# Wikivoyage
**Wikivoyage** is a multilingual, web-based project to create a free, complete, up-to-date, and reliable worldwide travel guide, hosted by the [Wikimedia Foundation](https://www.edgepedia.org/wikimedia-foundation), the non-profit that also hosts [Wikipedia](https://www.edgepedia.org/wikipedia)[1](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage). Anyone can edit any page, and the content is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike, so contributors keep ownership of their work and anyone may reuse the guides with attribution[2](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AFAQ) • [3](https://www2.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20130218/56009-navigating-the-world-of-wiki-peter-fitzgerald-travel-books-2013.html).
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| What it is | A free, multilingual, wiki-based worldwide travel guide and a Wikimedia sister project of Wikipedia[1](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage) |
| Hosting | Domains wikivoyage.org, .net and .com and the servers are owned and operated by the Wikimedia Foundation[2](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AFAQ) |
| Launch | Taken out of beta by the Wikimedia Foundation on January 15, 2013[4](https://www.wired.com/2013/01/wikivoyage/) |
| Origin | Fork of Wikitravel (founded 2003); most of the active English community left Wikitravel in late 2012 to establish the new site[5](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikitravel) |
| License | Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike; contributors retain ownership of their work[3](https://www2.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20130218/56009-navigating-the-world-of-wiki-peter-fitzgerald-travel-books-2013.html) |
| Size | The English edition offers 34,739 destination travel articles[6](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Destinations) |
| Software | MediaWiki, the software developed for Wikipedia, with small Wikivoyage-specific changes[2](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AFAQ) |
| Funding | No advertising and no payment from hotels, restaurants, or tour operators for favorable coverage; the Wikimedia Foundation is funded by voluntary donations[2](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AFAQ) • [4](https://www.wired.com/2013/01/wikivoyage/) |
## Purpose and editorial model
The project's stated goal is a free, complete, up-to-date, and reliable worldwide travel guide, and its guiding principle is that the traveler comes first: work is judged by what is best from the traveler's perspective[7](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3APolicies). Articles are written by volunteer authors from around the globe who write without pay[1](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage). Formal peer review is not required; review is a communal function in which anyone who reads and corrects an article acts as a reviewer, and the community reverts or questions dubious edits[1](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage).
Unlike Wikipedia editors, Wikivoyage contributors are not required to provide sources for what they write; the guide welcomes first-hand observations about a destination, provided they are fair[8](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikipedia). Commercial constraints are explicit: the site does not accept money from any attraction, restaurant, hotel, tour operator, or other travel-related company in exchange for favorable coverage[2](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AFAQ), and real estate and rental agency listings are generally not allowed because the site is a travel guide, not an apartment-finder service[9](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3ABar_listings).
## Content and structure
The English edition's 34,739 travel articles cover destinations worldwide and are browsable by continent, by search, and by an interactive map[6](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Destinations). Beyond destination articles the site organizes content into itineraries, phrasebooks, and travel topics[6](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Destinations).
A structural difference from Wikipedia is visible at the top of every page: instead of a table of contents, Wikivoyage uses page banners with a background picture, which function like Wikipedia's table of contents by linking to the article's sections[8](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikipedia). Individual museums, restaurants, and venues appear as listings rather than standalone articles, and restaurant entries include details such as phone numbers and pricing that Wikipedia does not carry[8](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikipedia).
## Relationship with Wikipedia
Wikivoyage and Wikipedia divide the same subject matter differently. A historic building may have an entire encyclopedia article on Wikipedia while appearing in the travel guide only as a listing; Wikivoyage may note which birds can be observed in a national park, while Wikipedia carries a full article for each species[8](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikipedia). Wikipedia is a secondary source that aims for neutral tone, whereas the travel guide puts the voyager first and welcomes fair first-hand impressions[8](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikipedia). The project's own comparison puts it this way: if Wikipedia is an Encyclopaedia Galactica summarizing a universe of knowledge, Wikivoyage is a Hitchhiker's Guide packaging what the voyager needs in carry-on baggage[8](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikipedia).
