So where are they and what are they doing? (page 1 of 33)

This catchy and somewhat mysterious title comes from several questions I’ve been asking myself.

VF has been back open for a reasonable number of weeks and months now. The number of visitors overall matches past averages, but the number of members online in the last 24 hours seems relatively lower than what we used to see.

Yet, to my surprise, I’m seeing fewer travel journals, way fewer messages, and way fewer questions. I don’t see many new registered users online, and I notice a number of members who are logged in but either aren’t participating or have stopped participating.

Something’s not adding up for me because, in my opinion, VF is still appealing, and I don’t see which other sites could really compete.

Was there a real break between pre- and post-Covid? Does it just take more time for some people to discover the site or learn that it’s active again? Do people now prefer quick consumption on sites like FB or others I’m not familiar with? Where have the site’s old-timers gone, and what are they doing with their time now? What’s really going on here?

Hi there,

After several years of being inactive, the site was forgotten by many. Some don’t even know it’s back up and running—it hasn’t been that long, really. There have probably been a few sad losses too, since some members were between 60 and 80 years old in 2020. And let’s not forget that COVID took a lot of lives. It’ll take time for things to get back to how they were—I’d say 1 to 2 years, with new folks joining to get the momentum going again. Travel still inspires dreams, so there’s no reason it won’t bounce back even stronger.

But yeah, it’s pretty quiet right now—I can tell from some of the forums I follow, like airlines, where there are only a few posts a day. Before, it was non-stop all day long. Let’s just give it time. 😉

A few years have gone by, and new habits have formed...

Plus, search engines answer so many questions now!

Meanwhile, the old VoyageForum members still have unresolved history between them that hasn’t necessarily faded with years of silence...

I'm not sure about the spelling in my previous post...

I do see, much to my surprise, slightly fewer travel journals

Oh, I can easily explain that to you !

I gave a little nod to your message in an old post from 14 or 15 years ago that I updated in Miscellaneous. Not really an answer to your questions, but just an observation that many haven’t come back—maybe tired of always answering the same questions, maybe not aware the forum reopened, or simply not interested anymore.

Really, how would we know where the "old-timers" are or what they’re doing, and what difference would it make to find out 🙂?

The old-timers from the forum also have unresolved history between them that hasn’t necessarily been settled after years of silence...

On the other hand, maybe we don’t see that same lightheartedness today that existed back then—and it didn’t hurt the forum’s vibe one bit.

Hello, I completely agree with your observation, and I can explain it for several reasons:

People today want almost immediate answers to their questions... And for that, many have signed up for Facebook groups, where the travel community has grown considerably. There, you get notifications when there’s a reply, and the groups are much more responsive than on VF (with links, phone numbers, websites, photos—all in real time...)

On the other hand, it’s clear that the Routard forum site is much more active now than it used to be... I’m also subscribed to that site, and there are way more new messages there than on VF. I think the closure of VF due to the COVID crisis marked the end of its "reign" in the world of travel forums in France and French-speaking regions...

Also worth noting that travel vlogs and other YouTube channels have exploded over the last 3-4 years. It’s always easier to watch a video than read a text...

As for the old members... Well, maybe some have passed away, others might have completely lost their taste for travel due to the consequences of the COVID crisis and no longer participate on the site... who knows...

On the other hand, maybe we don’t see that same lightheartedness today that existed back then—and it didn’t hurt the forum’s smooth operation at all.

Still, you can’t say I’m not working toward that. 😛

The lightness of the soul is fading, while the unbearable lightness of being persists... and gets worse.

I’ve been wondering about this forum too. The long interruption, for reasons that remain pretty unclear, was definitely damaging. I can’t find many topics that interest me anymore, nor do I feel like joining discussions that are still rare. Has the spirit of the forum changed, or is it just me? It seems like in the past, I used to find more local topics—now, it’s mostly about Asia, the Americas, or even Africa rather than Europe. The discussions could get really passionate—I remember heated exchanges about Catalonia and Puigdemont, for example. I don’t really feel that energy anymore... Hopefully, things will gradually get back on track.

There must have been some unfortunate deaths too, since some were aged between 60 and 80 in 2020

Wow! That’s really old! I had a narrow escape, didn’t I! 😎

Haha! Thankfully, but not a number! 😉

Among the old-timers, quite a few (including some legendary usernames) have moved on to other horizons. And I’m not talking about *Le Routard*, which, admittedly, is more active—though it’s flooded with promotional posts, whether for a guidebook or an agency. I’m thinking of that VF knockoff that launched a year after this place shut down, which is also pretty active, and I’m not sure its members would want to come back here... Who knows! 😉

Besides, even more than before, travel has become a consumer product like any other. I feel that on VF, the spirit was still about pure, hardcore travel, for the most part... We didn’t "do" a country, we visited it, we wandered around.

