Help / Join Passplanet

 

Passplanet is both a challenge, an adventure and a bet !  A challenge because I knew nothing about internet when I started. An adventure because this site deals with backpacking. And a bet because time will tell whether or not I get the support I need to continue... 

Your support is indeed essential for the survival of this site : help us maintain the information fresh & crispy, give us advise, let us know what you think and we should be able to keep providing a free quality site to future backpackers. This is our interest. This is your interest.

Together, let's keep Passplanet as free and independent as a backpacker !

 

A few precisions about Passplanet : what it is and what it is not !


Passplanet is a new travel site. It was launched on the 28th of October 1999 (see history & news for details) with China & HK, on the 1st of October 2000 for the other asian countries and on september 2001 for the Central America's sections.  Its purpose is to provide travelers with the latest available info, help them prepare their trip and let them share their info for the benefit of others.

Passplanet is not a "one person site". Thanks to internet, everyone can participate and hundreds of backpackers have already anonymously helped me by answering the surveys. I would like to associate backpackers to the success of Passplanet as far as possible : anyone submitting proper material will have his info published under his name & nationality and/or be listed as a Contributor. And backpackers who wish to cover a new country shall get a percentage of the profit generated by the country (see Become Partner for details). The objective is for Passplanet to become a travel guide written and/or updated by thousands of backpackers from all nationality.

Passplanet is not a "commercial site". OK, it is a dot com site ! This was indeed the logical way to get a simple URL and a protected name. But Passplanet is for the time being backed up by no Company ! I have no millions to spend in promotion & development and I am very far from any kind of profit !  All right, there is no reason to cry ! I am not desperate. But I simply wish to point out that Passplanet will turn successful only if you support it : if backpackers do not promote it around & participate to it, there is no reason for Passplanet to exist !

Eventually, I hope to make enough money from affiliate programs and ad banners to cover the costs, keep the site running and get a fair salary for my full time involvement. So far, this is far from being the case... Passplanet was created by the mere passion I have for backpacking and the desire to do something useful by improving the actual offer...  Whatever the future, this shall remain the focus of Passplanet !  

Passplanet is an original guide : I did not compile info from others but traveled the countries for months. I however use internet and other media to gather new info and update Passplanet regularly, taking good care not to breach any copyrights policy.  Links to useful sites sometimes complete the info. 

Passplanet is a responsible media that will not deal with politics. It is indeed difficult to judge any country by our own standard. The surveys & personal comments shall therefore be considered more like a "culture shock" warning than a kind of criticism. I also believe that backpacking is the best way of traveling as it enable contacts with the locals and broaden the mind on both parts.  

Finally, I wish to say that I personally regard honesty & ethic as an essential tool for anybody's personal development and I published a book on this subject in France (The Alchemy of Success). Passplanet's development shall follow those beliefs.

 

 

Ways you could help Passplanet...

Before your trip :

During your trip :

  • Share the information with the other backpackers

  • Keep record of any changes or errors you may encounter

  • Write about a place we did not cover and that you estimate worth a visit. We will consider publishing your material in total or parts, together with your name & nationality. You will also be cited as a Contributor. 

  • Add your own comments to our information : find a better description of the locality, new things to do or stuff to hate...  We will include your info inside our text and your name & nationality will appear  as a Contributor.

After your trip :

  • Participate to the ratings of the countries and the localities that you visited.

  • Update the information. Interesting materials will be published under the headline "Backpacker's Tips" with your name & nationality.  In addition, you will be cited as a Contributor.

  • Write about new localities. We shall create a new page under your name and you will be cited as a Contributor.

  • We will also consider small essays, notes or anecdotes regarding the way of life of the local, the various "culture shocks" & anecdotes encountered, with a preference for humoristic tone, sharpness and exploitability in understanding the locals' habits. 

  • Promote Passplanet on Forums

 

 

Become a Partner by covering a new country !

We are looking for partners to cover the following countries in Asia :

  • Sri Lanka

  • India

  • Tibet

  • The Philippines

  • Vietnam

  • Indonesia (except Sumatra)

  • Taiwan

  • Japan

  • South Korea

As it is commonly practiced with writers, your work will bear your name & background. You will also receive a share of the profits (if any) generated by the country : 50% the first year, 30% the second year and 10% the years thereafter. More if you keep the site updated. 

All traveling cost will have to be paid by the writer and there is no guarantee that the documents submitted will be published (they will obviously have to follow our general architecture) nor, if published, that the profits will be substantial. Relative fame and the pleasure to help other backpackers should be the prevalent motivations. 

Materials published will also become the propriety of Passplanet and a minimum of follow up to keep the site updated will be expected. Indeed, we would like to consider all writers as partners rather than mere author and we shall work together to develop a close successful relationship. 

Please contact us if interested, for a full discussion on the subject... 

 

 

Become an Associate by covering a new area !

We are looking for associates to cover the following area  :

  • The Pacific

  • North America

  • South America

  • Western Europe

  • Eastern Europe

  • Middle East

  • Africa

  • The Universe

We are talking here about a full time involvement to the world of backpacking with possibly substantial financial rewards in the future. The idea is to apply what I started with Asia to the rest of the Globe : same concept but another backpacker to collect, set up & update the info of the new area.

There would be no need to cover all the countries of the area at once but development would have to be regular. As with Passplanet Asia, it will also be possible to have several writters. But the Associate will obviously need to be passionate and have a global understanding of "his" area. Speaking the dominant local language would also make sense. 

The "cost split" should be simple : Passplanet  would take care of the hosting and the global promotion, the Associate would deal with all the other expenses. The "gain split" should be as follows : 70% of the turnover for the Associate,  the rest to Passplanet.  But again, let me stress out that passion for backpacking and willingness to help others travel the world should be the only good reasons to join... 

Please contact us if interested, for a full discussion on this broad subject... 

 

 

Become a Passplanet's Guide !

I am investigating the possibility of starting backpacking tours in different parts of the world. For more details about this project, check Passplanet's Tours and let me know how you feel about it. 

 

 

Become a Passplanet's Local Partner !

We are looking for local people to join the team ! They could make good revenues while helping backpackers & tourists to travel the area and local businesses to promote their services.. Check Passplanet's Local Touch for more details. 

 

 

Promote your Company via Passplanet !

Passplanet is for the time being one of the most complete (if not the most complete) independant travel guide for Asia and Central America.

Passplanet should therefore be an excellent support for companies targeting backpackers, that is dynamic travelers who enjoy getting in touch with the country they visit. Most of them are in their twenties but a few 60 something young travelers are also walking the dusty roads of the world ! 

Various forms of cooperation are possible :

  • Affiliate programs : we have already set up such a program with Amazon.com & Hotelguide.com but other products might interest backpackers...

  • Ad banners : with so many pages to visit, Passplanet offers plenty of opportunities to be seen. Direct link to your company could also be arranged.

  • Partnership programs : whatever their form, we are open to discussion...

With regards to our beliefs (see above), Corporate Partners will only be accepted if they offer quality services and/or products at a fair prices. The satisfaction of backpackers shall remain the priority of Passplanet !

If you are interested, please get in touch with us.