National Geographic Traveler – Interview Series [Teaser] from Matador Network on Vimeo.

(Get inside advice from National Geographic Traveler’s editorial staff: Keith Bellows, Amy Alipio, Norie Quintos, Marilyn Terrell, Kathie Gartrell, and Dan Westergren. Offered only to students of www.matadoru.com)

Content creation has changed

We forget so easily what life was like five years ago.  In many places it hasn’t changed a great deal, but in the online world things move so fast that five years probably equates to about fifty.  Twitter and Facebook have both become part of the digital furniture in that time, both of which–like Google–are merely advertising businesses masquerading as something far more interesting.  The blogosphere is similar, it’s changed so much.

Noise on the internet has been cranked up significantly; it was once fairly easy to get noticed as a blogger if you had a nice looking site and a a well timed interesting message–that’s how Make Travel Fair won its recognition early on.  Once Twitter came along and Facebook opened up to brands, a blog was no longer the only means of creating content and engaging people in a discussion.  Some said the blog was dead.

To be an ‘influencer’ and a useful asset for advertisers you no longer even need to blog; you can tweet, Facebook, instagram, foursquare and tumble your way to a noteworthy Klout score.

Having the support of a community is vital

The Matador Network has stayed abreast of these changes remarkably well, and built a community that understands it.  MatadorU is a 12 chapter insight into how popular content is produced, what you need to do as a successful blogger, and how you can get on track for a multi-media career as a photographer, writer, or both.  It’s not only a classroom but a community of people asking and enquiring about the same things as you… how do press trips work? how to I get on one? how do I pitch a magazine? how can I make my writing better?

Learn how to write beyond your blog

I’ve learnt that if you are serious about writing then your blog should not be the only home for it, you must reach beyond if you want to generate some income from your efforts.  A few people may still be lured by the illusion that you can actually make a living from blogging, and hope that soon they’ll be raking in advertising dollars.  I’ve never met anyone who lives comfortably in the western world and makes a living from their blog; which leads me to believe that it just doesn’t happen. Either they live a nomadic life, hopping between countries where living is cheap, or are supported by a partner who makes a good living.

Next month I will feel like a writer and photographer when I get on my press trip, and it’s thanks to the help of MatadorU and its community that I’ll be there and that I’m beginning to write in places other than this blog.

Yes there are affiliate links in this post.

As such, it’s easier for us to build buildings than invest time in people through things like trainings & education programs.

If we fund a building, we can see it and touch it and know that our money went where we had intended it to go.

But, what are we missing when we invest only in things we can put our name on?

We are missing out on investing in real change.

The changes we say that we want to see in the world—in health, education, the environment, and in all of the social ills plaguing our schools, families, and our planet—cannot be fixed by investing in things. More schools, more bednets, more health centers, more books, and more school uniforms are not going to solve these problems, no matter how many we give away.

We can’t emblazon our name on a person’s forehead the way we can on a hospital building: Funded by the Smith Family. Investing in people isn’t as rewarding in the short term – you don’t see a space turn from empty to full, a building go up brick by brick, or books lining shelves. But, as we fill people with knowledge and skills, connect them to the ideas and resources they need to make the changes they want to see in the world, and create opportunities that didn’t exist before, we start to fill the real voids we have in the world: people with the skills and passion to go out and make the changes they believe in.

Continue reading this article on Lessons I Learned.

Murray, a primary author of the Tourism 2023 report, described how “there were a lot of environmental campaigns that were going on, but not enough work being done in the solutions space.” The Forum for the Future works with industries to develop scenarios to help understand the kind of futures they want, and how to get there. She faced initial resistance. “The tourism industry is short term focussed, they couldn’t see that it [tourism futures planning] was all about protecting their product.” That resistance eventually wore down, and mainstream tourism industry partners started coming on board to participate in the industry-wide futures planning process.

