What needs to happen in the local travel knowledge website space…

By Stephen Chapman

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Network Cables / Flickr photo by pascal.charest

The internet is all about social these days, it has been for sometime, and as more of us become more active on the major social networking sites it’s becoming increasingly apparent that although our number of ‘friends’, ‘followers’ or ‘connections’ can be huge, the opportunities for us each to leverage the intelligence that’s locked away in the minds of our contacts are minimal.

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Posted under General, opinion, whl.travel newsletter

By Ethan Gelber

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A Local Travel movement is finding its legs. Strong legs. Last weekend, in a step to find good solid ground upon which to exercise those legs, I published two blog posts about it, one on Lonely Planet’s Travel Blog hosted by Yahoo!7 Travel in Australia and the other on The Brooklyn Nomad’s blog.

It’s true. Local Travel’s here. It’s a small new movement, but it’s gaining momentum. Stay tuned for more…

Lonely Planet’s Travel Blog (hosted by Yahoo!7 Travel in Australia)

On 17 December 2009, I wrote a post about the misunderstood merits of Local Travel on Lonely Planet’s Travel Blog hosted by Yahoo!7 Travel in Australia.

Judging by the glowingly supportive comments, I apparently tapped a rich vein of local travel enthusiasts eager to lend credence to a cause.

Given that, I was invited by Lonely Planet to write a follow-up post, digging a little deeper into the fertile earth I’d found. That text – Get Lost, Go Local – has again fielded some welcome input from readers.

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Posted under media, opinion, responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news, responsible traveller, whl.travel newsletter

By Paul Tavner

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Coming to the Fringe RT Network event as first-timer, I genuinely wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d never attended a networking event before and was worried that I’d feel a bit like an outsider with little to offer by way of contribution. I was, therefore, pleasantly surprised to find myself on the receiving end of a very warm reception from a diverse bunch of genuinely friendly and interesting individuals.

A lot of good people with a lot of good things to say at the Fringe RT Network event @ WTM 2009

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Posted under General, responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news

By Paul Tavner

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Monday November 9 marks the beginning of the 2009 World Travel Market, one of the travel industry’s most important annual events. While many people from around the world will be descending throughout the week on London’s ExCeL centre to meet, greet and do business, an increasing number will also be making a beeline to the Fringe RT Network Event – 6:30pm to 11pm in the Pavilion End Bar, close to the heart of the city – to meet, engage and inspire.

The Fringe Responsible Travel Network Event @ WTM, pictured here from a previous year, is a chance to connect and reconnect with people passionate about responsible travel

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Posted under General, responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news, whl.travel news, whl.travel newsletter

In September 2009, independent travellers celebrated the launch of Tripbod, a new online service offering a friend at the other end. Tripbod bridges the gap between guidebooks and tour guides by offering travellers a bespoke yet affordable itinerary tailored specifically to their requirements and interests.

With Tripbod, users are introduced online to a vetted local expert who can offer real insight and inspiration, and equip visitors with the most up-to-date information and on-the-spot knowledge. What is unique about the service is the global network of trusted local contacts who can promote their destination to interested travellers and help them get a more enriching experience.

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Posted under responsible organisations, responsible travel, responsible travel news