What steps do you take to get listed in the print guidebooks like Lonely Planet and Let's Go? Or do you just wait for the guidebook writers to visit?
Any suggestions for travel guides to get listed in?
What are the major travel guides in different languages? (e.g., German, Korean, Spanish, French, Chinese)
15 years
To get list in this guide you have to write them (small letter with description of your property etc.....)
After they will visit you.
When I began in this biz 10 years ago we had about 60% of the guests comming through Guide book (let's go Rough guide loneplanet)
The other part was group, school group, travel agency for student (like STA).
15 years
In my experience the guide books will not list a hostel until they have personally visited it to check out that there was no B.S. involved.
Let's Go (American) reputedly visit every year; Le Routard (French), The Rough Guide (UK) and Lonely Planet (Australia/UK) visit every 2 years or so, but often mail to check on prices, etc.. The German guide book writers (?????) I have yet to see!
Guide books are out of date before they are even published! Will the web supersede them?
15 years
Guide books are out of date before they are even published! Will the web supersede them?
I think print guidebooks will always be around, but their sales are going to drop. Even LP sees the writing on the wall (download individual chapters in PDF format).
User generated content is even more up to date than LP's downloadable PDF guidebooks. (e.g., Tripadvisor, Tripwolf, Boo)
15 years
Here is a new company from the people who launched Technorati. You can create your own personal travel guide and they will print it and deliver it a few days before you leave.
Interesting idea. It looks like most of the information is from user generated content on wikipedia and wikitravel. People may like the feel of paper in hand over an e-book (I certainly do) but the actual information will be increasingly user generated.
I know Josh has touched on the subject elsewhere but I'm surprised so few hostels have added their details and links to sites like wikitravel. As an example - Munich lists just 3 hostels, only 1 with a link to their site. This is a pretty easy way to help build your brand and legitimacy with the traveller. They may not book from online guides straight away but if they see your hostel name every time they read about a destination they want to visit, they will choose you over a hostel they only just heard about at booking time (all other things equal).
15 years
Here is a new company from the people who launched Technorati. You can create your own personal travel guide and they will print it and deliver it a few days before you leave.
It's interesting that Offbeat Guides is printing up WikiTravel content because WikiTravel is doing it too. I'm not sure how successful that is going to be. Will people want to carry around a book printed from the Web when they can just go on the Web anywhere on the road?
...I'm surprised so few hostels have added their details and links to sites like wikitravel.
Here's a quick list of 10 free places to list a hostel online :)
15 years
Its important to be listed in Travel Guide.
Because some travel guides like a ''Lonely Planet'' for example , its like a touristic Bibles for many tourists.
But , I personally would think twice before to register at travel guides , on these circumstances.
1 ) If you just started your business , you must see how it works , because some times it happens that you will change your mind and will be out of business .
2 ) If you are a renter and not the owner of the property , its also important that the property owner , would n'thave anything against your activity.
Because , I was a witnesser of the examples , when the building owner changed his mind and did not want any hostel in his house .
So , the hostel runner had to change the address for his hostel.
These are just my opinion.
I printed brochures , a thousands of brochures , and I did not fix the address of the hostel but just an email , web site and phone number.
Because I run my business first year.
First year , its a kind of experiment.
What if I change the address ?
What if the house owner will not like idea of the hostel in the building which I rent ?
So , first I must pay attention to these things
This is just my opinion.
14 years
A travel guide has to know the hostel exists!
Just writing them and say "Hey, we just opened a hostel, great service, happy people and here is the link to our website, so check it out!" doesn't work.
A guide book has to make sure that you stay open. How many hostels opened and closed months after, due to miss-management etc.? So they do not include a new hostel that hasn't been established for at least one year or more. If they let you know that someone checked you out, you have to keep in mind that the review has to be written, and when the next book will be printed. So you can calculate how long it takes to be printed in those guides.
(But don't get too much hope on LP, their target changed from budget traveling to those who used LP 10-20 years ago. Tourists with money, willing to spend 160€ for a room in a major European city, because it is the authors choice.)
Own experience, and I have seen other hostels doing so aswell, you place the email addresses of the guide books pinned to the wall close to your hostels guest PC.
"Liked your stay with us? Please let the guide books know and recommend us!"
It does the trick!
14 years
Own experience, and I have seen other hostels doing so aswell, you place the email addresses of the guide books pinned to the wall close to your hostels guest PC.
"Liked your stay with us? Please let the guide books know and recommend us!"
It does the trick!
Great idea :)
14 years
Hi!
We are listed in Getsouth; (www.getsouth.com).
It`s a free guidebook for independent travellers with Information, Accommodation, Activities, Discounts, etc. for Argentina, Uruguay and Chile.
It`s only their third year and seems to us that they are doing pretty good, lots of backpackers have recommended them at our Hostel.
Guests really seem to like to have a guide with them like this one,, maybe because sometimes it can be difficult to use a computer (if they are not traveling with one)
Cheers!
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