Travel Blog Prosperity is an online travel blog course by Jessica Festa. A 6-figure blogger, Jessie teaches strategies to help aspiring and long-time travel bloggers turn their sites into “a profitable business” that grows in traffic and income each month. The program does this by offering course materials, workshops, coaching sessions, and a private online community.
You can make money with a travel blog. Some earn $73,000 or higher each year through travel blogging. Also, online data reports that around 33% of US travelers turn to travel blogs for advice. It is, however, a growing niche and so competition can be stiff. According to Global Viewpoint, we now have an estimated 30 million travel blogs worldwide. This can mean there are over 500,000 to 1 million travel blogs in the United States alone.
In this Travel Blog Prosperity review, we discuss what the course offers, its pros and cons, and what actual students have to say about it. We also look into who Jessica Festa is and what makes her a trusted authority on the subject. Towards the end, we also share a business model you can consider if you want to make passive income online.
Travel Blog Prosperity: Pros and Cons
Pros
Direct support from Jessie Festa. New members get to hop on a 15-minute personal onboarding call with Jessie. She also takes time to respond via email and does site audits for members during monthly group calls. Plus she regularly does group calls and even 1-on-1 coaching calls with select members.
New courses are added monthly. Members can look forward to receiving new course modules each month. Some of the existing courses also get updates, as necessary.
Paid opportunities. The weekly email newsletter sends you links where bloggers, editors, and influencers can check out paying gigs.
No long-term commitments. With its affordable pricing, those curious to learn from the program can easily sign up. Should they decide that the course is not for them, they can just cancel their subscription for the following month.
Cons
Lack of balanced reviews. Most of the reviews we see online are by affiliates of the course. This can be a challenge for potential learners looking for the program’s strong and weak points before making their decision.
You’ll have to pay monthly to access the course. Since this is a membership-based program, there is no option for lifetime access. Members will have to spend $49 each month to access existing and new learning materials.
Live calls are in the US time zone. While calls are available on replay, international members may find it hard to join the live calls.
The Facebook group is not as active. Although the group was created 4 years ago, it's relatively small with only 194 total members. As of this writing, there were only 43 posts in the previous month.
Price
Travel Blog Prosperity costs $49 per month.
Refund Policy
Travel Blog Prosperity does not have a money-back guarantee. The company does not issue refunds and members who want to withdraw membership should cancel before the next billing date.
Community
The Travel Blog Prosperity Members' Lounge is a private Facebook group where students can find support and access exclusive content.
Reputation
Jessie Festa has been a travel blogger since 2011 and makes 6 figures each year.
Is Travel Blog Prosperity The Best Travel Blogger Course?
No, Travel Blogging Prosperity may not be the best travel blogger course out there because reviews indicate that Matt Kepne's Superstar Blogging course may be better. To compare, Travel Blogging Prosperity offers a wealth of content, taught by a capable mentor with comprehensive industry knowledge and experience.
However, Matt Kepne has a website that attracts 1.3 million views per month. His course also covers similar topics but only for a fraction of the price. Travel Blog Prosperity charges $49 per month and has no refund policy while Superstar Blogging only requires a one-time payment of $99 and has a 14-day money back guarantee.
What Is Travel Blog Prosperity?
Travel Blog Prosperity is a subscription-based program for bloggers. Created by 6-figure blogger Jessica Festa, it teaches members how to transform a travel blog into “a profitable business” by having more traffic, email subscribers, and earnings. The program also provides learners with access to a supportive community and mentors who have extensive industry experience.
In a video posted on the website, Jessie says a blog’s “true sustainability” comes from “nurturing a community, not vanity metrics.” Travel Blog Prosperity members learn this lesson and more through course modules, workshops, and coaching calls.
What Is Travel Blog Prosperity NOT?
Travel Blog Prosperity is not a course you can take and finish in a matter of days. Rather, it’s an ongoing program with a growing resource library and an exclusive community. New course modules are added on a monthly basis. Members also get to participate in monthly group calls and participate in discussions over at the private Facebook group.
Who Is Travel Blog Prosperity For?
Travel Blog Prosperity is mainly for travel bloggers. However, the program also welcomes bloggers from different niches since it’s designed to help any blog owner who wants to reach more people and earn more money.
“While the examples given are often travel-related, the tactics taught are relevant to bloggers in all niches,” the website reads. “Inside the community, we've had bloggers focused on photography, science, water conversation, creative writing, and more.”
What Does Travel Blog Prosperity Membership Include?
Travel Blog Prosperity membership includes access to a course collection, live workshops and coaching calls, a private Facebook group, and some bonuses.
