Crowdsourcing is the concept of utilizing a public forum to reveal the best and brightest. In this case, the crowd is your circle of friends and acquaintances and the things being revealed are the best things to do on your vacation.

Crowdsourcing may be relatively new but the concept has been around for ages. As a kid, I would listen to my parents and their friends planning our summer trips. They would talk about what to see and what not to miss. All their friends had an opinion and most weren’t shy about sharing them. It seemed the more friends my parents talked to, the more advice they got. The best part of this was that we knew these people. We knew their likes and dislikes and how they related to ours. That gave each piece of advice a unique perspective that we could really understand. Like, when my college roommate told me Queenstown, NZ was kind of like that trip we took to Portland—only less hipster. I knew exactly what he was talking about and what I’d be getting into. No one knows you better than your friends so who better to tell you what to do on your vacation—especially if they’ve already been there. We’re not saying you need to do whatever your friends tell you to do but at least it gives you some options and a heads-up on what to expect.

Here are a few tips on how to get started on Crowd Sourcing Your Vacation.

Tell people your destination plans

People love to talk about their vacations so if you have any friends who have been there before nine times out of ten they will tell you all about their experience.

Reach out to your favorite travel blogger

This is a great option if none of your friends have gone to the place you’re planning to go. Do a little research and find a blogger who seems to share your values. They don’t have to have the exact same like or dislikes but you should have a sense of who they are. Open up a dialogue by simply commenting on a post or just message/email them directly. Most bloggers are very open to fans and people looking for travel tips.

Update your status

This goes back to telling people your travel plans so they can help you make good choices. If you’re out on vacation somewhere you know you’re friends have been before, why not post something fun like, “I’m in Whistler. Where should we eat?”? Hopefully, your friends know a few good spots. If not, give us a call.

It may sound a little counter-intuitive but putting other people in charge of your itinerary might just be the best thing you’ll ever do.