Wikivoyageeditorial GuidelinesEdit
Wikivoyage editorial Guidelines shape how travel content is created, reviewed, and published on the project. They aim to deliver useful, up-to-date information for real-world planning while maintaining a governance process that relies on editors who are accountable to the community. The guidelines are practical in tone: they prize accuracy, candor about risks, and content that helps readers make informed choices about destinations, modes of travel, and itineraries.
From a pragmatic perspective, the guidelines balance openness with responsibility. They encourage editors to publish firsthand observations when clearly labeled, but they also require citations to reliable sources for broader claims. The result is content that is both useful to travelers and trustworthy as a reference. In practice, this means articles focus on actionable details—how to get from A to B, what to expect at a given site, costs, hours, and safety considerations—without becoming promotional or dogmatic.
This article surveys the core ideas behind the Wikivoyage editorial Guidelines, how they are implemented in everyday editing, and the debates that surround them in practice. It also explains how editors collaborate to keep travel information accurate, respectful, and useful, without letting ideological currents override practical usefulness.
Core principles
Neutral point of view and balance: Articles strive for a fair representation of destinations, presenting relevant contrasts, caveats, and diverse perspectives when there is a legitimate disagreement about a destination or experience. This does not mean neutrality is always achieved perfectly, but it is the guiding objective.
Verifiability and No original research: Claims about costs, schedules, safety advisories, or local conditions should be grounded in reliable sources or firsthand reports that are clearly labeled as such. Editors are expected to cite sources and to distinguish between widely accepted facts and personal impressions.
Practical, non-promotional information: Content should help a reader plan a trip, compare options, and prepare for contingencies. The aim is useful guidance, not marketing copy or sensationalized descriptions.
Safety and risk awareness: Articles should present reasonable cautions about travel risks, local laws, and environmental conditions. Readers deserve honest, timely information about what to expect and how to mitigate problems.
Local knowledge and firsthand experience: The project values firsthand accounts and local expertise, provided they are clearly attributed and placed in context with broader sources. This helps travelers understand on-the-ground realities that published guides may miss.
Copyright, licensing, and openness: Content is generally shared under open licenses (such as CC BY-SA), which enables reuse and remixing while requiring attribution. This licensing framework supports wide distribution of practical travel information.
Clear language and accessibility: While the project does not police every term, there is an emphasis on clear, direct language that can be understood by a broad audience, including non-native speakers. Complex subject matter is explained with precision rather than obfuscation.
Editorial transparency and governance: Decisions about content are typically made through a community process, with talk pages, editor discussions, and revision histories that allow readers to see how content evolved.
Respect for governance and local norms: While the project encourages frank, practical information, it also recognizes that certain discussions touch on sensitive topics. Editors are urged to handle such topics with care, accuracy, and sensitivity where appropriate, avoiding sensationalism.
Content standards and workflow
Sourcing and reliability: Prefer primary sources for specific facts (opening hours, ticket prices, transport options) and reputable secondary sources for interpretation or context (official tourism boards, government advisories, major news outlets).
Structure and organization: Travel articles should use clear headings, provide practical sections (Getting there, Getting around, Costs, Safety, When to go), and avoid gratuitous digressions that do not aid planning.
Language and tone: Descriptive language should be direct and factual. When discussing potentially sensitive topics, editors strive for accuracy and context rather than provocative framing.
Updates and maintenance: Editorial guidelines emphasize timely updates as conditions change—seasonal schedules, construction, and safety advisories—while preserving the historical record of how information evolved.
Moderation and edits: Edits are reviewed on a rolling basis by volunteers. The process relies on collaboration, with talk pages used to surface disagreements and reach consensus rather than unilateral edits that may mislead readers.
Attribution and credit: When content reflects a particular traveler’s experience or a specific source, it should be appropriately attributed and clearly distinguished from general guidance.
Controversies and debates (from a practical, outcomes-focused perspective)
Neutrality vs. editorial voice: Some editors argue for maximum objectivity to prevent bias, while others contend that editorial voice helps readers understand the real-world implications of a destination's conditions. Proponents of a stronger editorial voice maintain that clearly labeled opinions can improve usefulness, so long as factual claims remain sourced.
Inclusivity and representation: There is ongoing debate about how destinations, communities, and experiences are described. Critics argue that overemphasis on identity-focused framing can obscure practical travel information. Supporters contend that inclusive language helps travelers understand cultural norms, safety considerations, and respectful conduct. From a practical standpoint, the aim is to balance respectful representation with the need to deliver clear, actionable guidance.
Language and sensitivity: Guidelines favor accessible language, but there is discussion about how to handle terms that may be sensitive in different cultures. Proponents of straightforward description worry that over-censorship can hamper clarity, while advocates for careful language emphasize reducing harm and avoiding stereotyping.
Coverage breadth vs. depth: Some editors push for broad coverage of many destinations, even if information is shallow, to avoid neglecting places that are off the typical tourist path. Others favor depth and reliability for a smaller set of destinations. The pragmatic stance is to ensure that each article remains accurate, up-to-date, and genuinely useful, while expanding coverage where it can be maintained responsibly.
Safety warnings vs. fearmongering: There is tension between providing honest risk information and avoiding sensationalism. The right-of-center viewpoint here tends to prioritize practical risk management, clear instructions, and up-to-date advisories that help travelers avoid trouble without creating unnecessary alarm.
Free expression and content boundaries: Critics sometimes argue that strict guidelines limit editors' ability to cover controversial or challenging topics. Supporters note that boundaries are necessary to prevent misinformation, protect readers, and maintain a usable travel resource. The practical stance is to keep boundaries tight around verifiable, actionable content while allowing clearly labeled firsthand perspectives.
Practices for editors and readers
Verification-first approach: Editors should corroborate facts with reliable sources and clearly label firsthand observations as such. Readers benefit from transparency about where information comes from.
Clear labeling of opinions: When editors include personal experiences or subjective assessments, these should be clearly identified as opinions and not presented as universal facts.
Attribution and sourcing discipline: Where a claim depends on a source, links to the source should be provided so readers can assess the basis for the assertion.
Consistency and structure: Articles should adhere to a consistent layout, with predictable sections so travelers can quickly locate the information they need.
Responsiveness to change: Given the dynamic nature of travel, guidelines emphasize regular updates, especially for transportation schedules, opening hours, safety advisories, and visa requirements.