travel blogs - Blogs - Tripatini2024-03-28T14:50:15Zhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/travel+blogsThe World Travel Guides Bloghttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-world-travel-guides-blog2011-03-13T18:39:07.000Z2011-03-13T18:39:07.000ZJohn Stevenshttps://tripatini.com/members/JohnStevens<div>World <a href="http://www.theworldtravelguides.com" target="_blank">Travel Guides</a> is a blog dedicated to tourism, adventure, nature, documentaries, travel resources, travel guides worldwide and travel tips. The weblog addresses everything you need to venture into the fascinating world of travel and cultural tourism or adventure. The world travel guides blog puts special emphasis on travel videos and documentaries. <br /><br />Now, the travel guide expands its presence by opening brand new pages on <a href="http://www.facebook.com/guiadeviajes" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="http://twitter.com/thetravelguides" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Two open spaces for interaction and communication among all travelers and globetrotters. Real opinions and experiences of travelers are welcome.</div>Teen Travel Bloggers Win Bighttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/teen-travel-bloggers-win-big2012-11-22T20:09:28.000Z2012-11-22T20:09:28.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008741673,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008741673,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="500" alt="9008741673?profile=original" /></a></p><p>In an example of great partnering, <a href="http://www.myfamilytravels.com" target="_blank">Family Travel Forum</a> (FTF) and the <a href="http://www.satw.org/" target="_blank">Society of American of Travel Writers</a><br /> teamed up to work with and announce the lucky bloggers who earned the <strong>2012 Teen Travel Writing Scholarships,</strong> awarded by both of these respected professional travel content organizations.<br /> <br /> The fierce competition attracted more than 6,300 students ages 13-18, educated in US or American-International schools or home-schooled, all of whom applied for the merit scholarships. This is the sixth annual travel writing scholarship contest, and <strong>Blog topics ranged from adventure trips and the power of nature, to journeys of self-discovery; and from historical and cultural exchanges to family reunions and heritage explorations</strong>.<br /> <br /> The many tales of volunteer trips emphasized that human connections made are as important to teens as understanding new cultures. </p><p>There were three preliminary rounds of judging done by FTF Interns, senior members of the Society of American Travel Writers and FTF Editors. Family Travel Forum CEO, Kyle McCarthy, said FTF managed the huge volume of "eloquent" travel tales, photographs and videos.<br /><br />The quarter-finalist rank was attained by 23% of the total entries; semi-finalist travel blogs numbered less than 1%. From these, the top finalist essays, only .036% of those submitted, were passed to a panel of professional travel journalists, editors and photographers from SATW who judged them on "originality, eloquence and a sense of place."<br /> <br /> FTF is honored by the continued support and participation of SATW because of its commitment to responsible journalism, conservation and the preservation of travel resources worldwide.</p><p>The travel industry congratulates the Winners of the 2012 Family Travel Forum Teen Travel Writing Scholarships and thanks all the applicants for submitting such great work. </p><p><strong>1st Place</strong> $1,000 plus a family of 4 vacation to Universal Orlando Resort: <em>"Vietnam And My Baby Sister" </em>by Kaitlyn Kraybill-Voth, Denver, Colorado.</p><p><strong>2nd Place</strong> $500: <em> "Bellwin's Look On The Philippines"</em>by Nathan Eldridge, Rockwall, Texas.</p><p><strong> 3rd Place</strong> $200: <em>"Slices Of Life: Charleston, South Carolina" </em>by Anna Squires, Roswell, Georgia.</p><p><strong>For the full list of 2012 Scholarship Honorable Mentions, please visit <a href="http://www.myfamilytravels.com/content/54709-family-travel-forum-honors-teen-travel-writing-2012-scholarship-winners" target="_blank">Family Travel Forum</a>.</strong></p><p>The Honorarium includes travel journals and passes to any <em>Ripley's Believe It Or Not! museum.</em> </p><p>For the third year, prizes for <strong>Best Photograph and Best Video</strong>are given by SATW in recognition of the multimedia skills required of today's professional travel journalists. </p><p>2012 Teen Travel Scholarship <strong>Best Photography</strong> (SATW Honorarium of a $150 Photography Equipment Merchandise Gift Certificate) <em>"Life As A Kyrgyz Nomad"</em>by Christina Memmott, Rockwell, Maryland.</p><p>2012 Teen Travel Scholarship <strong>Best Video</strong> (SATW Honorarium of a $150 Photography Equipment Merchandise Gift Certificate) <em>"Traveling Far To Reach A Close Destination"</em>by Vadessa Camack, Aurora, Colorado.