Wikivoyage talk:COVID-19 message

Following up on the issue of suspending DotM
I want to start out by thanking Granger for bringing that Fodor's article to light. It was very much a relief to learn that other travel guides have been deliberating the same issues that we have, broadly speaking, and have decided that despite everything that's going on and the fear and trepidation it's stirred up, the reading public is still in a position to appreciate the difference between writing/talking about travel now and endorsing the idea of travelling now. I think that provides us with enough cover that I'd be okay with continuing as usual with DotM, despite my earlier fears. All the same, I think it might be a good idea to put out some sort of messaging explaining our reasoning for doing so. I think this is an especially important thing to do on social media, where DotM is highlighted in, if anything, a more active way than on the site itself. Here's a draft version of a post I intend to place on Wikivoyage's Facebook page in a day or so. Your feedback is welcome.


 * Hello readers.


 * In light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, we want to update you on the latest steps Wikivoyage is taking.


 * We at Wikivoyage are passionate about travel. But we also recognize that the most important thing right now is, as much as possible, to slow the spread and mitigate the impact of the virus. And we understand that part of the reality of the fight against the virus is that for now, unnecessary travel is irresponsible and increasingly impossible. Over the past days, our community has been engaging in a discussion of how best to proceed with our mission of serving travellers in light of the current world situation.


 * On our Main Page, you'll find a link to our coverage of the 2019-2020 coronavirus pandemic. Again, please do everything you can to avoid travel during this pandemic, but if travel is unavoidable, our article is a comprehensive source of information on the pandemic as it pertains to travellers, including what to do to prevent infection and what to do if you do get infected. This information is being continuously updated as the situation progresses.


 * Also on our Main Page, you'll find links to our current Destination of the Month, Off the Beaten Path, and Featured Travel Topic articles. Our intention is to continue displaying these articles as normal, including promoting them on our Facebook page. Importantly, our intention is not to promote the idea of actually visiting any of these places now or in the immediate future. The primary purpose of our Featured Articles is, and always has been, to highlight the hard work of our dedicated team of travel writers by presenting our readers with the best-quality articles Wikivoyage has to offer. We are proud of the fact that our Featured Articles have served over the years as the inspiration for some truly fantastic travel adventures, and we hope that our readers are equally inspired by the articles we have in store for the coming months, but, once again, we implore you to please put off any unnecessary travel for the time being. These places will still be there waiting for you after the pandemic has passed - and given the grave impact that the pandemic is having on the travel industry, your custom will likely be more welcome than ever.


 * Another reason why we will continue to display our Featured Articles is because we also recognize that the stress of constant bombardment with news and information during this scary time, combined with the loneliness and isolation that comes with social distancing and lockdown, are having and will continue to have a real effect on people's mental health. We want you to stay up-to-date as the situation evolves, but we also understand the value of taking your mind off things from time to time. Even if right now you can't get away from it all to your favorite sun-soaked tropical isle in a literal sense, you can still "travel the world" virtually just by reading through our latest Featured Article, or any of our other articles.


 * Wikivoyage is the free, non-commercial, worldwide travel guide for everyone. That means you. And from the bottom of our hearts, we want to sincerely thank you for making us your most trusted source for travel information. We love travel, we know you love travel, and we intend to continue to be at your service for years and years to come. All things must pass, as they say; the coronavirus will too; and we all hope to be able to resume our normal lives and our normal travels as quickly as possible. But for now, please stay well, please stay informed with the recommendations of your local authorities and medical experts, and please take care of yourselves, your loved ones, and your neighbors.

(Pinging past participants in COVID-related discussions: ShakespeareFan00, Ikan Kekek, Gizza, Ypsilon, Ground Zero, Andyrom75, ThunderingTyphoons!, WhatamIdoing, Bigpeteb, AlasdairW, OhanaUnited, SelfieCity. Granger was already mentioned above.)

-- AndreCarrotflower (talk) 03:40, 18 March 2020 (UTC)


 * That's a really great draft! Thank you! I agree with it completely and would only tweak a few things. I'll make the edits now, and you can see if you like them - they're very minor. Ikan Kekek (talk) 05:01, 18 March 2020 (UTC)


 * It's very well written. No tweaks from me. Gizza ( roam ) 06:21, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Excellent! Very passionate and accurate. Just one note. I'm not an English native speaker, but although the concept behind "your tourist dollars" is correct (and I agree with it), it sounds very venal, so I would suggest to reprhase it. Again congratulation. -- Andyrom75 (talk) 07:22, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Yep, good draft. I made a few changes in individual edits before this one. May I further suggest pinning the post once it's live, so it doesn't get lost by later ones?--ThunderingTyphoons! (talk) 07:57, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks, good, just a few days ago I would have not been sure about advising against local travel in the the areas with few known cases, but I think that time has passed. AlasdairW (talk) 08:23, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * That looks good to me. I would suggest adding a link to the message on the Main Page. Again, I will suggest the space occupied by Featured Events. The event that I added yesterday has been delayed until April 7, and will likely be delayed further or cancelled. The next event up is the Invictus Games. There's no information on their website now, but the way things are going, I think we can expect those to be rescheduled or cancelled. Ground Zero (talk) 09:47, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * ThunderingTyphoons!, thanks for rephase it, and sorry to use a not commonly used word :-D I admit that I've used the dictionary too, to translate the Italian word that I had in my mind to be accurate in message :-). Once agreed the text, I'll be more than glad to translate entirely in Italian. -- Andyrom75 (talk) 12:25, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Good idea and well written. —Granger (talk · contribs) 12:29, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Thank you everyone. I just posted the notice a few minutes ago. -- AndreCarrotflower (talk) 15:35, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * A late comment, but the above text sounds good. --Ypsilon (talk) 18:08, 18 March 2020 (UTC)
 * It is here for those who are interested. Ground Zero (talk) 10:10, 19 March 2020 (UTC)
 * Excellent, thanks for writing this! I have no concerns with this, and I think this should be our standard policy, as it applies, to how we conduct Wikivoyage during the coronavirus outbreak and pandemic. --Comment by Selfie City  ( talk  |  contributions ) 15:03, 22 March 2020 (UTC)

Wikivoyage YouTube
I’ve made COVID-19 message a YouTube video. I know the timing is wrong, but I’m curious if there is consensus for this to become public.

In future Wikivoyage articles could perhaps be made into videos for featured destinations, and still better each language edition that uses YouTube could have its own account. It could be a way to attract new contributors. --Comment by Selfie City  ( talk  |  contributions ) 18:54, 6 June 2020 (UTC)


 * I appreciate the effort, but I don't think a video of some blurred text slowly scrolling without any sound is of much interest. It might be different if somebody wandered around a DOTM destination with a camera, and some good copyright free music was available to accompany it. However who has the time and money to go and spend 2-3 days in the location, followed by a day editing? If we can't get something close to broadcast quality, it won't help promote our image. AlasdairW (talk) 21:43, 6 June 2020 (UTC)
 * It was a five-minute attempt using iMovie, and I'd be interested in doing more, but I don't really have any ideas that would be possible without actually visiting the destinations. Perhaps I could apply your suggestion for one of the upcoming destinations. --Comment by Selfie City  ( talk  |  contributions ) 22:04, 6 June 2020 (UTC)


 * It's a good videos! I look forward to this video for everyone to watch.--✈ IGOR ／ ✉ TALK?!  ．WIKIVOYAGER ! 18:16, 24 June 2020 (UTC)