Granny Mouse Country & Spa embraces digital

Granny Mouse Country & Spa, situated in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, has embraced various digital platforms. 

Visitors past and present can keep up to date with what other people have to say about Granny Mouse Country House and Spa by visiting its Facebook page, following it on Twitter or checking in on TripAdvisor.

Navigating the hotel distribution landscape

It wasn’t too long ago that the hotelier’s marketing toolkit contained not much more than a few strategically placed billboards, travel agents armed with brochures, a good director of sales and an efficient call center.

Today, hoteliers have more tools than ever for getting their property into the consideration sets of the brand-agnostic, DIY leisure travel shopper.

Top 5 Myths About Social Media for Business

Social media has quickly become THE way to market your business. 

In the US, more than two thirds of all adults who are active online are also actively using social media today, However, there is still a whopping 57% of businesses who, for one reason or another do not understand the real impact that social media can have on their businesses. 

Gaining new and retaining old customers, sharing your products and services to a broader audience and giving your customers a voice, are just a few of the many benefits that using social media can bring to your business. There are many myths and misconceptions that keep business owners and marketers from reaping the benefits that social media. If you are one of these businesses, let me “set you free” to explore all that social media has to offer.

5 Reasons Why Google+ Is Good For Your Business

While adding yet another social network page to your business’s social media marketing plan may seem daunting, the advantages of Google+ Pages may even outweigh the benefits of Facebook and Twitter. 

Even if you don’t plan on constantly updating your Google+ account, it is important to create it. 

Here are the 5 main advantages of Google+ for your business.

Social Media Travel Planning May Grow, But Will It Make Money?

A Facebook executive is appealing to travel companies to make more use of the social platform to market and sell their products and services, especially with the pending launch of the “Timeline,” an alternative to Facebook profiles that will seek to tell each user’s life story.

What independent hotels need to do to compete against the big travel brands

The fact that Google favours brands in search results means independent hotels need to be more proactive about staying on top of their online marketing. 

Fortunately, the avenues discussed in this article are excellent ways you can remain competitive online and on Google.

TripAdvisor can help hoteliers, says Bespoke Hotels

Following recent newspaper articles slating online holiday review site TripAdvisor, Bespoke Hotels has come forward to highlight the usefulness of the website to both current and prospective entrepreneurs within the accommodation industry.

Five Reasons You Must Have a Mobile Site for 2012

Still don’t have a mobile compatible website? You’re not alone. In fact, only about 5% of online businesses have a mobile compatible website. 

The best way for you to stay ahead of the curve, would then be to have a mobile compatible website.

So, remind me again why you don’t have one yet?

Earth calling UK? A Perspective on the World Travel Market

The following post was written by Nic, a recent graduate who is currently unemployed. Nic is into tourism, keeps chirpy and writes a wry and very readable blog called Life from Scratch. 


Nic recently visited the World Travel Market. 

November 10th 2011.

Today I have been at the World Travel Market doing some bits and bobs for my internship. It was a good day, a fantastic opportunity to get out there and investigate the whole industry, and my place in it. I have to say however, where the UK fits in I am left wondering.

TripAdvisor: hotel owners fear growing 'blackmail' threats from guests online

Guests are attempting to blackmail hotels and businesses into paying hundreds of pounds by threatening to write bad reviews on the travel review website TripAdvisor, it has been reported.

Dozens of customers are using the website’s increasing power to try and get free upgrades or refunds despite nothing wrong with their accommodation, it was claimed.

Industry experts have said that a bad rating or review on the popular ratings site can be costly, sometimes to the tune of tens of thousands of pounds in lost bookings.

Get the full story here...

Bon voyage, travel agents; Google’s taking over travel

Where Google goes, people follow. 
So consider Google’s excursion into the travel industry. 

The move seems a logical part of the company’s strategy to challenge established markets; the recent launch of Google+ to take on the social media behemoth Facebook, Google Offers encroaching on Groupon’s territory — the track record is definitely there.

America's Lost Decade of Tourism

If we provide more travel visas, foreign visitors will come, spend billions of dollars and create hundreds of thousands of jobs.

Over the past decade, the U.S. economy has missed an unprecedented global travel boom because of visa delays and other bureaucratic policies that discourage visitors to our shores. Our research shows that between 2000 and 2010 America's share as a destination of the long-haul travel market slipped to 12% from 17%. That adds up to a lost decade for American travel with 467,000 lost jobs, $606 billion in lost spending by visitors, and $37 billion in lost tax revenue.

