THE FIRST STEP IS RESEARCH

To many, the word research is not a popular one.  Perhaps this is because it is associated with our student days, spending hour upon laborious hour in a dark corner of the library.  But to a travel writer research is essential, it’s varied and it can be fun.

What is research?  Travel research can be as formal as a day at library or as informal as a conversation over cocktails about your neighbor’s latest vacation.  More than likely, your most valuable explorations will be lifted from a casual telephone conversation, from a discussion with your local travel agent or from a back issue of your community newspaper’s travel section.  Travel talk is everywhere.

The purpose of fact finding is multifaceted because it can be these probes, both formal and informal, that help you decide where to go.

Informal research

The owner of ABC Travel may say India is this year’s top vacation destination.  Perhaps several well-traveled friends recently have mentioned a little known Mexican haven called Sayulita.  Or let’s say you overheard a conversation between two ski buffs about a pristine, yet undiscovered Montana resort.  Each of these encounters can be influential, but don’t neglect your library or the Internet. 

Formal research      

When researching or writing about a subject in depth, your local research librarian should become one of your best friends.  Invest in this important relationship by introducing yourself personally.  Explain that you are a travel writer and will be drawing on their expertise.

The Reader’s Guide to Periodical Literature (or its computerized equivalent) can be found in the library’s reference section.  This publication lists when and where articles were printed by subject, enabling you to review what other writers like yourself have penned about India or Sayulita or any other destination.  But using the Reader’s Guide tells you much more.  Is your subject popular?  Has it been published ad nauseam or one or two times?  Has your targeted publication recently printed a similar article?  This helpful information may confirm the proposed story’s potential or suggest you seek another topic.

Research is not a complicated science.  Bear in mind that the obvious sources of information are often the best.  Pursue those first.  My first pass at researching a subject begins with a look at the World Book Encyclopedia, which was purchased when my now-adult daughters were beginning their elementary education.  Yes, it’s old but it has valuable and timeless information.  This resource gives me a quick expansive overview of my intended subject. 

Another stop may be a travel book.  Guidebooks are full of facts and most include maps.  While some may consider these books only valuable to the leisure traveler, this is not the time to reinvent the wheel.  Why should I set the car odometer to measure the distance between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv when an Israel guidebook contains the information?  Be aware that although these books come out annually, much of the material is outdated by as much as two years.  So double-check time-sensitive facts.

The American Automobile Association is an additional source of information—touring maps are an indispensable travel writing tool and an increasingly difficult one to obtain.  And if you’re planning a road trip, member services for this organization can include custom-made trip kits for car travelers.

Internet information

Research via the Internet is a smart complement to the above suggestions for it makes fact exploration virtually effortless, even for the most obscure destination.  However, the infinite amount of information available through the Net is both a travel writer’s dream and a potential nightmare.  Resist the temptation to become an Internet research junkie, learn how to narrow your search and remember that not all research found in this medium is accurate and up to date.  While I typically visit Wikipedia on a subject, I always verify the information with a second source.

Resourceful research

Other resources I traditionally employ are the public relations department of a local attraction, chambers of commerce, convention and visitor bureaus (CVB) and tourism offices (STO, state tourism office; NTO, national tourism office).

I request a press (or media) kit from each of these resources, who are usually eager to comply.  A press kit can include an assortment of materials such as brochures, booklets, press releases, a facts sheet, maps and photographs.

In-flight magazines and in-room hotel magazines (printed and distributed by major hotel chains) are also good sources of destination information.  Say I’m flying KLM Airlines to Holland.  In advance of my departure I’ll request the national carrier’s in-flight publication.  Likewise, I always inquire if the hotel where I will be staying distributes a guest magazine (like Radisson Hotel’s Voyageur magazine); and if so, I ask if it can be mailed to my home to acquaint me with the city before my arrival. 

Bottom line

Whichever research route you select, don’t neglect this initial and important step to the travel writing process.

Excerpted from Cynthia Dial’s how-to book, Teach Yourself Travel Writing.