New content could destroy sites’ credibility

Two prominent travel sites are quietly adopting new content strategies that put profits ahead of principles and set a dangerous precedent for the industry.

No longer satisfied to serve a mix of objectively reported destination features, consumer advocacy stories and travel tips alongside their “buy” buttons, these leading industry dot.coms have jettisoned all pretense of serious journalism in favor of a more commercial mantra: Don’t post anything unless it sells tickets.

“You have to understand what we’re in this business for,” a vice president for one of the sites explained last week. “We’re not here to publish content that’s critical of the industry, to bite the hand that feeds us. We’re here for one reason and one reason alone – to sell tickets. Everything on our site has to reflect that.”

A content developer for the second site in question called me at about the same time. He reported that the editorial staff had abruptly received new marching orders. “If a story doesn’t directly lead to a booking, it’s not worth publishing,” he said, adding, “we don’t know what to do about it. Indirectly, every story could lead to a booking, but how do you get more direct without sounding like an ad?”

On the surface, this new approach might seem reasonable. After all, shouldn’t every part of a business contribute toward the company’s bottom line, particularly during these lean times for online travel? But a closer examination reveals that forcing content into a commerce mold is a deeply flawed strategy that could decimate a travel site’s trustworthiness. Here’s why:

It’s dishonest. Like it or not, most Web sites serve a dual purpose: To sell travel and to provide reliable information about the industry. When the news is modified or censored in order to further a company’s sales goals, it effectively means that the business is lying to customers. By avoiding content that is unfavorable to a supplier, these sites are also withholding information that could improve a client’s travel experience, such as advice on how to get around the airline industry’s arcane ticketing rules.

It’s self-destructive. The same vice president boasted that she’d managed to tone down one of the leading consumer travel advocates who still publishes a column on the Web site. “He’s gotten a lot more positive, but we’re still working on him,” she confided. While this may serve the site’s immediate interests, it threatens to open a rift with that particular content provider, just as it would with any legitimate journalist. The other editorial staff member says he’s considering quitting but is waiting to see how the new directive will be implemented.

It’s a classic lose-lose scenario. Not only could quality content providers eventually blacklist these sites – a distinct possibility, given how small this industry is – but also suppliers will regard the new promotional travel information that appears online as an acknowledgment of their power. It could have repercussions in other areas of the business, reducing these once-respected dot.coms to little more than ticket-sellers that publish a second-rate travel trade publication. The customer loses, and the business loses. The only winners are the suppliers.

It’s shortsighted. Once the names of these sites become public, their credibility is certain to take a hit. I won’t reveal their identities in this column for two reasons: I hope this gentle reminder will persuade them to reconsider their sacrifice of content on the altar of commerce, and I also need to protect my sources.

Online travel sites have always had to juggle the pressure of turning a profit and the responsibility of operating a de facto news organization – two conflicting, if not incompatible, objectives. But the Internet demands it. When one directive begins giving way to the other, users click away. Witness the struggle of pure-play content sites like Ticked.com (I ought to know – I’m its founder) and, conversely, the hostile user reaction when AOL’s Travel Channel unceremoniously dumped nearly all of its content and replaced it with a “buy travel” button.

It’s not enough to strike a balance between content and commerce. It must also be a good balance. These new content directives, if implemented, aren’t just bad. They also set a bad example for other travel Web sites to follow.

Christopher Elliott is the author of Scammed: How to Save Your Money and Find Better Service in a World of Schemes, Swindles, and Shady Deals. Critics have called it “eye-opening” and “inspiring” — it’ll “grab your attention and won’t let go.” Order your copy now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble or iTunes.

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