Hey there, fellow travelers! Today, we’re answering viewer questions. One that we get a lot is “why doesn’t the Travel Channel show travel shows anymore?” This is kind of a trend across the board with many cable channels. The History Channel has very few actual “history-related” shows, and when is the last time you saw a music video on MTV? For those wondering, we’re breaking down what happened to the Travel Channel shows and where to find the best travel shows today.
It’s About Money!
The sad truth of it is that networks make more money on the sensational reality shows than they do on the Travel Channel shows that gave them their start. The Travel Channel makes more money on paranormal ghost-hunting shows than they do airing the best travel shows about travel.
The Travel Channel has been owned by Discovery Communications since 2018 and therefore has been rebranded to fit the Discovery family of television channels. The Travel Channel was originally founded by a subsidiary of TWA. Yes, Trans World Airlines launched a TV network in 1987. Over the years, programming has changed to drive viewership and audience numbers, which translates into revenue for the network.
TV networks show what works, so even if you don’t love paranormal shows, that’s what’s been driving revenue for the Travel Channel since 2018. When they started showing these types of shows, the Travel Channel had their best year ever! Sorry to say, these types of shows don’t appear to be going away anytime soon.
Sadly, it’s not really even the Travel Channel anymore. They’ve rebranded to be the TRVL Channel now, perhaps in a slow attempt to move away from travel altogether? The top shows today on the Trvl Channel are:
- Ghost Adventures
- Dead Files
- Haunted Live
- Mystery at the Museum
- Paranormal: Caught on Camera
As travelers, we miss seeing real travel shows. “Travel goddess” Samantha Brown is still doing travel shows, although mostly for PBS these days. Of course, we all miss the great Anthony Bourdain with his travel and food shows. But I don’t think these types of shows will be rejoining the Travel Channel anytime soon.
All hope is not lost, however! The head of the Travel Channel has been quoted as saying “if you can find it on YouTube, we’re not going to make a show about it.” So, with so many travel vloggers and bloggers out there, there’s no shortage of travel content you can watch. It’s just shifted over to YouTube channels, like ours!
Grab Some Wolters World Travel Gear!
The shows you see on cable television today are based on one factor, and that is revenue for the network. Sadly, that means some of the best and most interesting content is no longer available on TV. But the good news is, you will always be able to find engaging and thoughtful content like ours on YouTube. And you don’t even have to pay a cable bill to view the best travel shows!
If you have more questions about travel or marketing, let us know! We’d love to have a future post answering your questions! In the meantime, if you are looking for more travel tips, check out some of these blog posts:
- Best European Cities for Accessible Travel
- How to Get Through Airport Security Quickly
- What to Know Before Your First Trip to Europe
