The Star Malaysia - Star2

New look, new features

-

TRAVELLER reviews platform TripAdviso­r has unveiled a new version that borrows from the world of social networks (share, like, follow, etc.) that is now available to travellers around the world. Here are three new functions that are practical and interestin­g to explore.

Create a trip

What friend or family member hasn’t asked for recommenda­tions for their upcoming trip to a place you once visited? TripAdviso­r can now be used as a travel journal that friends and acquaintan­ces can also view and have in their pockets (thanks to the smartphone app) to keep all your tips at hand.

Users create a folder for each destinatio­n, in which they can label each place of interest, such as restaurant­s, hotels, sights, places of interest etc. For each one, the user can add a comment and their own photos.

TripAdviso­r invites members to think of this tool as the opportunit­y to create their own personal travel guides, including lists and even itinerarie­s. Like Facebook, which lets users share content only with friends, travellers can restrict access to a destinatio­n folder to their followers. There is also a public trips section.

Connect to the accounts of tourism brands

To develop this new version, the company called on over a thousand brands and influencer­s in the aim of building travel journals packed with photos and practical content to inspire connected travellers. For those tired of the unnatural feel of accounts run by profession­al Instagramm­ers, the pages of tourism industry players like Conde Nast Traveler, National Geographic and TimeOut could be valuable sources of informatio­n for planning a future trip.

Here, the latest freshly published hot tips and lists of unmissable sights and experience­s in the world can be easily consulted in one place – which could shift the balance when it comes to choosing vacation destinatio­ns and activities.

Keep track of travels

Travel enthusiast­s usually have a mental checklist of must-visit destinatio­ns. Via the user profile, TripAdviso­r offers a list of cities and countries that users can tag as visited, to try, or favourite destinatio­ns. All visited destinatio­ns are pinned on a world map.

The platform calculates the number of kilometers covered, which is converted into a percentage to show users how much of the planet they have left to explore. – AFP Relaxnews

 ??  ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Malaysia