Review of Google Think Travel 2012 Middle East – World Islands Dubai
The Google team hosted it’s first ever “Think Travel” event here in the Middle East today at the Lebanon Island (World Islands) in Dubai. A well-chosen, buzz-worthy venue, no doubt…most attendees were equally keen about the event as they were to see the state of the (much touted) World Islands. All in all an eventful day with a great mix of insights and industry discussions, garnished liberally with rhetoric.
A Nifty Crowdsourced Apple iPhone App for Swiss Hotel School Students
Kudos to IMI for continuing to innovate and push the boundaries. A great story shared by dear friend and fellow tech enthusiast, Lukas Ritzel.
For the past few months some 80 international students of more than 20 different nationalities who currently study at IMI University Centre in Luzern, Switzerland have collected data to create the the world’s first crowd-sourced student guide. The iPhone App is a collaboration with Luzern Tourism which also has its own tourism city guide and covers much more than just the best places to have your pizza or beer. It’s about Swiss culture, stories about Heidi and even answers questions like: “Do Swiss people really eat most chocolate of all nationalities?”. The Student iPhone App also collects many of those insider tips which only international students currently living in Switzerland can know about, having lived abroad for such a long time.
The app is now a free download on the Apple App store from:
http://bit.ly/e8byM6
(Direct Link). Alternatively search for “Luzern” and you will easily find the IMI University Centre iStudent Luzern app on the Apple iPhone Store.
Understanding Why Hotels Rank Worst For Data Security And What To Do About It
The hospitality industry shares many of the same data security vulnerabilities as the retail industry — accepting and storing cardholder information and personal information collected through participation in loyalty and rewards programs — yet lags in the adoption of data security practices, which makes it an attractive target for cybercriminals. We talk to Gary Palgon to understand the basics surrounding the key data security issues and what hotels can do to secure valuable information. Though many of these issues fall in the realm of IT, knowing the basics are a must for all digital hotel marketing professionals too.
[Hotelemarketer.com] What are the most common problems associated with data security and how do payment cards feature here?
[Gary] The most common problem is that data is not secure; rather, it generally resides in applications and databases as unsecured, clear-text data in most cases … whether it’s payment card information or other sensitive consumer or employee information.
[Hotelemarketer.com] Your recent press release stated that 38% of all data security attacks were against hotels and resorts last year, making the hospitality industry the #1 target for breaches – what is the source of this information and how is this usually evaluated? (Global vs US-centric, methodology?)
[Gary] Trustwave’s Global Security Report 2010: Based on data collected by Trustwave’s SpiderLabs, this report includes analyses of investigations of data compromised in 2009, detailed technical information on top vulnerabilities, and an actionable global remediation plan.
Web 3.0 – The Sensory Web
Here’s a great presentation by a good friend (and extraordinary hotel educator), Lukas Ritzel. Lukas presented on the topic of the sensory web (Web 3.0) at the second ever TEDx event in Switzerland (Zug – May 27, 2010).
Explore Lukas’ presentation below using Prezi, a superb presentation tool:
Here’s a video of the presentation:
Hotel Internet Marketing by 2013 – Are we on Track?
I came across a piece I’d written about 17-18 months ago on the future of hotel internet marketing. The article talked about 5 broad tech trends that I thought would radically alter the way we approached digital / internet marketing for hotels back at the end of 2008. I thought it’d be fun to take a re-look at the article and see how far we’ve actually come in the last year or more and if those predictions still hold water… here goes:
1. Choice is king.
The clear winners of the online distribution race will be suppliers and 3rd parties that provide the most choice to the customer. “Experience building” will become key to the looking and booking process online. This will mean that successful suppliers (hotels) will have to break down elements of their inventory like rooms, dining, sports, spa and supporting services into individual units that can be booked and packaged both internally and externally. The more elements you provide to what I like to call the “Experience Engine”, the better the choice available to customers to personalize and tailor their experiences. This creation of experience units will also allow tourism industry suppliers to collaborate more effectively online, as well as spur the evolution of 3rd party providers who provide superior experience engines, taking destination marketing to a whole new level.
CMO Marketing Outlook Report – Efficiency and Insight Key Focus in 2009
Someone from Global Fluency recently got in touch with the CMO council’s 2009 Marketing Outlook Report. I think the report reflects pretty much what we’ve been hearing lately from marketers around the globe and in every industry…the recession is not time to cut back spending on marketing – but more so to become leaner and smarter in everything we do. Measures range from shifting traditional ad spend to more efficient online channels, boosting analytics, etc. Here are the key findings from the CMO Council report, along with the PR blurb that accompanied it…hope you find it useful.
