Inflight Magazine of Brussels Airlines

Switched on travel

After transforming the way in which we interact with one another, social networking sites are now transforming the way we travel. Nick Clarke downloads a beginner’s guide to social media on the go

During a recent trip to Copenhagen, I tweeted that I was at the Magasin du Nord shopping centre. Within minutes, two followers had been in touch; one to tell me that I should try the pastries on the ground floor, the other to say that Illum – another mall – was better. So there I was, in a city that was as alien to me as the Moon, armed with the kind of knowledge usually reserved for insiders. And knowledge, as they say, is power. Indeed, I couldn’t help but feel powerful as I took a bite of my flaky pain au chocolat and tweeted a thank you to my followers.

The instantaneous interaction I get from my Twitter account may largely be down to the fact that I’m employed as an editor at a city guide publisher – with a business account that’s afforded more authority than an individual thanks to both branding and a long-standing reputation – but with social media it will always come down to helpful, accurate content, whoever you are. If you post regular updates that enrich people’s experiences, they’ll click on you for tips.

Guiding light

So why are we turning to social networking sites? First off, pulling out your smartphone is cheaper than buying a guidebook – and with the steady reduction of data roaming charges, this has never been more true. Even if you buy the iPhone app version of a guide, it still works out cheaper than a printed guide; all you need to do is ensure you use it intelligently by downloading maps and other data-heavy content prior to boarding your plane. Secondly, the minute a guide is published, it’s already out of date: it can’t compete with the kind of knowledge being shared by-the-minute on social media sites across the globe. And finally, a travel guide doesn’t lend itself to social interaction. Fans and followers can become friends via sites, with the traveller having the opportunity to meet an insider, and vice versa. To use one example, a group of friends landed in Brussels for New Year without any plans – but after asking their Twitter followers if they knew of anything happening, they were invited to a private party and saw in the new year with locals. Result!

As Louise Howells, social media strategist at Condé Nast Digital, says, “Social media is a great way of finding travel tips. From asking your Facebook friends and Twitter followers what they recommend to following travel experts, it can give you instant tailored information. What’s more, new smartphone apps are linked to social media sites, providing up-to-the-minute information about what’s on and where to visit from people who are right there, right now.”

By the (Face)book

In terms of the sites people most use to enrich their travels, Facebook comes first. Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past three or four years, you’ll already know that Facebook is a social networking site that helps you ‘connect with the people in your lives’, the subject of a recently released Hollywood film documenting a much-publicised lawsuit, and the single most distracting (and often banned) thing in the workplace. And it’s now becoming a large part of the way we travel. Kay McMahon, digital director at Wallpaper*, says: “Having access to any social network means you can get honest and timely recommendations.” Before my Copenhagen trip I downloaded a Facebook app for my BlackBerry just for the occasion.

When I snapped photos of the city, I uploaded them there and then; as I sipped the best hot chocolate I’d ever tasted, I told the world and their friends about it; and when I saw a Scandinavian model with an arm tattoo created entirely from the Louis Vuitton logo, I gave it a public big thumbs-down. Comments from friends and family came pouring in – some humorous, others informative, but all of them immediate and relevant.

This is about real people in real time, and nothing can be a substitute for that.

other data-heavy content prior to boarding your plane. Secondly, the minute a guide is published, it’s already out of date: it can’t compete with the kind of knowledge being shared by-the-minute on social media sites across the globe. And finally, a travel guide doesn’t lend itself to social interaction. Fans and followers can become friends via sites, with the traveller having the opportunity to meet an insider, and vice versa. To use one example, a group of friends landed in Brussels for New Year without any plans – but after asking their Twitter followers if they knew of anything happening, they were invited to a private party and saw in the new year with locals. Result!

As Louise Howells, social media strategist at Condé Nast Digital, says, “Social media is a great way of finding travel tips. From asking your Facebook friends and Twitter followers what they recommend to following travel experts, it can give you instant tailored information. What’s more, new smartphone apps are linked to social media sites, providing up-to-the-minute information about what’s on and where to visit from people who are right there, right now.”

Travel trackers

Foursquare, the latest phenomenon to hit the web, has tapped into something even stronger in the world of travel, with a ‘checking in’ system that enables you to tell your friends exactly where you are in the world using a GPS from your phone. It’s not about what you’re doing, but where you’re doing it – making it more specific to globe-trotting (and enabling some serious showing off). With a game-like feel – you unlock badges and earn points each time you check in somewhere – it’s addictive, and even more user-friendly than traditional travel tools. You can even become the ‘mayor’ of somewhere if you check-in enough times; I’m mayor of Starbucks Notting Hill, and proud.

Ryan Johnson, director of marketing and business development at AskMen.com, comments: “Foursquare is particularly useful for exploring the city that you’re in, making wish lists of places you want to visit, and socialising your visits to friends.” McMahon adds, “With Foursquare you’ll see a list of all relevant businesses nearby; this means you can discover a bar around the corner that you couldn’t see from the street. It’s not only a way to discover new places (you can add new venues to your ‘To Do’ list from websites with the ‘Add To My Foursquare’ button), but also a new way of meeting up with friends. If you have mates in Prague, for example, they can see if you’ve checked into the bar of the hottest new hotel and drop by for a drink.”

