Hostelling International launches the Big Blog Exchange

What if we could change the world using the power of blogs?
Are you a blogger? Have you ever thought about swapping lives, places, cultures and BLOGS with someone across the globe? We’re offering a unique, once in a lifetime change to do just this. Introducing, The Big Blog Exchange.

With over 170 million of them on the web at the moment, there is no doubt about the fact that blogs are fast becoming a popular news source, a place for everyday inspiration and a social hub. But we want to take the influence of blogs that one step further.

In 2013, Hostelling International is looking for sixteen passionate, talented and adventurous bloggers who will have the chance to swap lives, places, cultures and blogs simultaneously for ten days. Selected bloggers will be flown across the globe by HI, to their exchange destination. There they can explore the area, experience new things and immerse themselves in local traditions and cultures.

Big Blog Exchange

The Big Blog Exchange’s teaser site launches on 4th February 2013, providing those interested in the project with a summary of how bloggers can get involved and a trailer, giving an insight into what the opportunity entails.

The launch of the main competition site for the exchange will take place on 1st March 2013, where potential travellers can log on, create a profile and start encouraging others to vote for them. On this unique site, bloggers will also be able to divulge why they want to take part, or more importantly – how they think they can change the world using the power of their blog. 

100 finalists will then make it through to the final shortlist, which will be narrowed down to just 15 by an international jury. The final ‘sixteenth’ blogger will be a wildcard choice, hand-picked by HI to personally undergo the project, based upon the quality of their content and their reason for taking part. So, even if a blog is brand new and doesn’t gain any votes on the competition site, they are still in with a chance if the inspiration and content is great.

So, whether you’ve just set up your blog. Or whether it’s been around for ten years. Whether you have one million readers, or just the one. Whether you blog about politics, global warming, travel, fashion, beauty or even cupcakes. Wherever you live, whatever language you blog in and no matter what you write about, we are searching for the world’s most passionate bloggers, to help us change the world, using the power of blogs.

Will you help us?