Constructing scenarios

Why think about tourism in 2023? “In 2008, 2023 was 15 years into the future, just far enough to not feel like science fiction and be ignored but further than the 3-5 year time span that people are generally able to think about.” The report took 18 months to develop and was put together by a diverse group of futurists and sustainability experts including historians, transportation planners, sustainable accounting professionals, and environmental consultants working with industry partners. “The four scenarios have been constructed to be plausible. They are not meant to predict the most likely outcomes for 2023 nor represent favourable or unfavourable futures. Instead, they offer a set of possible futures and provide a challenge to the industry, each with their own risks and opportunities. They are tools that industry bodies can use to assess current strategies and come up with new ones that will be fit for a range of futures. ” The two axes of scenario construction were the two major uncertainties of the future–will the economy, politics, technology and energy costs enable or inhibit travel and whether the sensitivity of consumers to the environmental impacts of their travel make it more attractive or less attractive.

Scenario 1: Boom and Burst

We really enjoyed the use of fictional “postcards sent back home” to give a flavor of life for British tourists under each scenario. For example:

“Dear Mum, Sorry to send you another postcard this year, but this trip really has been eye-opening. You were right, the supermarket did pick a great itinerary for me, but Manila is not how it looked in the video brochure–it’s a lot more crowded. Still, I got my teeth done more cheaply than I could have in the UK and now I have tried remote working I see why you think a second home abroad might be fun! See you next week in Brazil! – Love, David”

• All is well in the world but it’s not clear for how long. Technological fixes like the use of algae-based fuels for planes and carbon scrubbers that clean the air as we fly have allowed travel to continue and grow.
• The spread of broadband has allowed UK citizens to work from anywhere so binge flying is common and many have second homes.
• The high prices of oil have made low carbon travel alternatives an economic necessity, so all modes of travel are seeing growth. Kazakhstan transit railway opened to link China to Iran and the Caspian sea. Russia has begun work on the world’s longest tunnel that will connect to Alaska and accommodate a high speed train line, gas pipelines and fiber optic cables.
• This travel boom has led to overcrowded destinations and upped the demand for more land to be opened up to the industry. There is now a paved road to Mt. Everest’s base camp complete with vending machines.

Continue reading this article and scenarios 2-4 on the Year of No Flying.

Travel Industry – booming business because of you?
There are millions of people worldwide who travel every year, with different goals, different destinations and different budgets: People who are backpacking, those who go on business trips, enjoy a safari or a health treatment holiday, go camping, visit family or friends or participate in language studies. Without all these travelers, the travel industry, which is an important source of income and jobs, wouldn’t exist.

Some facts
In 2009, the total revenues from international tourism in 80 countries worldwide amounted to over 1 billion US dollars. In fact, tourism exports account for as much as 30 per cent of the world’s exports of commercial services. Globally, as an export category, tourism ranks fourth after fuels, chemicals and automotive products. For many developing countries, it is one of the main sources for foreign exchange income and the number one export category, creating much needed employment and opportunities for development (source: UN World Tourist Organisation Tourism).

Push the industry, push yourself
Clearly, tourism goes a lot further than buying souvenirs. It’s a big business, that focuses on profit and export. How does a business make profit? By getting us, consumers, to spend, whether it’s on food, clothes, entertainment or travel. That is why I believe that consumers’ – travelers’ – behaviour can influence the industry.  If we ask for fair and green options and we are willing to spend our money on this, businesses can’t deny it. They simply need us.

Continue reading this article on Travel Jockey.

You may choose to plan your destination, accommodation, route, places to visit down to the finest detail or you may follow the ‘fly by the seat of your pants’ approach, either way solo travel is liberating.  Things like luggage, the climate, budget, food and health are some of the more basic considerations that everyone must deal with before heading off and it always help to follow some tips and advice left by other travellers.  Here are some of ours:

Taking the train / Photo by Stephen Chapman

10 tips for travelling alone

1. Keep your most important things with you at all times, wherever you go.
2. Your visa, passport, mobile, cash etc. should always be in another bag, not mixed with your luggage so that it’s easier to access an important item when you need it.
3. At the beginning of your journey make a note of points to remember like places to visit, things to buy etc. to ensure you don’t leave without doing or seeing something you had intended to.
4. On down times during your trip – there will be some, try listening to music or writing a story to keep yourself busy. If you start to feel lonely, calling home using online phone cards can make all the difference to your mood and act as a great ‘pick-me-up’.
5. Always try to stay clean and hygienic – don’t wait until you get sick to appreciate your health. Also, wash any fruit and vegetables that you purchase and drink clean water.
6. Find a room that’s close to shopping and leisure activities, depending on your interests. If you are staying somewhere more rural make sure you learn about the local area and leave ample time to explore it.
7. Take good care of your belongings. You never know who’s watching and looking for an opportunity to separate you from your possessions.  Be confident and aware but not paranoid.
8. Try to learn the language of the place/country you are in. Locals will always appreciate your effort.
9. Make some new friends by discussing places, talking about home, sharing photographs and involve yourself in group activities.
10. Give yourself time to feel comfortable being alone, don’t immediately seek company when you start to feel lonely.  Learning to be alone takes time but will give you much greater confidence when you’re away and enable you to feel much more relaxed.