Not wanting to fall behind, Facebook has now introduced a ‘Places’ function – offering the same thing as Foursquare, only doing it from Facebook rather than linking up your Foursquare account to your Facebook. Despite a slight stalker feel to the whole thing – you wouldn’t, for example, want to broadcast to your ex where you are every minute of the day – both applications make it easier to meet up with friends, and make travelling much more informed and dynamic.

The future is social

Other sites making an impact on the way we travel include Tripwolf, TravBuddy and Tripatini – dubbed the ‘Facebook for travel’. Then there are blogs, with both experts and casual city-dwellers posting their finds and favourites for the world to see. And with RSS feeds – a tool that tells you when your favourite bloggers have written something new – you can always stay in the loop. As David Appel, founder of Tripatini, says, “social media has personalised travel.” It’s no longer about the writer telling the reader where to go and what to see; it’s about sharing knowledge as and when things happen, using the people you’ve connected with online and pooling resources. Which is why social media for travel shows no sign of reaching its final destination – travellers will always want information, and social media sites will always be able to provide.

FR Passez en « mode voyage »

Après avoir modifié la manière dont les individus communiquent, les sites de réseaux sociaux appliquent dorénavant cette nouvelle dimension au voyage. Un reportage de Nick Clarke

Lors d’un séjour récent à Copenhague, j’ai « tweeté » en disant que je me trouvais au centre commercial Magasin du Nord. Après quelques minutes, deux suiveurs se mettaient en contact avec moi ; l’un pour me recommander les pâtisseries du rez-de-chaussée, l’autre pour m’indiquer que le centre commercial Illum était mieux.

Pourquoi les voyageurs se tournent-ils vers les sites de réseaux sociaux ? Premièrement, se connecter à son smartphone coûte moins cher que l’achat d’un guide touristique. Deuxièmement, à la minute même où un guide est publié, il est déjà obsolète. Et enfin, un guide ne se prête pas à l’interaction sociale. Comme le souligne Louise Howells de Condé Nast Digital, « Les médias sociaux fournissent de l’information venant des gens qui se trouvent sur place, au moment même. »

Facebook arrive de loin en tête. Avant mon voyage à Copenhague, j’ai téléchargé une application Facebook pour mon BlackBerry. J’ai pu montrer mes photos au monde entier pendant que je dégustais la crème du chocolat chaud (…) !

Foursquare, de son côté, est entré dans le monde du voyage avec un système de ‘géolocalisation’ qui vous permet d’indiquer à vos amis votre position exacte. Kay McMahon, directeur digital chez Wallpaper*, explique que « Foursquare… n’est pas seulement une façon de découvrir de nouveaux endroits, mais aussi de rencontrer de nouveaux amis. » Facebook a également introduit une fonction « Places ».

Parmi les autres sites, on citera Tripwolf, TravBuddy et Tripatini, où l’on peut découvrir sur des blogs les messages postés à la fois par des experts et des citadins. David Appel, fondateur de Tripatini, conclut : « les médias sociaux ont personnalisé le voyage ».

NL Inspiratie voor reizen

Na de manier waarop we met elkaar omgaan te veranderen, doen sociale netwerksites hetzelfde voor reizen. Nick Clarke vertelt

Onlangs twitterde ik tijdens een reisje naar Kopenhagen dat ik in het Magasin du Nord- winkelcentrum was. Binnen enkele minuten kreeg ik reacties van twee ‘volgers’: één zei me dat ik het gebak op de benedenverdieping moest proeven, de andere zei dat het Illum-winkelcentrum beter was.

Waarom gebruiken reizigers sociale netwerksites? Ten eerste is je smartphone gebruiken goedkoper dan een reisgids kopen. Vervolgens is een reisgids meteen verouderd. Tot slot kan je met een boekje niet communiceren.

Zoals Louise Howells van Condé Nast Digital zegt: “Sociale media… geeft informatie van mensen die op dat moment dáár zijn.”

Facebook staat op de eerste plaats. Voor mijn reis naar Kopenhagen downloadde ik een Facebookapplicatie voor mijn Blackberry. Daarmee kon ik foto’s die ik net genomen had uploaden en de wereld vertellen waar ik deze beste chocolademelk aan het drinken was. Met onmiddellijk commentaar van vrienden en familie.

Ondertussen is Foursquare de reiswereld binnengedrongen met een ‘check-insysteem’ waarmee je je vrienden kan laten weten waar je je GPS gebruikt. Kay McMahon, digital director bij Wallpaper*, zegt: “Foursquare is niet alleen een manier om nieuwe plekken te ontdekken, maar ook om vrienden te ontmoeten.” Facebook heeft nu ook een ‘Places’-functie.

Andere websites zijn Tripwolf, TravBuddy en Tripatini, terwijl zowel experts en gewone toeristen hun bevindingen op het internetblogs posten. “Sociale media heeft reizen gepersonaliseerd,” aldus David Appel, oprichter van Trapatini.

Leave a Reply