Wikitravel presents itself as a Web-based project “to create an open content, complete, up-to-date, and reliable world-wide travel guide”. It lets any Internet reader create, update, edit, and illustrate any article on site. The idea behind this website is that if everyone shares a piece of knowledge by editing an article, the better Wikitravel will become. You don't have to be an "expert" in travel; you just have to be interested enough to get started. Articles can cover any level of geographic specificity, from continents to districts of a city. These are logically connected in a hierarchy, by specifying that the location covered in one article "is in" the larger location described by another. So far it has 15,921 destination guides and other articles written and edited by Wikitravellers from around the globe. You can search Wikitravel using the Search box. Just type in the name of the place, site, topic, food, beverage, idea or equipment you're looking for, and you'll get a list of articles that mention that place, site, topic, food, etc. Or, you can just browse destinations by region. For example, if you're trying to find Cairo, try looking in Africa; if you're trying to find Vancouver, look in North America. Wikitravel also includes featured articles on travel-related topics, travel news, phrasebooks for travelers, suggested itineraries and travel topics such as – travel accomodation, travel transportation, travel helath, travel safety, events, etc.
“Wikitravel is a project to create a free, complete, up-to-date, and reliable world-wide travel guide. The project was begun in July of 2003 by the two founders, Evan and Maj. It was inspired by Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, and by the needs of travellers for timely information that long book-publishing cycles can't seem to meet. Wikitravel is built with the spirit of sharing knowledge that makes travel so enjoyable. Whenever travellers meet each other on the road, they swap info about the places they came from and ask questions about places they're going. We want to make it easy to share that knowledge and let others share it; our copyleft license means that the facts you know can spread far and wide.”
Wikitravel is an open content travel guide, where people from all over the planet can write about the places they love, the hotels they stayed in, and the restaurants that have eaten. Wikitravel has a huge potential audience. It may be used by travellers on the road who need up-to-the-minute information on lodging, transportation, food, nightlife, and other necessities, or by travellers still planning their trip to review destinations, plan itineraries, make reservations, and get excited about their trip.
As Wikitravel is a reader-created website, how accurate are all articles found there? Are all readers travel-savvy? Will they acconplish the goal of creating a complete, up-to-date and reliable world-wide travel guide?
