A new travel website launching today aims to provide an alternative source of income to journalists by sharing its revenue with contributors.
Simonseeks.com has been created by Simon Nixon, the founder of price comparison website Moneysupermarket.com, and will showcase user-generated travel guides.
Nixon said the site presented a “unique revenue-generating opportunity” for writers and his aim was for it to become one of Britain’s top 10 travel websites within a year.
The site will feature accounts and experiences of worldwide locations and insider information about each destination.
Daily Telegraph and Condé Nast Traveller columnist Nick Trend has joined the team as editorial director and is looking to hire travel enthusiasts and professional journalists to join the community.
“It has come at a time when it is very difficult for journalists, even the best, to make a living,” he told Press Gazette.
“We have provided a platform where they can publish their own work and make money out of it.”
All the travel guides uploaded to the site will be vetted by the editorial team to ensure the writing is of a high quality. Visitors can rate each article.
Each piece of editorial will be placed next to advertising that is directly relevant and closely matched to the content.
Writers will take a share of the display advertising revenue and will also be paid commission on any bookings made with the site’s travel partners, which include Lastminute.com and Hotels.com.
Nixon said in a statement: “At a time when newspapers are wrestling with how to make websites profitable, simonseeks.com aims to prove that money can be made without charging customers for online content.”
He added: “The more informative, interesting and easy-to-read a particular guide is, the higher its rating will be and the more income it will generate for the author.”
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