Nowadays, following by the development of the social media, more and more people choose the Instagram or Tik Tok to realize the information of their journey. In the past, people may try to understand the information by using travel agency and travel guide books, or searching information from internet. But now many of them like looking for the information results of “travel strategy”, “one-day trip line” or “must-visit attractions in Australia” from social media. So this is the reason why I’m trying to set up an account for a comprehensive travel guide to the tourists visiting or travelling Australia. From a perspective of an international student by myself, I would like to establish the account to offer some truly suggestions.
I’m an international student from China for study at University of Wollongong in Australia. I come from China to Australia to study and live, so I can better understand the problems of the tourists as they firstly arrived at Australia. Such like “how to get there by transportation”, “how to arrange visits between attractions”, “where are the places worth visiting” or “What is the approximate budget” and something else during the journey. These problems are also the reasons those I want to set up this account.
It is easier for me like a student to set up a self-media account than making a website. There are many problems such as a domain name, server, web design and website maintenance. Also it is necessary to incorporate user inputs. But now self-media platforms are very mature. People will look up the account which I just need to set up an account and write some articles. That will make me have more time on content production and less time with the difficulties of technical matter.
A big advantage of self-media is that the media contents are relatively diverse in form. Tourism itself is a theme that is highly suitable for visual expression. I can demonstrate the account contents by the recorded short videos of scenic spot, and also show by photos, maps and the narrator introduction of the trip route. Compared with text-only websites, this format is more likely to enable users to gain an intuitive understanding of the actual appearance of a given location. So I’m currently a student self-media representing a low cost approach that is well suitable for accumulating experience and building a personal brand.
As I am an international student, this account is of a rather special feature. If an average travel blogger wants to introduce the landscape of Australia, he or she may pay more attention to the landscape and the nice photos. But as a Chinese student living and studying in Australia, I will pay more attention to some practical issues. For example, when a Chinese tourist comes to Australia, what they might most want to know are “how can I get there from here”, “is the public transportation convenient”, “if I need to buy tickets in advance” and “how much does it cost approximately per day”. And these problems happen to be the ones I often encounter as an international student.
Besides, I’m quite familiar with what Chinese users think about, and also I have been in Australia for a period of time. This means that I can find the issues from both perspectives naturally. For example, when I introduce an Australian scenic spot to you, I won’t just stop at a basic introduction of the attraction itself. I can also tell Chinese visitors about what makes this place special, how is it different from domestic tourist attractions in China, and share useful tips that first-time visitors here need to know. When I make travel guides, I don’t simply copy the content of others online. Instead, I try my best to experience it myself and confirm the opening hours, transportation methods, tickets and other details through official information. This can make my strategy more reliable. I also hope that through my account, more Chinese students and tourists can see that Australia is not just about famous attractions like the Sydney Opera House and the Harbour Bridge. Other cities like Wollongong also has many places worth exploring and visiting.
I choose strategy oriented content because I believe this kind of content can truly help others. Many times before we go on a trip, we encounter similar problems such as “where to go for fun”, “how to arrange the trip route”, “is this place worth visiting” and “is one day enough”. If we search for these information by ourselves, we may come across a lot of scattered information and it will take us a long time to sort it out. So I hope my account can help users organize this information well. Such as, I can create a “one day tour guide for Wollongong”, telling everyone where to start in the morning, where to get as the first stop, how to take a bus between scenic spots, where to have lunch at noon, where else to go in the afternoon, and how to get back in the evening. In this way after users see it, they can directly refer to it based on their own situation.
Beyond standard tourist guidebooks, I also want to create some content that is more suitable for students, such as “low budget weekend trips”, “students travel guide to Australia” and “scenic spots to visit without driving”. This type of content would be quite useful for those international students often having limited budget. I also hope to make some pitfalls avoidance strategies. When traveling, there are some problems that can only be known after truly experiencing them. Such like that a certain scenic spot actually requires advance reservation, or a certain route seems to be very close, but public transportation is not available. These real experiences can all help others avoid some detours.
I hope my account doesn’t simply tell everyone “this place is very beautiful”, but rather tries to solve the real problems that users encounter. First of all, I can create content based on the questions in the comment section from the account. If many people are asking the same question, I can organize it into a guide. This kind of content is not decided by me, but is determined and produced up on the real requirements of the users. Secondly I can make the rather complex tourism information simpler. For example, a very long piece of text might not be easy understanding, but if I draw the route on a map and combine it with video and text explanations, the users can understand it more intuitively. Thirdly I hope to use my own real experience as much as possible. Such as, after I go to a place by myself, I can record the travel time, the duration of the trip, the actual experience and the problems encountered during the process. This is more valuable for reference than simply copying information from the internet. Of course, I will also pay more attention to the difference between personal experience and objective information. Such like “I think this place is very fun” is my personal feeling, while “what time does the scenic spot open” and “when does the train depart” should be confirmed through official channels. I think this is especially important for a journalism student.
At the very beginning, I hope to mainly introduce Wollongong and its surrounding areas because this is where I currently live and study. I can have more opportunities to experience it myself. After that, if the account gradually attracts a certain number of fans, I hope to expand the content to Sydney and other cities in New South Wales. Furthermore I can introduce the travel routes of other states in Australia, gradually evolving the account from “Wollongong travel guide” to “Australia travel guide from the perspective of Chinese international students”. Apart from traveling, I also hope to incorporate some content about the life of international students. For example, “where do international students go to play on weekends”, “how to play during public holidays in Australia” and so on. This enables the account to serve not only tourists but also international students studying and living in Australia. The content forms in the future can also be more diverse. In addition to short videos, I can also create graphic and textual travel guides, route maps, travel lists, and even interview other international students to let them share their views on Australia. Because everyone’s travel style and cultural background are different, these diverse perspectives can also make the account more interesting. Overall, the self-media account I want to create is one that enters on travel guides for Australia while also integrating the lives of international students.
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