During a time of high unemployment and rising deficits, the U.S. cannot afford to continue down this path. 

Click here to continue reading - Opinion piece written by Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, published in the Wall Street Journal

The FINAL word on Social Media ROI

The FINAL word on social media ROI is this… sometimes. 

Give me a few minutes of your time and I’ll gladly explain.

Right now people seem to be fretting far too much over ROI and social media. Right now the camps seem to be polarized and split into two very outspoken groups. One side chanting “Social Media has no ROI” the other side scream ” Yes it does and you’re an idiot for not thinking so.” It’s getting to be rather annoying actually.

Three years to save the future of Scots tourism (& an extra £30m)

Scotland is in danger of missing out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to “change the face of tourism” in the country over the next three years, the industry’s figurehead has warned.

The head of the national tourism agency issued the stark warning after revealing he had secured almost £30 million in additional funding to help promote Scotland on the back of forthcoming sporting and cultural extravaganzas.

Tourist chiefs believe spin-offs from the London Olympic Games, Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games, the Ryder Cup and a new Disney film offer an unprecedented “honeypot” – but only if they are capitalised on.

VisitScotland chairman Mike Cantlay said: “I am appealing to the tourism industry to help us grasp this opportunity – from the smallest B&B to the biggest resort hotel.”

This 'appeal' from Mike Cantlay echoes similar sentiments expressed all over Britain basically exhorting the private sector to help, get involved etc - but do we ever get to the detail of precisely how? Despite the apparent emphasis on working more closely with the private sector, what precisely is going to change to enable this? In what ways can the tourism private sector 'help' our regional and national tourism boards? 


Please feel free comment

Full story: Scotsman.com

Achieving Social Media ROI for the Hospitality Industry

The buzz surrounding social media marketing hasn't gone unnoticed by the hotel industry and hoteliers are seeking to make inroads by engaging with the leading social networks in new and innovative ways.

While hoteliers now include Facebook and Twitter share buttons on their websites and have become more familiar with the return on engagement (ROE) tools available today, the ability to convert these fans and followers into customers generating actual room reservations is still an elusive goal for many.

Consequently, they continue to search for marketing services that can truly measure success and garner a lucrative return on investment (ROI).

Hotel brands allotting more funds for social media

More guest engagement on social networks can translate to more rooms filled for hotels

While boutique hotels have done a great job of being current with online trends, many of the bigger brands have been playing catchup, especially in the area of social media.

Many hotel brands have recently included Facebook and Twitter share buttons to their websites but only recently have these hospitality companies realized the need to put aside a portion of their budget for social media campaigns.

Bye-Bye to the B&B

The rapid expansion of budget hotels and visitors' rising expectations are threatening the future of the traditional guest house.

Fusty bed and breakfasts with their loud carpets and louder landlords have remained stubbornly unchanged for decades. And now they could be facing face their final chintzy curtain.

The expansion of budget hotel chains and the emergence of travellers with high standards but tight budgets, are forcing the old-fashioned, low-grade guest house out of business. More than 1,500 B&Bs with fewer than three stars have closed in England since 2007, a cut of more than a third. In Scotland, one- and two-star B&Bs are down by 63 per cent, while the number of budget hotels is up 80 per cent. A third of guesthouses and B&Bs in the UK report having fewer guests in last month's school half-term than in 2010.

It could all spell the end of shared bathrooms, early breakfasts and nylon sheets.

Full story: Bye-Bye to the B&B - Hotels - Travel - The Independent:

Industry divided over TripAdvisor customer helpline

The newly launched TripAdvisor customer support helpline has received mixed reports from hospitality operators.

Set up following widespread criticism from hotel and restaurant owners regarding the difficulty they have contacting the online review site in the event of an unfair, malicious or fake review, the helpline is intended to provide a service for all customers, both operators and members of the public.

However, some hoteliers and restaurateurs said that the helpline seemed to be merely a means of directing complaints to the website.

What can Cat Videos do for your business?

To stay on top of the ever-changing advertising landscape, john st. has opened the world's first cat video division. With production, filming and seeding all in-house. Ask yourself, what can cat videos do for your business?

