Affiliate Marketing Disclosure

Last updated: 18 August, 2026

Although Archipelago maintains editorial independence in its travel writing and recommendations, affiliate marketing is an important source of revenue for the publication.

This disclosure explains how affiliate marketing works, how it is used by Archipelago, and what it means for readers.

What Is Affiliate Marketing?

Affiliate marketing is a practice through which publishers and other third parties link to products or services offered by partner organisations. If a reader follows one of these links and subsequently makes a purchase or completes another qualifying action, Archipelago may receive a commission.

Some links within Archipelago content, including links to hotels, booking platforms, tours, products and experiences, are affiliate links.

If you follow an affiliate link and make a qualifying purchase or booking, Archipelago may receive payment from the organisation concerned. This does not normally result in any additional cost to you.

Archipelago and Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate income helps support Archipelago as an independent publication and contributes towards the costs involved in producing and maintaining its journalism.

Archipelago is committed to transparency in the use of affiliate marketing. Articles containing affiliate links include an appropriate disclosure, clearly presented to readers.

The possibility of receiving a commission does not determine whether something is covered, how it is written about or whether it is recommended.

Affiliate links are included only where the destination, product, service, tour or experience is relevant to the subject of the article and considered potentially useful to readers.

Editorial content is not positively or negatively influenced by the existence of an affiliate relationship. Affiliate partners do not receive preferential editorial treatment, and Archipelago retains complete editorial independence when assessing or writing about any organisation with which an affiliate relationship exists.

Where criticism is warranted, an affiliate relationship will not prevent Archipelago from publishing it.

Editorial judgement and the interests of readers take precedence over the potential to generate affiliate revenue.

Restricted Affiliate Partnerships

Archipelago does not knowingly enter into affiliate arrangements with organisations whose principal activities, products or practices are fundamentally inconsistent with the standards set out in the Code of Conduct.

Archipelago does not accept affiliate partnerships primarily relating to:

  • Weapons, defence or military equipment

  • Alcohol

  • Pharmaceutical products

  • Recreational drugs or cannabis products

  • Gambling or betting

  • Payday lending, high-cost credit or financial services unrelated to travel

  • Debt collection

  • Religious organisations

  • Political parties, organisations, campaigns or political figures

  • Organisations primarily engaged in, funding or supporting animal testing

  • Pornography or adult content

  • Tobacco, nicotine or vaping products

  • Fossil fuel companies and related industries

  • Cryptocurrency exchanges or speculative financial products

These restrictions relate to commercial affiliate relationships and do not prevent Archipelago from reporting on organisations, industries or subjects where they are relevant to legitimate editorial coverage.

Further information about the distinction between commercial relationships and editorial decision-making can be found in the Editorial Policy.

Your Choice as a Reader

Readers are never under any obligation to follow an affiliate link, and clicking a link does not commit you to making a purchase, booking or other transaction.

If you would prefer not to engage with an affiliate partner, you can choose not to follow the relevant external link.

Following an affiliate link may allow the destination website or affiliate network to recognise that a referral originated from Archipelago, for example through cookies or similar tracking technologies. The subsequent handling of information by third-party websites is governed by their own privacy practices.

Archipelago does not sell readers' personal information to affiliate partners. Further information about the collection, use and handling of data can be found in the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.

If you have a question about an affiliate link or commercial relationship on Archipelago, or believe that an affiliate disclosure is missing or unclear, please get in touch.