In a growing group, new-media pros make a living by selling their real-time experience as tourists.
It’s probably the most envied job in the world — to get free in-depth travel all over the world and sometimes with a sizable income, too.
They travel like a local, knowing how to have fun. They go to must-see scenic spots, chat with the locals, eat delicious food and often stay in a five-star hotel. They share their happiness on social media in real time with fans.
Known as “travel experts”, they are often invited by tourism bureaus or travel agencies to inbound and outbound familiarization trips. They are the “we-media” emerging in the booming era of social media.
They got their start by accumulating many fans when they shared their self-financed travel experience on social media. Gradually, they’ve become influencers in the industry, finding favor with the advertisers who value their online following.
Zhang Jin and Pang Qianyi from Guangzhou, Guangdong province, are two of them. They are better known online as the “Baozou Sisters” — baozou means long-distance walking in Chinese, with about 700,000 followers on their joint WeChat account.
“The communication channels are shifting from television and print to mobile devices. We are the first lucky ones to embrace the change,” says Zhang, 33.
“Now, we shoulder more responsibility than before because we want to explore more places for our fans. We also tell them how to buy cheap air tickets.”
‘Often versatile’
In May, Zhang and Pang, along with a friend, co-founded the new-media company Daydow Info and Tech Ltd Co. The two quit their jobs as Guangdong News Radio hosts, but still present their travel program for radio listeners.
“You have to be quick at everything, ranging from catching the central issue to writing articles,” Pang says. “As traveling has become our job, the boundary between work and life is vague. Sometimes our necks ache due to heavy work, but at least we’re doing the things that we like.”
Once Pang was so busy with an article on Lunar New Year’s Eve, she couldn’t prepare the family reunion dinner in time.
“In the past, we were proud because of our identity as radio hosts. But now, we’re proud of ourselves, with a great sense of achievement. We’re more in the shoes of our audience and endeavor to know about what they like,” Zhang says.
They prefer to make their own itineraries, rather than joining an arranged group tour with peers, so they can have unique adventures.
They once bumped into a young man in Penang, Malaysia, who has been dedicated to protecting the city’s intangible culture heritage. He’s promoting traditional handicrafts by having craftsmen present their works and teach tourists.
“I was touched by his resolution. We’re also promoting the local cultures via our travel articles. If someone is interested, they may want to learn the handicraft,” Zhang says.
The two organize various activities to interact with fans. They have held a photography contest for their followers, and they collect travel stories of fans and record them for their radio program.
They make marketing campaigns for destinations, such as inviting fans to travel with them and then having a sharing saloon. They also write advertorials on WeChat, around 30,000 yuan ($4,300) for a lead article.
Pang says top influencers in the travel field must be diligent, capable of enduring hardships and ready to work hard under pressure.
“They are often versatile — taking photos, editing videos, writing good articles and with a good taste in music. They are social butterflies who know how to cultivate extensive connections. They are open-minded and can keep pace with new trends, and express their values via their work,” she says.
She adds that the current trends for presenting their travels are streaming and short videos.
Being interactive
Liu Wenwen, 33, couldn’t agree more.
She usually live-broadcasts for one or two hours on each trip, with an average 1 million hits and 10,000 fans watching at the same time. Since fall,
You need to have seen much of the world at first because being an influencer is not just about taking photos and writing articles.” Qi Dong, influencer who promotes train-travel culture