A clearinghouse for anyone promoting travel/food/lifestyle, to discuss common issues & offer information to journalists & the public. You may also want to check the "Media Only!" discussion "Journalists Seeking Story Information."
Best practices for online hotel marketing
How do you get more online bookings and scale up your hotel revenue? As simple as the question may sound, as you probably well realize, the answers can be tricky and challenging. And these days, that's where digital marketing comes in. With the boom in both the Internet and the hospitality industry, digital marketing has become a crucial part of the hotel business. Creating an effective presence online to increase your bookings and hence revenue is no longer just an option, it's a necessity.…
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at its 2011 Symposium in Atlanta
Symposium Attendees Include Tour Directors, Tour Operators, Event Planners, Travel Writers and Other Tourism Industry Stakeholders
San Francisco, California, July 15, 2010 – International Tour Management Institute (ITMI), www.itmisf.com America’s premier training and certification program for tour directors and guides, has selected Atlanta, as the host city for its annual Symposium to be held January 16th to 20th. The venue for the event will be the Crowne Plaza Ravinia Hotel.
International Tour Management Institute (ITMI) Symposium is the only travel industry event for professional tour directors, tour guides, domestic and international tour operators, event planners, destination marketing organizations, leading travel industry associations, travel writers and other industry stakeholders. For 24 years, ITMI Symposium has attracted industry professionals from around the world.
ITMI Symposium is an exceptional opportunity to connect with company owners and key decision makers from leading tour operators such as Adventures by Disney, Tauck World Discovery, Globus Family of Brands, Cosmos, Collette Vacations, Princess and Holland America Cruise lines to name but a few. Symposium is the only travel industry event for professional tour directors, tour guides, domestic and international tour operators, event planners, destination marketing organizations, leading travel industry associations, travel writers and other industry stakeholders.
ITMI has issued a call for speakers and presenters, who address industry challenges and illustrate new strategies and opportunities. The focus of Symposium is to provide insights, tools and strategies for professional development and best practices. Sessions should address the needs of travel industry professionals across the spectrum. We are particularly interested in sessions in which you share the solution you or your organization crafted and implemented to solve a business challenge.
Symposium presenters will receive one free full-conference registration. Proposals with content overviews and brief bios should be submitted by July 30th to travel@itmisf.com.
For more information about ITMI or the 2011 Symposium call (800) 442-4864
(415) 957-9489 email travel@itmisf.com or visit ITMI’s web site www.itmisf.com
Is Mexico's gay honeymoon offer a brillliant PR move to capitalize on Argentina's historic moment and remind travelers that Mexico City is also a gay-friendly destination? Or is it a crass muscling in on Argentina's spotlight?
What do you all think?
By receiving it, you will discover our newly listed responsible tourism ideas based in West Africa, learn about current news, discussions and debates, and of course will support the development of responsible and sustainable tourism in the beautiful region of the world which is West Africa.
By clicking here, you can register. We look forward to telling you about what is going on in West Africa!
www.SwapMyCityPad.com is a new home exchange website that will bring the concept of swapping homes for holidays bang up to date and to the mainstream.
SwapMyCityPad.com will change the perception of home exchange as a second rate accommodation option, with its chic and vibrant design, sleek functionality (creating a property profile will take under 10 minutes), travel 2.0 member contributed blogs and city recommendations and an eBay-like rating system (to make sure swappers treat homes with respect).
The process of searching for and arranging a home swap is entirely automated; from listing a property, communicating with other members via a secure online messaging system, and drawing up a house book and agreements.
Research carried out by SwapMyCityPad.com in 2009, revealed that 44% of people have planned fewer holidays for 2010, 48% said that was because they had less money to spend on holidays the remaining 32% are saving money.
Of the 47% of people that would consider a home exchange, 58% cited financial savings the main benefit. But there were concerns with the idea, the majority of these were in relation to trust; having a stranger living in their home (30%), damage to their home and possessions (16%), theft and security of their property (22%).
The challenge for SwapMyCityPad.com was to create an online environment worthy of the most cared-for homes AND then build trust between swappers for a fair, safe and happy swap.
Whilst it is free to create a property profile and to browse homes to swap with, at the point of making contact with a home owner users must become paid members, Silver at £39.99 and Gold membership costs £49.99 a year. All members can take advantage of the ratings system based on the eBay principle of ‘play nice and you’ll be successful’, where both homes and home exchangers are rated by those that have had experience with them and it’s this self moderating system that generates the trust. City Swappers can also search for members with similar swapping experience (from a novice to a seasoned swapper) and gold members have the added benefit of joining a network relating to their profession and be able to search for other members in their same network.
SwapMyCityPad.com also offers a travel 2.0 component whereby members can share their experiences via a blog or contribute to the “My City” section and recommend those hidden gems in their city from a funky gallery, secret underground supper club or local babysitting services.
SwapMyCityPad.com is privately owned by Zoe Hine. Zoe explains “House swapping is a fantastic and exciting opportunity in this current climate; taking a holiday in someone else’s home means you’re saving on hotel bills and able to engage with a city and community in a completely different and unique way.” Membership costs £39.99 and £49.99 which buys access for a year and as many swaps as desired. The service is available worldwide although for the first 12 months the main focus will be London, Paris, New York, Dublin, Barcelona, Rome....
For further information please contact:
CJ Brough
www.BluntCommunications.com
cj@bluntcommunications.com
Grupo Hidden marketing offers a unique approach to increasing business for some of the very best independent places to stay in Brazil, and it is clear from the rush of pousadas wanting to join the group over the last 2 months that it has met a long awaited need in the market.
For pousada owners (which includes eco-lodges, boutique hotels, guesthouses, inns and B&Bs), belonging to the group gives extra visibility on the internet and a way of publicizing news and special promotions in real time. More importantly, it also gives direct access to an English speaking public of independent travellers who are actively looking for smaller, more beautiful places to stay, all for an extremely low annual fee.
For the traveller there are also huge benefits. With pousadas no longer paying commission there are now direct links on www.hiddenpousadasbrazil.com to individual pousada websites, thereby encouraging people to book direct and get better deals. For those who are still concerned to be travelling in what is often perceived to be a dangerous country there are also links to Trip Advisor comments, and a free Brazil trip planning service.
Founder and President, Alison McGowan, a Brit who has been involved with marketing in Brazil for over 30 years comments " The growth in the number of smaller pousadas/places to stay in Brazil over the last 10 years has been astronomical, but in many cases margins are poor and there is little knowledge of marketing and the power of the internet. Belonging to Grupo Hidden offers pousadas a showcase on the widely praised hiddenpousadasbrazil.com site- and marketing by people who understand both their needs and those of the independent traveller to Brazil"
www.hiddenpousadasbrazil.com
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