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As travel picks up, a couple in Philadelphia are rethinking how to make it easier for people to explore places around the world, starting in their city.
Freelance travel writer Regan Fletcher Stephens and product manager and entrepreneur Eric Stephens have launched their own publishing platform called Saltete. One of his first is about Philadelphia and can be purchased for $19.
“My goal, our goal! — to democratize and give writers from anywhere in the world a platform to share their expertise, good writing, and the best advice,” Fletcher said. Stevens said.
“Having worked for nearly 20 years, first as a photo editor and then as a writer, I clearly understand how difficult it is to break into this industry,” she added. “Especially as someone like me who couldn’t afford an unpaid internship at a magazine or something in New York.”
COVID has hit the travel industry hard and freelance writers have seen opportunities dried up. Travel is now picking up and the number of TSA checkpoints is at or above pre-pandemic numbers.
The idea to leverage it in a new online platform came to Stevens in the middle of the night, he said. He has this kind of experience. In 2008 he created his BeerMenus.com. This allows beer lovers to find favorites nearby and bar owners to promote their beer selection.
“Eric is always at the forefront of the tech industry,” said Fletcher Stevens.
Saluteto is also completely self-financed and independent, according to the couple. Fletcher Stephens says his return to Philadelphia from Brooklyn six years ago also enabled him to create it.
Philadelphia is an ideal location to launch this kind of business as it offers a good balance of quality of life and opportunities. Sustainability Points,” says per its website.
“I like parts of Philly’s business culture about service and community.
Optimized for mobile devices and equipped with GPS
To create Sartete (the name is a combination of ‘salt’ and ‘ete’, the French word for ‘summer’), the Stevens drew inspiration from national successes like Substack and combined it with her husband. I asked my wife’s design studio for local advice. Smith & Diction in Bockville.
We decided to offer individual travel guides as a one-time purchase rather than a subscription-based platform. However, unlike printed guidebooks and downloadable PDFs, Saltete guides are interactive.
Optimized for mobile devices and equipped with GPS, the platform lets you click on any section of the guide to find recommended restaurants, parks, and museums. And by displaying them on a map, you can get a better sense of the distance from one activity to another.
The platform aims to make things easier for writers as well and give them the power to monetize their words.
“Regan and I have had so many conversations over the years about the various CMS and publishing tools she uses and how frustrating some of them are,” Stephen says. Su said. “Having the greenfield opportunity to build from scratch was a lot of fun…and really thought about how to make the workflow as enjoyable to use as possible.”
Currently featured on the site is “A Guide to Visiting Philadelphia with Kids” by Fletcher Stevens himself.
Inspired by the Delco experience of introducing Philly to his three young daughters, 160 recommendations from Fletcher Stevens himself, plus ‘what to see and do’ and ‘what we love’ Includes subsections such as “Advice from Local Parents”.
This guide will guide travelers from little-known green spaces, to how to get to the sights of the Old Town, to where to go on day trips outside the city.
There’s also an itinerary section with options like “Historic Philadelphia” and “Rittenhouse and Schuylkill River Trail” with step-by-step activities, sights and food spots all listed with opening times and walking distances. increase.
The couple said the possibilities for Saltete are endless, with writers from across the country and around the world preparing to share their experiences and recommendations on the platform.
They are also excited about the collaboration opportunity, added Fletcher Stevens.
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