t really matter as long as it’s one I haven’t seen before.
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Thank you so much for this great interview! Always a pleasure to work with you