Social networking sites and their impacts

Travel Social Networking Site and Implications for Business

The objective of this study is to examine the travel social networking site and its implications for business. This work will consider the target audience and methods to promote the site. Social Network Travel websites are expanding their offerings as this report will demonstrate.

mmMule Social Network Travel Website

It is reported that an Irish woman by the name of Avis Mulhall co-founded a new website based in Sydney for travelers to receive rewards for delivery of something local during their travels. This website intends to be "a social travel network that connects locals who want items with travelers who can deliver them during their voyages." (Silicon Republic, 2012, p.1) The website enables individuals to obtain anything they want from across the globe and the traveler who obtains the item is rewarded with an experience. Another part of this website is known as AngelMule which allows individuals the options to use a portion of their holidays to deliver items that are needed urgently including food, clothing, used electronics to organizations in developing countries. This website was the idea of Mulhall who conceived the site at the time she quit her career in Island working as a recruiter in a wealth management and financial planning occupation and went to Africa to live. Mulhall states

"While I was living in the rainforest in Tanzania and teaching kids I saw how much the project suffered due to lack of resources, so often I would need teaching aids or simply stationary to give the kids so they could study. At the same time I knew that every day thousands of people travelled to Tanzania, so I thought what if everyone brought along a stash of pencils, or a bag of books, what difference could it make?" (Silicon Republic, 2012, p.1)

II. WAYN Social Network Travel Website

Another travel social network website is that of WAYN and it is reported that WAYN was "one of the earliest social networks" and is in fact "a niche social network which focuses on the younger, aspirational traveling classes. Amazingly, despite the recession, they are still gap-yearing around the world using WAYN to meet fellow travelers, and there are now 15.5 million registered users globally." (Butcher, 2010, p.1) WAYN is reported as "a sort of MySpace/Facebook for travel." (Butcher, 2010, p.1) The largest competitors of WAYN include TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet. WAYN is reported to have tapped in to "National country tourism boards that want to engage more closely with a social network. These have become a lucrative sort of revenue." (Butcher, 2010, p.1) It is reported as well that tourist offices "are advertising heavily on WAYN as a way to lure travelers to their countries." (Butcher, 2010, p.1) The most recent addition to WAYN is implementation of Facebook Connect which has generated 150,000 new users. WAYN has also launched a separate standalone site called WAYN Dating which is a move to "further monetize users." (Butcher, 2010, p.1)