ECQ Stories: How Pinoy travel bloggers thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic
Tourism is one of the industries that suffered the strongest blow amid the ongoing health crisis, as the COVID-19 pandemic puts an indefinite hold on most people's #TravelGoals.
Migz of Footloose Tomcat at the Sydney Opera House in Australia | Source: Migz Hernandez
And since traveling is an essential part in travel bloggers' content creation, one can't help but wonder how travel websites are doing, now that the world is in the midst of a pandemic and traveling is definitely out of the question.
GMANetwork.com checked in on Pinoy travel bloggers Gretchen Filart of The Filipina Explorer, Migz Hernandez of Footloose Tomcat, and Yosh Dimen of The Poor Traveler to see how life has been for them during the pandemic.
Travel and blogging during the pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly affected the travel blogging community in several ways: it has postponed or canceled their travel plans, hindered in some way in their content creation, and has caused a decline in page views and engagement on their blogs.
Yosh Dimen of The Poor Traveler revealed, “2020 is our blog's 10th year anniversary. We had a lot of plans lined up for this year, but they're all out the window now.”
Gretchen Filart of Filipina Explorer at Tateyama in Japan | Source: @filipinaxplorer (IG)
As for Gretchen Filart of the Filipina Explorer, she disclosed, “Travel bloggers and vloggers are experiencing the brunt of not just not being able to create content due to travel restrictions, but also gaining less engagement and readership due to the hysteria surrounding travel amid a pandemic. Even the more established and internationally recognized ones are not spared from this.”
Migz of Footloose Tomcat's first-hand experience attests to Gretchen's statement. Migz admitted, “The number of views has declined; the interaction has become less. While the number of users or followers have not changed (hopefully they're just stagnant at this time), it is still a struggle to get the audience engaged.”
Migz also revealed that a couple of travel bloggers have applied for jobs in the company she works for in order to support their families during these uncertain times.
Moreover, Yosh emphasized that it's not just bloggers and vloggers who are suffering from the impact of the pandemic. He said, “The entire travel industry -- from airlines to travel agencies to tour operators to hotels -- is suffering.”
Overcoming hurdles
With travel bans imposed in many countries and a great decline in interest on travel content, bloggers clearly had to get creative with their new content.
Yosh and his teammates' new blogging strategy is to cater to most people's needs during the ECQ.
Yosh said, “We shifted our focus to writing articles that are useful during the quarantine period -- from information about food deliveries, easy recipes, to flight cancellations.”
They also have tips for fellow bloggers who are currently struggling with content creation. According to Yosh, being resourceful is the key.
He explained, “Content doesn't always have to be real-time. Look back and look forward. Write about your past journeys and your future plans. It's easy to create content even from past trips. One trip can give birth to countless articles and photos, and there's always something to write about.”
Yosh and Vins of The Poor Traveler in Hokkaido, Japan | Photo by: Koryn Iledan
He also added, “Your audience is on the same boat with you, so it's easy to find something that we could all relate to.”
Migz, on the other hand, commended how travel bloggers used their creativity during the ECQ.
She said, “Filipino bloggers have been creative so far, posting throwback videos, reviving old viral posts, or switching temporarily to other types of content that's relevant now.”
“For example, one blogger is now helping frontliners and engaging people on thought-provoking questions, in order to continue generating engagement.”
Morever, Migz would like to request online viewers to help struggling bloggers and vloggers.
“We plea to viewers at home to help local YouTube content creators and Instagram brand ambassadors. All they need to do at the bare minimum is to watch the videos. That can mean a lot to those who monetize their content.”
Gretchen Filart at the Borobudur Temple in Indonesia | Source: @filipinaxplorer (IG)
Plan B
So, what do Pinoy travel bloggers have as their Plan B if things won't go back to normal anytime soon?
Migz and her partner Mary have decided to forego international travels altogether for the rest of 2020.
“We have so many questions that need to be scientifically answered before we start traveling again. 'Is swimming in the beach or lakes safe? Can we do activities that use shared equipment, such as ziplining?'
“While these questions remain unanswered, we will follow safety protocols and continue to share good travel vibes online, innovate our content so we stay relevant and engaging. And on weekdays, we're corporate work-from-home slaves.”
As for Yosh and his teammates, they plan to continue blogging and use their former day jobs as fallback.
Yosh said, “Thankfully, before I became a full-time travel blogger, I was a digital/social media marketer. Vins, my blogging partner, was an SEO specialist. Both these professions are largely online and location-independent, so we could accept projects on the side.”
Mary of Footloose Tomcat in Kansas City enjoying the snow last January 2020 | Source: Migz Hernandez
Travel plans after the ECQ
Once the ECQ and the travel bans are lifted, but the world still has no definite cure or vaccine for COVID-19, will Pinoy travel bloggers consider traveling again right away?
Gretchen has reservations about it, but nonetheless she has a plan in mind.
She said, “I have a daughter, so I'm still not quite sure about traveling right away. We might put it on hold until a vaccine is available.
“I've always preferred lesser-known domestic destinations, and I am even more inclined to do that after the ECQ is lifted. I'm thinking hidden destinations in Mindanao, Isabela, and Babuyan Islands.”
As for Migz and Mary, they're willing to do local travel at most, once the ECQ is lifted.
Migz shared, “Mary is considering going home to her family in Bohol even if a vaccine is not available yet. International travels will remain a far-off idea for us, because the 'enemy' can't be seen.”
The Poor Traveler team in Taiwan | Source: Yosh Dimen
The silver lining
While the pandemic has been a very difficult time for travel bloggers, it has also brought about positive outcomes and valuable lessons.
For Yosh and his teammates, they realized the importance of diversifying their website's content.
He said, “While having a clear focus is great in building a brand, having all your eggs in one basket isn't a very good idea. When the community quarantine was implemented in many key cities around the world, our visitor traffic plummeted. And yet, other niches enjoyed an increase in audience, especially videos.
“On a personal level, the greatest lesson is probably how much you could accomplish from home. Aside from blogging, I was able to revisit some of my passion projects -- from writing screenplays to brushing up on another language to helping raising funds for badly-hit sectors.
“We also got to develop new skills at home. And it opened my eyes to other possibilities -- new niches, new passions, and probably new business ideas.”
As for Gretchen, she has rediscovered the joy one can get from the simple things in life.
She shared, “II do miss traveling a lot, but over the course of the pandemic, I've gained a newfound appreciation for simple pleasures like sunset bike rides whenever permitted, and just admiring birds and the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.
“I try not to to bear too many expectations of the future. At this point, none of us hold any certainty of the future.
Indeed, nothing is certain at this point. No one knows for sure when the ECQ will be totally lifted and when a vaccine or cure will be available.
For now, the best thing to do is to support travel bloggers and vloggers by reliving their best travel moments or exploring their new content.
So, until it's a hundred percent safe to hit the road again, stay safe at home and stay positive that the end to this pandemic is on the horizon.
For more lifestyle content, head out to GMA's Lifestyle page.
For updates on the Coronavirus Disease pandemic and the enhanced community quarantine, visit GMA's COVID-19 page and ECQ page.
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