Comments on: All travel content should be available free online http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/29/travel-content-free-online/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:52:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Rowen Gower http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/29/travel-content-free-online/#comment-150950 Rowen Gower Wed, 19 Aug 2009 10:16:51 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=4687#comment-150950 We create a lot of travel content as added value for our customers. It's a great way to differentiate our site and ensure that people hiring a car have easy access to foreign driving information and tips about making rentals smooth. We wouldn't dream of charging for this! However, for businesses which create content I can understand that offering everything for free online must be difficult. I read recently about an innovative idea where people could buy online 'credits' that all major content providers sign up to and then use these to access information at affordable rates. I know free content is preferable to myself as a consumer but wonder how long companies can survive whilst offering everything for free? We create a lot of travel content as added value for our customers. It’s a great way to differentiate our site and ensure that people hiring a car have easy access to foreign driving information and tips about making rentals smooth. We wouldn’t dream of charging for this!

However, for businesses which create content I can understand that offering everything for free online must be difficult. I read recently about an innovative idea where people could buy online ‘credits’ that all major content providers sign up to and then use these to access information at affordable rates. I know free content is preferable to myself as a consumer but wonder how long companies can survive whilst offering everything for free?

Report this comment

]]> By: Barry Wheeler http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/29/travel-content-free-online/#comment-150587 Barry Wheeler Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:12:46 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=4687#comment-150587 Paid content? Are you serious? The days of paid content is a thing of the past and with the social media world that exists today, there's no way consumers are going to pay for content, regardless of the niche that you occupy. What has to happen is businesses in the travel / tourism industry have to start building relationships built on trust, engage their customer base or potential customers and establish trust / credibility in the market. The travel / tourism industry is very intimate, consumers talk to consumers and with 80 percent of the research by consumers occurring online, having paid content is as someone else put it - so 90s. Paid content? Are you serious? The days of paid content is a thing of the past and with the social media world that exists today, there’s no way consumers are going to pay for content, regardless of the niche that you occupy.

What has to happen is businesses in the travel / tourism industry have to start building relationships built on trust, engage their customer base or potential customers and establish trust / credibility in the market.

The travel / tourism industry is very intimate, consumers talk to consumers and with 80 percent of the research by consumers occurring online, having paid content is as someone else put it – so 90s.

Report this comment

]]> By: Caitlin http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/29/travel-content-free-online/#comment-150429 Caitlin Sat, 08 Aug 2009 05:30:45 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=4687#comment-150429 In my experience, the guide books available in libraries are old and if I do find one that's suitable, I generally need it for longer than the check-out period (admittedly you can usually renew). I think it's down to individuals if they are too reliant on guide books or not. It's probably better than being reliant on a package tour. In my experience, the guide books available in libraries are old and if I do find one that’s suitable, I generally need it for longer than the check-out period (admittedly you can usually renew).

I think it’s down to individuals if they are too reliant on guide books or not. It’s probably better than being reliant on a package tour.

Report this comment

]]> By: Colin http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/29/travel-content-free-online/#comment-150420 Colin Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:27:05 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=4687#comment-150420 I would never pay for online travel content. There's absolutely no need when all I have to do is nip down to my local libary and borrow a few guide books. If there was anything else I wanted to know once I'd read these, I could log on to a forum such as Lonely Planet and ask a few questions. Of course some people might pay for the convenience of viewing content online, but it's not for me. I believe that we have become too reliant on guide books. All they seem to do is encourage a sheep-like following (especially among devotees of Rick Steves) where everyone walks the same well-trodden path. We seem to be losing the ability to discover things for ourselves (or is this just my imagination?). Anyway, I suppose that's another debate altogether. I would never pay for online travel content. There’s absolutely no need when all I have to do is nip down to my local libary and borrow a few guide books. If there was anything else I wanted to know once I’d read these, I could log on to a forum such as Lonely Planet and ask a few questions. Of course some people might pay for the convenience of viewing content online, but it’s not for me.

I believe that we have become too reliant on guide books. All they seem to do is encourage a sheep-like following (especially among devotees of Rick Steves) where everyone walks the same well-trodden path. We seem to be losing the ability to discover things for ourselves (or is this just my imagination?). Anyway, I suppose that’s another debate altogether.

Report this comment

]]> By: Pingback - Grumpy Traveller http://www.travel-rants.com/2009/07/29/travel-content-free-online/#comment-150385 Pingback - Grumpy Traveller Fri, 07 Aug 2009 06:10:31 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=4687#comment-150385 [...] Cronian from the Travel Rants blog recently kicked off a fascinating debate on whether people would pay for travel content. My personal belief is that they will if they trust the source and know the content is going to be [...] [...] Cronian from the Travel Rants blog recently kicked off a fascinating debate on whether people would pay for travel content. My personal belief is that they will if they trust the source and know the content is going to be [...]

Report this comment

]]>