</p><p>Family Travel Forum (FTF) has helped globetrotters who "Have Kids, Still Travel!" with print and online guides since 1996. FTF sites have won many awards for their savvy tips and destination reviews.<br /> FTF, author of <em>“The Complete Idiots Guide to the Best Family Destinations”</em>, Kyle McCarthy, (Penguin 2011), is also co-host of the annual Family Travel Conference for professional travel media. </p><p>The Society of American Travel Writers, established in 1955, provides professional support and development for its members, and encourages the conservation and preservation of travel resources worldwide.</p><p>And of course, at Universal Orlando Resort, visitors become part of the entertainment, soaring above Hogwarts with Harry Potter, swinging above the streets with Spider-Man, and transformed into a banana-loving minion in the hilarious and heartwarming Despicable Me Minion Mayhem ride. </p><p>We congratulate all the teen bloggers.</p><p>Image: Courtesy/Family Travel Forum</p></div>Are Travel Writers Becoming Extinct?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/are-travel-writers-becoming-extinct2012-08-01T17:00:00.000Z2012-08-01T17:00:00.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008719278,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008719278,original{{/staticFileLink}}" height="299" width="447" alt="9008719278?profile=original" /></a></p><p>Yes, if all they write about are places they travel to. It seems the traveling public is more interested these days in travel ideas, trends, travel news and technology, than in destinations.<br /> <br /> Travel writers love to travel. That’s why most of them are in the business.<br /> <br /> But it that the right reason?<br /> I don’t think so.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://matadornetwork.com/notebook/the-importance-of-connecting-with-travel-writing-throughout-history/" target="_blank">Matador Notebook</a> points out that the world is so thoroughly Googleized that the tradition of destination travel writers may be coming to an end.<br /><br /> Historically, authentic travel content came from world explorers, cultural investigators and scribes like like Ibn Battuta, W. Somerset Maugham, and even our own, <a href="http://www.paultheroux.com" target="_blank">Paul Theroux</a>,<br /> <br /> But how relevant can traditional travel writers be in this Googleized world where all kinds of destination travel advice, reports and images are available everywhere?<br /> <br /> Do consumers really need another article on the “impossibly blue waters” of the Caribbean or another “Top Ten Destinations,” - or “Top Ten Travel ” anything?<br /> <br /> The <a href="http://www.satw.org" target="_blank">Society America of Travel Writers</a>, the professional organization representing many travel writers, seems disinclined to look closely at the role and value of travel writers in this time of ubiquitous travel information.<br /> <br /> Then there’s the question of motivation.<br /> <br /> I read a number of blogs and articles proclaiming that becoming a travel writer was a free ticket to free travel: hotel rooms, airfare, meals. Most everything.<br /> <br /> If not free, then deeply discounted. But mostly free.<br /> <br /> And after a few conferences, I was, not for the first time, struck by how many professional travel writers measure their success and clout (Klout) by how many press trips they get invited to.<br /> <br /> Much of the energy in professional travel-writing conversations centers around how to get noticed by Destination Management Organizations (DMO’s), like public relations or marketing companies, so that the yearned for invite to a Caribbean island or an exotic destination like Bali would be more forthcoming.</p><p><br /> Journalists usually chose their professions because they are consumer-facing, committed to providing timely, compelling, useful information to the public. In some cases journalists are actually committed to revealing a truth or exposing unsavory practices. Think Watergate, of course.<br /> <br /> Travel writers often seem by comparison to simply want to indulge their passion for travel, and want to write about their trips.<br /> <br /> They seem less guided by what information the public needs or wants or finds relevant, and more by the destination the writer wants to visit.<br /> <br /> So, something isn’t right when I read a long, puerile thread on Linkedin Discussion Groups about the distance one has to literally travel ( 50 miles?1000?) to be considered a real travel writer.<br /> <br /> And then there are those posts with titles like, “So You Want To See the World for Free? Become a Travel Writer”.<br /> <br /> In my own practice as a member of the travel writing community, I made the shift to writing about travel trends, technology, travel news and the business of travel.<br /> <br /> Of course I like to travel and file a report about an interesting inn or an especially positive travel experience.