Travel businesses pledge to spend more on social media and mobile in 2012

Two-thirds of travel companies will spend more of their precious marketing budgets on social media next year, while over half will also target mobile channels.

The results of the annual Frommer’s Unlimited Digital Content Trends survey, run via Tnooz in late-September, also found nearly 80% of companies have plans to develop iPhone applications during 2012, with 75% aiming to have similar services for iPad devices by the end of year.

Full article on tnooz

The Future of UK Tourism: Developing the Visitor Economy

There may be trouble ahead!

A forum to understand the implications of the new government tourism strategy in boosting the tourist industry is to be held at the Strand Palace Hotel in London on 7th December 2011. 

But the private sector are not invited!

Travel brands admit confusion over social, mobile and search strategies

A recent EyeforTravel survey of over 500 APAC travel brands shows that despite 68% of companies claiming to have deployed mobile and social media initiatives, more than half admit that they are unsure how to ‘define, achieve and measure success’

Hotels should ask guests for their hotel reviews

Reading all the online reviews of just one hotel would typically take 25 days, according to an internet consultancy speaking at World Travel Market.

Jakob Riegger, managing director of Munich-based consultancy ‘TrustYou’, said the average single property now had 10,000 reviews on 50 websites. Riegger was speaking at a social media seminar at WTM, the leading global event for the travel industry. He estimated that a small hotel chain would attract enough reviews to provide 300 days’ reading.

Mystery trips and camping in gardens: Hottest global travel trends revealed

Mystery trip auctions, camping in people's gardens and "gamification'' are among the hottest trends in world travel.

They are among the fads identified by London-based research firm Euromonitor International in its annual global trends report.

Staycations still popular, says VisitEngland

The 'staycation' trend is still going strong, according to VisitEngland, which released figures showing that the number of people taking breaks at home in 2011 is consistent with last year.

(This of course has nothing to do with the fact that due to the recession many people have no other choice than to holiday at home - Ed.)

Overall, seven out of ten consumers have either taken a holiday in England this year or are planning to do so over the coming months, the survey found.

The same proportion (70 per cent) of the population are intending to visit a destination in their own country in 2012, with most set to go away for between one and three nights.

Social media continues to play role in travel decisions

Social media sites such as TripAdvisor and Facebook have increased their importance to holidaymakers when deciding where to go over the past 12 months, reveals the World Travel Market 2011 Industry Report.

More than 1,000 Brits who had taken at least one holiday of seven days or more during the past year were polled for the survey. Four in ten (40%) referred to social media this year, an increase on the 36% who used social media to book their 2010 holiday.

Travel and tourism firms explore new digital marketing horizons

Websites have always been considered a vital component of any online marketing plan in the tourism industry. 

However, while the traditional Web may still be necessary to convert leads and facilitate bookings with tour operators, guest houses and hotels, etc, a number of other online and digital platforms are making a big impact.

In particular, the use of social media in tourism continues to rise and it has many benefits over traditional online channels.

How Britain faired at the World Travel Market 2011

"This is not a speech I had to make. It’s a speech I wanted to make... I want to talk about just how incredibly important I think our tourism industry is and what we need to do now to make the most of it not just here in London but right across our country.

For too long tourism has been looked down on as a second class service sector. That’s just wrong. Tourism is a fiercely competitive market, requiring skills, talent, enterprise and a government that backs Britain. It’s fundamental to the rebuilding and rebalancing of our economy.

It’s one of the best and fastest ways of generating the jobs we need so badly in this country. And it’s absolutely crucial to us making the most of the Olympics and indeed a whole decade of great international sport across Britain."

David Cameron, PM's Speech on Tourism, 12th August 2010

I've just been to the World Travel Market 2011 at Excel and thought I'd share some images of some of the exhibition stands put on by various countries trying to attract more tourism through the promotion of what is best, distinctive and most appealing.

The correct use of Social Media in Hospitality

There has been a lot of buzz about social media and its role in hospitality. Is social media a distribution channel, or not? 

What is the correct use of social media in hospitality and what should hoteliers do about it?

New TripAdvisor complaint threatens review syndication

Travel giant TripAdvisor is facing a second and potentially more serious complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority that threatens to outlaw all third parties using its reviews to market their products.

read more at New TripAdvisor complaint threatens review syndication - Travolution.co.uk:

Merging worlds get personal as hotel chains take to social media

Hotels are driving the travel industry’s use of social media by creating offline events via its online audience, reveals the WTM Global Trends Report 2011 released at World Travel Market.

