When is personal info shared in a travel article “too much” ? Do you love to read exciting travel articles about your bucket list destinations? What about places you have never heard of, yet the article fuels your desire to visit there? How do you feel about writers who share lots of personal information such as age, race, disabilities, or financial matters? When does that seem like too much?
WHICH INFO IS MOST HELPFUL?
A good travel article should help you discover tons of great reasons to start planning a trip to a new-to-you location. Of course, you want to know about the food, lodging, and attractions. But do you want to know the profile of the average visitor? Do you need or want to know whether the destination is easily accessible for those who use a cane or a wheelchair? Do you hope to learn the full range of room prices, from budget to luxury?
Consider this scenario; an over-60 female travel writer courageously keeps exploring despite battling osteoarthritis, macular degeneration, and anxiety. (For those who don’t know, that means she has bad knees, failing vision, and occasional panic attacks.) Can a good travel writer be authentic without oversharing? Should this type of travel writer share tips for others who may have the same issues?
Tips from her may include which cobblestone streets to avoid or which restaurants are too dimly lit to even read the menu. Also, travelers may find it helpful to know how long it takes to drive from the most touristy area to the area with the largest number of hotels. I am convinced that sharing in a helpful way is fine, as opposed to simply sharing a sob story which may have little to nothing to do with helping others. I would love to know your opinions on when it becomes too much personal info in a travel article.
SHOULD SOME TOPICS BE EXCLUDED?
Certainly, travel tips are meant to be quite helpful for others. Let me state a personal pet peeve here. I dislike writers who share too much info about their religion or politics. There, I said it! The two problems are that (1.) those topics are not travel tips, and (2.) people are too easily offended. Even wishing others a Merry Christmas or Happy Easter has gotten rude comments sent my way. Now I find it best to avoid statements which may be argumentative or controversial. As the lovable Lorax might suggest, proper respect for the environment and all living creatures IS helpfulness without oversharing.
How do you decide whether there is too much personal info in a travel article? Have there been times when you found that so irritating that you did not finish the article? On the other hand, have there been times when the disclosed information proved to be helpful?
EAGER TO SEE YOUR COMMENTS
The questions I have posed do NEED to be answered. Dang, y’all, my hope is that YOU will leave your carefully considered COMMENTS that kindly share your real thoughts about how or why a writer should disclose personal information. That’s it. Now it is your turn to figure out the perfect amount of info you would like to share!
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I would take into consideration the context of readership; that is, who is my reader? Different topics offer relevance to different audiences. As an “elder”, I’m very interested in safety, way- finding, lower key activities. Maybe AARP would be a fit for a story including those kinds of details where shared personal experiences are also helpful. In the same vein, an article directed toward young families might include the kinds of activities that parents and kids would do, ideally gleaned from personal experiences. IMO, audience segmentation is a primary influence when writing in the travel space.
My mom has fibromyalgia, and when we traveled in Rome I was having difficulty finding good info on which places had elevators. Staff would sometimes ignore our question about where the elevator was. Info about whether elevators are “hidden” and/or so far out of the way that maybe someone would prefer to brave the stairs would’ve been extremely helpful.
Museums with lots of walking will sometimes have complimentary wheelchairs, but they can run out before you arrive. Info on wheelchair availability, how often they “run out,” and if navigating in a wheelchair is even feasible would also be helpful! Some wings of museums were essentially inaccessible due to strange access points.
Elevation changes for any tour routes, how often you’ll encounter uneven and/or loose terrain, and if you can bring a rented power (or manual) wheelchair would be amazing. Especially knowledge on which tour companies are more accommodating than others.
The older the city, the harder it seems to be to successfully accommodate differently-abled folks, so any foresight a travel writer can provide would be valuable. And even though it’s very subjective, maybe a brief mention of the energy it took to go through the tourist attraction would help others gauge how to distribute their limited energy stores. Some personal background about your own difficulties could help frame your perspective enough for others to form a decent comparison.
Thanks for considering this!
Thanks SO much for your remarks. You’ve given me great points to consider!
Depends on the publication’s desired tone and audience. A publication that serves elderly, disabled, or even specific minorities (ex LGBTQ) will want much more of this kind of information. Sometimes, to avoid interrupting the flow describing the location or event, a writer can detail the mechanics of getting around in a separate section—under its own heading or in a shaded box, with a heading such as “Getting Around”.
You are totally right and sections are a great suggestion, thanks!