What travel brands need to know about affiliate partnerships and “paid-for” opportunities in 2025

Traditionally, securing editorial coverage in a reputable publication like The Times or a Hearst publication meant your story was based on merit, originality, or newsworthiness.

Editors chose what to feature based on the quality of the product or the story, and the focus was squarely on informing and engaging readers. But over time, that model has shifted. Paid collaborations and affiliate-driven content are becoming more prevalent, and the boundaries between commercial and editorial content are increasingly difficult to define. 

This was a key trend we saw during the 120+ media meetings we held during our Autumn 2024 Media Roadshow. These meetings often included both commercial and editorial teams. 

In fact, the integration of affiliate marketing into editorial content is not just a trend in the UK; it’s becoming more widespread in the US, with other European countries following suit. 

UK publications like Roadbook and The Times, and even smaller niche outlets are embedding affiliate links directly into their travel articles. And this shift brings both opportunities and challenges for travel brands.

Our clients want to know more about this – and these are some of the key questions they’ve been asking.

The short answer? The boundaries between editorial and commercial content are increasingly overlapping. The long answer probably warrants its own blog post on the state of traditional media in the digital age.

While earned media still plays a very important role, more and more publications are integrating affiliate links into their editorial content to generate revenue. This move reflects the pressures faced by the wider media industry, in an era where traditional advertising revenue is declining. Publications are taking a play out of the social media content creator’s book – and monetising their reach, brand, and influence.

Yes, absolutely. Paid collaborations are becoming an important part of the media strategy for many travel brands. While these collaborations can’t replace the value of earned media, they can be a valuable complement to your existing PR activities, adding diversity to your coverage and backlink portfolio. By investing in paid opportunities, brands can amplify their visibility, drive traffic, and reach a broader audience. 

The key is being targeted with which publications you invest in. You need to think about audience, reach, SEO value, and relevance. 

The media landscape has changed dramatically in recent years. Newsrooms have been cut to the bone, freelance journalism is now the norm, and many outlets are under increasing financial pressure. Yet strong, independent journalism remains essential - especially for brands seeking credible, high-quality media placements.

Affiliate partnerships provide one way to support the industry while delivering meaningful coverage for clients. When handled responsibly, they allow publishers to generate revenue without compromising editorial integrity. This, in turn, helps sustain the journalists and media platforms that brands rely on to tell their stories in a credible and engaging way.

But affiliate partnerships alone won’t solve the industry’s challenges. Good journalism needs to be valued - and paid for - so that journalists can continue to do their jobs properly. As PR professionals, we have a role to play in supporting this, whether by recognising the worth of quality media, advocating for fair pay, or collaborating with publishers in ways that benefit both sides.

After all, the best PR outcomes depend on a strong and sustainable media industry. It’s in all our interests to help protect it.

Paid collaborations often create stronger relationships with publishers, and can lead to more frequent organic coverage. But there’s a catch…

Too much paid content can erode the authenticity of editorial work, leading to questions about whether the content is driven by genuine editorial judgment or by commercial considerations. 

An overuse of affiliate links can negatively impact SEO, too. Google may penalise pages with too many outbound links, seeing them as overly commercial. This can dilute a website's SEO authority and result in lower search engine rankings, ultimately affecting organic traffic and visibility. This will impact the publication, but it’ll also feed into your own backlink profile, diminishing its value.

Let’s take a look at some prominent examples of commercialised content.

Roadbook has a Hotel Hub section on their website, which now includes integrated booking and affiliate links within its travel content. This trend of directly monetising content in media is growing, and it can have both positive and negative implications for travel brands – and the readers who consume this content.

The Times, as part of its continued evolution, is expanding its affiliate programme, and recently announced a move into the world of digital retail travel agencies. The national news outlet, part of the News UK group, said that the venture would enable consumers to plan and book holidays “inspired” by travel content around the world.

Like we said, this all comes with positives and negatives. Let's explore the pros, the cons, and the key factors to consider in this shift.

