Is It Too Late to Start a Travel Vlogging YouTube Channel Like Kurt Caz?

At Ruthless Talent, we get asked this question all the time: Is it still possible to start a successful solo travel vlog on YouTube, like Kurt Caz or Bald and Bankrupt, or is it too late?

Here’s the honest answer.

The genre is completely saturated. The format of a guy walking alone through unfamiliar streets with a camera and reacting to local food and culture had its golden moment during the pandemic. Flights were grounded. Borders were closed. People were desperate for a sense of adventure and escapism, and only a few creators were doing this at scale. That gave them a monopoly over the content style. But that window is closed.

Now, cheap flights are everywhere. You can book a last-minute ticket to Bangladesh, grab a £200 camera, and upload shaky footage of you bartering at a street market. But nobody is watching. The audience is numb to it. They’ve seen hundreds of people try it, and the only ones who broke through did it when it mattered most.

There used to be a formula for gaining traction: fly to India, make a bunch of enthusiastic videos, pretend you loved everything, and let the locals amplify your content. That doesn’t work anymore. Now, creators fly in, film dozens of videos, get sick, rack up expenses, and leave with 300 views per upload. It’s a harsh reality.

When those tactics fail, many turn to copying exact locations where the big names had success, hoping lightning will strike twice. It doesn’t. You cannot become Bald and Bankrupt just by visiting the same alleyway in Tashkent. You cannot replicate Kurt Caz’s energy by mimicking his VIP man content. You are not Dale Philip, and trying to be a TEMU version of someone successful is the fastest way to obscurity. Viewers can see through it instantly. Copying never works.

There are exceptions. Callan Bowl is one. He exploded seemingly out of nowhere. Why? Because Callan is not playing a character. He is chaotic, unpredictable, and completely himself. He takes risks. He says things most wouldn’t. That unpredictability is what makes people want to click the next video. Most people are not like this. Most people are “John from Wisconsin” walking through a market saying “how much?” and calling it a day. Nobody wants to watch that anymore.

Before you jump into this space, ask yourself:

• Are you naturally entertaining?
• Do people already follow you for your personality?
• Can you hold attention for more than 5 minutes?
• Can you speak multiple languages?
• Are you building a character or are you genuinely unique?

If your friends don’t find you extremely interesting, don’t assume strangers online will. One of the biggest myths is that you just need to “keep uploading consistently” and things will take off. That’s delusional. Plenty of people have spent years uploading and never made a single pound. That same energy could have gone into a university course or a trade skill with actual earning potential. But they don’t do that because deep down, it’s not about the content. It’s about the attention. It’s about wanting to be famous.

And the cost? Thousands in flights, gear, time, and lost income potential. All for 200 views and no path forward. If you’re here reading this post wondering if it’s worth doing, then you already know the answer.

A few million views on TikTok? That’s nice, but it means very little without consistency or a way to monetise. The goal, if we’re being honest, is to make money from content. That’s where we come in at Ruthless Talent. We help creators earn serious money from their work. But to qualify, you need to be consistently great. One semi-viral moment does not open the doors. We only start having those conversations once you’re averaging 30,000 views on YouTube long-form. Anything less is something you can get with almost no effort. If you’re not there yet, you’re not ready.

To summarise: the genre is on its last legs. It’s cluttered with low-effort, imitation content. But if you’re truly different, if you bring something no one else can, there’s still a narrow path forward. If you’re not that person, please, do not waste the next five years trying to become someone you’re not. That time is not refundable.

And if you are that person? We’ll see you at Ruthless.