17 Travel Content Ideas Inspired by The Points Guy’s Best Places to Go in 2026

Stop guessing what your audience wants. Turn The Points Guy's 17 picks into cash-generating travel content in 2026

Creators and independent publishers: you know the pain. Amazing destinations, zero repeat readers, affiliate links that barely convert, and mystery about which content format actually makes money. The Points Guy published its 17 best places to go in 2026. This guide turns each of those destinations into a specific, monetizable content format you can produce this year — with exact affiliate and loyalty angles, headline templates, distribution tips, and short production workflows so you can publish fast and earn faster.

Why this matters in 2026 (quick context)

Late 2025 and early 2026 brought three travel industry shifts creators must use now: wider dynamic award pricing across loyalty programs, the continued growth of micro-content platforms (vertical video + newsletters), and more transparent affiliate partnerships linking cards, hotels, and local experience bookings. Publishers who adapt content formats to these realities win conversions and retain readers. Below I map each TPG destination to one high-impact content format and a monetization play.

How to use this page

Each entry includes: the destination, the recommended content format, the best affiliate/loyalty hooks, headline templates, placement opportunities, and a 30/60/90 minute production checklist. Use the entries as a plug-and-play content calendar — one piece per week will give you 17 monetizable assets in four months.

17 content ideas, one for each of The Points Guy's 2026 destinations

1. Lisbon — '48-Hour Points-itinerary' listicle

• Format: Listicle + interactive map titled 'How to spend 48 hours in Lisbon using points'.
• Monetization: Link to flight award search tools (affiliate), Lisbon boutique hotels via OTA affiliate, and Lisbon tram tours via experience platforms.
• Loyalty angle: Show the sweet spot award charts for TAP/Star Alliance and Iberia Avios redemptions; include step-by-step booking example using a common travel card transfer.
• Headline templates: '48 Hours in Lisbon: A Points-Powered Weekend Itinerary'.
• Quick workflow: 30-min research, 60-min draft, 30-min map and affiliate linking.

2. Kyoto — Packing guide + cultural etiquette micro-guide

• Format: 'What to pack for Kyoto in spring' with a micro-ethics section on onsen, shrine etiquette, and tipping norms.
• Monetization: Affiliate links for travel clothing, compact camera gear, SIM/eSIM providers, and JR Pass alternatives via affiliate platforms.
• Loyalty angle: Compare transfer sweet spots for ANA and JAL, and a tutorial on booking award seats to Kansai vs Tokyo then rail passes.
• SEO tip: Target 'Kyoto packing list 2026' and long-tail queries like 'what to wear in Kyoto golden week'.

3. Reykjavik — Points-and-miles tutorial with climate-smart options

• Format: Step-by-step award booking tutorial: 'How to fly to Reykjavik with points and reduce carbon impact'.
• Monetization: Airline affiliate links, eco-tourism experiences, and travel insurance with affiliate payouts.
• Loyalty angle: Highlight seasonal award availability and regional partner redemptions; show when to transfer points and when to wait.
• Distribution: Convert tutorial into short screen-record reels demonstrating award search — high engagement in 2026.

4. Oaxaca City — Food-first micro-travelogue series

• Format: 3-part micro-travelogue devoted to mezcal, markets, and mole. Each episode is 600-900 words plus 60-sec video.
• Monetization: Affiliate links for culinary tours, local cooking classes, and kitchen gear. Use local booking platforms that pay higher CPA for experience bookings.
• SEO: Target 'Oaxaca food tour booking' and 'mezcal tasting near me' style queries; add schema for events if you embed a booking widget.

5. Cape Town — Ultimate seasonal guide + family travel kit

• Format: Seasonal guide showing best months, plus a family-friendly packing and safety kit downloadable as a gated PDF (email capture).
• Monetization: Hotel affiliates (luxury and family properties), car-rental offers, and local safari partner links.
• Lead-gen: Use the gated PDF to build a travel list and follow up with an email series promoting high-commission tours.

