Whether you own a five-star beachfront resort or a small mountain inn, you’re losing business with travel clichés on your tourism website. Snooze-able, bland, and overused phrases don’t incite desire or create a compelling call to action.
In the spirit of full disclosure, I’m pretty sure within the 17-year span of my travel writing career I’ve been guilty of using some of these. However, if your travel or tourism website contains any (or all!) of them, it’s time for fresh content!
Breathtaking: Did you physically lose your ability to draw breath? If not, find another word.
Melting pot: The word means a cultural assimilation caused by a blending of heritage and traditions of ethnic groups. If you take some time to get to know the residents of just about anywhere, you’ll find that every place you visit is a melting pot.
Hidden gem: Apparently it’s been found – since you’re writing about it and all. A few replacements to consider: remote, isolated, or little-known.
Off the beaten path: This phrase needs to die and be buried somewhere along said path. And with so many people traveling off the beaten path these days, it’s probably a well-forged route by now. Why not try away from the main thoroughfare or a little out of the way?
Nestled: Is your property physically naturally or pleasantly sheltered? If it really is, consider using another adjective like situated, ensconced, or surrounded.
Like traveling back in time: Unless you got your flux capacitor up and running, it’s likely you’ve never actually time traveled. How can you compare something to an event you’ve never encountered?
Must see / must do: According to whom? Don’t be a travel bully. Just because you’re enthralled by your town’s rubber band museum, doesn’t mean your reader will be.
Azure: It’s a lovely word, and so tempting to use. However, by definition it means a light, purplish shade of blue. Often, it’s used as a blanket adjective for most bodies of water that are a completely different hue.
Mouth-watering: A few times my salivary glands were actually activated by a meal. But this word has been so used, it has lost its power to create a vivid picture of the food being described.
Charming / quaint: Typically attached to boutique hotels or historic properties, these words have also lost their effectiveness over time. Instead, use the adjectives that show the qualities that set you apart from other properties or destinations.
Ready to revamp your content and ramp up your sales? Give me a call for a free 30-minute website diagnosis!