Travel Blog Prosperity has over 65 premium blogging courses. A new course material is also published each month with topics ranging from successful blog branding, increasing traffic, building a community, social media strategy creation, managing email lists, growing passive affiliate income, and more.
Some courses you can instantly access upon membership include:
Bookkeeping & Taxes For Bloggers (with Small Business Sarah) How To Use Twitter Chats To Grow A Community On Twitter & Beyond (with Nicolette Orlemans) Understanding Google Analytics 4 (with Sherry Smothermon-Short) How To Grow Your Traffic By Targeting Zero Volume Keywords (with Nina Clapperton)How To Get Your Blog Into Mediavine (with Mediavine)
Members get to join 1 monthly live goal-setting workshop with Jessie Festa where members set their plans for the month. In addition, the program also has rotating live quarterly events which include a Q&A call with a developer, a creative writing workshop, and a site audit for small groups.
Meanwhile, there are 2 monthly live coaching calls led by Jessie where students can ask her questions. At times, she also invites another industry expert as a resource person, depending on the topic to be discussed. The monthly Goal Crusha' Hot Seat opportunity gives select members an exclusive 45-minute Zoom call.
The Travel Blog Prosperity Members' Lounge is a private Facebook group created on March 14, 2019. It currently has 191 total members. The exclusive online community allows members to interact, network, and seek support in “a safe, nurturing environment void of bullying and negativity.”
For example, members can go check out the #Collab hashtag in the group to find opportunities to work with other bloggers. The #BlogTip hashtag shows tips and strategies as shared by fellow members while #MonthlyReflection posts are prompt questions that students can answer with short video clips. Each video enters a member for a chance to win a free 45-minute one-on-one coaching call with Jessie.
The Member’s Lounge is also the place to go for student-led workshops. Contributors are rewarded with an affiliate income increase of 30% (instead of 10%). According to group rules, members will be removed from the group for spamming, being disrespectful, or when they stop paying for the monthly subscription.
Travel Blog Prosperity membership also brings numerous bonuses. Members get access to templates, worksheets, strategy planners, case studies, interviews, masterminds, directories, and others. New bonuses are constantly being added on the Member Bonuses + Discounts section.
Here’s the extensive bonus list as shown in the program’s website:
Travel Blog Prosperity Review: What People Are Saying About The Program
Travel Blog Prosperity reviews are all positive online. For example, the website shows several success stories from members. Skyanne Fisher describes the program as “the best investment” she ever made since she began blogging, adding that it’s “a definite game changer.”
Travel Blog Prosperity reviews are all positive online. For example, the website shows several success stories from members. Skyanne Fisher describes the program as “the best investment” she ever made since she began blogging, adding that it’s “a definite game changer.”
Retha Charette landed her “first paying gig as a blogger” soon after signing up with Travel Blog Prosperity. Anna Cook credits the program as the reason behind her success. She has since become a full-time travel blogger after quitting her day job. Meghan Ramsey says Travel Blog Prosperity’s methods helped grow her blog from 15,000 views to 25,000 views per month.
Meanwhile, Martin Rose admits he has “spent thousands of dollars on travel blogging conferences, other blog help sites, and software tools.” According to him, Travel Blog Prosperity membership has helped him and his wife Libby M. Rose to “stay focused and grow in the right ways.”
Of course, we should note that these testimonials are from Jessie’s official website so they show the program in a good light. While it’s also possible to find other reviews online, affiliates of the course wrote them. These reviews may not be as objective since most do not discuss the program’s flaws. We also see no Travel Blog Prosperity reviews on Google Business, Reddit, Quora, Trustpilot, Better Business Bureau, and other sources.
Is Travel Blog Prosperity Worth It?
Yes, Travel Blog Prosperity is worth it for new and experienced bloggers who want coaching, guidance, and community support. While the program has its downsides, it’s also one of the most affordable out there which makes it appealing for many travel bloggers.
You don't need to buy a travel blogging course to have a successful travel blog. However, having support from expert coaches can be helpful. It’s always possible to learn from free online sources but the program can be a worthwhile investment as its students can attest.
What Is Jessie on a Journey?
Jessie on a Journey is a successful travel blog by writer and editor Jessica Festa. Her blogging journey started in May 2011. Today, the site has a Domain Authority of 52 and gets over 140,000 page views from 210 countries each month.
According to Jessica, her aim is to help people fulfill their travel dreams and make them more fulfilling. Jessie on a Journey provides information, inspiration, and resources for travelers, bloggers, digital nomads, and other readers.
Aside from Jessie on a Journey, Jessica also runs Epicure & Culture, a food, wine, and culture blog she started in November 2012. Currently, the site has a Domain Authority of 56 and attracts 16,000 page views each month.
Who Is Jessica Festa?
