I hear you, John. Thankfully, a lot of this is marketing speak, which I think most consumers (travelers) basically ignore. In other words, unless they’re in marketing, they probably don’t even register the fact that a destination calls itself a travel brand. At least, that’s my impression!

For me, the most important things are originality and authenticity. It seems that every place has “incredible sunsets,” when we know full well that some sunsets are better than others. Not everything can (or should) be incredible, amazing, superb or spectacular; that’s a direct route to poor guest expectations. Instead, focusing on the smaller details that actually make your hotel, tour, destination, etc. special – say, a small women’s weaving co-op next door, or access to a trail to a secluded beach – is the key to painting an original and authentic image of your offering.

The first step to better travel writing is identifying what needs improvement!