Jamie Mackrill 14/12/20 Jamie Mackrill 14/12/20

Travel blogging during COVID - How the pandemic has affected the industry

We asked Victoria Heinz to write about how COVID-19 and the ensuing lockdowns and travel restrictions so far in 2020 have affected her as a content creator. Victoria talks openly and honestly about her experiences and hardships. She sometimes struggles to stay motivated and focused and provide travel content to a world which is almost void of travel. In the end, her optimism and passion prove to be the greater force within her as she refuses to give up her dreams and keeps pursuing her passions. We love her drive and her optimistic attitude which is refreshingly being channelled into making the best of a bad situation.

We will now let Victoria introduce herself and talk about travel blogging in 2020.

My name is Victoria and I’m a travel blogger and content creator from Germany. I run www.guideyourtravel.com which is a blog all about realistic travel and advice on how to become a blogger. We like to give in-depth travel advice for destinations and have plenty of tools for learning how to get into blogging and develop your skills as a photographer.

Victoria Heinz, Mont Saint Michel, France

“I’m not letting something I can’t control like the pandemic stop me from doing what I want. Or at least making the best out of an unfortunate situation.”

The pandemic has hit everyone hard. With travel restrictions for almost every country in the world and even closed borders, the travel industry has taken a huge hit. As billion-dollar airlines are going out of business overnight and large hotel chains are on the verge of shutting their doors it comes as no surprise that life as a small travel blogger has become increasingly difficult.

A travel blog only works if it has an audience. If no one is researching their next trip to or comparing hotel prices bloggers are left with a fraction of their traffic and, in most cases, income. Like many other bloggers, I experienced a dramatic drop in both in April of 2020 with little hope for a full recovery any time soon.

“Why would you invest so much time into an online travel business in 2020?” is a question I was frequently asked this year. “Is this not the worst time you could possibly choose to be a travel blogger?” In a way, it is, of course. The travel industry is essentially dead at the moment. There was a short burst of hope over the summer as some forms of travel became possible again and you could see a slow but noticeable increase in numbers. However, this success was delicate and short-lived as the second wave hit us all like a brick and we went right back to the beginning of COVID, if not worse this time.

Little Salmon Bay, Rottnest Island, Western Australia - Victoria Heinz

Perth, Western Australia - Victoria Heinz

Because in April we were all under the impression that this would be a short-term thing. I was stuck in Australia during the time and only intended to go home for a few weeks, maybe a month as things calmed down. My plan was to return to Indonesia in late June and still be able to spend the summer in Bali. Like many others I was still planning trips for the rest of the year, never considering that travel might not be possible for the foreseeable future.

Now in the second wave, people are noticing that it’s just not possible to plan at the moment. Not one person in the entire world can tell you right now when you’ll be able to travel again which makes it extra hard for those making a living off this industry.

So why am I even still doing this? Honestly, I’m not sure either. I just know that right now at this point in my life being a blogger is what I’m supposed to do. I can’t say if that will always be the case but at the moment it is. I’m not letting something I can’t control like the pandemic stop me from doing what I want. Or at least making the best out of an unfortunate situation.

Bukit Rhema, Central Java, Indonesia - Victoria Heinz

It’s all a trial and error process. Although I had to throw all plans I had out the window because of COVID I like to at least attempt to see the good in it too. I would never be where I am today if it wasn’t for that first lockdown. Suddenly I had so much time on my hands and so much unresolved anger at the world that I just had to sit down and write. Through writing, I was able to vent my emotions and along the way, I discovered new possibilities and opportunities for my business.

While guide-style travel blogs were tanking and getting incredibly low traffic, I discovered that others performed much better. People might not be researching destinations anymore but travel content was not completely dead. By addressing the nostalgia that most former travellers now felt I was able to at least keep my blog afloat while I developed other ideas at the same time.

I thought back to my early days as a blogger and why I decided to take this route. I’ve been writing off and on for other blogs for a long time but never considered having my own blog until around 2 years ago. My love for writing made coming up with content easy although I struggled to find time to commit to this project fully.

I was and still am studying at university to complete my degree in International Relations and Business Management. At the time I found it hard to balance my new blog and my courses while still having to do research constantly on how to run a blog. Two years later I only have one semester left before I graduate which is a daunting but exciting idea. I’ve gotten much better at setting priorities and connecting things I am learning from my degree to my business.

I’m in the process of writing my thesis which will in part be based on my experience as a travel blogger and my introduction to this incredible world. During COVID I discovered my love for not only writing travel content but also teaching others how to start their own blog. I somehow managed to stumble across blogging myself with no outside guidance. Today my only regret about blogging is that someone didn’t come up to me 5 years ago and tell me to start my blog then.