## History
The lineage begins with Wikitravel, a website launched in 2003 to let travelers share travel information freely[5](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikitravel). In late 2012 most of the active English community, along with other language versions, left Wikitravel with the goal of establishing a new site[5](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikitravel). The move was contentious; press coverage described the new site as formed by disgruntled members of the independent Wikitravel community[10](https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/travel-welcome-to-wikiholidays-8456489.html). In September 2012 the Wikimedia Foundation sought declaratory relief in response to legal threats from Internet Brands, the company then associated with Wikitravel[5](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikitravel).
The Wikimedia Foundation launched Wikivoyage in beta in September 2012 and took it out of beta on January 15, 2013[4](https://www.wired.com/2013/01/wikivoyage/). At launch the site was available in English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Russian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish[11](https://techcrunch.com/2013/01/15/wikimedia-launches-its-crowdsourced-wikivoyage-online-travel-guide/). [Jimmy Wales](https://www.edgepedia.org/jimmy-wales), Wikipedia's founder, said at launch that Wikivoyage operates the same way as Wikipedia, with no advertising or other business model[4](https://www.wired.com/2013/01/wikivoyage/). The project still aspires to the principles outlined in 2003: a site where travelers and others can share travel information freely and openly[5](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikitravel).
## Use and reuse
The guides are meant to be read online, on a smartphone, or printed for travel; readers can assemble custom printed books through the Book Creator tool, with professional print-on-demand binding available through PediaPress[4](https://www.wired.com/2013/01/wikivoyage/) • [3](https://www2.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20130218/56009-navigating-the-world-of-wiki-peter-fitzgerald-travel-books-2013.html). Offline use is supported through Kiwix, whose Wikivoyage content file is about a 1 GB download on mobile devices[12](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AKiwix). Redistribution is permitted under the license provided that the authors are attributed, the CC BY-SA license is noted, and each image's copyright is stated[7](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3APolicies).
The site has also served research beyond travel. A 2022 study used Wikivoyage as a testbed for classifying wiki contributors, distinguishing benign from malign bots and human contributors with classification accuracy of up to 92 percent[13](https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.18845).
## References
1. [Wikivoyage:About, English Wikivoyage](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage)
2. [Wikivoyage:FAQ, English Wikivoyage](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AFAQ)
3. [Navigating the World of Wiki: Peter Fitzgerald: Travel Books 2013, Publishers Weekly](https://www2.publishersweekly.com/pw/print/20130218/56009-navigating-the-world-of-wiki-peter-fitzgerald-travel-books-2013.html)
4. [Wikipedia Takes On Travel Industry With Wikivoyage, WIRED (2013)](https://www.wired.com/2013/01/wikivoyage/)
5. [Wikivoyage:Wikivoyage and Wikitravel, English Wikivoyage](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikitravel)
6. [Destinations, English Wikivoyage](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Destinations)
7. [Wikivoyage:Policies, English Wikivoyage](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3APolicies)
8. [Wikivoyage:Wikivoyage and Wikipedia, English Wikivoyage](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AWikivoyage_and_Wikipedia)
9. [Wikivoyage:Listings, English Wikivoyage](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3ABar_listings)
10. [Travel: Welcome to Wiki-holidays, The Independent (2013)](https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/travel-welcome-to-wikiholidays-8456489.html)
11. [Wikimedia Launches Its Crowdsourced Wikivoyage Online Travel Guide, TechCrunch (2013)](https://techcrunch.com/2013/01/15/wikimedia-launches-its-crowdsourced-wikivoyage-online-travel-guide/)
12. [Wikivoyage:Kiwix, English Wikivoyage](https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Wikivoyage%3AKiwix)
13. [Simulation, Modelling and Classification of Wiki Contributors: Spotting The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, arXiv](https://arxiv.org/abs/2405.18845)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Computing and digital systems › Networks and security › Networks and security*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license