1. Monetisation for media outlets

One of the biggest advantages of affiliate marketing is the revenue it generates for media outlets. Affiliate partnerships provide an important new revenue stream for publications, who continue to experience declining advertising revenue. This means media outlets can keep producing the high-quality content their large audience bases love, which ultimately benefits their readers. And if you believe in the power of PR, you must also believe in the media industry. Supporting it with your budget will help keep it alive.

2. Convenience for readers

For readers, the ability to book travel products directly from editorial content is a major convenience. Instead of having to click or tap out to an external website, they can make bookings right where they are – on a trusted platform. This seamless integration of booking links can enhance the user experience, making it more likely that readers will engage with the content and complete their purchases quicker.

3. Increased exposure

For travel brands with affiliate programmes, being featured in publications that integrate booking links can significantly increase visibility. This exposure can be particularly beneficial for smaller or emerging travel brands, as it provides access to an engaged audience that is already interested in travel content. And, as mentioned before, smaller or new brands get a boost in trust from being integrated into a well-known publication’s system.

4. Performance-based results

Affiliate marketing typically operates on a performance basis, meaning you only pay when a conversion occurs. This is a super-efficient way to drive actual sales or bookings, and it can actually make your budget go further. It also means you get full transparency and accountability for how your spend is contributing to your bottom line.

5. Building relationships with publishers

By participating in affiliate programmes, you build a closer relationship with publishers. This can lead to more frequent coverage, as publishers may be more inclined to feature brands they have financial partnerships with. 

1. Brand representation

Your brand may be portrayed in a way that doesn’t align perfectly with your messaging or image. The editorial content – even though it’s a collaboration – is still largely shaped by the publication, which could lead to unintended or less-than-ideal brand positioning. This is a risk that can be mitigated by building your relationships with publishers, but that also makes it a bit of a chicken and egg situation. Ultimately, it comes down to your tolerance of risk in the first instance. Younger, smaller travel brands might be much more open to taking the risk than bigger, more established ones.

2. Over-commercialisation

Too many affiliate links in content can make articles feel more like sales pitches than authentic editorial. This over-commercialisation may turn off readers who are looking for genuine recommendations, which could harm the publisher's (and your brand's) credibility.

3. SEO risks

Too many affiliate links can also negatively impact SEO. Google might view content filled with affiliate links as overly promotional and not as valuable to readers – which can lead to lower rankings in search results for both you and your host publication. For travel brands relying on organic traffic, a disproportionate volume of affiliate links could hurt visibility in the long run.

4. Brand trust issues

As affiliate-driven content becomes more prevalent, readers may start to lose trust in the publication, and in the brands being promoted. They may begin to feel that content is more about driving commissions than offering genuine recommendations. And once brand trust is gone, it’s very difficult to win it back.

The rise of affiliate marketing in travel media presents both opportunities and challenges. It’s important for travel brands to take a balanced approach. 

Paid opportunities, when done strategically, can amplify a brand’s visibility and drive engagement, but earned media remains a powerful tool. It's a signal of trust, a more diverse way of telling your story, and an authentic way to connect with audiences - especially in travel, where the essence of a brand’s appeal is often tied to emotions, experiences, and stories.

Travel marketing is all about evoking a sense of wanderlust, excitement, and discovery. 

The feeling of stepping into a new destination, embracing a unique adventure, or finding your next favourite hotel – this is what makes travel so compelling. 

Paid content, while effective for visibility, can’t always capture that sense of connection and authenticity that comes from genuine editorial coverage. But taking a holistic approach to your media strategy, one that incorporates both earned and paid media opportunities, gives you the best of both worlds. Those new relationships built through paid content can lead to valuable editorial opportunities down the line.

Travel brands should also be selective about where they invest. Not every affiliate-driven partnership is worth pursuing. It’s important to make sure that any paid content aligns with the brand’s values and resonates with the target audience. 

By partnering with the right outlets and using affiliate links thoughtfully, travel brands can strike a balance between authenticity and their commercial goals.

As the media landscape continues to evolve, storytelling will always remain the most important element. To succeed, your brand’s story needs to be told in a way that builds trust with readers, and resonates with the ever-changing expectations of today’s media landscape.