1. Local Lead Generation

Local lead generation entails creating sites that let you earn money per lead or per month. You can make niche websites in around 2 to 6 hours while traveling. And each website can generate around $10,000 monthly. It tops this list because of how much potential profit you can earn in the long run. Even when traveling, you can still make passive income with very minimal work to do. The primary income of local lead generation comes from local business owners. They buy the leads you've produced from the website you've ranked on Google.

Local lead generation isn’t something you can build while you’re traveling. It takes time before you get to make passive income. Having to rank your website and produce leads might take a year, so you’d have to do a lot of work. You also have to spend capital on creating your website. It includes costs for domain name registration and hosting plans.

All the work you’ll be doing with local lead generation will be worth it once you’ve ranked your website. You’ll be able to produce leads and sell them to local business owners. This business model also leverages the fact that business owners have to pay you for leads. Otherwise, their competitors may benefit from it. From there, it’s passive income which you can earn even if you’re traveling. Plus, it also opens up other opportunities for having multiple income streams.

2. Starting a YouTube Automation Channel

Setting up a YouTube automation channel is also a good passive income idea for travelers. This opens up more opportunities for additional income from ads and sponsors. The best thing is that your videos stay online even if you’re traveling. The more videos you make, the higher your potential income is.

However, monetizing your channel takes time. The YouTube Partner Program has certain requirements before you can receive commissions from ads. It also takes time to build up an audience for your channel.

You can start your automation channel if you have the capital to pay for the automation tools. This includes hiring a freelancer, social media integration software, and video upload schedulers. If you’re persistent in this business idea, it’ll all be worth it once your channel is monetized. Plus, there are other opportunities you can incorporate. You can promote your blog or e-commerce shop (if you have one). The average RPM or Revenue Per Mille (revenue per 1,000 views) is around $5 to $10. This means that if your videos garner around 10,000 views, you can earn $50 to $100.

Many Quora users suggest uploading content regularly. This improves your channel's reach by feeding YouTube's algorithm. Another individual mentioned different ways of making money with YouTube content. You can do affiliate marketing, advertisements, or memberships. Some YouTubers even promote their own merchandise and coaching services.

3. Becoming a Travel Blogger or an Influencer

Being a travel blogger or influencer lets you post photos and videos related to your destinations. You can make money while going to different places. Your income source is your website or social media profile. Some popular blogs include Virginia Travel Tips and Wandering Welsh Girl. Your audience will be people who want to know more about certain places. These are individuals who like to travel. However, you will need to create content as you travel, making this semi-passive income at best.

Once you’ve built up an audience, other income opportunities may arise. These include sponsorships from other travel brands. Ideally, you'd want to have your own social media channels. These are platforms where you can share your travel ideas, tips, and guides.

You can use website builders like WordPress, Wix, and Squarespace. Or, you can create social media accounts from famous platforms. Some examples include TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.

Redditors have mixed opinions on the long-term profitability of this passive income idea. Some say that 99% of travel bloggers end up quitting. Most of them use up their savings or don't make that much money. There are also some who succeed in this venture. A Redditor mentioned making $1K to $2K monthly by partnering with Booking.com.

4. Investing in Stocks, Forex, or Cryptocurrency

Investing in stocks, forex, or cryptocurrency is one of the best passive income ideas wherever you are. It has been more convenient over the recent years. It's because accessibility has been improved with the creation of online trading platforms. There are also automated trading systems like eToro and Binance. This allows investors to check on their investments in just a matter of minutes, wherever they may be.

There is always the risk of losing instead of gaining. You should also be knowledgeable about the stocks and crypto coins you are planning to invest in. Especially in crypto, the markets are volatile. So you have to be alert about whatever changes are happening with crypto coins.

The stocks and forex markets are more stable for long-term investments. However, the cryptocurrency market is great for short-term investments (active trading). Stocks allow you to gain around 10%-15% annually, which is significantly better than banks. Some experienced forex traders earn at least $20,000 per year. But there are also expert traders who earn $20,000 in less than a year.

Quora user Christopher Cheeney suggests buying low and selling high. You need to be strategic when managing your trades and fees. He also warns against coaches who sell courses on trading. A Redditor also reveals how he makes $200K yearly in dividends. According to Markus Heitkoetter, you can make around 60% in profit yearly as a beginner.

5. Taking Photos and Videos & Selling Them Online

Taking photos and videos while traveling is a good way to make extra income. You can sell them online on platforms like Pexels and Shutterstock. They offer monetary incentives in exchange for your uploaded media. You’ll receive payments whenever a user chooses to license your photos and videos. Other popular websites include Unsplash and Adobe.

However, taking photos and videos and selling them online don’t generate as much profit as having a business. It might take some time for your photos and videos to gain an audience.

Like travel blogging, you’re doing work while traveling. You upload the photos and videos at a later time. Any income you earn after uploading the photos and videos online is already passive income. And it’s still worth it since you’ve only done minimal work and have still enjoyed your travel. Stock photo websites like Shutterstock give photo contributors between 15%-40% commissions. This is a fairly good deal for just taking photos.