Secretary of State launches VisitEngland's 2012 marketing campaign at World Travel Market

Today at World Travel Market in London, the Secretary of State, Jeremy Hunt launches VisitEngland’s 2012 holiday-at-home marketing campaign. 

The three-year campaign will kick off in February next year with a TV advertisement and is aimed at inspiring Britons to take more short-breaks in England.

Read more: Secretary of State launches VisitEngland's 2012 marketing campaign at World Travel Market:

TripAdvisor: Investigation reveals ease of faking reviews

Reviews website TripAdvisor is again at the centre of controversy after an investigation has revealed an array of security loopholes that can be exploited at the click of a mouse.

Full story here

VisitBritain receives £27m injection of funding

Message from Sandie Dawe MBE, Chief Executive, VisitBritain

Secretary of State announces additional funding for Britain image marketing campaign

I am delighted that the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, Jeremy Hunt, has today announced that the Government is investing up to £40 million in promoting Britain overseas for business, study and tourism.

How IHG is making money with mobile

As vice president of web and interactive marketing for IHG, Michael Menis leads efforts that contribute more than US$3 billion annually to the company. 

What excites Menis most right now, though, is mobile, an area he says is “exploding” and compares with the Internet in the late 1990s.

Marriott to let guests publish hotel reviews

A second hotel giant aims to give TripAdvisor a bit of competition. This time, it's Marriott.

Soon, you'll be able to submit your review of the Marriott Marquis in New York (see photo), the Marriott Courtyard near Orlando's convention center or a number of other Marriott-brand hotels - regardless of the quality of your experience.

The Social Media recipe for success!

It's one thing having all the ingredients necessary to make a cake, but without knowing a recipe and having the right equipment, it is unlikely that you will succeed. 

However, with the ingredients and diligently following the recipe given to you by Delia (or Heston) then that cake will soon be coming out of the oven freshly baked for everyone to admire and then try.



But will it be as good as the one Delia or Heston made? 

Tourism firms eye the potential of Facebook

Facebook changes and user grumbling usually go hand in hand, but there are no plans yet to extend Facebook Timeline, the social network’s new “digital scrapbook” feature, to business users – much to the disappointment of forward-thinking tourism providers.

The ups and downs of user-generated reviews

In this age of user-generated reviews - where one click can deliver dozens of critiques - we need not only be wary of what we’re buying, but of what’s being said about it and by whom

“The décor reminded me more of my mother-in-law’s nursing home as frankly, I have stayed in more up-to-date Travel Lodges.”

- Excerpt from a review by a hotel guest on TripAdvisor

“What a wonderfully written review! I strongly recommend that you take up writing fiction for a living.”

- Excerpt from the hotel manager’s response to the review

How to Generate Leads with Social Media

You don’t have to use social media to generate leads for business, but why wouldn’t you? With more than 750 million global users on Facebook and 460,000 new Twitter accounts added each day, your current and potential customers very likely are using social media. 


There’s a strong possibility they are talking about your industry – or your brand – right now.

iPad and its impact on hotel owners and operators

This is question that we have been pondering – why the iPad is the final nail in the “all internet is free” coffin?

Here are some points to consider:

• It is the fastest selling consumer electronics device in history.
• The iPad is the first truly video-centric guest Internet device.
• iPad places huge demands on hotel Wi-Fi systems, consuming 400% more wifi data on a monthly basis than the average iPhone, iPod or Android device, according to a recent report from Meraki."

Read more: iPad and its impact on hotel owners and operators | Tnooz:

VisitEngland’s Regional Growth Fund Bid is Successful

Message from James Berresford, CEO VisitEngland

I am delighted to inform you that the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills announced today that VisitEngland’s bid for funding from the Regional Growth Fund (RGF) was successful.

Attack of the TripAdvisors or Escape of the Lunatics?

Last night's 'documentary' on Channel 4 was an attempt to tell the story of how important the TripAdvisor website has become to the tourism sector.

The trailers lead us to believe that the documentary would be an exposé of the negative effect that bad reviews are having on some businesses, but it was impossible to watch it as anything other than a freak show.