Money changing at the border / Flickr photo by amalthya

Sure, there are some people who can throw everything in a bag and just rock up at the airport, but for most of us taking the time to choose the best savings account for your needs is going to make the difference between being able to really cut loose and spending your entire trip worrying about your cashflow.

No-one’s suggesting that you plan to the last penny, we all know travelling doesn’t really work that way, but the less likely you are to be caught out, the more likely you are to have the time of your life. Here are a few points to consider when it comes to money and travelling:

Access to cash

Even in the days of easy cash from ATMs worldwide, you need to consider how readily available money is going to be in your destination. You need to balance this with how much currency you’re comfortable taking with you and with how much you’re going to be moving about.

Some currencies – such as US Dollars and Euros – are accepted in many destinations. Others aren’t. Don’t be tempted to convert all your funds into a single currency if you’re planning on crossing borders. You’re likely to get burned on any exchanges.

Expenses

The plane ticket is daunting, but the small stuff adds up too. Accommodation may be cheap, depending on where you’re heading, but you shouldn’t budget for the absolute bottom end unless you’re sure you know what you’re doing.

Roughing it is part of the experience for many, but be careful when it comes to sleeping rough – even on beaches – unless you’re confident of its legality.

Medic!

You should have decent travel insurance, no two ways about it. But even if you’ve got the gold standard, don’t assume that you won’t encounter extra expense. You shouldn’t scrimp when it comes to your health. If you need to buy a particular medicine or get some fast treatment, you’re going to need accessible cash.

Have a reserve for medical requirements. You should always have an emergency fund that you can draw on in a pinch.

Keeping tabs

Checking your bank info is difficult when you’re on the move. Make sure you know what your balance is before you go and try to keep track of what you’re spending. If you need to rein it in, do so. Better safe than sorry.

Security

Make sure you let your bank know that you’re going abroad. Be cautious when it comes to using ATMs and if you aren’t comfortable, just find another one. You also shouldn’t use internet banking when you’re on the move unless you’re totally sure that the machine you’re using is secure.

A lot of this seems like common sense, but it’s easy to lose your awareness when you’re in a completely new environment. The bottom line is: plan in advance and make sure you’re prepared. Sensible precautions and decent organisation can make the difference between a dream and a nightmare.

Do we really need more search technology ? Do 3D images and augmented reality applications have the ability to improve “real travel”?  Does all this new technology enlighten us, or spoil us?

Yelp's Augmented Reality (iPhone 3GS) / Flickr photo by hawaii

Researching the net, joining discussions on travel forums, analysing and appraising with others online are common steps many of us now take prior to reaching a decision on travel plans and ultimately making bookings. Our voracity for technology is endless: “travellers on the move (as distinct from “stationary travellers”?) require immediate access to quick and simple-to-use booking solutions while away from their office or home”…we do?

I found the following information much more helpful than any technological gadgetry on offer: ‘Is Twitter the greatest source of travel intelligence?‘, ‘Top 10 travel gadgets under 50‘

Are we killing the joy of travel by over talking it?

Do we need to be walking, talking, interactive encyclopedias for all and sundry in the places we visit?  Twitter enables this behaviour but are we confusing a deeper personal need for cyber notoriety with our passion for discovery and personal enlightenment? Reporting and broadcasting our whereabouts and experiences by cataloguing content and images we share with our ever growing “friends & followers” is surely a distraction from the essence of travel.

