When Travel Lies
Pretty pictures, flowery language, and the promise of lifetime experiences! Throw in a few media influencers, and it’s all the marketing that a destination needs to attract travelers. But what happens when it’s all a lie? How does it affect not only that single destination or operator but all destinations and all operators? What happens to trust when the untrustworthy are spewing nonsense to the trusting? Where’s the line between positive marketing and outright fraud?
When Influencers Attack!
Gone are the likes of Rick Steves and his fantastically perfect trips. And the more realistic Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations. They’ve been replaced by Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, etc., filled with “influencers” that crank out products without any real clue about what they’re doing. Their existence depends on clicks and clicks and clicks only. The more they get, the more businesses will hire them to say good things.
The audience woke up to the fact that entitled “influencers” actually have very little qualification to tell their audience what to buy, where to go and what to think, simply because they take set-up pictures. And, rightly so, people have woken up to this reality – Forbes
But what happens when everyone else believes the uninformed options of influencers? Well, that was best summed up by a tourist and vloger named Lexi Jordan.
The best quote from her vlog is, “Every single influencer and TikToker who put the Amalfi Coast on my for-you page over the last two months deserves jail time. It’s impossible to get here.” She goes on about getting there, lack of infrastructure, stairs, etc. She was roasted for not doing her research before she went, but in the age of the influencer looking for clicks, who cares? Pretty pictures, background music, and glowing reviews are all it takes. Can’t blame her, though. Who wants to read tiresome travel reviews and research hotels, weather, culture, etc.? Besides, they’re just influencers looking for clicks (and promotion of their sponsors)
Tour Operators Gotta Operate
Influencers can be excused because they don’t know what they are doing. But what happens when the people and businesses that are supposed to know better lie? Yes, we all have to make a living, but at what cost? When one of us breaks the trust of the traveling public, we all pay the price.
The best examples can be found on LinkedIn, where even the smallest operator can pitch to the public. Here are some of the destinations they’re pushing hard to bring clients to:
Iran
Operator 1
#Iran, Friendly #faces, Open arms, #Ancient #cultures, Timeless charms
#viajes #tripadvisor
Operator 2
Iran in 7 days is a way to visit Iran as it enables everyone visiting three major touristy cities such as etEsfahan, #Shiraz and #Tehran.
The reality
Do not travel to Iran due to the risk of kidnapping and the arbitrary arrest and detention of U.S. citizens. Exercise increased caution due to wrongful detentions.
Ethiopia
Operator 1
Ethiopia — and coffee was born
Our experience was one of deep hospitality, a long, proud culture, and warm and welcoming people… https://lnkd.in/gA2Arr2m
#onebiggislandinspace #coffee #BIGGBY #farmdirect #travel
Operator 2
19 endorsed and sustainable inbound tour operators in Ethiopia, all on EthiopiaSpecialists.com. Learn more how to get in direct contact with our travel specialists.
#Ethiopia #sustainable #tourism #travel #collective #Africa
The reality
Reconsider travel to Ethiopia due to sporadic violent conflict, civil unrest, crime, communications disruptions, terrorism and kidnapping in border areas.
When the government lies
The last thing you’d expect is blatant lies from government agencies promoting tourism. They almost want you to ignore what you read, hear, and see, but come and visit anyway. The best example is San Fransisco!
Now for the reality.
“Honesty is the best policy.”
Just be honest
In the information age, everything can be fact-checked. And you should expect everything to be fact-checked. Every lie and omission will hurt your reputation.
This is especially true when it comes to travel. People want to know where they are going and what they can expect. They want to be safe. So if you are a travel company, it is essential to be honest about your destinations.
If a destination is not perfect, be honest about that. Talk about the places clients will go (and won’t go) and what you offer to keep them safe. For example, if you’re promoting a trip to a destination, be honest about the crime rate and the health risks. But also talk about what makes the destination special, such as the culture and the natural beauty.
By being honest, you will build trust with your clients. They will know they can rely on you for accurate information. And they will be more likely to book a trip with you.