Crowdsourced travel

Consumers can be skeptical when it comes to travel-related decision making.  As a result, there are currently countless ways savvy consumers can research, compare and review with their peers. More and more on-trend brands are turning to a model of consumer involvement: Interactive, collaborative development processes called crowdsourcing, which empowers consumers to create the products and experiences they most desire, and as a result, score big with consumers and boost marketing effectiveness.

Joining the customer made revolution, Toronto-based bike tour company, Tour D’Afrique has set up a division called DreamTours, which invites cycling enthusiasts to design a tour and post it on the website for others to comment on, make suggestions to improve upon it, and register their interest in joining the tour. Creators name the tour, upload destination photographs, outline trip highlights, plot the route on a map, and set the cost parameters of the tour by choosing variables such as accommodation, number of riders, food, crew and vehicle support.

A recent Dartmouth study showed that ski resorts have been known to exaggerate their snow conditions on weekends by as much as 23% to attract skiers. Thanks to a free iPhone app and Google Gadget, Ski Report gives skiers first-hand ski reports and photos right from the slopes. They can track their favorite trails at a glance, as well as locating nearby ski areas via GPS coordinates.

For DIY tourists, Your Trip planner lets customers create their own driving tours of France, which is also intriguing for industry related businesses. A hotel chain, for example, could use the technology to suggest tours built around its own hotels, as the site suggests itself; similarly, a tour operator could let clients create customized tours around its own offerings. (Note to hospitality pros: time to do some brainstorming).

There’s even a crowdsourced webzine designed for people looking for authentic world experiences, Everywhere gives a voice to travelers worldwide who wish to tell their stories and share their favorite places.

Fast approaching is consumer participation in tourism advertising and marketing development. One example: Detroit produced a campaign “Selling Detroit” aiming to encourage young and creative people to consider Detroit as a place to live and work. Five ad agencies were invited to pitch their ideas for the beleaguered Michigan city and online voters picked Campbell-Ewald’s winning ad:

By: Chelsea Orth