Motility Not Compatible With Mobile Technology / Flickr photo by JulianBleeker

Controlling what we experience before we experience it

It seems as though the buzz is in the ever evolving technology we use to travel, rather than in the travelling itself.  Has travelling become a voyage of meticulous research and a pursuit of mistake-free sanitized experiences in increasingly predictable destinations? Have we lost along the way our sense of pioneering… the awe of travel? Where has the spontaneity, the personal voyage of discovery, trips full of missed turns and falls gone?

“On the road learning” is disappearing

My best travel experiences have always been the ones I least expected, they were a succession of mistakes, accidents and surprises by the bucket loads, challenging my resourcefulness to make the best decisions I could in the situation I found myself in. This “on the road learning” is one of the most influential and valuable factors in personal development and looking back, I would not change any of it, the good and the bad days… just like one’s love life, you learn as you go, the more practice hopefully the more you learn… (well that’s my excuse, but my wife doesn’t agree).

I never travelled with a guidebook, but on occasions a map. Travel for me is the ultimate quest for adventure into the unknown, it’s that premonition of not knowing what will happen next that I find so exciting. Walking wherever I could, I always wondered what the next corner would reveal to me, my guidebook was the local man or woman I met at cafés etc. on the road, telling me what was interesting in their neighbourhood… it’s amazing how thrilling macro-travelling can be!

Must we share everything?

I like to discover places by myself (or naturally with a loved one) and pretend I/we are the very first to see that view, taste that dish, or experience that dance. Preparing a trip down to the very last detail, or dialoguing on Twitter in order to share travel moments reminds us that thousands of others have seen that view before, or have sat at the same chair and eaten the same dish, or have witnessed that dance before. It is my/our experience, no one else’s. To think of sharing it with a multitude of others I don’t know devalues my intimacy with that moment, that place, or those people that I have just shared a brief space of my life with. That’s one reason I don’t get Twitter as a travel forum.

Flickr photo from the World Bank Photo Collection

How travel used to be

Travel is not a right, it is an exhilarating privilege that many will never experience, it should be slowly enjoyed like one’s childhood. It should be given space to be discovered patiently, and time to be appreciated in its entirety.

Travelling for pleasure is part real and part escapism, above all it should be very personal, discovering oneself by intentionally diving into as many different environments as possible to your own, the deeper the plunge, the deeper the emotional connection with that moment, and hopefully the more memorable. I guess there are a lot of questions about what is happening to travel which I cannot find answers to, it’s a revolution of sort, the further we dissect travel, the more different motivations we find for travelling. After a life in the tourism industry I am still surprised by the reasons people travel!

Travel experiences are slipping away like the innocence of childhood

Maybe I am a romantic old fool, but there are times I wonder why must we remove all life’s mysteries before we experience them? I pity the young, their childhood and adolescence, a time of discovery and wonder, but in modern society it might as well be a fast food combo meal, for the value that is placed on it. They are informed of more things I ever knew before I was three times their age, but have no life experience to connect with. One may say “how can they miss something they never had?”, true.  Are we also facing a future where travel suffers the same loss of innocence prematurely due to technology?

Location location location

Living in downtown Miami is well worth the rent money when big events come to town and the city decides to host them a couple blocks down the street from my apartment building. In celebration for the World Cup Final, the city of Miami held a block party in the blistering sunny 95 F degree weather that we call summer in Florida. Being a fan of Spain was the popular route to go. Groups of people walked the streets in red and yellow, many with their faces painted to only have their intricate designs drip off with sweat minutes later.

World Cup Finals Miami block party

In 2008 it was recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau that 62.4% of Miami-Dade residents were of Hispanic or Latino origin. Nearly 65% of Miamians are of Hispanic decent. Of that 65%, 35% are Cuban. Where have all the Spaniards come from?

Non-Spanish fans rooting for the Spanish

Now I know for a fact that not all of the Spain fans on my downtown block are actually of Spanish decent, seeing how I saw some of my college friends (who are not Spanish). In a world sporting event do you support the country you live in? Or the country that most resembles, or is most associated, with your own? My father was born and raised in a small town in Portugal and immigrated here when he was ten years old. My mother was born and raised in Dominican Republic and immigrated here when she was two. She was never too much of a sports fan, but my dad on the other hand rooted all the way for the Americans to win the World Cup. Of course, if Portugal was playing he absolutely could not miss it.

Listen to the octopus, or your gut?

