Nice to Meet You

About Me

Hi, I’m Erin Raub, The Travel Copywriter. I’m a copywriter, content writer, and brand messaging specialist for the travel, hospitality, and real estate industries.

Based in Costa Rica and working worldwide, I help brands tell stories that inspire trust, spark emotion, and drive bookings and sales. For nearly two decades, I’ve built a career on one guiding belief: the best marketing doesn’t just describe a place – it makes you feel something about it.

A Life Shaped by Curiosity and Connection

baby travel writer — Kickin’ it old school on a tiny Canadian island

I grew up outside Philadelphia and learned early that stories are how we understand one another – whether shared over a dinner table or at a border crossing.

When my family traveled, we didn’t just vacation; we immersed.

I spent a day attending school on the Grenadine island of Carriacou and kept up with my classmates as penpals for years. I danced to steel drums on Eleuthera, dove for fresh conch on Exuma, and once came face-to-face with a toothy barracuda after our boat broke down near Stocking Island. I also wiled away summer weeks on my grandparents’ tiny island in Ontario – no electricity, just clay shores, sun-dappled rocks, and enough daydreams to last the trip.

As a teenager, I solo-traveled to Costa Rica for a summer of Spanish, cultural immersion, and biodiversity. Another summer took me to Maceió, Brazil, where I studied Brazilian Portuguese under the sun. In college, I backpacked across Europe with little more than a Eurail pass, curiosity, and a sense of adventure to guide me.

Those experiences taught me that stories are bridges – connecting people across cultures, languages, and borders. They also set the course for everything that followed: a degree in Cultural and Linguistic Anthropology from the University of Virginia with a minor in Spanish, independent studies in Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German, and a lifelong fascination with how language shapes emotion, perception, and connection.

The Unexpected Start of a Writing Life

I never planned to be a writer. But after graduating into the Great Recession, I had the chance to write for two internet startups.

Armed with stacks of books on writing, SEO, and usability, I dove headfirst into digital storytelling and online marketing – learning how words could blend creativity, psychology, and strategy. I learned, I practiced. I built my first portfolio pieces, sent out my first freelance feelers. I began to build a career.

That’s when I realized the writer’s life is untethered. I could do what I loved from anywhere. So I chose Costa Rica – the country that had held my heart since the summer I turned sixteen.

A Costa Rican Love Story

As an intrepid twenty-something with just a cat, two suitcases, and an adventurous spirit, I moved to Costa Rica. Within weeks, I had met the man who would become my husband.

Since I was here to stay, I did what any grounded, travel-addicted writer would do: I became a Costa Rica travel writer. For the next three years, I hiked mountains, zip-lined through cloud forests, snorkeled coral reefs – and wrote about it all.

Those years were formative, allowing me to network connections, hone my craft, and get in touch with the emotion, the aspiration, and the inspiration so inherent to travel writing. But when my son was born, the constant travel became less appealing: I knew I needed to pivot.

It was then that I pooled my knowledge, my expertise, and my experience – everything I had learned from both copywriting and travel writing – to bootstrap a business: The Travel Copywriter.

I began freelance copywriting and content writing (blogging) for hotels, tour companies, and destination marketing organizations, honing my craft and learning the right words to elevate a brand, shape perception, and drive action. Over time, my work expanded to include luxury real estate and lifestyle brands, many of which bridge travel and investment in destinations like my now-home country of Costa Rica.

The Evolution of Expertise

Since founding The Travel Copywriter in 2011, I’ve built a body of work across continents and industries. I’ve partnered with hotels, tour companies, destination marketers, real estate developers, and creative agencies – refining brand voices, telling stories that resonate, and helping businesses grow.

Today, I help brands and agencies tell stories that connect emotion to action – stories that sell not just rooms or residences or tours, but experiences and values and vision. Whether blogs, web copy, email newsletters, or lead magnets, every project begins with your story and ends with results that matter.

My clients range from boutique hotels and vacation rental collections to real estate developments and marketing agencies. Across every project, my goal is the same: to capture what makes your brand worth discovering – and express it in a voice that feels unmistakably yours.

Beyond the Brand

When I’m not writing, you’ll find me exploring Costa Rica’s hills with my family, planning our next trip, or experimenting in the kitchen. Travel will always be my favorite story – and the lens through which I see, comprehend, and love the world.

How I Work

I write for humans first – and search engines second.

My process is equal parts empathy and expertise. I start by understanding what motivates your audience, what differentiates your brand, and what story you want to tell. Then I craft content that blends sensory storytelling with strategy: optimized for visibility, but written authentically – to share valuable information, clearly communicate messaging, and build trust.

Great content builds trust. And trust builds bookings, sales, and long-term relationships with your audience.

I collaborate with:

My words have helped clients around the world grow their visibility, refine their voice, and inspire audiences to take action – from first-time travelers to future homeowners.

My Clients

You’re in good company.