What You're Missing if You're Not on Twitter
by Wendy Perrin
"Want to know what Travel 3.0 will be like? You're soaking in it," wrote Henry Harteveldt, longtime travel industry analyst for Forrester Research, on the online water cooler known as Twitter. Henry is one of the many travel trend watchers and advice givers whose Twitter updates I love to read. Another strategist I follow is Rick Seaney, CEO of the airfare-monitoring site FareCompare. His Twitter tips notify you of airfare sales a few hours before they hit Orbitz, Expedia, and the like, enabling you to nab a deal before seats run out. I'm also a big fan of The Global Traveller, better known to FlyerTalk addicts as KiwiFlyer, co-author of the FlyerTalk blog The Gate. He practically lives on planes and uses Twitter to offer very useful snippets of practical advice to hundreds of travelers worldwide.
I know of no faster or more effective way than Twitter to have a real-time dialogue with other travelers. Personally, I love it as a communication tool because it enables me to have a conversation with readers that's impossible via email or even this blog. I can answer readers' questions quickly and easily, in a public way, so that all travelers--not just the individual reader, but anyone who's interested--can learn from the conversation, join in, and share tips of their own. This empowers us all.
It's fascinating to watch more and more travel companies adopt Twitter as a customer-service tool, to show they're listening and actually care. Some travelers say they get faster answers from JetBlue via Twitter than from JetBlue agents at the airport. American Airlines' Admirals Club is on Twitter, soliciting customer feedback and occasionally offering free one-day passes or $50 discounts toward Admirals Club membership. Marriott International and Fairmont Hotels answer all manner of questions from travelers and help however they can. Quikbook shares hotel deals before they're announced on its Web site, Farecast's Fareologist points people to the lowest airfares, Expedia helps people brainstorm last-minute vacation ideas, LuxuryLink gives away trips . . . .
The list goes on and on...and gets longer every day. Which is why, if you're not on Twitter, you're missing a huge part of the online travel conversation.
Twitter is only as valuable as the people you're following, however. If you've tried it and don't like it, that might be because you haven't found the right people to follow. It doesn't help that Twitter gives the wrong instructions. It tells you to answer the question "What are you doing?" which leads newbies to assume the Twitter community is just a bunch of navel-gazers telling each other mundane details about their daily lives. That's not how great twitterers use the tool. They share interesting news, insights, and tips that are of widespread value, plus relevant links for learning more. Indeed, I use Twitter as a modern-day news wire service.
There is a time when I do want to hear what people are doing, and that's when they're having adventures on the road. Round-the-world travelers such as Gary Arndt and Jeanne Dee
have gained an army of followers thanks to the anecdotes, advice, and
photos they share from whatever corner of the globe they happen to be
in.
Because the trick to Twitter is finding the right people to follow, I posed this question to the Twitterverse a few days ago:
"Who is your favorite travel twitterer, and why? Or, who provides a value you couldn't get otherwise?"
Here are some of the answers I got:
(Note: Because Twitter allows only 140 words at a time, people crunch their language, so I've edited some of these answers for readability. I've also used people's Twitter usernames, which start with @.)
"If I had to name just one, @italylogue. She is Johnny on the spot, replying with travel tips and more. She helps a lot of people." --@vagablonde
"@elliottng is the human equivalent to a Google search on travel industry trends. He attends many industry conferences and monitors many industry blogs, so his tweets often include links to articles on the latest travel trends." --@Nancydbrown
"I follow Lonely Planet writer @leifpettersen. He gives me more insight into future trip experiences that I can't get from the book!" --@DCTeacher
"@nyc_mom provides a unique service for parents visiting NYC and looking for fun things to do with kids. She's a card, too!" --@AppleInvestor
"I love @NewYorkology. I get critical info from her that has greatly enhanced my life in NYC (e.g., $25 opera tickets)." --@nyc_mom
"@Marilyn_Res tweets the most amazing and obscure travel-related links. Cool stuff I'd never see without her." --@NerdsEyeView
"@travelrants acts as a consumer proponent in a time when airlines often engage in unsavory tactics. He doesn't pull his punches." --@ghtravelblog
"I love @elliottdotorg's Travel Troubleshooter items, and his travels with his children are endearing." --@jayne52
"I think @rickseaney and @denschaal each impart a valuable insider view of the industry. They know their stuff, so there's no hype." --@WeJustGotBack
"I'm with you on @hharteveldt. One of the smartest--and snarkiest (is that a real word?)--kids in class." --@laurably
