Wood often travels with little luggage, stays in budget accommodation and has spent roughly a year living mostly out of a backpack. Running her travel business also leaves little room for a conventional work-life balance.Travel was never meant to be just a hobby for Rhiannon Wood. The 26-year-old has now turned her love for exploring new places into a full-time career, earning through brand partnerships, sponsored Instagram content, and commissions from group tours.With around 60,000 followers on Instagram, she is also working towards launching her own travel agency.Wood told Business Insider that her interest in travelling took shape while she was studying at university in the UK. During a study-abroad programme in Lyon, France, in 2021-22, she began taking weekend trips to neighbouring countries and exploring the Alps. The experience convinced her that travel would remain a major part of her life after graduation.She said she later moved to Canada, where making a living meant taking up a series of minimum-wage jobs. Wood worked at a boat and canoe rental company, a zipline business and a ski resort. At the same time, she continued documenting her travels online.From one trip to more workBy late 2024, Wood said she decided to approach Instagram more seriously and see whether her content could become a source of income. She enrolled in social media strategy courses and hired an Instagram coach to learn how to build an audience and work with brands.Her efforts paid off quickly. Within four months, online group-trip company Mapo Tapo approached her about leading a trip to Switzerland. Wood earned £330 from the assignment, despite having never led an organised tour before.Her experience in hiking, mountaineering and rock climbing proved useful when planning trips that involved outdoor activities. She told Business Insider that the Switzerland opportunity eventually helped her land more work with travel and sports-focused brands. Wood has since collaborated with companies such as Skyscanner, Siroko, and Roamless.Story continues below this adHer income from leading tours varies depending on the number of travellers and the agency she works with. She has earned as much as $3,000 (Rs 2.88 lakh) in commission from a single trip. Her rates for Instagram collaborations have also increased, from a few hundred dollars at the beginning to more than $1,000.‘Rarely have a day off’Wood said she now earns in the low five figures. She said she puts away a large portion of what she makes from tours, while sponsorship income goes towards her everyday personal expenses.The job, however, comes with plenty of trade-offs. Wood often travels with little luggage, stays in budget accommodation and has spent roughly a year living mostly out of a backpack. Running her travel business also leaves little room for a conventional work-life balance.“I rarely have a day off”She said much of her time goes to behind-the-scenes work, from creating and posting content to responding to emails, negotiating partnerships, and arranging group trips. She also recalled finding sponsorship negotiations particularly challenging at first, when she was still unsure how much to charge brands.Story continues below this adNow, Wood is focused on the next stage of her career: setting up her own travel agency. Her goal is to build a business around what first drew her to the industry — exploring new places — and eventually travel with the people who follow her journey.