Travel influencers are being called upon to pay for their own trips amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Travel blogger Ana Silva O’Reilly, known as Mrs O to her followers, has launched a new campaign encouraging those who make their money from partnerships with travel brands to cough up their own money in the short-term.

Dubbed #PayingOurWay, the initiative suggests influencers support the industry by paying for trips and producing content free of charge, and emphasizes that they should be “patient” while awaiting the return of freebies and press trips.

Travel bloggers, vloggers and influencers often strike deals with brands which means they get complimentary trips in exchange for producing content – whether it be Instagram posts, videos or blogs – about their stay.

But O’Reilly, who has over 17,000 followers on Instagram, says that influencers must invest in the tourism industry while it struggles to recover from the devastating effects of Covid-19, which saw global lockdowns and restrictions decimate travel.

She says: “The impact which the pandemic has had on the travel industry is huge, and some small businesses may be in a situation where they really struggle to recover.

“As travel bloggers and influencers, we are intrinsically linked to the travel industry – ultimately, if the travel industry doesn’t get through this then travel bloggers will be left with very little to write about.

“It will be a while before many travel businesses are able to work on brand partnerships once more, but if in that time we are able to continue to book our own trips and share our own experiences we should certainly keep doing that. This is why I have launched the #PayingOurWay movement.”

Prior to the pandemic, O’Reilly already committed to paying for around half of her own trips each year.

However, she acknowledges that this may not be “feasible” for all travel bloggers.

Those who wish to participate are encouraged to share a blog post about the #PayingOurWay movement, tag their social media posts with #PayingOurWay, book their next travel experience when it’s safe to do so and share content from their trip to “inspire your community to travel.”

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