Blog Post #7

 Review of Hostelworld

 For this week's blog, I will be doing a review of one of the biggest, most influential websites in the backpacking travel world. This website is called Hostelworld it is the online home of backpackers. Since I have been writing about travel and backpacking for my blogs this semester, I thought it would make sense to write about a website that so many backpackers use to figure out all of their travel plans, Hostelworld is a booking site that specializes in affordable places to stay all around the world. It has become a place where young people travel to experience the world, while still on a budget. When you first go to the website you see various images of travelers enjoying themselves in common kitchens, walking around different cities,and sharing meals. It gives you an immediate sense of community and adventure. This I think is one of the greatest strong points of Hostelworld. To them it's not about just selling a place to sleep, they sell you and experience. It is easy to search for hostels in many countries, compare prices, and read honest reviews. The site is easy to use and it helps the traveler with its easy to use features, and good planning features, still allowing the traveler the freedom of picking something unique, also I really like how Hostelworld shows how social its hostels are. Instead of just having categories like cleanliness or location it also has categories for "facilities," “atmosphere,” and “staff friendliness.” Those are specific traits that really matter when one is traveling alone or trying to really get a social experience. However, I do think that there are still some issues that need to be dealt with. Even though they talk about cheap and affordable travel, it still mostly ends up being something that only people with enough money and freedom can actually do. Not everyone has the time or money for the cost of travel overseas and the fact of having a passport makes a big difference. As I pointed out in one of my former blogs, travel is not equal for everyone, and that is again not taken in consideration as it should be by Hostelworld like many travel sites. Another thing is that the eco-friendly title seems sometimes more like a way of marketing than a genuine practice. It doesn’t say how a hostel is eco friendly, it just says that it is. I also noticed that most of the reviews came from travelers and the locals didn't have anywhere to give their input. It would be nice if Hostelworld would have some kind of place for locals to discuss their perceptions on how tourism and backpacker tourism affects their communities. Besides these flaws I think Hostelworld is doing a great job of representing the depth of the backpacking community. It is a digital place where people are able to mix and mingle, exchange tips, get places to stay, and maybe even find friends. Overall, I would 10 out of 10 recommend someone who is getting in to backing to utilize this website. Especially because it is easy to navigate. It will be good for new travelers. It’s also good to stay in the loop since it is used widely by so many backpackers.

Infographic made by me

Photo from Wix

Photo from Wix

Photo from Wix