MARKETERS SHARPEN PENCILS AND FOCUS IN ’09; BUDGETS HOLDING UP BUT PERFORMANCE, EFFICIENCY AND INSIGHT ARE KEY MANDATES
CMO Council’s Marketing Outlook ’09 Report Reveals Retaining and Training of Key Staff Critical in New Digital World; Limited Agency Turnover and Changes Are Planned
PALO ALTO, Calif. (March 17, 2009) – Customer anxiety and cutbacks are the biggest factors influencing marketing budget allocation in 2009, reports the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) Council in its annual Marketing Outlook study. Despite a restrained economy, however, marketers see budgets holding up fairly well with dollars being stringently controlled and directed against growing and retaining market share.
The CMO Council audit of over 650 marketers across all regions of the world indicated a disconnect between management mandates for ’09 and marketing’s limited plans to invest in automation, collaboration and process improvement. More surprising, senior marketers expressed limited aspirations to elevate their positions and forge tighter links with line-of-business executives, finance, the CIO, and IT groups. This year’s report was sponsored by the sales and marketing practice of Deloitte Consulting LLC, the Jigsaw business community, and Ad-ology.
Read More…
Hospitality Bloggers and Experts – Thoughts on Hotel Internet Marketing in 2009
Very early on this month, a colleague (thanks Lola!) sent me a copy of Peter Kim’s collaborative compilation of thoughts by bloggers on Social Media. I loved the format and the power that collaboration could harness…bringing together the thoughts, ideas and best practices of those defining the field.
The following document was subsequently born – I reached out to about 18 prominent industry bloggers, writers and industry leaders in online hospitality marketing. 6 came back…here are their thoughts on the main trends the hotel industry is likely to see this year, plus tips on how hoteliers can survive and thrive in the recession. The contributors include:
- Professor Dimitrios Buhalis, Deputy Director at the International Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Research (ICTHR), School of Services Management at Bournemouth University.
- Todd Lucier, creator of Tourism Keys Internet Marketing for Tourism blog, podcast and learning materials
- Patrick Landman, Hotel Revenue Management, Online Distribution and Internet Marketing Guru and the Founder of Xotels
- Jan Tissera, President, TravelCLICK International (Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa regions)
- Guillaume Thevenot, French Londoner based at Amadeus and founder+editor of Hotel-Blogs.com
- Jitendra Jain (JJ), Online Marketer at Starwood Hotels and founder of The Talent Jungle Network, YoungHotelier.com and HoteleMarketer.com
Please feel free to share this work as required:
http://d.scribd.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=11403251&access_key=key-23o5j75xc4uxljxk4vfw&page=1&version=1&viewMode=list
Will Artificial Intelligence spell the end of the TripAdvisor Model?
Travel and Hotel Reviews…love ‘em or hate ‘em, they’re here to stay. The question just begs to be asked though…just how long will the user-generated model of referrals really last?
TripAdvisoris used as an example in this article because its simply too big and too well established to ignore. However this piece is not aimed at the company (to be perfectly fair, I love TripAdvisor and have used it on many occasions to find and book accommodations in strange and foreign lands). There are various other travel and hotel booking websites, guides and online travel agencies that also incorporate user reviews to add an element of trust and ‘referral credibility’ to their products.
Image Source: Compete Inc. “Consumer Generated Content in Travel” 2007. Not surprisingly, 82% consumers in the survey indicated they trust other consumer opinions over what a hotel had to say about itself. But interestingly enough, even now, less than 70% really trust the information and barely 51% feel that TripAdvisor content is unbiased.
Hotel Jobs – A Hoteliers Guide to Job Hunting in the New Online World
Hoteliers are fantastic with people. Isn’t that what we’re paid for? But not all hoteliers are comfortable with technology…yet. Especially when it comes to getting the max out of the social revolution online. The good news is that every hotelier CAN make the best use of the Internet to boost their professional profiles as well as hunt for career opportunities more effectively. And all thats needed is the drive, common sense and the vital skill hoteliers already have…that of dealing with other human beings!
Though the Internet has revolutionized the way we interact and access a wealth of knowledge and information, great job leads these days are still a matter of ‘who you know’. Therefore getting connected with the right people the right way is crucial to job hunting success. Here are a few do’s and don’ts from experience:
The Revenue Management and Pricing Middle East Conference
Just finished attending and speaking at the Revenue Management and Pricing Middle East Conference, which was held at the Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi and organized by Eyefortravel. The turn out was decent…about 50–60 professionals from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, mostly Revenue Managers and some Sales & Marketing managers, General Managers and Owners. The crunch seems to have had its effect elsewhere though – a source from Europe claimed that a similar event there had a dismal turnout, as hoteliers scurry to cut costs.
Some good presentations, especially a couple that touched on the big picture, trends and also challenged participants to prep for the future. Total Revenue Management emerges as a clear winner in terms of what hotels SHOULD be doing to prepare and fully yield their products. Technology challenges still remain the biggest hurdle to successful revenue management, CRM and distribution. I enjoyed Sarah Allen’s presentation on Generation Y – particularly some of the changes that are happening which are impacting our human capital strategies, and how, as an industry, we need to shift our mindsets into a new way of doing business to keep ahead of the competition. Another good trend overview was provided by Margaret Bowler from HRG (Grabbing a hold of the corporate segment opportunity).
