By Jane Hamilton, MyMediaInfo
There’s something in our DNA that makes us long for to see new places, have new experiences and bask in the adventure of the unknown, so it’s really no wonder that the travel and tourism industry is as big as it is. Travel is no longer just about packing a bag, taking a plane and waiting to arrive in a new place. It has become a complete package experience, with cruises, hotels and spas vying with each other to give a unique experience full of unforgettable moments. Moments that will eventually be tweeted about!
We’ve compiled the top 10 experts on travel. These folks give the best, most current information and news on the world of travel. Keep in mind that MMI ranks them based on Twitter activity as well as followers, among other criteria, and not just popularity.
- @NewYorkology: NewYorkology is a blog on news, events and travel in New York City. It’s been bringing readers the latest information on places to see and things to do in NYC since 2004 and now tweets under the same name. It is a treasure trove of guidelines on food, drink, shopping, transport and all things relevant to traveling in New York. @NewYorkology has made 25,482 updates to date, and has 30,479 followers. With 5 stars it has an MMI rank of 90.
- @EliteTravelGal: Stacy H. Small, President of Elite Travel Inernational and Co-Founder at Social Media Mavens, writes a blog called The Elite Travel Gal – Blog. Her Twitter feed has interesting conversations with other travel enthusiasts on travel destinations, popular trends and more. @EliteTravelGal has scored 135 on MMI with 5 stars, owing to its 33,668 updates and 13,755 followers.
- @SheilaS: Sheila Scarborough writes for various magazines, newspapers, and blogs, including the Perceptive Travel Blog. She also has her own blog called Sheila’s Guide to the Good Stuff. Her main interests are tourism and social media, and she frequently comments on the effect one has on the other. With an MMI score of 249 with 5 stars, @SheilaS has 27,685 tweets and 9,970 followers.
- @Marilyn_Res: Marilyn Terrel is Chief Researcher for National Geographic Traveler and copy editor for Intelligent Travel. She also frequently writes the Weird But True column for National Geographic Kids magazine. Her Twitter feed is full of interesting insights on the sights, sounds and exciting experiences she has on her travels. She also tweets about her home and family, making for a comfortable and entertaining read. @Marilyn_Res has 25,672 tweets and 13,481 followers. It has an MMI score of 280 and 5 stars.
- @ChefMark: Chef Mark C. Foya is a traveler and a personal chef with an expertise in various cuisines of the world. He also creates food and travel videos for The Gilded Fork Culinary Media Network. He shares his expertise and recipes on his personal blog ReMARKable Palate. Chef Mark’s twitter feed also provides links to delicious recipes and peeks into his experiences with food and travel. @ChefMark, with 20,527 updates till date, is followed by 8,859 people. With an MMI score of 309, it has 5 stars.
- @nomadicmatt: Despite being sixth on this list, ‘Nomadic’ Matt is the original traveler and the ultimate travel expert on this list. He’s been traveling since 2005! He writes about the most exciting travel adventures that are easiest on the wallet on his blog Nomadic Matt’s Travel Site. His tweets are all about his many adventures in various countries and cultures. His twitter feed has 16,788 updates and 15,752 followers till date. This has earned the page an MMI score of 336 with 5 stars.
- @foodphilosophy: Jennifer Iannolo is an avid traveler and a food expert who believes that people with food-related health issues can still dine adventurously. She has 20 years of experience in the food and wine business and she writes for The Gilded Fork, which she co-founded. Jennifer blogs at Food Philosophy, where she frequently writes about food and sensuality. Her role as a food explorer has taken her many places and she is well-versed in travel and great food destinations. Her twitter feed has 24,571 updates and 6,175 followers, earning her an MMI score of 419 with 5 stars.
- @italylogue: Jessica Spiegel is a travel guide for BootsnAll, where she writes about everything that Italy has to offer as a travel destination. She also works with WhyGo, a travel website that gives plenty of reasons to visit various destinations. Her twitter feed has 26,224 tweets and 7,871 followers. With an MMI score of 483, it has 5 stars.
- @niltiac: Caitlin Fitzsimmons is a Freelance Writer at EcoSalon. She writes about media, social and environmental issues, while also contributing to travel and food websites. She shares her travel stories on her blog Roaming Tales. Her 23,592 tweets have 4,059 followers, earning her an MMI score of 678 with 5 stars.
- @adventurouskate: Kate McCulley believes every woman should travel alone to get the most out of the experience. Her blog Adventurous Kate’s Solo Female Travel Blog, recounts the some of the craziest moments in her travels including dancing with Vanilla Ice on South Padre Island and ‘starring’ as an extra in a German movie. She’s visited almost all the continents and talks about the best food, drink and places to stay. Her twitter page has 16,438 updates and 3,036 followers, with an MMI score of 1,241 and 5 stars.
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* All number of tweets and followers are based on facts collected while the article was written.
**Want to recreate this list? MyMediaInfo Social Media database subscribers can use these easy steps.
- Click on the Social Media Module. On this page, under the ‘Twitter’ column, click on ‘Beats/Focus’. Select ‘Travel and Transportation’. Click OK.
- Return to the main page and under the ‘Twitter’ column, click on MMI Score/Rating to select only Twitter handles with a 5-star rating. Click OK.
- Click on ‘Get Result’
- Now, double click on the column called “MMI Ranking”, and the list will rearrange in ascending order. Remember, the smaller the MMI ranking, the more influential the Twitter handle.
- All twitter feeds that provide general news have been weeded out from our list.
