Trip Advisor Fan

Believe me when I tell you that I’m in no position to be too big for my britches when it comes to writing, and yet I find a way to think I’m above certain venues. Shame on me, right? Now the long term goal is to do travel writing, but like anything, you have to start somewhere. Enter Trip Advisor (TA).

TA is not unlike all internet writing venues in that it’s a chance for people to have their voice heard, albeit without profit. Some people get really into it, like the people who do Amazon.com ratings. There is some serious thought put into those reviews.

Either way, TA has become a significant source of travel info, and we use it all the time. Not only that, but businesses can live or die by having a good profile on TA. Sure, the system is ripe for abuse, and it happens, but on the whole, it’s a good source of information. I’d written a couple of reviews for places in Turkey and Greece, but then left it at that. No big deal, right?

Then I got to thinking that at the very least, it’s a way to practice travel writing, and you can’t beat the size of the audience. Plus, there is no pressure, though in the interest of future journalistic integrity, I’d want to do a good job. The point is, I should be doing more, especially since we travel a fair amount. Golden opportunities just slipping by, so I’m going to get on it.

Until then, thanks for reading, and thanks to Jelle Weidema for the pic.