"@NatGeoSociety gives links to an international scope of amazing stories and rare films and images." --@TobySaltzman
"About your request for indispensable travel twitterers: @EWanderlust always seems to have interesting, useful info." --@jtkwilliams
"@SoulTravelers3 and @EverywhereTrip. They make me dream in 140 characters! I also like magazines/newspapers on Twitter--e.g., @nytimestravel, @travelchannel--because they remind me to visit their websites and airlines for good deals." --@mariejugag
"@chrisguillebeau because I enjoy his useful travel tips and notes from around the globe as he travels. He prefers "everyday" living in these places rather than being touristy, and that's how I travel too." --@brandonsw
"I am a sucker for @NerdsEyeView. She's funny, has cool photo links, and did I mention she's funny?" --@TravelSavvyKayt
"There are
many lesser-known twitterers around the globe with excellent local info
to offer. They're a worldwide gold mine for authentic travel." --@Peggy
Coonley
A few examples of this "gold mine" of local info:
"I get great value from @beijingboyce: Best coverage of Beijing's bar and wine scene." --@TimiSiytangco
"I like @beatofhawaii for Hawai'i deals. It's useful for both visitors and locals. The frequent updating is probably the best feature." --@raatz
"I love @skinnylatte for travel tweets throughout Asia and funny cross-cultural experiences." --@atllam
"Most definitely @riqfreire, Brazil's #1 travel writer and blogger, who tweets valuable info (in Portuguese) many times a day." --@aleforbes
"I just started following @travelandrew. Today he live-tweeted a sweet-and-savory coffee tour of Seattle and I was taken away by it. --@lisagerber
A few more travel twitterers who must be mentioned--because they provide much of the glue that binds the Twitter travel community--are @SheilaS, @KimMance, and @HappyHotelier, who help many people by connecting them with the right other people. There are hundreds more I enjoy following--far too many to name here, but that's okay because they've already been included on lists of travel twitterers compiled by World Hum, Chris Elliott, and Elliott Ng. Don't miss them.
Are there more travel twitterers you'd like to recommend who provide a unique value? Please click on "Comments" below and let us all know. Oh, and if you want to follow me, I'm at @wendyperrin.
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I must have missed your tweets about this Wendy. Good to see so many people getting the best out of Twitter.
In the UK, we've seen @Thomsonholidays @cheapflights_uk @travelsupermark and @wearebutlins join Twitter recently, so its good to see the industry trying to grasp Twitter and use it wisely.
Posted by: DarrenC | April 17, 2009 at 06:37 PM
Perfect timing, Wendy. Been chatting with my new client, www.ranchweb.com (info on more than 250 ranches worldwide/ranch vacation guru) on the importance of being on Twitter. Your post sealed the deal.
Thanks.
Posted by: ArleneW | April 17, 2009 at 07:38 PM
Hi Wendy - agree with the sentiment. Twitter has been our first real engagement with travel online and has proved very fruitful. It has negated the need for a blog, while giving the opportunity to spread our words and talk in realtime with the best travel communicators out there. We're very taken with it and long may it - or its derivatives - last
Posted by: timesonlinetravel | April 17, 2009 at 09:53 PM
I enjoyed reading this post. Shel Israel calls Twitter "Twitterville" because it can be a small community of like-minded individuals, surrounding a virtual commons. Your post really helped to bring that sense of commons to life in our little corner of Travel-interested Twitterville!
Posted by: elliottng | April 18, 2009 at 12:32 AM
What a great post! Thanks so much for including us!
YOU, Wendy, are my favorite person in the Twitterhood! You have such a great way of connecting and including people and always tops on giving us all great travel deals and information.
You have been on the cutting edge of media people in this huge transition going on now with "new media" because you study it, "get it" and have a willingness to jump in and share what you are learning!
But I also really enjoy how your personality shines through ( as it always does in your writing). To me, hearing a little about your commute woes or preparing birthday bashes with your kids, etc brings a human factor that we can all relate to. I cherish those kinds of additions on Twitter too. You have a way of even making them wise and entertaining.
You also have been way ahead on making personal connections through twitter stronger, by going out of your way to "tweet up" with others in the travel community. Not only at conferences, but also taking time out of your busy schedule for a lunch, brunch or coffee etc when someone passes through NYC.
We are so grateful that you reached out to us on Halloween, from my little tweet question looking to solve that problem for our family. It is a special memory we will have forever!
I am still amazed at how is Twitter changing the world in some ways ( now Oprah is on! ) & so very grateful at how it helps connect all of us who have a passion for travel!
Thanks for your big part in all of it!