<br /> I think sometime the public is curious and likes a professional point of view.<br /> <br /> But if numbers matter, content about travel brands and social media, or women bloggers or the veracity of TripAdvisor’s reviews, get far more Tweets, comments and views than my St. Lucia story does.<br /> <br /> And when I combine an article on how Ireland is cleverly using Foursquare as a marketing tool, and add a video, the content does best.<br /> <br /> I still love to travel, and write about it, but my passport is getting dusty.<br /> <br /> And I notice really informed DMO’s (and the public) are looking for more than a destination piece on how great they are. They seem to be moving toward a marketing package that includes their destination, but in the context of travel trends, travel technology and travel news.</p></div>Travel Advertorials: A Gray Area, as PR Agents Play Reportershttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/travel-advertorials-gray-area-as-pr-agents-play-reporters2014-06-09T10:36:05.000Z2014-06-09T10:36:05.000ZTraveling Erikhttps://tripatini.com/members/TravelingErik<div><p><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008712861,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="600" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008712861,original{{/staticFileLink}}" style="padding:2px;" class="align-center" alt="9008712861?profile=original" /></a>ANALYSIS: TRAVEL ADVERTORIALS</strong>. With tourism being a multi-billion dollar industry collecting the spending from <a href="http://media.unwto.org/en/press-release/2012-01-16/international-tourism-reach-one-billion-2012">1 billion tourists</a> in 2012, the hunt at travel agencies, airlines and hotel bookers for new customers is at the boiling point. The media has of course seen the trend, and the number of glossy magazines, websites with amazing photos and travel phone apps is increasing by the minute. Being a part of all this, the <em>Traveling Reporter</em> as well as, most likely, every other travel website editor and notable blogger are hit by a variety of suggestions as to what to write and report about.</p><p>Advertising online and in papers or magazines is one thing, but today’s travel industry is using much more elaborate ways to reach their potential new customers. One is the so-called <em>advertorials</em>, pieces of text and sometimes pictures that look like an ordinary feature or news story, but that has been written by a PR agent or an advertising spin doctor.</p><p>The reader might not immediately notice the difference, but the purpose with advertorials is always to have you buy something (like a flight ticket to a certain destination), or to use a specific service (such as a flight search website), whereas the purpose of, at least, journalism is to tell a story or a piece of news as objectively as possible. Blogs are supposedly an important target for spreaders of advertorials – the material published on blogs is generally more personal than that on newspaper websites, and bloggers do not necessarily adhere to normal basic rules of journalistic conduct.</p><p> </p><p><strong>So what does</strong> the process behind advertorials aimed for blogs and travel websites look like? During the last few months, the <em>Traveling Reporter</em> was approached with three suggestions for various stories that senders wanted published.</p><p><strong>1.</strong> The PR manager from an outfit presenting itself as a luxury travel organizer suggested a “guest post” or, alternatively, an interview with the firm’s owner about a hotel complex in Mexico, at which the company was offering the possibility to win a free three night stay.</p><p><strong>2.</strong> Another email appeared that offered a story telling readers how easy it is to travel if you manage to get a pilot’s license. The sender of the message, a flight school, was using a PR agent to spread it.</p><p><strong>3.</strong> The sender behind the third example went ahead using a somewhat different approach. A comment was posted with a <a href="http://http//travelingreporter.com/the-world-ten-places-im-glad-i-went-to/">post</a> on the <em>Traveling Reporter’s</em> Editor’s Blog, operated by me. Telling a story of a discussion with colleagues about some of the<em> Reporter’s</em> travel stories, the sender, “John Anderson”, suggested he, or she, would write a guest post. When it was emailed later, the writer’s biography included a link to a specific flight search website.</p><p>Interestingly enough, a quick check on Google revealed that the very same comment had been posted on several other websites, though sometimes signed by a female name.