Overnight the Wikimedia Foundation - the non-profit operators of the free Wikipedia online encyclopaedia - officially launched its latest 'wiki' project: Wikivoyage, which is presented as "a free, worldwide travel guide that anyone can edit". Like all the other wiki sites under the Wikimedia Foundation's umbrella, Wikivoyage is completely free of ads and is sourced entirely by the work of some 200 volunteers who collaboratively edit the site's content, which at launch constitutes an impressive 50,000 articles in nine languages.

Designed to provide a comprehensive and non-commercial source of travel information, it's likely Wikivoyage will prove a valuable portal of free tips and advice for those planning their next trip - especially when used in conjunction with established alternatives like TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet. The articles live on Wikivoyage today are already quite robust and detailed - take this entry on Vietnam, for example - which isn't exactly surprising since much of the guide content has been ported over from a former project, the sold-off-then-forked Wikitravel, which commenced operations back in 2006.

Check out the Wikivoyage newcomers' guide to see how best to use the site, and if you want to share your own travel expertise, Wikivoyage is all for it: "We're trying to create, illustrate, and edit a travel guide for the entire world, and we need your help. It's a humongous job. As they say, though, 'Many hands make light work'."