Jul 17, 2026
Should travel creators ever work for free? And is a free trip fair compensation – or simply unpaid labour with a nicer view?
Travel Matters is back, and our first conversation of the new season brings together two longtime members of the TBEX community: Jen Ruiz, the travel writer, author and entrepreneur behind Jen on a Jet Plane, and Melvin Boecher, founder of Travel Dudes.
Jen believes that when a creator is brought in to produce work for a campaign, money should always be part of the agreement. Melvin agrees that professional creators need to be paid – but argues that collaborations, barter and other exchanges can still make business sense when both sides receive genuine value.
The result is a lively and occasionally heated debate about what creators are worth, when exposure or experience may have value, and how travel bloggers can build businesses that are less vulnerable to changing algorithms and declining revenue streams.
In this episode:
- When a complimentary trip becomes unpaid work
- Why follower count does not determine the value of your content
- Getting paid for creative assets as well as audience reach
- Negotiating better affiliate partnerships directly with businesses
- Why every creator should consider developing a product of their own
Relevant links:
- Jen on a Jet Plane: https://jenonajetplane.com
- Travel Dudes: https://traveldudes.com
- Learn more about TBEX: https://tbexcon.com
- Find more Travel Matters episodes in your podcast app or on https://tbexcon.com/podcast/
- Podcast produced by RadioGuru: https://radioguru.co.uk
Follow Travel Matters in your podcast app for a new conversation every Friday.