Fact-Checking Policy
Our commitment: Every Packzup article is fact-checked against multiple authoritative sources. Below is our process and what we do when we get something wrong.
Inaccurate travel information has real consequences: a missed flight, a denied entry, a wasted vacation budget. We take accuracy seriously and have a documented process to minimize errors and correct them promptly when found.
Our Three-Stage Fact-Check Process
Stage 1: Writer Self-Review
Before submitting an article, the writer:
- Verifies all factual claims against at least one primary source
- Cross-references prices, hours, and contact information with official sources from the last 12 months
- Flags any uncertain claims for editor review
- Documents sources for traceable claims
Stage 2: Editor Independent Check
An editor who did NOT write the article independently verifies:
- Key factual claims (visa requirements, prices, opening hours, transit details)
- Official government information against the named source
- Geographic facts (distances, locations, country names, currency)
- Linked sources are accurate and recent
Stage 3: Pre-Publication Cross-Reference
Before publishing, we run a final check:
- Confirm all hyperlinks resolve to expected pages
- Verify schema markup matches article content
- Test all calculator/tool integrations work
- Spot-check 5+ random factual claims against current sources
Sources We Trust
Primary Sources (always preferred)
- Government tourism boards (visit-X.com sites)
- Official visa portals (e-visa.gov.X)
- Airline websites for routes/baggage rules
- Embassy/consulate official pages
- Currency exchange rate aggregators (XE, OANDA)
- UNESCO World Heritage data
Secondary Sources (with verification)
- Reputable travel publications (NYT Travel, BBC Travel, Lonely Planet)
- Government statistics offices
- Industry data (ATA airline data, STR hotel data)
- Wikipedia (only as a starting point, never as final source)
Sources We Don’t Use
- Anonymous travel blog claims without sourcing
- AI-generated content from other sites
- Outdated guidebook editions (over 3 years old)
- User-generated reviews as primary fact sources
Update Frequency
Different content types are updated on different schedules:
- Visa requirements: Reviewed quarterly + after major policy changes
- Prices and budgets: Reviewed annually + after major currency shifts
- Best-time-to-visit: Reviewed annually
- Itinerary suggestions: Reviewed every 18-24 months
- Personal essays: Generally not updated (reflect a moment in time)
Our Correction Policy
When we get something wrong, we follow this process:
- Reader reports correction via corrections@packzup.com or article comments.
- Editor reviews within 1-2 business days.
- If error confirmed: We fix the article immediately.
- Correction note added stating what was changed and when.
- For major corrections (significantly different advice): We add a prominent correction note at the top of the article and may issue a separate correction on our newsletter/social channels.
- Internal review: We log the correction to improve our fact-check process.
What Counts as a “Correction”
- Factual errors: Wrong dates, prices, names, requirements (always corrected)
- Outdated information: Updated info added, original noted if relevant
- Stylistic edits: Typos, grammar — fixed silently without notes
- Major reframings: If our recommendation fundamentally changes, we say so
Reporting an Error
If you find a factual error in any Packzup article, please email corrections@packzup.com with:
- The article URL
- What you believe is incorrect
- Your source for the correct information (if available)
We take every correction seriously — even small ones. Your help makes Packzup better.
Transparency
We publicly track major corrections on our editorial page and acknowledge them in newsletter updates. We believe transparency about errors is part of being trustworthy.