Rottnest Island, Western Australia - Victoria Heinz

In the end, everyone who’s income and career is connected to tourism is sitting at home counting down the days until international borders fully open again. I am lucky enough to be based in Europe so I was able to do some travelling over the summer. This year did not go as planned but at least I am lucky enough to be able to find some positives in the situation. Many others are not as fortunate which is something we can never let ourselves forget. Once we acknowledge our privilege it’s a lot easier to accept 2020 for what it is and stay hopeful that we will get our old world back soon.

For anyone considering working in the travel industry or more specifically as a blogger, I can only say: do it. It has been an incredibly rewarding experience and changed my life in more ways than one. A life of travel is a lot more attainable than you think. So use this time of hibernation to prepare yourself for a new chapter.

Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia - Victoria Heinz

Victoria’s blog: http://www.guideyourtravel.com/

Find her on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/guideyourtravel_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/guideyourtravel

STAY CREATIVE!

Jamie Mackrill 8/6/20 Jamie Mackrill 8/6/20

Quebec City - Canada's urban winter gem

Founded in 1608 Quebec City is rich in history and its idyllic old town comes to life even as the temperature plummets and the streets are blanketed in beautiful white snow. This makes it a perfect place to wander around at your own leisure and explore what’s on offer in your warmest and cosiest clothes with a hot chocolate in your hands!

Located in Canada’s Quebec province Quebec city is often overshadowed by the much larger and more populous Montreal, this does not mean it should be overlooked, however! Founded in 1608 Quebec City is rich in history and its idyllic old town comes to life even as the temperature plummets and the streets are blanketed in beautiful white snow. This makes it a perfect place to wander around at your own leisure and explore what’s on offer in your warmest and cosiest clothes with a hot chocolate in your hands!

Quebec City boasts a fantastic citadel, many museums and churches and a plethora of quaint little shops in beautiful little streets. I spent hours and hours happily wandering around exploring and photographing the sights as the snow was falling all around me. There were many historical battles here, and for a while, it was even conquered and occupied by the British. The history of this place is amazing and well worth delving into whilst you are here. You can visit one of the old battlements and if you are lucky like me, even get stay at one!

Auberge Saint-Antoine is a boutique hotel situated down by the old port and right next to the Museum of Civilization. Whilst digging underneath the hotel to create a car park they discovered a lost battlement from the past along with a treasure trove of artifacts including a cannonball encased in the wood that stopped it! Now as you sit at the cosy Bar Artefact drinking a nice Canadian beer you can gaze through the glass at the old battlement! The hotel also doubles as a museum as it features and displays incredible artifacts uncovered from below. Each individually designed boutique room even has a unique artifact welcoming you in a glass case by your front door. Inside you will find information about the artifact along with a gorgeous, unique and extremely cosy room exuding historical vibes and incredible attention to detail. I took dozens of images of my gorgeous room alone! it’s hard not to!

My beautiful Auberge Saint-Antoine Suite, Quebec City, Quebec

Auberge Saint-Antoine doesn’t stop there, however. This UNESCO World Heritage Site also boasts an award-winning restaurant situated within a historic maritime warehouse dating from the 1820s which was lovingly restored from a severely neglected state by its new owners who kept it as original and authentic as possible. Breakfast is served daily at Chez Muffy for the hotel guests and the restaurant is open to the public for lunch and dinner almost all year round. You may check here for more details. I enjoyed my several dining experiences here as much as I loved the historical context and incredible story of the structure that Chez Muffy now occupies! - And yes, if you couldn’t already tell, I’m a bit of a history geek as well as a huge foodie!

Chez Muffy breakfast, Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City

Chez Muffy restaurant, Auberge Saint-Antoine, Quebec City

If you are able to, you should also visit the cities iconic Montmorency Falls waterfall. In early March 2020, the ice sheet covered the water and you could walk on the ice to within 15 metres of the base of this huge waterfall! there is also a gorgeous staircase and suspension bridge to walk and you are rewarded with an incredible view of the Saint Lawrence River from the top.

Montmorency Falls stairs, Quebec, Canada

I already touched on some of the excellent dining experiences on offer in Quebec city and teased the thought of sipping on a delicious hot chocolate whilst walking through the snow. I can’t help but share some of my favourite culinary memories from Quebec City! You can’t go wrong with going to one of the many chocolate shops and select cafés dotted throughout the city but my absolute favourite came from my little day trip to Chocolaterie de Île d’Orléans chocolate factory on the beautiful island of Île d'Orléans. I got my hot chocolate and then went for a walk along the foreshore taking in the views of the city. Back in the city, I went to a fantastic crêpe house called The Billig, had delicious pizza at Sapristi and I had a fantastic burger at Bistro Sous-le-fort.