If your motherland isn’t in the World Cup or Olympics, how do you choose who you root for? Some people I asked said they choose whatever country their family supports. Most simply pick who they think is the best and is going to win the tournament (I wonder where all the Brasil fans went). The immense superstition of an octopus deciding on the World Cup winner has created a world following thanks to his eight consecutive pickings, all correct. Apparently, even psychic Paul the octopus has received death threats, having reportedly doomed his own country (sorry, Germany) to the win.

The Spanish impostors roaming the streets surrounding my building took their World Cup fervor as far as shooting off fireworks reaching as high as my 11th floor balcony. Maybe supporting a country that is not your own is more like a fashion trend. Everyone’s doing it, so why not? In the next World Cup, let me know who the trend is going to be. I need to find a fitted jersey.

After leaving Sydney in a plane it’s about 8 hours before you’re across the vast (largely unpopulated) red centre and have to make a pit stop in Singapore.  A flight across the whole of Europe – all those countries! – only takes about 4 hours.  Flying between the UK and Australia (or New Zealand for that matter) is a journey of such proportions that you could be forgiven for thinking you might require more than single trip travel insurance.  It’s a journey that really puts country size into perspective.

In the UK we grow up with a small country mindset.  You can drive from London to Scotland easily in a day, you can cross 3 countries quite easily on the continent in 24 hours.  The size of a country is not interesting though for how long it takes to cross it, but for how it might influence the mindset of its residents. Here are some of the ways our home country size could be affecting us:

1- What we enjoy most on our travels

People from small countries are often impressed by big country experiences.  Big, open roads; dramatic climates and expansive landscapes.  Conversely people from big countries often find great delight in quaint and condensed small country experiences.  It’s not to say that neither appreciate all that home has to offer but what’s ‘new and exciting’ is different in each case, we’re all invigorated by change.

Mt. Bromo, Java, Indonesia / Photo by Stephen Chapman

2- Getting recognised at home

Coming from a small country like England, achieving recognised success for your endeavours and standing out from the crowd is more attainable than in a large, more heavily populated country like the U.S.  This may affect the ambition and self-belief of its citizens.

Stand out from the crowd / Flickr photo by twocentsworth

3- Our perception of distance

The meaning of ‘it’s a long way’ is entirely relative to our own encounters with distance.  Australians, Americans, South Africans will all drive for hours at the drop of a hat, but suggest a 3-4 hour drive to an English person and it will take a fair amount of consideration before any agreement (or disagreement) is reached.

Slope Point New Zealand / Photo by Stephen Chapman

4- The opportunity to change our lifestyle

Living in a large country provides plenty of opportunities to relocate to a new, geographically and climatically different area.  An American can move from the tropical surroundings of Florida, to the dry desert sands of Arizona.  There are a huge variety of stimulating places to bounce around if you so desire.  Smaller countries offer limited lifestyle choice.

Moving House / Flickr photo by Ania_*

5- Our desire to travel

The desire to travel internationally should be greatest amongst the small country natives, and considering most americans do not own a passport this may be true. New geographical experiences are far more abundant in big countries, reducing the need for residents to leave home.

Passport / Flickr photo Supercraig and J

How else do you think country size can influence our outlook on life? Do you agree or disagree with any of the points mentioned above?

Here are some tips for getting over the fear and making it work for you:

Taking the leap / photo by Stephen Chapman

• Worried about awkward silences? Pick an outgoing, experienced host. You’ll find they’ll end up doing the hard work for you, but without them even knowing it. How do you know which hosts are outgoing? Most hospitality sites contain detailed profiles full of clues. Look for people with lots of references.
• Be yourself. Make an effort, but don’t feel you have to be the life and soul. It takes all sorts. Find someone that shares your interests and an activity that is right for you. Remember: there’s no point going to a communal dinner on holiday if you hate dinner parties at the best of times.
• Go with a friend or a partner. There are no rules saying you have to go solo.
• Ease yourself in gently. Instead of launching straight into a RTW couchsurfing trip, try a one-off meet with some members in your hometown first.
• Arrange a short meeting, such as a quick coffee. That way it’s no massive commitment and you have nothing to lose.
• Worried about stranger danger? It’s good to be cautious. Here are some safety tips.

Source: Going Local Travel – a blog for travellers looking to break off track