Travel creator Shivya Nath is encouraging aspiring travel creators to rethink what it takes to land international brand collaborations. Through The Shooting Star Academy, she recently showcased success stories from creators who have secured hosted and paid travel opportunities across multiple countries, emphasizing that meaningful storytelling and brand alignment matter more than having a massive audience.
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What Is The Shooting Star Academy Teaching Travel Creators?
The academy’s self-paced course, “Get Paid to Travel the World With Purpose,” focuses on helping creators build sustainable travel careers through authentic storytelling, strategic brand pitching, and community building instead of chasing viral content.
According to the campaign, creators with even 2,000 followers can land valuable collaborations if they understand how to approach brands, create meaningful content, and align with companies that share their values.
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Which Creators Landed International Travel Collaborations?
The academy highlighted several members of its community who have secured global travel opportunities through their storytelling:
- Suneela (@holistic_travellers) and Marine (@mindfultrotter) collaborated with an eco-forest lodge in Sri Lanka.
- Nivetha (@piquedpilgrim) partnered with a travel company in Malaysia in exchange for storytelling.
- Vijay (@pedalandtringtring) documented cycling culture after collaborating with a cycling-focused hotel in Belgium.
- Annapurna (@lalatrails) secured a year of fully funded travel across Indonesia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and Mauritius.
- Karthik (@backpackerkartik) landed his first international collaborations in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
- Nimisha (@nimisha.tomar_) joined a hosted expedition across remote islands in the Philippines.
- Aman (@stories.of.raku) collaborated on hosted and paid storytelling projects in Bhutan, Tanzania, and Uganda.
- Forum (@barriersandborders) partnered with brands in Morocco and Greece, creating content around Indigenous tourism and sustainable mobility.
- Through a collaboration between The Shooting Star Academy and HomeExchange, creators including Kanak (@kanakxagrawal), Nivetha, and Forum also secured storytelling opportunities across Hong Kong, Malaysia, and France.
Why Does The Academy Say There Is No “Magic Number”?
A major takeaway from the campaign is that there is no minimum follower count required for international travel collaborations. Instead of focusing on growing massive audiences, the academy encourages creators to develop strong storytelling skills, build credibility within their niche, and approach brands with a clear value proposition. The campaign argues that authentic content and shared values often matter more to travel brands than vanity metrics.
What Does The Course Offer?
The self-paced course includes eight video modules, monthly WhatsApp Q&A sessions, quarterly Zoom sessions, access to a community of travel creators, and six months of course access.
With the campaign currently promoting its limited-time sale, The Shooting Star Academy aims to help more aspiring travel creators learn how to turn meaningful storytelling into real-world travel opportunities.