As I often say to those who tell me they want to "do the Amazon" in 4 days—the Amazon isn’t visited, it’s lived. That, too, I think doesn’t interest the majority of travelers anymore; they consume a country’s tourist sites... and that’s about as far as it goes.

Besides, as someone who’s mostly a solo traveler, it’s now pretty rare to find other solo folks willing to go on an adventure. These days, you meet the travel vlogger, the "digital nomad," the influencer, etc.—basically people who aren’t up for an adventure without internet, let alone without doing lives or videos of themselves... But that could be another topic.

Still, I think VF has had its time... It fit perfectly with the way people traveled in the 2010s/2020s, but the site would need to "update" itself....

Good evening Jacques, You expressed exactly what I was thinking. There’s not a comma to remove or add... unfortunately.

The testimonials, including yours, are really interesting. You took the time to elaborate.

I think all the points made by most participants in this discussion touch on the truth. I believe this will interest the site administrators. Indeed, we’re more than ever in a constantly evolving world that requires adaptation, and some ideas may emerge.

On my end, it’s true that VF just lets me provide information, share a few images for enjoyment, and expand my knowledge. It took me quite a few years, but I eventually understood what a colleague meant with his phrase: Google is your friend. Nowadays, you can plan your trips alone thanks to the huge amount of info available online. That wasn’t the case a dozen years ago when I joined VF.

Hi everyone,

I completely agree with your analysis, Jacques, but I’m suddenly feeling like a "travel dinosaur" 😂. More and more, I’m taking my time and no longer chasing after tourist hotspots, and I think many of us here are in the same boat. It’s true that other forums are much more active, but I really don’t relate to them at all—between questions about all-inclusive hotels and cruise ships! As for FB, it’s flooded with disguised ads like "I recommend my amazing guide...." I find plenty of info there, but there’s a ton of sorting to do!

That’s the whole point of VF, I think—having a community of travel enthusiasts who uncover hidden gems and share them in a small group (sometimes even privately). I’ve lost count of the amazing places I’ve discovered thanks to VF members!

On the other hand, another reality is that quite a few longtime VF members were really put off by the anti-vax rhetoric during 2020 and especially the fundraiser. Personally, I know two members who refuse to participate now but still keep an eye on everything being said (shoutout to the spies 😂😘). I really think it’s a shame not to move on from the past, but grudges can run deep sometimes!

Have a great Sunday, everyone

Christelle, there’s nothing to take away from your message, and what you said saves me from writing a long post myself.

I’ve noticed that there are a few who participate in several forums, including VF, and they’re probably the wisest ones. For a while, I thought the founder of another forum—a very kind person, by the way—wouldn’t continue once VF reopened, and that practically everyone would come back home. Looks like I was wrong. When I see who’s a moderator on one of those sites, I tell myself we’re not missing out by some people not returning. Some participants clearly felt that moderation on VF wasn’t vigorous enough, but that’s the price to pay for tolerance and giving as many people as possible a voice. At some point, you have to decide if you want smooth exchanges with only politically correct content, no waves, no one stepping out of line—or if you want something livelier, sometimes a bit heated. It’s really healthy of you to suggest drawing a line under the past, and I agree, even if some things were hard to swallow.

It’s worth noting that the interruption was particularly long, and new habits have formed. Still, VF is so well designed and more pleasant to browse than any other alternative, and that’ll make the difference in the long run. I also think VF is better suited for an international francophone audience. There’s a huge history of travel journals and contributions here.

As for the antivax rhetoric, like you said, I maintain that once people start reasoning out of fear, there’s nothing you can say to reach them. I respect the courage of those who speak out against the majority. Now that the site’s been taken over, the grudge argument isn’t relevant anymore, is it?

Yes, you can now plan your trips on your own thanks to the huge amount of info available online.

Yes. And no...

Most of the information is about well-trodden destinations. And above all, the dark side is missing... Everything is often clean, smooth, perfect. Like an Instagram post...

Plus, you need to know how to use a search engine and have time to dedicate to said research.

On that note, many people have had to sign up for Facebook groups, where the travel world has grown considerably, and there you get notifications when there’s a reply. The groups are way more responsive than on VF (with links, phone numbers, websites, photos—all in real time...)

Personally, I find Facebook’s tool pretty useless.

It’s super messy, overrun by people who make a living off travel. It’s the Shein of tourism.

I’m not sure the members even want to come back here.

Some have already returned, though. Nothing stops you from being here and there, even if "there" can be a bit torn by that duality.