The arrival of the internet caused many changes to how people live their lives. Information about anything is now instantly available and many kids have never heard of the Dewey Decimal System. In addition, computers are becoming smaller and more portable so even traveling has changed completely. Backpacking as a rite of passage for young people is very different now that they can do their travel research online as they go along.
It used to be that backpackers were the easiest people to spot in a budget restaurant in some exotic location. They would be the scruffy-looking, slightly smelly individuals playing solitaire with a deck of cards, writing postcards to their mom or making notes in a tattered travel diary. Now they're the scruffy-looking, slightly smelly people surfing the internet, Skyping their mom or updating their Facebook status.
The guidebook is taking on a new role too. The backpacker of today hardly ever consults the book for information about attractions or even hostels. It's much easier to consult the internet.
Hostels had to make changes to keep up with the new trend in backpacking. Gone are the days when all they needed to worry about was providing clean and comfortable sleeping quarters and bathrooms. Now one of the first things backpackers ask when they arrive at a hostel is what the Wi-Fi password is and whether there are working electrical sockets in the dorm rooms.
If you travel with a computer and can find an internet connection, researching your next destination is a breeze. You can read up on its history, learn the local language, see what the place looks like and check the weather forecast. By reading some reviews you'll be able to pick a suitable hostel and even book your accommodation ahead of time. It's not even necessary anymore to stand in line for a bus or plane ticket if you can simply go onto the company's website and book.
Computers have also made it possible to work while on the road. You don't have to get a job as a bartender when you money runs out. Simply replenish your funds with online work. With so much information available on the internet, more and more people are now even getting paid to write travel articles about places they've never been to.
As useful as the internet is to travelers, it also has several disadvantages. One of the most important is that the information you'll find in cyberspace isn't always the most reliable. Those so-called independent, impartial reviews are often paid for by the establishment or have been written by the owner's friends, if not the owner himself. Competitors use fake negative reviews of an establishment to steal its customers too.
The best way to make sure that you won't be disappointed with an establishment is to use a variety of resources. By all means, do the bulk of your travel research online but also consult guidebooks. Even better, talk to fellow travelers about the places they've been to and use their recommendations.
It used to be that backpackers were the easiest people to spot in a budget restaurant in some exotic location. They would be the scruffy-looking, slightly smelly individuals playing solitaire with a deck of cards, writing postcards to their mom or making notes in a tattered travel diary. Now they're the scruffy-looking, slightly smelly people surfing the internet, Skyping their mom or updating their Facebook status.
The guidebook is taking on a new role too. The backpacker of today hardly ever consults the book for information about attractions or even hostels. It's much easier to consult the internet.
Hostels had to make changes to keep up with the new trend in backpacking. Gone are the days when all they needed to worry about was providing clean and comfortable sleeping quarters and bathrooms. Now one of the first things backpackers ask when they arrive at a hostel is what the Wi-Fi password is and whether there are working electrical sockets in the dorm rooms.
If you travel with a computer and can find an internet connection, researching your next destination is a breeze. You can read up on its history, learn the local language, see what the place looks like and check the weather forecast. By reading some reviews you'll be able to pick a suitable hostel and even book your accommodation ahead of time. It's not even necessary anymore to stand in line for a bus or plane ticket if you can simply go onto the company's website and book.
Computers have also made it possible to work while on the road. You don't have to get a job as a bartender when you money runs out. Simply replenish your funds with online work. With so much information available on the internet, more and more people are now even getting paid to write travel articles about places they've never been to.
As useful as the internet is to travelers, it also has several disadvantages. One of the most important is that the information you'll find in cyberspace isn't always the most reliable. Those so-called independent, impartial reviews are often paid for by the establishment or have been written by the owner's friends, if not the owner himself. Competitors use fake negative reviews of an establishment to steal its customers too.
The best way to make sure that you won't be disappointed with an establishment is to use a variety of resources. By all means, do the bulk of your travel research online but also consult guidebooks. Even better, talk to fellow travelers about the places they've been to and use their recommendations.
About the Author:
You can visit www.travelcisions.com for more helpful information about How Backpackers Doing Their Travel Research Online Have Changed This Rite Of Passage.
EmoticonEmoticon