Many Redditors commented on the pros and cons of stock photos and videos. One individual mentioned making $60 within 45 days of uploading 400 photos on Adobe. Another one made $160 from 100 video clips. He also said that some content creators earn $800+ monthly with high-quality clips. However, many people are concerned with AI's advanced capability to generate 'almost real' images.

6. Managing an E-Commerce Shop Using Fulfillment Services

You can easily manage and make money with your e-commerce shop. You can do this while moving across different countries or cities. Some entrepreneurs use fulfillment services to run their online business. They help with your shop's inventory, orders, packaging, and delivery. This helps you free up your time to travel without doing all the work. Some famous ones include ShipMonk, Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), and ShipBob.

It would mean additional expenditures for the fulfillment services. But, you could still earn profit for every product sold. Make sure that the third-party fulfillment services you're getting are trusted. It's because you will lose control over the quality of the post-buying process.

Reddit and Quora commenters suggest considering many factors before trying a fulfillment service. One Redditor mentioned bumping up your product prices and offering free shipping. This lets you earn extra for the cost of the fulfillment center. Quora user Travis Martin revealed that using such services is profitable. Take FBA, for example. Many individuals can double their initial investment with the right products.

7. Starting Your Own Online Marketing Company

Starting your own online marketing business is another way to make passive income. You can start by looking for clients who need digital marketing for their businesses. Then, you can look for freelancers to do the work for you on sites like Fiverr and Upwork. This idea is great for a long-term passive income stream since you have access to a lot of talent if ever you need more.

Once your online marketing business becomes stable, you can earn passive income even when traveling. But before you get there, you would have to do a lot of work in building up your marketing company. You would also need to constantly check in with your clients for updates and engagement. Plus, you need to communicate well with your team to ensure work quality.

Starting your own online marketing company will always be worth your time and effort. It may be quite the work, but you’ll get to earn passive income even when you’re traveling. Profits will definitely be there in the long run.

Reddit comments reveal that small marketing agency owners can make money with this business model. One individual said that you can easily achieve a $10K monthly income. You can do this by attaining a good reputation and providing high-quality services. However, you need significant time to build up your company image. That's why proper online marketing tools are crucial. Some examples include Google Analytics, Ahrefs, and HubSpot.

8. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing involves promoting products from e-commerce shops. You can earn commissions from customers who purchase using your affiliate link. It's an online business with a low barrier to entry. Anyone can do affiliate marketing. You can even do it while traveling in different places. You can join affiliate marketing networks like ShareASale, Amazon Associates, and CJ Affiliate.

However, engaging in affiliate marketing means having a solid following. You need an established audience to get people to buy from your links. Less audience engagement means fewer sales. So you have to work on marketing your product affiliate links.

Affiliate marketing also covers other ideas on this list, such as blogging or running a YouTube channel. This can also open up another opportunity if you have your own e-commerce shop. You can do affiliate marketing on your own products on different platforms. Affiliate marketing is very easy to set up, so you won’t have to worry about it. Various platforms offer around 5%-10% in commissions. So, if you’ll be promoting a product that is at $50, you would get around $2.5-$5 in commission per purchase.

Many Redditors commented on the profitability of affiliate marketing in the 21st century. One Reddit user said that success in this business model depends on the niche. He helped one friend make over $100K in 2022. Alternatively, his other friend only made around $100 monthly in TikTok affiliate marketing. A Quora user revealed how he earns $3K monthly in passive income. He attributes his success to recurring commissions.

9. Selling Courses Online

If you're passionate about something, you can teach others how to do it by selling an online course. Your courses may be about starting a business or effective marketing strategies. As long as you're knowledgeable on the topic, you can make a worthwhile course while traveling. You can shoot videos or make content in any location. The Traveling Petite Girl is a great example of a traveler selling online courses.

Creating courses takes a lot of time, and it takes even longer to market and brand your course. You'll have to write the course, make graphics, record the content, do retakes, and more. Then, you'll have to stand out from the thousands of other courses available online.

If you can build a traffic base, every purchase from your customers means passive income. You can sell online courses for around $30-$5,000, depending on the niche. Two Redditors revealed how they made significant income by selling courses online. The first one earned $6M selling a high-ticket course for 2 years. The second one made around $25,000 in just 7 months.

10. Listing Your Home on Airbnb

Since you’ll be away from your home, generate income by listing it on Airbnb. You can list your home on Airbnb from the day you leave until the day you return. You can even hire companies to handle cleaning, customer concerns, and bookings. According to HostAI, you can even utilize platforms like Yada and Guest Guru. This lets you automate your Airbnb hosting process.

Of course, there's a chance no one will rent your home while you’re away. If you do have renters, you'll need a plan for cleaning and repairs. So it's best to organize everything months before your trip. Based on AllTheRooms' data, the average annual earnings of Airbnb hosts sits at $23,513-$41,026.

Quora user Peggy Goodman stresses that Airbnb hosting is seasonal. You need to choose between long-term and short-term rentals. Some areas are good for long stays, while homes in tourist spots are popular for short stays. Peggy reminds aspiring Airbnb hosts to consider seasons with no renters at all.