Posted by: Soultravelers3 | April 18, 2009 at 06:47 AM
Great post Wendy, I will definitely be starting to follow many of the people mentioned b/c its so interesting to read in realtime about the travel experiences of others.
I think it would be a great asset if cities had a travel resource name like @travelportland that you could reach out to for suggestions while there or planning a trip. A standard user name would make it much easier to remember while traveling if you needed quick advice from twitterville.
Thanks, @amlofr
Posted by: afruehst | April 18, 2009 at 08:08 AM
You think you're following all the prolific travel-related folk... and here's another list showing me how many more fab travel Tweeters are out there! Need to add a bunch to my follow list.
Thanks, Wendy.
@karasw (who blogs with @Cajun_Mama, @MudslideMama and @DesertMama at @Travelingmamas)
Posted by: karasw | April 18, 2009 at 09:54 AM
Wendy, terrific post and I too share the same feelings about the power and usefulness of social media in travel. You've assembled a great list of travel gurus who I enjoy learning from each day and engaging with making my experience on Twitter, Facebook, etc. a very meaningful thing. Aloha from Hawaii!
Posted by: nathankam | April 18, 2009 at 10:15 AM
I'm an American travel writer based in Istanbul (@Thandelike). I second @skinnylatte, the Singaporean writer/photog bouncing from Dubai to South East Asia. She's now on a journey overland through Lebanon and Syria, and I hope to meet her for a coffee in Istanbul when she gets here! I also like @babyexpat the Australian travel writer in Bali and @MissExpatria in Rome/Montpelier.
Once you start following some of these people (and visit their pages to see who they're talking to) you'll be completely hooked in to the worldwide traveling community of Twitterers.
Posted by: Thandelike | April 18, 2009 at 10:35 AM
Hi Wendy, Great post. I've been "tweeting" for about 6 months. Twitter is my favorite "go to" for current travel information. It's a great way to communicate and has been a tremendous marketing tool for me. I tweet on African safaris, personal stuff, and things I find interesting.
Linda Friedman
Custom Safaris
http://twitter.com/customsafaris
Posted by: customsafaris | April 18, 2009 at 12:01 PM
We've just started to Twitter the professional travel services on Viamigo.com - and it seems to be helpful! http://Twitter.com/Viamigo
Posted by: Viamigo | April 18, 2009 at 12:27 PM
Talk about an useful blog post! Thanks a million, I'll be sure to start following the mentioned tweeters!
Posted by: alexforbes | April 18, 2009 at 12:48 PM
Wendy, this list is a great source of people to follow...but since most of the travel community already turns to you for advice, it's not a surprise!
I've been on Twitter for about a month now, but it only took about 24 hours to realize that this was the perfect format for meeting my true people. It makes the world feel like a small and cozy place, where a great glass of wine isn't far away.
Posted by: travelswithtwo | April 18, 2009 at 12:54 PM
It's sometimes hard to remember to tweet when you're having so darn much fun traveling!
Mary Jo - who tries to remember to take a break in all the fun to twitter as @flyawaycafe
Posted by: maryjo | April 18, 2009 at 01:03 PM
Great Twitter list Wendy! I like @slowtrav and @travellr who tweet about their travel communities. @craig_martin (Indie Travel Podcast) and @MissExpatria (lives in Rome/Montpelier) because they are fun to read. @FacingTheStreet for links to travel articles. @SwissTourism for travel tips for Switzerland. Plus all the ones you have listed - and more. Twitter is fun!
Posted by: PaulineK | April 18, 2009 at 11:24 PM
favorites besides you of course! @soultravelers3 - inspiring family travels, @elliotdotorg - can never use enough common sense as applied to travel, @heatherpoole - ok that stopped dream of being a glamorous flight attendant - where have our manners gone? And many others also mentioned.
The great thing about Twitter is you never know who will connect you to the next interesting person or piece of valuable information - infinite possibilities!
Posted by: lorib | April 19, 2009 at 12:09 PM
Super info, Wendy! So many terrific travel tweeple, it's often overwhelming. Take, for example,
@adventuregirl who has garnered over over 290,000,000 followers with her travel-related tweets.
Once a day we set aside time for www.search.twitter.com to check
#travel or #twaveler. Quick way to catch up on the great tweets we may have missed.
Then we go back to Twitter to search the individuals' posts. Also, from time to time we skim though http://travel.alltop.com/ to hunt for insightful blog updates. If we're not familiar with some of the bloggers who are active on Twitter, we make sure to follow the most informative, helpful travel experts.
Cheers,
Ann Lombardi
The Trip Chicks
Posted by: thetripchicks | April 19, 2009 at 01:02 PM
Thanks for the @SheilaS mention Wendy; that's very kind of you.