</p><div id="attachment_4200" class="wp-caption alignnone"> </div><p><strong>These examples can</strong> be viewed as harmless attempts by struggling firms in the travel industry to gain some attention on a market with rock-hard competition. But much is at stake elsewhere, too. Indeed, the business of travel journalism does sometimes receive criticism for sending reporters on journeys to exotic destinations payed for by travel companies, supposedly blurring their objectivity. But while no serious editor would ever dream about running any of these stories mentioned above, travel bloggers lay open for attacks. Bloggers are always looking for ways to increase visitor numbers, and accepting ads disguised as free stories might be tempting to some.</p><p>In the end, readers and, in this case, potential travelers are those suffering the most, as they are served stories with false objectivity. But, one can argue, isn’t travel journalism and travel blogs all about serving non-objective opinions about destinations anyway? Yes, to a large extent. But, those opinions should be originating from the blogger or reporter writing them. Not by an unidentified corporation or travel agency with its own, hidden agenda.</p><p>If advertorials are published, for the website in question to keep its credibility, they should be filed as ads. And charged money for. In which case, most likely, the majority of them would not be published anyway.</p><p id="clply-tag">Source: <a href="http://travelingreporter.com/travel-advertorials-gray-area-as-pr-agents-play-reporters/" target="_blank">http://travelingreporter.com/travel-advertorials-gray-area-as-pr-agents-play-reporters/</a></p></div>Women ‘Family Travel’ Bloggers Rulehttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/women-family-travel-bloggers-rule2012-02-22T14:45:44.000Z2012-02-22T14:45:44.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9008688058,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008688058,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="9008688058?profile=original" /></a></p><p>Used to be they were called “mommy bloggers,” but that was before their Klout scores soared and corporations avidly courted them.<br /> <br /> And while I may be exaggerating, I’m not by much. This group of bright, engaged mothers who travel with their kids and run homes and blog, now run the family travel market and drive some of the most exciting conversations on line.<br /> <br /> <br /> While CEO’s of hot start-ups and established web sites are pronouncing and pontificating, these women bloggers and journalists are running high-profile Tweet chats with impressive prizes, turning out compelling, useful content and run one-of-a-kind Family Travel Conferences.<br /> <br /> Anyone who has visited <a href="http://www.familytravelforum.com" target="_blank">familytravelforum.com</a> or <a href="http://www.travelingmom.com" target="_blank">travelingmom.com</a> is quite aware of the electricity generated by Kyle McCarthy and Kim Orlando, CEO’s of the respective sites.<br /> <br /> Check in @familytravel4um and watch the fast-paced conversations about travel zip by with family travel cohorts like @familyonbikes, @familyadvice, @momaboard, @familiesgo, @hvbabywillrvl, @foreverdaddy and @luxurytravelmom.<br /> <br /> These are experienced travelers, sharing and having fun.<br /> <br /> They are mostly women, (some dads) all of whom have a vibrant thing going on with each other about all things travel: destination tips and trips; legal advice about single parents traveling with minors; top cities of the world; funny and touching stories; differing opinions, travel expos, etc.<br /> <br /> They’re witty, unfailingly good-willed, and always supportive of each other and family travel issues.<br /> <br /> One Tweet chat I attended, had a couple hundred participants, and although about 50 voices dominated, the others had their says too. The discussion went well past the cut-off time.<br /> <br /> And you bet these family travel bloggers are being noticed by big-time companies and corporations.<br /> <br /> Why?<br /> <br /> In part, as <a href="http://www.mmgyglobal.com/" target="_blank">Ypartners</a> points out, experience-based travel involving family and friends is the leading type of leisure travel. That is, visiting friends and relatives accounts for 50 percent of travel. Family vacations account for 42 percent.<br /> <br /> Several of these family travel voices recently created the first-ever Family Travel Conference (<a href="http://www.familytravelconference.com/">http://www.familytravelconference.com/</a>) .<br /> <br /> Under the leadership of Ms. McCarthy and Orlando, it was at New York’s classy <a href="http://www.omni.nyc.com" target="_blank">Omni Berkshire Hotel</a>.<br /> <br /> Who sponsored it? Norwegian Cruise Line, Disney Parks, Atlantis, The New York Pass and Visit Orlando, to name some of the backers.<br /> <br /> The 2-day event was in invitation to 30 or so bloggers and journalists, with family travel content experience. The blend of the traditional writer with Internet content creators was a wise move because the two groups learned from each other and provided differing viewpoints.<br /> <br /> What was it like?