6. Athens — Historical micro-guide + points-optimization checklist

• Format: Short historical explainer paired with a checklist: 'Book Athens with points: best airports, award seats, and hotel loyalty swaps'.
• Monetization: Museum passes via affiliate networks, hotel loyalty links, and credit card offers for Europe travel perks.
• Trust tip: Include specific examples of award bookings from late 2025 to show current availability patterns.

7. Medellín — Digital nomad setup guide with subscription offers

• Format: 'Set up shop in Medellín for 1 month: wifi, coworking, SIMs, and where to stay on points'.
• Monetization: Credible affiliate links for coworking memberships, eSIM providers, and hotel stays. Promote subscription-based services like workspace memberships with recurring commissions.
• 2026 trend: Showcase long-stay Airbnb and hotel subscription bundles, increasingly available since 2024-25.

8. Tbilisi — Budget luxury listicle

• Format: '7 ways to experience luxury in Tbilisi on a budget' — restaurants, boutique stays, and spa experiences redeemed via points.
• Monetization: High-ticket tour affiliates and boutique hotel programs; integrate bank card sign-up offers that give bonuses you can practically apply locally.

9. New Orleans — Event-driven content and affiliate ticketing

• Format: Event calendar + 'How to use points for Mardi Gras, Jazz Fest, and off-season trips'.
• Monetization: Affiliate ticketing platforms, hotel links, and local experience marketplaces.
• Distribution: Convert the calendar into a newsletter series timed to advance-sale windows for higher conversion.

10. Tokyo — Multi-part 'award map' series for Japan regions

• Format: A multi-post series mapping award booking strategies for Tokyo, Osaka, Sapporo, and Okinawa.
• Monetization: Airline and credit card affiliate links, Japan Rail passes and local hospitality partnerships.
• SEO plan: Each post targets a geographic keyword cluster; internally link to consolidate authority and improve conversions.

11. Seoul — Short-form reels + shopping guides

• Format: 6 short reels (40–60 seconds) showcasing districts, K-beauty buys, and how to redeem points for flights to Seoul.
• Monetization: Affiliate links to beauty brands, duty-free pre-orders, and Korean experience bookings.
• Trend: In 2026, shoppable social posts convert better. Use platform-native shopping where possible.

12. Amalfi Coast — Luxury hotel comparison + affiliate matrix

• Format: Comparison guide with an affiliate matrix: boutique hotels, villa rentals, and ferry passes.
• Monetization: Higher ticket affiliate deals and curated partner codes for luxury transfers and experiences.
• Production: Use high-quality imagery and a downloadable packing checklist for influencers to re-skin and republish.

13. Vancouver — Outdoor gear list + family itinerary

• Format: 'Best gear for Vancouver's outdoors' list + three family-friendly itineraries redeemable with points.
• Monetization: Affiliate outdoor gear, park tour bookings, and regional hotel programs.

14. Patagonia — Expedition planning guide with loyalty tactics

• Format: Comprehensive expedition planning piece: logistics, award routing to southern hubs, and packing for extremes.
• Monetization: High-commission adventure tour affiliates and travel insurance links (often high CPA for risky itineraries).
• Authority tip: Include interviews or quotes from expedition guides to boost E-E-A-T.

15. Seychelles — Honeymoon planner + small-luxury affiliate bundle

• Format: Honeymoon planner with a 'book with points' sidebar and product bundle for honeymooners (spa, transfers, private dinners).
• Monetization: Hotel affiliate links, private transfer affiliates, and experience partners offering exclusive packages with attribution codes.

16. Marrakech — Cultural guide with safety and service booking widgets

• Format: Cultural primer plus an embedded booking widget for guided medina tours and hammam experiences.
• Monetization: Affiliate tickets and experience marketplaces; well-placed disclosure that your links support the site.
• Conversion trick: Use urgency (limited small-group tour availability) to improve checkout rates.

