Why Walking Holidays Make Perfect Content for Travel Influencers
Heading into 2026, where travel content is getting a little too curated and repetitive, walking holidays offer influencers something a little different. They’re authentic, and audiences can really see that, and they’re dynamic, meaning they create storyline opportunities naturally. By putting in the hours on foot, being out there, the rest of the world does the hard work for you.
Constantly changing backdrops
Instead of chasing new scenery by jet setting constantly on a plane, undergoing a walking trail can deliver this on a smaller scale. On Portugal’s Rota Vicentina for example, you might film yourself against the rather dramatic cliffs in the morning, but by golden hour you’ve captured yourself wandering through cork forests.
Even better is that a lot of these are pre-made for you, meaning you can cut down on the headaches of logistics and planning. Orbis Ways, for example, offers walks in various countries like Italy. Trails like Via Francigena go through medieval villages to vine-covered valleys, all inside the same day. It takes off the pressure of finding new locations – you just walk, one foot in front of the other, and spend your energy on other tasks, like filming and narrative.
Unplanned encounters
The slow pace of walking is an amazing space for human interactions, which is the backbone of some travel content makers. When you’re hiking Malta’s Victoria Lines, you’re far more likely to be invited into a local’s home for coffee (partly because you might be a bit lost and asking for directions) or discover a family-run trattoria. You’ll be forced to try out your poor Italian, and that’s what is genuine about the content—the locals won’t likely be fatigued by tourist cameras either. In the end, the stories write themselves.
Physical challenges create narrative depth
Walking holidays are amazing for narrative because they naturally have struggle, getting lost, achievement, and transformation all caked into them. These are the building blocks of any compelling story. It doesn’t have to be mountaineering either. In fact, just getting lost in ancient villages is likely to make for better content anyway – though camping in torrential rain on a mountain certainly can, too.
The blister care routine, the triumphant summit moment, these are all little things you can put on your story to keep people interested in each day. Because there are challenges each day, you never run out of things to share. Even just the relief of a hot meal in a cosy pub at the end of the day can be comfort watch material for viewers.
Natural experiences in culture
Walking ultimately makes you engage with places at human speed —not at a blistering pace or through artificial infrastructure. It’s always going to be more educational content, in part because you’re going to stumble on stuff nobody knows. After all, it’s not shouted about on the internet. When you see the grave of a famous artist, but you’re not sure who they are, you can research them and share it with the audience.
This is far more compelling than heading out of your way to find a famous grave, which everyone does, and everyone knows about. You don’t need to walk far in Scotland, for example, to see the ancient sites where forgotten battles against the English or Vikings took place.
For travel influencers looking for unique content with less mental effort, simply following a lesser-known walking trail can bring the story to you.