<br /> <br /> First, the Omni Berkshire was a clever choice of venue because it’s a smart hotel. The spacious rooms and cleverly designed spaces with accessible outlets, imaginative use of fabrics and plants is friendly and efficient.<br /> <br /> <br /> There was a workshop on honing writing skills led by veteran family travel writer and syndicated columnist, <a href="http://www.takingthekids.com" target="_blank">Eileen Ogintz</a>, and Pulitzer prize nominee, Cindy Richards, who teaches at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.<br /> <br /> Kim Orlando, an indefatigable blogger and entrepreneur drove the Twitter dinner, which was more a live Tweet event than an actual dinner. But it was more fun than most of the conference dinners I’ve attended.<br /> <br /> After a video workshop (Presenting Yourself: Ledes and Hooks), participants scattered throughout the hotel, smart phones and video cameras in hand, and created on-the-spot content ranging from an inside look at the hotel's kitchen, to tips from housekeeping on making a room look like new.<br /> <br /> When the dust settles, we probably were participating in the first of many such workshops about family travel, technology, monetizing content and community.<br /> <br /> What I found refreshing, more so than conferences with top brass from from Google , Amazon and other legacy companies, was the openness and enthusiasm.<br /> <br /> These “mompreneurs” combine humor with a depth of practical, real-world travel knowledge, and they make it all accessible by sharing.<br /> <br /> With family travel a huge, fast-growing niche ( 4.5 trips a year; 67% saying kids are never too old to travel with), this fast-talking cohort may well set the standard for online activity... and enviable sponsorships.<br /></p></div>Vietnam bloghttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/vietnam-blog2011-05-07T06:19:41.000Z2011-05-07T06:19:41.000ZTony Tien Huynhhttps://tripatini.com/members/TonyTienHuynh<div><a href="http://www.vietnam-travellers.blogspot.com/">http://www.vietnam-travellers.blogspot.com/</a><a href="http://www.vietnam-travellers.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Vietnam travellers</a></div>Creating a Blog for a Hotelhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/creating-a-blog-for-a-hotel2011-04-18T03:30:00.000Z2011-04-18T03:30:00.000ZAdriana Gallegoshttps://tripatini.com/members/AdrianaGallegos<div><p>So the hotel you work for has asked you to start a blog, so how do you start? Well that’s easy go to either wordpress, blogger, tumbler, etc and open up an account and blog away.</p><p>Well it’s a little bit more complicated than that as </p><p><span><a href="http://www.briansolis.com/2006/06/opening-up-corporate-kimono-corporate/"></a></span></p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.briansolis.com/2006/06/opening-up-corporate-kimono-corporate/">Social Media Guru Brian Solis explains in one of his blog posts,”Think about a blogging strategy. Sit down with the executive and marketing team, including PR and Web. Chart-out an official plan, identify prospective participants and writers, and dedicate time to making it happen! Work with sales and customer service to learn the real pain-points and needs of the market. Capture it, distill it, and publish often. Most importantly, read the comments and interact. It can only help. At the end of the day, any company reaching business customers should take the time to understand how their products and services can help them succeed. Blogging is about embracing this unique technology and strategically and carefully opening up windows to expose the corporate culture. Acquiesce the successes and failures of your corporate evolution, in order to prove that your experience and leadership skills are legitimate, respectable, and most importantly, in line with your customer’s objectives.”</a><p><span> </span></p><p>A hotel needs to always keep 3 things in mind when blogging <a href="http://londonhotelsinsight.com/2010/09/20/best-london-hotel-blogs-dissected/">brand-building, keyword-rich and social media-integrated</a></p><p> </p><p>For example if the brand of your hotel is to be known as expensive and luxurious then make sure all the blogs posts have that air of royalty meaning that the tone must be more formal or sophisticated. Your brand has a lot to do with the type of guest you tend to attract or would like to attract so remember your target audience when blogging, what should the tone be like.</p><p>Once all blog contributors understand the hotel’s brand and who it’s target audience is it’s then time to get creative. Running a hotel requires a large community of employees all working together to make sure each guest is satisfied. I’m sure employees have many stories about their interactions with guests so why not blog about them.