Making User Generated Content Sustainable

Steve Rubel has an excellent post called Web 2.0’s impact on Travel and Tourism, where he makes the case that users who are creating quality and popular content ought to be compensated, to keep the content coming. See below:

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Maryclaire730 has put together a terrific itinerary on the Yahoo Trip Planner of my home town, New York City. She highlights a three-day junket that covers the basics like the Waldorf Astoria hotel, a Broadway show as well as places off the beaten path, like Dylan’s Candy Bar, which is deep in the bowels of Bloomingdales. (Who knew?) The trip plan has been rated positively by Yahoo users and there are lots of rich photos to boot. However, maryclaire730 hasn’t made a dime on this.

Now imagine that Yahoo linked you back to their main travel site. If you wanted to, you could copy maryclare730’s entire trip. You can book the same flights, stay in the same hotel for the same number of days, reserve the same restaurants and even get a coupon for Dylan’s Candy Bar. The revenue is shared between Yahoo, the specific attractions/airlines/hotels and, yes, maryclare730. She gets a few bucks every time you link over and book all or part of her itinerary.

That is what Web 2.0 will do for travel and tourism.

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Indeed, too many companies today take for granted user-generated content. Will this party last?

Should it?