This sort of post, coming from a recognized travel industry expert, can really show the ropes to those tourism organizations that are still on the fence about Twitter and other forms of social media. Tell me again why they wouldn't want to reach the maximum number of potential customers?
I'm running a family travel-related 50 State Series on my blog, taking input primarily from Twitter & Facebook (just started with Wyoming.) I've been quite upfront that one of the reasons I'm doing it is to grab ahold of state tourism organizations that don't have a presence on those networks, and show them that there is value.
Posts like this are incredibly helpful; thanks.
Posted by: Seafarer | April 19, 2009 at 05:37 PM
WE ARE SURPRISED THAT MS. PERIN DID NOT ADD TWITTER'S MOST POPULAR TRAVEL TWITTER ADVENTURE GIRL. SHE HAS MORE THAN 291,000 FOLLOWERS AND SHE IS THE BEST. @ADVENTUREGIRL
Posted by: Doodledexter | April 19, 2009 at 09:51 PM
wendy - WHAT a great list -and yes, you have to be following the right people - AND have plenty of time on your hands to build relationships.
thanks for introducing me to a few new people!
@jessiev
@WanderingEds
Posted by: jessiev | April 19, 2009 at 10:29 PM
Hi Wendy,
Great article! But you forgot to mention us --
@fourtraveldeals. We make custom deals for all
twitter travelers.
Maja Jovovich,
VP of Marketing
maja@fourtraveldeals.com
http://www.FourTravelDeals.com
Posted by: teanklc | April 20, 2009 at 09:48 AM
Loved the Article Wendy. It gave me a few new travel sites. I don't know how you produce so much content as much as you are on the road. Happy Trails.
Posted by: jayne52 | April 21, 2009 at 09:32 AM
I'm newer to Twitter than some of my USA Today colleagues, but I've found it to be a great resource for getting in touch with other travel writers, editors and bloggers. I also had a fun "tweetup" in Rome with @MissExpatria last week and I see that as one of the dynamic features of Twitter - that you can find experts in a particular city that can transcend the simple restaurant recommendations and give you real insight into a place.
Chris Gray Faust
Travel Assignment Editor
USA TODAY
@CAroundtheWorld
Posted by: CAroundTheWorld | April 21, 2009 at 02:56 PM
I actually did a similar list over on my blog of my favorite travel twitterers um, or tweets.
You can see it here:
http://www.mymelange.net/mymelange/2009/03/love-thursday-travel-twitter-love.html
Great list Wendy! And it is great to see so many folks that are on my fav list over here as well!
Posted by: MyMelange | April 21, 2009 at 06:59 PM
Wow, you miss a lot when you are down and out with the flu. Thanks for the great post Wendy. I forwarded it along to many of my travel colleagues who are scared to try the world of Twitter! Hopefully your post will give them a push in the right direction.
Posted by: krista_parry | April 22, 2009 at 03:37 PM
Wendy: Thanks for setting me straight on the ins and outs of Twitter! Thanks to your insight I'm getting the hang of how to make the most of it. --Chuck Mardiks
Posted by: cmardiks | April 27, 2009 at 02:56 PM
I've been on Twitter now for two weeks it seems and a lot twitters related to travelers. Anyway Wendy and I following each other on twitter. As for myself I'm following Lonely Planet. Becouse I use to watch thier shows on the early days on the travel channel. But it's interesting believe me.
Posted by: chuck00 | May 05, 2009 at 03:20 PM
I follow @jetbluecheeps because they post $9 fares to Nantucket (ACK) This is great, so I can let my followers know about last minute vacation travel options to our island.
Otilia
Century House Nantucket
http://www.twitter.com/chnantucket
Posted by: chnantucket | August 05, 2009 at 12:22 PM
I follow wwww.cruise.com. Cruise.com's Virtual Cruise Lecture Series offers you the opportunity to learn all that there is to know about cruising and destinations from the comfort of your own home.
These complimentary and informative Virtual Cruise Lectures are LIVE and will give you the opportunity to ask questions and have conversations with the cruise experts.
Posted by: sjackson5 | August 11, 2009 at 09:37 AM
I've been on Twitter now for two weeks it seems and a lot twitters related to travelers. Anyway Wendy and I following each other on twitter. As for myself I'm following Lonely Planet. Becouse I use to watch thier shows on the early days on the travel channel. But it's interesting believe me.
http://www.chiangmaitravelinfo.com/
Posted by: ndesigns | October 22, 2009 at 08:13 PM