Jessica Festa is a travel blogger, professional photographer, and entrepreneur from Brooklyn, New York. She started the Jessie on a Journey blog in May 2011 and then her second blog Epicure & Culture in November 2012. In January 2014, she launched her new business NYC Photo Journeys. The company provides tourists with a licensed NYC sightseeing guide and a professional photographer as they tour around the city.
Aside from her blogs and business, she also works as a freelance writer and editor for multiple publications, including AOL Travel, A Luxury Travel Blog, Gadling, Huffington Post, Matador, The Daily Meal, Tripify, and Vagabondish, among others. She also writes travel and tech content for USA Today.
In 2010, Jessie completed her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Communication & Rhetoric in 2010 at the University at Albany - State University of New York. She also received a sommelier certification from the Sommelier Society of America.
Jessie hosts The Profitable Travel Blogger Podcast, a show that targets “busy content creators who want actionable strategies for serious website growth.” Listeners can find the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, TuneIn, Stitcher, and Amazon Music. The podcast has 79 uploaded episodes, so far.
On social media, Jessie has 30.7k followers on Instagram, 13.5K followers on Twitter, 10.2k followers on Pinterest, 1.2K followers on TikTok, and 1.1K followers on Facebook. Meanwhile, her YouTube channel Jessie on a Journey - Solo Female Travel Blogger also has 1.4K subscribers.Jessica Festa's Claims
Jessica Festa claims Travel Blog Prosperity can provide members with the knowledge and resources they need to become successful travel blog owners. Through their courses, workshops, and coaching, bloggers can learn to “grow (their) traffic, engage a community, and increase (their) income every single month.
Debunking Jessica Festa's Claims
The disadvantages of being a travel blogger are the unpredictable income and traffic. It may take 1 to 2 years before you can start making money from a travel blog. Even then, earnings may vary from month to month. There’s always the risk of having low income in some months. Besides, you’re relying on factors you can’t directly control, such as number of page views, total affiliate earnings, and ad revenue, etc.
Despite Jessie’s assurances that Travel Blog Prosperity can teach bloggers to grow their income consistently, the Terms of Use talks about liability limitations. It says that the company cannot be liable for “lost profit, lost revenue, loss of data, or other damages arising from your use of the sites or the company programs, products, services, or program materials.”
Also, the Indemnification section says members agree to defend, indemnify, and hold the company “harmless from and against any loss, damage, liability, claim, or demand.”
3 Challenges of Travel Blogging
1. Constant travel requires money.
Money can be a potential challenge. Travel blogging can cost you much since you’ll have to spend for your trips, food, accommodation, and other related expenses. Since many of your travel expenses will come from your own pocket, it’s always a good idea to look up specific ways on how to save money as you visit different destinations. Do your research and plan to find budget Airbnb accommodations, among others. You can also look up courses like Andy Cantu's Lux Travel Hacks to see how you can save on travel expenses.
2. Travel blogging income can be unpredictable.
While ZipRecruiter reports that travel blogging salary ranges around $6,099 per month, total earnings can be inconsistent at times. In addition, currency fluctuations and unforeseen expenses can cause your budget to go off the rails.
High-income bloggers usually have multiple income streams. Likewise, you can consider doing sponsored posts, working with a tourism board, and affiliate marketing, and others. You can also search for writing sites that pay daily to make money as a freelance writer.
3. Managing multiple online platforms is a must.
In addition to maintaining an active travel blog, you’ll also have to keep your social media channels updated. This means handling Facebook, Instagram, X (Twitter), and TikTok. You may also have to run a YouTube channel. This can take a lot of work on your end. It can sometimes get tedious to document everything, and then create and edit content for different platforms.
Travel Blog Prosperity Alternatives
My Top Recommendation for Generating Passive Income With Your Website
My top recommendation for generating passive income with your website is lead generation. While travel blogging can be potentially lucrative, it can also be competitive since there are over 600 million blogs across the world today. Gaining traffic for a blog can be difficult, especially for those just starting out and do not have a sizeable audience yet. In comparison, you don't have to deal with that kind of competition with local lead gen because you're focusing on providing your services to local businesses. It's also easier to rank and gain traffic as you target specific keywords and locations.
Lead generation is also something you can do full-time or part-time. You can do it from your room or anywhere in the world and you don’t have to create content constantly. Your job is to create lead gen sites, rank them on Google, and then rent them out to local entrepreneurs who need leads and traffic for their businesses.
For example, I built this Grand Rapids Tree Care website back in 2015. Today, I do minor maintenance work on it and it still makes me $2,000 per month. I own several of these sites and they generate me a monthly income of up to $52,000. We also run a lead generation coaching program with over 7,000 students and counting.
