DestinationRecommended.com, the first-ever destination review and ratings site, is now in open beta. With the mission of "inspiring people to choose their next destination, while giving every destination a chance to tell its story," people can now register, and rate and post reviews of the destinations they've visited, as well as the experiences they've had there. User registration is free, and required to rate a destination and write an overall review. Destination experience "1-Word Reviews" and ratings are open to all users - registered or not. Experience reviews and ratings allow users to select the destination and rate and write a very brief review (up to 60 characters) of a specific experience (such as dining, boating, beaches, architecture, etc.). There are well over 100 experiences to select for rating and review.
Every destination marketing organization can partner at no charge, a core element of the mission to "give every destination a chance to tell its story." Free DMO partners can upload informational and promotional content including photos, general info, and social networks on which they can be followed. They can also provide additional information that DestinationRecommended.com can use to highlight each destination on the home page, on its own social networks, and through its email newsletter Weekly Destination Inspiration. As content grows on-site, partner DMO's will also be able to access reports that will allow them to glean marketing intelligence from that content and the traffic to it. Two examples of this partner content already live come from Curacao and Queens, NYC.
The open beta phase marks an important milestone for DestinationRecommended.com founder Jim Brody, who said that "it's gratifying to flip the switch and begin to offer this one-of-kind platform to explorers, frequent travelers and anyone who is looking for their next destination. It's also great to be able to help so many destination marketing organizations, regardless of location, size or budget."
The site will remain in open beta until official launch, scheduled for 4th quarter this year.
DestinationRecommended.com has been in the works for over a year – the culmination of Jim Brody’s passion to “give every DMO a voice.” Prior to this project, Brody had spent over 20 years working with destinations, including planning and starting VisitNewEngland.com (one of the first travel content websites launched in 1996), and as the creator of the destination marketing efforts for TripAdvisor, Travelzoo and Oyster.com.