17. Azores — Remote-island logistics guide and micro-ebook

• Format: Logistics and island-hopping guide with a micro-ebook upsell for a deep itinerary (paid product or tip jar).
• Monetization: Affiliate flight searches, car rental partners, and local experience bookings plus ebook revenue.
• Lead funnel: Offer the micro-ebook in exchange for email, then upsell tours or partner offers.

Cross-destination tactics that scale revenue

Producing one format per destination is a start. The multiplier comes from consistent cross-linking, repackaging, and thoughtful affiliate placement.

• Repurpose: Turn each long-form guide into 3 shorts, a newsletter, and a carousel for social platforms to widen discovery.
• Affiliate layering: Place multiple adjacent affiliate links: flights, hotels, tours, gear. A reader may click any of them, increasing expected revenue per user.
• Bundle swaps: Where a loyalty program devalues awards, show practical alternatives using OTA discounts or hybrid pay-plus-points options. This builds trust and conversion.
• Email funnels: Use gated checklists or micro-ebooks to capture emails and send time-sensitive offers when award space opens.

Headline and CTA templates that convert

• 'How to get to [Destination] with points this season (step-by-step)'.
• 'The only [Destination] packing list you need in 2026'.
• '7 ways to experience [Destination] like a local (without breaking the bank)'.
• 'Book [Destination] with points: real examples and screenshots'.

Practical micro-templates creators can copy

Use these short blocks to speed up publishing.

1. Points tutorial intro (100 words): State the best transfer partners, a sample award cost, and the single action the reader should take now (eg. "search this date").
2. Packing list snippet (bulleted): 10 non-negotiables + one surprising item tied to an affiliate.
3. Micro-travelogue format: 200 words per moment, 3 images, and one CTA to book a recommended experience.

Legal, trust and performance tips for affiliate and loyalty content

• Disclosure: Always disclose affiliate relationships near the first affiliate link and in a consistent sitefooter policy.
• Accuracy: Because loyalty award pricing changes fast in 2026, include timestamps and suggest readers check live award availability.
• Tracking: Use UTM parameters and affiliate pixels. Test two CTA placements per article to optimize conversion.
• Reader-first: Offer alternatives if award availability is poor. This builds trust and long-term revenue.

Creators who pair destination storytelling with practical points-and-miles how-tos earn more and keep audiences coming back.

Distribution and republishing playbook (short)

• Publish long-form on your site for SEO and canonical authority.
• Repurpose 3–5 shorts for social within 48 hours to drive back traffic.
• Send a segmented email (points-enthusiasts vs. families) linking to the most relevant destination piece.
• Pitch syndication of your best-performing guide to newsletters and platforms that accept paid or revenue-share content.

Measurement: KPIs to track in 2026

• Affiliate clicks and click-to-convert rate by destination
• Time-on-page and scroll depth for long-form guides
• Email capture rate for gated PDFs or ebooks
• Repeat visitors who land on multiple destination pages (audience retention)

Final checklist before you hit publish

1. Insert timestamp and last-checked note for loyalty availability.
2. Add at least three contextual affiliate links and one gated asset for list-building.
3. Create three repurposed assets (short video, carousel, and newsletter blurb).
4. Schedule two promotional pushes: launch day and 7-day reminder timed to award availability windows.

Parting thoughts and next steps

Turning The Points Guy's 17 best places into content formats gives you a ready roadmap for 2026: combine earned authority on loyalty programs with destination storytelling and airtight affiliate strategy. Start with the three destinations closest to your audience's intent and build outward. Prioritize timeliness, honesty about award availability, and repurposing. The formula scales: one great guide becomes dozens of monetized touchpoints.

Ready to execute? Download the 17-week content calendar and swipeable headline pack we designed to turn each destination into a published, monetized asset. Add your email and we’ll send it with practical templates you can use today.

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