EDITORIAL & COMMERCIAL DISCLOSURE
Last updated: September 2026
The World Locals is an independent travel publication creating guides, recommendations and inspiration for modern travellers.
We believe readers should be able to understand clearly when a commercial relationship exists behind the content they are reading or viewing.
This Editorial & Commercial Disclosure explains how The World Locals approaches affiliate links, advertising, sponsored content, hosted stays, complimentary experiences, destination partnerships and other commercial relationships.
The World Locals is operated by Charles John Gaffney, trading as The World Locals, in the United Kingdom.
If you have any questions about our commercial relationships or editorial approach, contact hello@theworldlocals.com.
OUR EDITORIAL APPROACH
The World Locals exists to help travellers discover new places, understand destinations more deeply and make better decisions about how they experience them.
Our guides, recommendations and other editorial content are created with the reader in mind.
Where possible, recommendations are based on a combination of first-hand experience, research, local knowledge and editorial judgement.
Commercial relationships may help support The World Locals and allow us to continue producing travel content, but they do not automatically guarantee inclusion, recommendation or positive coverage.
We aim to retain editorial control over our opinions, recommendations and conclusions.
Where content has been influenced by the terms of a commercial arrangement, we will disclose the nature of that relationship where appropriate.
AFFILIATE LINKS
Some articles, guides and pages on The World Locals contain affiliate links.
If you click an affiliate link and subsequently make a qualifying booking or purchase, The World Locals may receive a commission from the relevant provider or affiliate network.
This does not normally increase the price you pay.
We currently participate in affiliate programmes through Travelpayouts, which connects publishers with travel-related businesses and booking services.
Affiliate relationships may include accommodation, tours, experiences, transport and other travel products or services.
The presence of an affiliate relationship does not automatically determine which businesses, destinations or experiences we choose to feature.
Where content contains affiliate marketing, we use appropriate disclosures so readers can understand the commercial relationship.
UK advertising rules require affiliate marketing to be obviously identifiable where its commercial nature would not otherwise be clear. (American Standards Association)
SPONSORED CONTENT
From time to time, The World Locals may receive payment from a brand, destination, tourism organisation or other business to create content.
This may include:
sponsored articles or guides
destination campaigns
social media content
video or short-form content
branded editorial projects
other paid collaborations
Where content constitutes advertising or sponsored commercial content, we will clearly disclose that relationship.
On social media, where content is advertising, we aim to use clear and prominent labelling such as “Ad” so that the commercial nature of the content is apparent from the beginning.
We will not rely solely on vague terms such as “PR”, “gifted”, “hosted” or “collab” where these would not make the advertising relationship sufficiently clear.
Current UK guidance emphasises that people should be able to recognise advertising immediately, without needing to search for a disclosure, expand a caption or visit a profile page. (GOV.UK)
HOSTED STAYS AND COMPLIMENTARY EXPERIENCES
The World Locals may occasionally accept complimentary or discounted:
hotel or accommodation stays
tours
activities
meals
transport
tickets
experiences
press trips
other travel-related services
These arrangements allow us to experience destinations, properties and services first-hand.
Where a stay, experience or other service has been provided free of charge or at a discount, we will disclose that relationship where relevant to the content.
Receiving a complimentary stay or experience does not guarantee positive coverage.
We aim to provide useful, considered editorial coverage based on our genuine experience and judgement.
Where a hosted or complimentary arrangement also constitutes advertising, the content will be labelled accordingly.
UK consumer protection guidance applies to content creators who receive products, services, discounts, payment, commissions or other incentives in connection with their content. (GOV.UK)
PRESS TRIPS AND DESTINATION CAMPAIGNS
The World Locals may work with tourism boards, destination marketing organisations, hotels, airlines, tour operators or other travel partners on press trips and destination campaigns.
These arrangements may involve some or all travel, accommodation, activities or other costs being covered by a partner.
Where this happens, we will disclose the nature of the relationship within the relevant content where appropriate.
Participation in a press trip or destination campaign does not automatically guarantee coverage of every business or experience included in the trip.
Our aim remains to create content that is genuinely useful and relevant to The World Locals audience.
GIFTED PRODUCTS AND SERVICES
From time to time, The World Locals may receive products or services without charge.
Where a gifted product or service is featured in our content, we will disclose that relationship where appropriate.
We are not obliged to feature everything we receive, and accepting a product or service does not guarantee positive coverage.
Where gifted content falls within applicable advertising rules, we will ensure the commercial relationship is clearly identified.
DISPLAY ADVERTISING
The World Locals may display advertising from third-party advertising networks or direct commercial partners.
Advertising revenue may help support the operation and growth of the publication.
Advertisements are separate from our independent editorial recommendations unless explicitly stated otherwise.
The presence of an advertisement on The World Locals does not necessarily mean that we personally recommend or endorse the advertised product, service or business.
HOW WE CHOOSE WHAT TO RECOMMEND
The World Locals aims to recommend places and experiences because we believe they are useful, interesting or relevant to our readers.
Factors we may consider include personal experience, quality, location, value, reputation, cultural relevance, local character, reader usefulness and wider research.
A commercial relationship may make it possible for us to experience or learn more about a business, but payment, commission, a hosted stay or a complimentary experience does not automatically result in a recommendation.
Our guides may also include businesses with which The World Locals has no commercial relationship.
EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE
Maintaining reader trust is important to The World Locals.
We aim to distinguish clearly between independent editorial content and paid commercial activity.
Where we enter into a commercial partnership, we aim to retain appropriate editorial control over the content we publish and the opinions we express.
We do not sell guaranteed positive reviews.
Where a commercial arrangement requires particular messaging, deliverables or approvals, we will ensure the commercial nature of the resulting content is disclosed where required.
REVIEWS AND OPINIONS
Travel is subjective.
Our opinions and recommendations reflect our experience, research and editorial judgement at the time content is created.
Different travellers may reasonably have different experiences of the same hotel, restaurant, destination or activity.
Commercial relationships do not change the fact that our content represents our own editorial perspective unless clearly stated otherwise.
DISCLOSURES WITHIN INDIVIDUAL CONTENT
This page provides an overview of how The World Locals approaches commercial relationships.
It does not replace disclosures within individual articles, guides or social media posts where those disclosures are required.
Depending on the nature of the relationship, we may place a disclosure at or near the beginning of an article, alongside relevant affiliate content or prominently within social media content.
Where content is advertising, the disclosure should be sufficiently clear and prominent for readers to understand the commercial relationship before or as they engage with it.
THIRD-PARTY AFFILIATE AND COMMERCIAL PARTNERS
Third-party businesses featured or linked from The World Locals operate independently from us.
Their own:
prices
availability
products and services
terms and conditions
privacy policies
cancellation policies
booking arrangements
will apply when you interact or transact with them.
Please see our Terms of Use, Privacy Policy and Cookie Policy for further information.
CHANGES TO THIS DISCLOSURE
We may update this Editorial & Commercial Disclosure as The World Locals grows, our commercial relationships change or applicable advertising and consumer-protection requirements develop.
When changes are made, we will update the Last updated date at the top of this page.
CONTACT US
If you have questions about a commercial relationship, disclosure or the editorial approach of The World Locals, please contact:
The World Locals
Charles John Gaffney, trading as The World Locals
Email: hello@theworldlocals.com
Website: theworldlocals.com
United Kingdom