First some statistically interesting facts: We now have 74 guides and 27 guides-in-making. In total they've added around 1246 contributions to the website, which means, around 1246 secret things, things that you can't even google most of the time, have been made accessible!
So how many of these guides have been contacted? Most of the guides did receive some questions online about their city. Practical questions like; 'In which part of town should I look for an apartment', but also more intimate ones like; 'Are you single?'. Furthermore guides are being praised for their extensive work online promoting the cultural underground of the city. Still none of the guides that replied to my question did actually receive visitors. Except for one guy from Beirut: Rani. Rani received five visitors and is still counting.
So, I asked myself: How is this possible? Why did Rani receive five visitors, while the rest of the guides is getting none? Last week Rani was in Amsterdam and of course I was eager to have an interview with him to find out more. Rani told me he's not only dependent on the website for promotion. He makes sure everybody interested in Beirut or him, is redirected to his guide-page. In that way people who might know someone, who is the friend of someone who's going to Beirut is being informed about Rani, the guide. Put in less confusing words: He has created a broad reach of his guidepage.
The interview was very enlightening for me and made me think about things we need to improve in the Travel project. Guides should be able to broaden their reach, promote themselves. This can be done in different ways, but for now it's up to the guides themselves. I would recommend guides to do the same as Rani: Let people know you're a guide and redirect them to your page, even if they aren't going to your city. Let's hope the next balance will be more in balance.