</p><p><a href="http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/price_more_important_than_destination_says_travelzoo///"></a><a target="_blank" href="http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/price_more_important_than_destination_says_travelzoo///">Also in a new Survey from Travelzoo found that 64% of people say hotel prices are more important than the destination when choosing holidays. The survey, which examined consumer behaviour, found that most holiday planning was based on price and user reviews.Of those surveyed, 93% compared prices before booking and 81% used hotel review sites.</a><a href="http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/price_more_important_than_destination_says_travelzoo///"></a></p><p>So maybe instead of writing about destinations or food start including key words like, “deals, discounts, half-price, and contests” into the content of your blogs. Also link those key words to show others what kind of products, events or food they can get for the money they’re spending on the hotel. Not all blogs should be about deals but at least make sure a few posts are about them.</p><p>Before starting the blog take a month to train all blog contributors about the hotel, SEO (key words), and the frequency of posting. During that month have a brainstorm about topics, and also have the marketing staff from each of the hotels present so that the contributors know who to ask questions to about events, guests, etc.</p><p>After the training the blogger should have an idea what he or she will blog about for the first month and then for the next month both the blogger and the hotel marketer will discuss the topics for the next month.</p><p>Remember there are millions of blogs out there so make sure your blog is the one that stands out and clearly states the hotel’s brand!!!</p></div>The Ramblerhttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/the-rambler2010-08-13T03:10:16.000Z2010-08-13T03:10:16.000ZRobin Schroffelhttps://tripatini.com/members/RobinSchroffel<div><b>I'd just like to invite everyone to check out my travel blog</b> <a href="http://www.the-rambler.com"><b>The Rambler.</b></a> <b>See you there!!!</b><div><br /></div><div><p style="text-align:left;"><img width="721" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9008549087,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="" /></p></div></div>HuffPost Travel Gets Flack From Travel Writershttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/huffpost-travel-gets-flack2010-07-30T15:30:00.000Z2010-07-30T15:30:00.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/wYNkYEWBvAuVQW7tboTC2Q?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_AnBusKXSA8o/TFL1FWeUhrI/AAAAAAAAB78/G4kKnK1EVeY/s800/huffingtonpost.jpg" alt="huffingtonpost.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/travel.video/NMTImages?feat=embedwebsite">NMT Images</a></td></tr></tbody></table>HuffPost Travel Gets Flack From Travel Writers<br /><br /><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/travel">HuffPost Travel</a>, the newly launched travel vertical of the Huffington Post, recently ran into a blitz of criticism from professional travel writers.<br /><br />In a wide-ranging interview with HuffPost Travel editor, Kate Auletta, writer Chris Gray Faust, of travel blog, <a href="http://caroundtheworld.com/2010/07/20/q-and-a-with-huffington-posts-new-travel-editor-kate-auletta"><span style="font-style:italic;">Chris Around the World</span></a> , asked Auletta a series of questions near and dear to the hearts of travel bloggers and journalists everywhere: Are you accepting submissions from travel bloggers? What's the application process and is there any compensation.<br /><br />Auletta made it clear she was looking for "more voices," saying " the more voices the better...but there is no compensation for our writers, however."<br /><br />Many travel writers are accustomed to providing content for nothing, but only to high value sites, because they believe it will drive traffic to their own sites, and the exposure will generate paying gigs.<br /><br />But then Auletta added that, relative to photography, she requires "the rights to absolutely everything." <br /><br />Things went from bad to worse when she said she did not allow HuffPost Travel writers to even take press trips, a position that seems now to be in flux. <br /><br />Interestingly, she did not say HuffPost Travel required an exclusive or "first on," leading several writers to say they'd publish to their own blog sites or paying sites first, then to Auletta's <br /><br />Nevertheless, the response to her comments was immediate and sharp.<br /><br />One comment on Faust's post said since Huffington Post was valued at <a href="http://laurelpapworth.com/social-media-revenue-huffington-post-techcrunch-valuations">150 million dollars</a> why couldn't they pay their writers? And why require all rights to photographs, and not allow their writers to take press trips?<br /><br />Another said, "I doubt Kate (Auletta) is working for free," while another writer compared Auletta's policy to that of house cleaners who "come and do my housework... bring their own cleaning equipment...will not be allowed to offer their cleaning services elsewhere. They will receive no compensation, and must pay for a taxi to get to my house rather than using subsidised public transport."