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How effective digital marketing can lead to higher hotel revenues
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…
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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
"In the West we lead fast, crammed complex lives. We have so much to do, and to get done, and there is little time to stop and do nothing much. In Africa life is much slower, and the days stretch long, hot and unhurried. This is a great place to rest, relax and reflect. There is lots going on, but you can choose your level of participation and be as busy or as quiet as you like."
If you are interested in experiencing the magic of Africa first-hand, have friends that have been going on about travelling to Africa but never have plucked up the courage to go there, or if you just need to relax, kick off your shoes and 'go with the flow', this project is just for you...
Suitable for families - loads of great activities for children of all ages!
Click here to learn more.
And, to allay these reservations, we were forced to develop a new program.
Now, when reservations are made by members of TheTopTravelClub.com for any of the 'more than 2000 hotels in 120 countries' at KiwiCollection.com, all of the income received by The Club for these reservations will be donated to worthy causes. The average donation from each booking is estimated at $50usd. No deductions will be made from this amount for any administration or handling costs.
We have selected our first worthy cause and are waiting to hear from them for permission to add their information to our website so that, when the dosh starts rolling in, we can give it to them.
The Club is maintaining its unique M.O. by not charging any travel business for any advertising, marketing, promotion and direct links when they offer direct booking savings to members. With this new initiative we have decided that instead of offering member savings we are giving them the opportunity to support a worthy cause simply by making their reservations with this top collection of worldwide luxury hotels.
Even though members will not get direct booking discounts with this client we are sure that they will appreciate that the earnings received by The Club from their reservations with Kiwi Collection will all go to the deserving cause named on the club website. The Kiwi Collection offers our members the best publicly available rates every time they make a booking with them and they never charge booking fees.
For all unbelievers out there, we say again: "All income received (all = 100%) by The Club from these reservations with the Kiwi Collection will be paid to our designated cause."
About KiwiCollection.com:
"The Kiwi Collection is an independent curator founded by people with a passion for travel and the highest standards for the places we stay. Every hotel, including those belonging to well-known international brands, is personally reviewed by one of our industry experts before they're invited to join Kiwi Collection. Hotels do not pay to be included in the Collection, and can be excluded should they no longer meet our high standards"
About TheTopTravelClub.com:
The Club offers thousands of direct booking savings for travel in over 80 countries...accommodations, air, land, sea adventures and tours to suit the most discerning traveller plus travel insurance with savings of up to 40%.....you can join from the link on our site, but here's a tip.....you can get a free membership if you operate a travel business and list with us at no cost for any of our services or, if you are only a traveller, check out our Australian partner at ShiSymbol.com and you can get a freebie family membership ($99usd value) with a purchase of one of their own quality products.
So now you can see that we no longer have reservations with charitable donations.
"List of PR Contacts and their Clients?
Hi, I am a freelance travel writer with over 750 articles published in the US and worldwide (print and web) and would love to be put in touch with PR folks who have travel clients and who run press trips for writers. I wonder if such a list of PR companies and their clients exists? If not, I'd be more than happy for public relations companies to contact me with a view to adding me to their database for any upcoming trips. Clips of my work are available on request. I would need airfare provided and I live in San Francisco. Many thanks."
Again, please reply NOT on this comment wall but only at this link.
10 Ideas to Get Off Nova Scotia's Beaten Path
If you would like further information on visiting the Nova Scotia Authentic Seacoast, please don't hesitate to be in touch.
International Tour Management Institute and MyTourGuide.com Form Partnership
Professional Tour Guides Provide MyTourGuide.com with Unlimited Access to
Insights About Destinations and Attractions from Around the World
San Francisco, California & Bedford, New Hampshire, May 4, 2010 – International Tour Management Institute (ITMI), America’s premier training program for tour directors and tour guides, and MyTourGuide.com a newly formed division of TravelBrains, an award-winning publisher of destination-based travel books and multi-media programs, announce the formation of a unique partnership. Leveraging the knowledge and expertise of the more than 6,000 professional tour directors and tour guides, who have graduated from ITMI, MyTourGuide.com will begin to distribute downloadable iPhone audio and multi-media travel tours in April 2010.
“Recognizing the explosive demand for special interest iPhone applications, I believe that the expertise of ITMI’s tour guides and tour directors, will allow us to provide an unlimited supply of new and exciting content for consumers who seek instant access to a plethora of information about the places they visit,” said Paul Davis, CEO of MyTourGuide.com. “It’s like having a virtual tour guide right in your hand.”
Ted Bravos, CEO of ITMI notes: “The partnership with MyTourGuide.com offers a tremendous opportunity for our graduates to showcase the vast knowledge and expertise they have acquired during the course of their careers. Developing content for iPhone apps allows them to capture the passion and excitement of their experiences and translate them into entertaining and memorable programs for consumers.”
Because MyTourGuide.com is an open platform, it offers a unique ability to deliver a wide variety of content that appeals to an increasingly diverse customer base. “Working with ITMI ensures that we will always have access to exceptional storytellers who can describe travel destinations from numerous perspectives,” Paul Davis added.
For more information about ITMI or MyTourGuide.com contact Paul Davis, 603 471-0127 pcdavis@travelbrains.com or www.mytourguide.com or Joan Keddell at (800) 442-4864 (415) 957-9489 email travel@itmisf.com or visit ITMI’s web site www.itmitourtraining.com
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Thanks! John
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