I started contributing to the Local Guides program in earnest a couple years ago when I started travelling more frequently. As a traveler, I was reliant on Google Maps and the Local Guides community to explore new areas. With the information that was shared, I was able to find amazing places to visit from remote areas of Iceland to the chaos of New York. There was endless advice and tips to help me find the best views, get discounts, skip long lines, find delicious meals, and find the best times to visit. Eventually, I realized that I could easily contribute back to this community to help travelers like myself to have their own best travel experiences. In the past two years, I’ve made an effort to capture as must useful information as possible to share with this community.
One of the most rewarding aspects of being a local guide has been the ability to find hidden gems, especially “mom and pop” shops and restaurants. I realized that my photos and reviews have a meaningful impact on their success because it’s free and honest advertising: I love supporting these local businesses and the Local Guides community has enabled me to accomplish this goal. Showing support to small businesses is especially important in this period of isolation, which has caused many of them to struggle to survive.
Info from the Local Guides community has made my travelling more fun and successful by making important information more accessible. As a solo female traveler, it also helps to keep me safe and brings me peace of mind by allowing me to research where I want to go (or not go) and find places where I will be welcome. I typically “vanlife” and live in my car on road trips, and great research is the key to success. Accessible information gives me the space I need to be adventurous and try new experiences, while also enabling me to make smart choices.
Photography has always been my hobby, and I now have a global platform to share my travel experiences. The support of this wonderful community has given me the confidence to share my photos publicly, and I now have millions of views of my photos. I never expected this level of support and it’s gratifying to receive this positive feedback and to connect with others who share my interests.
Thank you Local Guides community!