Industy News: July Archive

Trent Blizzard | 16 July 2005 |

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Hotel Supplier Sites versus Online Travel Agents; The War Chronicles / Neil Salerno

Resort towns offer gas promotions to lure tourists
Lest the high cost of gas keep tourists away, some resort towns around the nation are throwing in a valuable incentive — a free tank of gas. At Big Bear Lake, in California, visitors are offered a $25 gas voucher to keep them coming through the summer. And a "Tanks for the Memories" campaign in Bethel, Maine, gives travelers $20 cash for gas for staying at inns participating in the program.

Don’t let technology replace client contact
Great technology options may abound for hotels, but nothing can replace the importance of meeting and greeting potential clients, an expert says. While e-mail and faxes are convenient means for doing business, more and more sales people are using the tools to avoid contact with clients.

Orbitz in marketing deal with Priceline
Online travel agency Orbitz has entered into a marketing agreement with rival company Priceline.com, in which Priceline will serve as Orbitz’ exclusive partner for opaque travel services. The deal goes into effect Jan. 1, 2006.

Travel Industry Trade Groups Form Powerful Strategic Partnership
In a move to align their efforts and promote the interests of the travel industry with a unified agenda, two leading trade groups announced a powerful new strategic partnership to implement a coordinated approach to government action.

Travelers Turn To BringYourPet.com To Find Pet Friendly Lodging

Flexibility essential in travel industry as e-commerce races ahead
Hospitality needs to step up to the increasing pace of technology and be ready to adapt, said experts at a recent travel conference that focused on technology. With online connectivity bringing costs down, the industry should see much consolidation, and one expert predicted a 300% increase in e-commerce over the next five years.

Ignored e-mail as costly as missed telephone call
An ignored e-mail can be as costly as a missed telephone call, says Line56. At the very least, companies should set up an auto-respond message — a great benefit to the company, and something that can be done at no cost in minutes.

How the Internet is changing travel planning
The Internet plays an increasingly important role in travel planning, an eMarketer study shows. Younger travelers in particular favor the Web when researching a trip. Online travel research was most popular with Americans, Brits and Australians, while Russians were most skeptical of it.

Keyword Research, Competition, and Selection
by Dan Thies - Search Engine Guide - In most cases, a really disciplined approach to assessing relevance will lead to good keyword selection for SEO, and competition becomes less of an issue.

Google AdWords Tip: Use Negative Keywords
by Richard Ball - Search Engine Guide - When running a Google AdWords campaign, it is crucial to include negative keywords. This is particularly true if any of the keyword phrases in the ad campaign are broad- or phrase-matched.