3 Ways to Start Your Travel/Creative Career in 2025

2025 is not the year to sit on your dreams — especially if you’ve ever felt that pull to travel, create, or build something that reflects who you are. The creative and travel industries are evolving faster than ever, and Africa is finally taking up space in global conversations around storytelling, tourism, and innovation.

Whether you're a Hospitality student, an aspiring travel content creator, or a multi-hyphenate digital creative, here are 3 bold, strategic ways to kickstart your career in the travel + creative space this year.

Let’s get into it.👇🏽

1️⃣ Build a Personal Brand with Purpose

“People don’t buy products. They buy stories. They buy YOU.”

In 2025, your personal brand is your portfolio, pitch deck, and passport — all in one. If you want to break into travel or creative work, start by answering this:

• What’s the story I want to tell?

• What values or perspectives make me original?

• Who is my dream audience or community?

Once you're clear on your brand, start building it across:

• Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Pinterest — as a portfolio, not just vibes

• A blog or newsletter to deepen your voice (like TUVA’s Oritour 😉)

• Visual storytelling tools like Canva, CapCut, or Adobe Express

✨ Pro Tip: Use platforms like Travel Noire, The Folklore, or Afriquette to get inspired by African-owned creative and travel brands.

2️⃣ Create Digital Projects That Travel (Even If You Don’t… Yet)

Gone are the days when you had to “travel the world” before entering the industry. Now? You can start right from your room in Lagos, Nairobi, Accra, or Jo’burg.

Here’s how to start local and go global:

• 🎥 Design a travel-inspired video series using stock footage + voiceovers. (Think: “Places in Africa I Want to Visit & Why,” or “Hotel Reviews From My Hometown.”)

• 📸 Launch a photo storytelling series on Pinterest or Instagram. Showcase your city from the lens of a tourist.

• ✍🏽 Write mini-guides or visual itineraries to nearby destinations — from street food guides to culture hacks for travelers.

✨ Pro Tip: Use platforms like The Culture Trip, Atlas Obscura, and Google Arts & Culture for storytelling formats. For stock videos? Use Pexels, Mixkit, or Coverr — no budget needed!

3️⃣ Position Yourself for Real Opportunities (Not Just Likes)

🔥 2025 is the year you stop posting just for vibes and start moving with strategy.

Here’s how to get serious about turning your passion into a profession:

• 📥 Create a digital CV/portfolio that includes your creative work — videos, blog posts, social content, even captions.

• 💼 Sign up for global tourism/creative job boards like:

  • Remotive.io – Remote creative jobs

  • Workaway – Travel + work gigs globally

  • ATTA – African travel jobs

  • [LinkedIn Jobs] – Just type in "remote travel writer", “tourism content”, or “virtual tour creator”

• 🎯 Apply for real fellowships and programs like:

  • African Travel Content Creators Fellowship (e.g. by UNWTO)

  • Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX)

  • Remote Year or African Nomads (for sponsored travel work)

✨ Pro Tip: Don’t wait to “feel ready.” Draft a killer pitch email and just go for it. Consistency beats perfection every time.

🔥 FINAL WORD:

2025 belongs to bold creatives and future-thinking travelers — the ones who are ready to design their own lane. You don’t need to have it all figured out. You just need to start, show up, and tell your story with clarity and confidence.

This is your sign to start now. Africa needs your voice. The world is watching.

💬 What’s One Move You’re Making Towards Your Travel/Creative Career in 2025?

Drop a comment — or better yet, share this with someone ready to start too. 🌍 #TUVA100KShift | #ThinkTravel | #OritourByTUVA