Online Travel Articles

Sort of some of the YouTube videos out there, 10 Best Places to Retire, Top Ten Cities to Live In, `See Paris in 1-Day. All their images & videos are stock footage from a site with a voice over.

My suspicions are confirmed. While I enjoy top ten style of articles, I am suspicious of many that seem to have no insider knowledge.

Kind of like those restaurant commercials where the plates of food on TV never resemble the food that shows up at your table when you go there or when you pull up a hotel website and look at the rooms and wonder how come your room didn't look like that room when you arrived. Advertising and marketing has just been made easier by the world wide web.

Oh good grief.

I hope you kept your jaw somewhat higher than the ground !!!

It would never occur to me to ask a "travel writer" if they had actually been to the places they wrote about! Am I really that naïve/out of touch? Just a rhetorical question!

It's the same for lists of best products to buy, best credit card to get, etc.

Usually, the website or You Tube channel gets a commission if you click on the link to look at the product or purchase through them.

Companies that don't offer commissions, such as Rick Steves bags, seem to never get reviewed. And rarely are Tom Bihn or Red Oxx products mentioned for the same reason.

With many of the video sites, the longer you stay with a video, the more money the site makes. Have you noticed that so many videos last 20 minutes or longer but could be less than half that with content? And they must keep you at least 30 seconds for the money machine to start.

They are supposed to, by law, at least those based in the US, let you know that they will get a commission if you click on a link and purchase.

That's how these people make money. And some make a lot of money.

I wonder about that website with the man and woman who make all kinds of videos about eating in Paris, where and all kinds of foods. I read they recommended hotels, too, but have no personal knowledge. Then they have a tour guide in the family, people with boutiques. Is this the same, Frank II?

I am sure that everybody who posts advice on the Rick Steves Forums has actually visited and speaks from first hand experience. Almost. We don't have anybody who just googles and posts.

Thank you for sharing this, Dave. It’s stupefying. Online articles based on Online research. Written by somebody with no personal involvement or experience in the subject, and no interest in getting any. Isn’t that what A.I. does?

What’s next (or likely already happening)? Recipes from somebody who’s never made the dish, or any dish, and only gets their meals delivered to their door?

Not that I’m recommending anyone producing anything like this in any way, but writing a 48 Hours in London guide, using a random collection of recommendations gathered from responses to postings on this Forum, would possibly be a better resource than a story compiled by a stay-at-home Internet “writer.”

We don't have anybody who just googles and posts.

Nigel, are you saying that with a straight face?

My favorite are the videos of the "best" travel products or bags. Of course, the ACME bag company products are seen as the best. Oh...they are also the sponsors of the video.

And yes, if an "influencer" posts about a shop or guide of a family member, somebody is making money.

That's one good thing about this forum. No one is supposed to profit from anything posted. And if we see someone who is trying, we report it to the webmaster.

It's all about the clicks, that's how websites make money

There’s so much ”fluff” travel information on-line now that I end up spending even more time than five years ago researching my next trip. Luckily I am retired and have extra time during the winter months to sort through it. I’ve found that the more time people have spent perfecting their personal look for their video, the lower the chance is that their content will be personally relevant to my itinerary.

“Me: Have you been to any of the places your wrote about?“

Oh my! I wouldn’t have even thought to ask this question. Thanks for the reality check.

Dave, A Travel Writer who hasn't traveled? Wow!
I do read those articles. Don't know what to believe anymore. It's "almost" as bad as finding out Santa Claus isn't who you thought he was.

It's "almost" as bad as finding out Santa Claus isn't who you thought he was.

Wait, what is it you are saying about Santa???

I know Santa is real. I follow him every Christmas on Norad Santa.

All that I can say, Dave, is very interesting. Thanks for posting.

Interesting, depressing and mystifying! What happened to the old adage for writers "Write what you know about" or something along those lines.

I guess there's not much difference between his pieces and an AI piece. On Trip Advisor over the summer we saw a number of posts where people had used AI to grab an itinerary for Yellowstone/Grand Tetons. It's usually clear right away that "experience" has not come in to the mix in figuring things out.

Many travel articles today sound like a big "duh" moment. Places and experiences that many, many of the RS forum people have done and seen long ago. A regurgitation of things that are only new to the travel writer.

Me: Have you been to any of the places your wrote about?

Young man: No, I just researched them online.

Unbelieveable. What's next? Monks writing about sex?

Me: Have you been to any of the places you wrote about?

What prompted you to ask the question?

What prompted you to ask the question?

He is a first-year student at the local community college. It seemed weird that he was writing travel articles for websites given his age and stage in life. And... I had read online that websites like Lonely Planet were now relying on people who had never visited locales to create website (and book) content.

He's a very thoughtful, interesting young man. He would never consider himself an influencer. He's just a "kid" trying to generate income.

So this young person works as a travel writer for an online publication? How would one go about securing such a position? I’ve been looking for just such a gig. I’ve got decades of travel experience. They say bad decisions make great stories and I’m a novel. Finally, a way to monetize my travel addiction. Happy New Year!

Posted by thenosbigs Vancouver, Washington 12/26/24 01:18 PM

So this young person works as a travel writer for an online
publication? How would one go about securing such a position? I’ve
been looking for just such a gig. I’ve got decades of travel
experience. They say bad decisions make great stories and I’m a novel.
Finally, a way to monetize my travel addiction. Happy New Year!

Be sure to get one that pays your travel (research) expenses. There is one young lady who has articles on Yahoo quite a bit and some of them are re-written about the same trip. Problem is, she usually sounds like she had a miserable, boring time. But she takes some really expensive trips that I assume whoever is paying her to write about her trip foots the bill.

The days of having a publication pay for your trip are basically behind us unless it is a major publication and you are on staff.

Nowadays, most online publications want articles that will draw attention and get click throughs. You get paid depending on how many people click on the article and use the links included.

Do a little research and find what publications take articles from new writers. And yes, you can write numerous articles on the same subject but never submit the same one to two different publications.