MAPS MADE BY LOCALS

Nicolas Marichal, editor in chief of USE-IT Europe
www.use-it.travel

“Where‘s the party at tonight?” “I don‘t need the full list, just tell me where you like to eat?”

“Is this expo actually any good? Have you been there?” “Do girls also pay drinks around here?” These are the questions that every hostel, hotel or tourist info gets, but cannot always answer. USE-IT maps can help for one target group already: young travellers. The maps contain a selection by young people who actually live in the city and who write texts as if they were talking to a friend instead of… well, writing texts.

Every USE-IT initiative starts with a few enthusiastic young locals, who look for their own budget, usually from local authori- ties. In his presentation, Nicolas will highlight the hippie history of the USE-IT concept, explain why it‘s really different from other travel guides, and talk about the growth of the European network. He will also present the results of a survey done in 2013 about the (economic) impact of USE-IT maps.

Transcript

1. A SHORT HISTORY OF USE-IT AND ITS PHILOSOPHY Nicolas Marichal, editor in chief EUROPE TOURIST INFO FOR YOUNG PEOPLE
2. HISTORY OF TOURISM 1. Historians for travellers 2. Journalists for travellers 3. Marketeers for travellers 4. Travellers for travellers 5. Locals for travellers
3. Historians for travellers (first travel guides)
4. Journalists for travellers (today’s travel guides)
5. Marketeers for travellers (tourist brochures)
6. Travellers for travellers (e.g. tripadvisor)
7. Locals for travellers
8. City maps: the newest thing!
9. 30 cities
10. HISTORY OF USE-IT 1. 1971 Copenhagen 2. 1989 - 1997 Oslo and Rotterdam 3. 2005 the first Map of Ghent for young travellers 4. 2008 The European network
11. 1971 Copenhagen
22. 1989 Oslo
23. 1997 Rotterdam
24. 2005: the first Map of Ghent for young travellers
25. 2008 USE-IT in Belgium
26. 2008 the European network
27. WHY IS THIS DIFFERENT? 1. For one specific target group: young travellers 2. Made by locals 3. Not commercial (nobody pays) 4. The real story (more than tourism)
28. For one specific target group: young travellers
29. Made by locals
30. Not commercial (nobody pays)
31. The real story (more than tourism)
32. NOT FOR PROFIT, BUT... 1. they only use the USE-IT map 2. they stay longer 3. they want more (as reported by 2.400 people in 2013)
33. they only use the USE-IT map
34. they stay longer
35. they want more
36. WHERE DO YOU FIND THE MAPS? 1. Crossposting in hostels 2. No hotels 3. Mobile application
37. Crossposting in hostels (for the target group)
38. No hotels
39. Mobile application: coming soon
40. WWW.USE-IT.TRAVEL EUROPE TOURIST INFO FOR YOUNG PEOPLE