Yesterday, we talked to some of our Helpful Heroes, Local Business Champions, and Inclusive Mappers for 2021 about their favorite contributions and discoveries this year. Now, let’s see what Creative Contributors @plavarda , @Stphn , and @ChanneLing and Community Builders @Marichams , @Erna_LaBeau , and @ChiaraMariaC have been up to!
Don’t miss the reveal of the 2022 Guiding Stars on December 7, 9 am EST here on Connect and on the official Local Guides YouTube channel. To get notified, register your interest here.
What is your favorite contribution you made on Google Maps or Connect this year and why?
Paolo: I am very attached to this post, part of the series about my bicycle trip in Corsica. I visited a place that hadn’t changed for 5,000 years. It was a journey of many kilometers and many years back in time.
Stephen L.: The one that finally made me Level 10! I had been looking forward to that since I became a Local Guide almost four years ago. Even though I reached the highest level, I am more excited than ever to continue contributing!
Ling: This year, my favorite article on Connect was “5 Themed Convenience Stores for Cartoon Lovers” because it took me the most time to write. The stores are far from each other, and I couldn’t visit them all in one day.
Maricha: My favorite contributions are those connected to a memory and that tell a story. To others, they might appear to be just photos of places, but for me, they are more. From the clinic photo I posted that is now attached to the death of a loved one to the baby store facade where I went to get my newborn niece a gift… they are not just contributions!
Chiara: Аdding COVID-19 testing centers to Google Maps. They are mostly located in shopping malls, containers on pedestrian walkways, or community centers. Here are two test centers I’ve added: Testzentrum Wandsbek-Markt and Testzentrum in der Marktplatz Galerie.
Have you discovered anything new or surprising on Google Maps since you became a Guiding Star?
Stephen L.: My main contributions are reviews and photos. I am happy to see that new features are appearing there. It is super helpful to know, for example, if the person who wrote a restaurant review got a takeaway or ate inside. For hotels, it is good to be able to rate aspects such as cleanliness, service, and more. I cannot wait to see what Google Maps will look like in 10 years!
Maricha: I discovered how useful Google Maps is as a marketing tool for businesses with touristic potential and ambitions.
Erna: When I key in an address, the map now also shows the traffic lights. This is a very unique new addition. Thanks, Google Maps!
What is your favorite thing that happened to you because of Guiding Stars?
Stephen L.: Gratitude! I was not looking for that when I was contributing to Google Maps, but getting that email that I was selected as a Guiding Star just felt like a giant approval of my work here.
Ling: It’s a great honor to be one of the 50 Guiding Stars for 2021. Besides the gift box (woohoo!), I feel very grateful and satisfied whenever someone likes or comments that they love my photos and enjoy reading my articles. It’s the best compliment ever when people say my sharing makes them want to visit a place or try new food!
Maricha: With the Latinx Heritage Month feature and Guiding Stars, I felt shocked, honored, and humbled. After all, I’m just a 5’0 (152 cm) Caribbean dreamer uploading things from her phone! Those thoughts led me to appreciate that my contributions were really valuable. Being a Local Guide became a big part of a consultancy I was working on, which means that I could use my Google Maps achievements as professional tools. A Google Maps component became a core topic in a workshop I designed and executed in the Dominican Republic, a project aimed to reinforce rural development capabilities through the digital promotion of community-based tourism products. I also won a travel journalism award for an article I wrote about the concept of Mapping Culture on Google Maps, which felt pretty amazing!
Erna: In my case, the benefits of being a Guiding Star are gaining more followers, receiving a private message requesting some help, or wanting to be coached as a newbie in Local Guides Connect.
Chiara: So many awesome things have happened to me, but one experience was so incredible it made me cry. It was when the VP & General Manager for Geo, Christopher Phillips, said those fantastic things about me in the Guiding Stars 2021 video. 
trips, keep it up the spirit. Welcome to Kenya 
we shall ride together 