I feel extremely lucky to have visited this incredible city when I did and it was like an absolute fairy tale, winter wonderland scenario with the falling snow, a huge toboggan slide and ice sculptures scattered throughout the city. I would love to go back a different time of year for a different experience for myself, but if you want a proper Canadian winter experience I would recommend Quebec City to everyone!

Jamie Mackrill 13/1/20 Jamie Mackrill 13/1/20

Everything you need to know about this blog - The story behind Culture of Creatives

The blog section of this website is updated and maintained by the founder of Culture of Creatives: myself, Jamie Mackrill. This blog is centred around telling my personal story of life lessons, successes and failures and offering helpful tips and ideas in my chosen fields of travel, photography, blogging, and being a travel influencer on Instagram.

Jamie Mackrill - founder of Culture of Creatives

My background is nothing out of the ordinary. I come from a lower-middle class family and grew up in the outer suburbs of a small city in a geographically isolated part of Australia, I have dedicated my life to travel, photography, personal growth and self-development. As of now, I have lived in four different countries and traveled throughout Australia, North America, Africa, Asia and Europe to 40 different countries. I want to share with others all the lessons that I have learned along the way.

My greatest pleasures are found in nature, in history, in photography and travel. I love good coffee and tea, delicious wine and beer. I love experiencing different cuisines and immersing myself in different cultures. I love hearing people’s stories and seeing how they go about their daily business in their little corner of this incredible planet. I’m inspired by things as simple as a beautiful sunset, by the sounds of a nearby waterfall or birds singing out to one another in the trees. I’m uplifted by a simple smile given by a passing stranger, and I’m humbled by the generosity and outlook on life by those who should seemingly have very little to give in the first place.

I myself dropped out of college and, since then, have had a variety of everyday jobs. I have been a kitchen hand, a factory concreter and pool boy, and have worked in road works, customer service and building maintenance. I have unblocked more toilets than I would like to admit, I have ruined my back moving heavy furniture as a removalist or while being an offsider in a couple of different mines. I have pulled hair clumps and other things that make me shiver out of hundreds of sink and shower traps, and I have scrubbed and chlorinated countless green swimming pools until they turned blue again. I have worked in sub-zero temperatures while getting snowed on but have also left shifts drenched in sweat after countless 40-45+ degree Celsius days. I have been plagued with and overcome many years of mental health issues and the loss of close family members. I have terrible memories from school, bullying and an upbringing in a broken family.

Kawasan falls - Cebu island - The Philippines

Until I discovered photography, I thought I was useless and did not have a creative bone in my body. I had no path in life and no foreseeable future that didn’t scare the absolute hell out of me. Whilst everyone around me was pursuing their own careers, planning their future, studying, having children and getting married, I chose a completely different path and started traveling the world, searching for myself and going from job to job in a desperate attempt to keep moving forward—to not give up and go backwards.

I have no love for self-pity; please do not mistake any of these words as a yearning for pity, as I am fervently and expressively against it and after none. A quote from Stephan Fry can summarize my views on this better than I ever could: “Your self-pity gets none of my sympathy, because self-pity is the ugliest emotion in humanity. Get rid of it. Because no one is going to like you if you feel sorry for yourself. The irony is that we’ll feel sorry for you if you stop feeling sorry for yourself.”

Everything that I’m sharing with you now, and that I will share with you in future blog posts, is explicitly because I believe that the average person going through turmoil and despair in their life, or someone lacking guidance and support from those around them and wavering motivation from within including setbacks championed by a lack of belief in themselves.

In the interview section of this blog, you will find that a lot of these people who have found success were and are just like you and me. In fact, you can always find people who have had it even worse, who have faced more setbacks and tragedies in their life and still become successful. What I am trying to champion and expose on this website is that whatever stage you are at in your life, whatever level of suffering or disorientation you are currently affected by, however high the mountain in front of you is: you can do it. People have done it before you, average, everyday people—even people with heartbreaking life stories have done it. It is not always pretty, and it is definitely not easy. It is not always obvious what you have to do next, but you are not alone and there are plenty of amazing people out there. You just have to knock on enough doors and put in enough time and effort until some of those doors start opening up for you.

Remember, everyone that has succeeded has been rejected countless times and failed countless more.

Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy the content!

- Jamie Mackrill

https://www.instagram.com/jamiemackrill/

Travel blogging during COVID - How the pandemic has affected the industry

STAY CREATIVE!

Quebec City - Canada's urban winter gem

Everything you need to know about this blog - The story behind Culture of Creatives

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