Armchair Travel: 4 Awesome Examples of Travel Content

Go to article

February 7, 2012
Armchair travel is an art — people love reading about destinations, activities and events even when they’re not directly planning a getaway. Travel sites benefit from having excellent, exciting and fun content on their pages to attract potential travelers and grab a piece of mindshare for when they are ready to prepare for or book a trip.
Here are a few sites that are almost as fun to visit as destinations themselves:
So you’re interested in climbing Mt. Everest or trekking to the South Pole, but you want to get more information first? Check out the website of Alpine Ascents International, a mountain climbing company that arranges trips to destinations around the world. In addition to lots of great information about these places, Alpine Ascents offers cybercasts with audio and photographic updates from its expeditions. Following these is almost as good as being there, feeling the wind whipping your hair and the snow stinging your nose.
Lonely Planet publishes well-respected travel guides for destinations throughout the world, and its site builds on the brand in creative and unusual ways. You might already have the Lonely Planet guide to Australia, for instance, but you can check out the site for tips on planning your trip there. Or check out the Thorn Tree travel forum, which lets travelers mingle virtually, sharing information and advice. The Lonely Planet site goes beyond the content of its print books, in other words, to bring the world alive for its readers.

Orbitz is not just about booking flights, rental cars, hotels and other travel arrangements, though it does offer all of that. It also provides, however, detailed information about destinations, with travel tips, highlights, history, maps and more. It’s a leader in content marketing that strives to educate travelers about places that interest them, in addition to selling them tickets to get there. Thinking of going to the Caribbean, for instance? Check out the site’s blog or detailed pages devoted to visiting and touring various islands, including history, advice, tips and off-the-beaten path recommendations.

REI’s travel site gives details about its adventure trips and lets people sign up for them, but it also offers history, photos, tips and planning advice. The site is easy to navigate and frequently updated, offering information about everything fromkayaking adventures to volunteer vacations. The key to the success of the REI Adventures site is that it’s not just about selling vacation packages or gear; it’s about educating travelers and building up the REI brand as a one-stop shop for adventure.
High-quality, readable and fun content is a must for any travel site that wants to attract, keep and entertain visitors. People love to learn about the world, and creative content marketing on travel sites helps them do just that.
Photo via Swami Stream Flickr, CC BY 2.0