Cruise Croatia for free: How the pandemic revived the travel influencer economy

Sail Croatia is giving away free luxury cruises to budding influencers. But what's the cost of a 'free holiday'? Photo / Supplied

A luxury European sailing company is looking to pressgang photographers and social-media influencers into its 2022 departures, in return for a free holiday.

Sail Croatia, a UK-based tour operator, has begun advertising a new kind of role as they look to re-crew for the 2022 summer - unpaid social media experts who will travel as guests of the company.

'Travel for Free' is part of a growing tourism trend as operators return to courting social media influencers, post pandemic.

Looking to hire three "Travel for Free" positions including a photographer, videographer and 'social media influencer'. The company is looking for social media savvy guests to accompany them on a raft of trips from $600 hiking holidays to $2000 luxury itineraries for free, and experience and document all the Dalmatian Coast has to offer.

Grant Seure, the president of Sail Croatia, said that for content creators it was an "amazing opportunity to embrace those skills in a truly inspirational setting."

Sounds like the deal of the decade.

But is this an opportunity to travel for free, or work for free?

The company says that you will experience the package holidays as a guest, rather than a social media deck swab. However, there's quite a lot they are expecting in return.

Videographers "will need to have sound video experience, your own kit and the ability to put together a basic show reel of the highlights so we can see what you have been up to during the week," reads one job description.

(You'll also have to pay for your own airfares to Croatia, which could be a big dampener on the dreams of Antipodeans.)

Sail Croatia's charters can cost up to $2000 per person. Or, $0 for the right individual. Photo / Supplied

Similarly the social media influencer will have to show a track record of comparable work and Instagram, Youtube, Facebook, Tik Tok and a personal Blog.

It's hard to estimate the value of the work to the company, but the cost it saves hiring a photographer and equipment.

While prior to 2020 some operators inundated with 'cheeky requests' from influencers it seems that many travel operators have learned the value of 'exposure' and are keen to lure back socialmedialites to help rebuild travel demand.

Travel expert Laura Begley Bloom recently wrote about the growing trends of 'travel for free' incentives in a post-Covid world.

"There are very few things in life that are truly free," Bloom told Forbes magazine. "But if you're willing to do a little work while you're on vacation, a number of companies will give you a stipend or a salary."

Could your green fingers get your a free holiday? Photo / Pelargoniums for Europe, Unsplash

On the whole she says it's a great way to unlock travel experiences using your skills or hobbies that have value to the place you're visiting.

In the past couple of years services such as

workaway.com

have been launched to connect travellers with hosts looking for help.

Similarly DoTrotter.com is a marketplace for travellers to exchange their talents for accommodation or trips.

Like WOOFING for the 21st century, some places are welcoming digital natives and people with specific skill sets free board or trips in exchange for help.

A budding gardener, might score a stay at a chateau in exchange for deadheading their rose garden or your skills at horse husbandry might be rewarded with a trek through the Argentine countryside.

It's a great principal but there are a number of potential pitfalls. Some destinations have cracked down on digital nomads, with places like Bali looking at freelancers exploiting tax-free loopholes in Indonesia.

You could land some serious fines if your 'free work' is found to violate the terms of your visitor visa.

Other local bylaws may have another view that your 'volunteering' is taking cash out the hands of locals, for what would otherwise have been paid work.

However as an agreement between you and a host, most destinations have no problem with an operator knocking a few dollars off a room rate, or giving free board to a helpful guest.

Never underestimate the power of "Free".