<br /><br />Reportedly the Huffington Post gets about 40 million unique visitor's a month, making the writers' lament, "why would they want us to work for nothing?" that much more pointed. <br /><br />The overall sense is that HuffPost Travel is a work in progress, and Auletta, who was lured away from the WSJ's magazine, will rethink and reevaluate her policies, if not regarding compensation, then at least regarding rights and press rips, the back bone of most professional travel journalists.<br /><br />Auletta's favorite destination? Barbuda, sister island to Antigua. A good place to escape the frustrations of travel writers. <br /></div>Huffington Post Launches New Travel Section. Will It Work?https://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/huffington-post-launches-new2010-07-26T03:00:00.000Z2010-07-26T03:00:00.000ZKaleel Sakakeenyhttps://tripatini.com/members/KaleelSakakeeny<div><table style="width:auto;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/KwjfA1t5oVb6DMIFqBuIaA?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_AnBusKXSA8o/TE0AuQwNYHI/AAAAAAAAB7o/g2gn1jlXLbE/s800/HuffingtonPost-Logo.jpg" alt="HuffingtonPost-Logo.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial, sans-serif;font-size:11px;text-align:right;">From <a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/travel.video/NMTImages?feat=embedwebsite">NMT Images</a></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Huffington Post Launches Travel Section<br /><br /><br />In saying that some of her happiest moments as well her most "enriching and enlightening moments have come through travel," Arianna Huffington, editor in chief of the Huffington Post, announced late last week that the Huffington Post launched a new travel section, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/trave">HuffPost Travel</a>.<br />The new on line feature will be headed by Kate Auletta, daughter of well-known New Yorker writer and author, Ken Auletta<br /><br />The site is good, as far as it goes. It's full of vivid images, and boasts a good mix of content ranging from Best Nude Beaches to articles on being a vegetarian in Germany to "A Guide to Eating, Living and Shopping in Italy."<br /><br />However, all the content is apparently aggregated from other sources, many of them text heavy, and word dense, leaving me, at least with the feeling that the section lacks originality, focus and any sense of "voice." <br /><br />But it's early days. <br /><br />Still, the problem may lie in Huffington's promise that the new travel section will be a "one stop shop" offering travel news, tips and advice, deals, reviews, blogs and photographs.<br /><br />If, as she says, she wants the new travel section to cover all aspects of travel from 'the glorious to the maddening," then it would be difficult to establish a reliable focus.<br /><br />We'll see. <br /><br />HuffPost has increasingly been moving closer and closer to becoming an internet newspaper with its own journalists carrying out their own assignments, so adding travel is in keeping with HuffPost's trend in adding other sections like food (always very popular), the arts, and media.<br /><br />Since travel is considered by many a necessity, not a luxury and the travel industry spends billions in advertising, the move to a travel section is, from an advertising point of view, a good one. <br /><br />A 2008 <a href="http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/nielsen-news/travel-ad-spending-takes-flight-in-2008">Nielsen</a> Wire report said that spending by the industry was 3.9 billion dollars with 11.4% of ad dollars in travel being spent in on line advertising, according to financial site <a href="http://blog.milestoneinternet.com/e-travel-insights/increased-online-advertising-spending">MileStone</a>..<br /><br />One travel writer writing on a professional site said HuffPost Travel is yet again another example of how user-generated content and aggregators are draining readers and profits from newspaper travel sections.<br /><br />HuffPost has done a good job in leveraging the opportunities offered by social media. They launched an 'all Twitter version' of its site in April, and as part of their larger convergence plan, maybe their travel section will work.<br /><br />Editor Kate Auletta says she's interested in talking to travel bloggers, photographers and writers interested in contributing to HuffPost Travel.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>News, reviews and tidbitshttps://tripatini.com/profiles/blogs/news-reviews-and-tidbits2011-04-28T14:25:53.000Z2011-04-28T14:25:53.000ZPatricia Aitkenhttps://tripatini.com/members/PatriciaAitken<div>Please go to the new <a target="_blank" href="http://ladybugtravels.wordpress.com/">BLOG SITE</a> for the latest news, tidbits and travel tips</div>