News

Switzerland revs up digital marketing to counter currency shifts
News / Online
Switzerland revs up digital marketing to counter currency shifts
By Sean O'Neil | March 24, 2015
Switzerland Tourism faces a currency problem. Since January, the value of the Swiss franc has risen sharply, while the value of the euro has fallen correspondingly. This one-two punch may lead to a dr... Read More
How Expedia makes Scratchpad addictive: Electrodes are the new A/B tests
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How Expedia makes Scratchpad addictive: Electrodes are the new A/B tests
By Sean O'Neil | March 24, 2015
It is well known that Expedia Inc., the online travel titan, does thousands of tests on users of its websites to find out what does, and doesn't, work. In so-called "A/B testing," the company presents... Read More
New Apple Maps streaming patent could prove useful in travel
News / Technology
New Apple Maps streaming patent could prove useful in travel
By Nick Vivion | March 24, 2015
Apple received a patent that could provide some new ways of streaming location and mapping to different groups. The idea is basically that location sharing could be used within a mapping applicatio... Read More
Exactly how many Facebook fans were lost by hotels in the Great Purge?
News / Online
Exactly how many Facebook fans were lost by hotels in the Great Purge?
By Nick Vivion | March 24, 2015
Facebook's Great Purge came to a close last week, and many brands experienced precipitous drops in total likes as the social network removed deactivated or memorialized Facebook pages from counts. So... Read More
Why visual content can damage a travel brand
News / Online
Why visual content can damage a travel brand
By Viewpoints | March 24, 2015
Even beyond the debate over distribution, as a hotelier, marketing your property to consumers is essential. And one of the best ways to show off a hotel is with visual content. NB: This is an an... Read More
The What, Where and Who of marketing to millennials
News / Technology
The What, Where and Who of marketing to millennials
By PhocusWire | March 24, 2015
You often read articles that say 'Millennials are lazy' and want stuff for nothing, but that they are also a golden opportunity.... Read More
Startup pitch: Vidtur offers travelers localized video guidebooks
News / Online
Startup pitch: Vidtur offers travelers localized video guidebooks
By Sean O'Neil | March 23, 2015
Vidtur is not the first startup to offer professional video travel reviews in multiple languages about the world's top destinations. It currently has 700 videos, all produced by the company, covering... Read More
Hilton loyalty program site was vulnerable to password-free hacking
News
Hilton loyalty program site was vulnerable to password-free hacking
By Sean O'Neil | March 23, 2015
Cybersecurity professionals voiced concerns about vulnerabilities in the website system for Hilton Honors, the global hotel chain's loyalty program. The weakness could have opened the door to theft of... Read More
Could Gyroscope become a new super channel for travel marketers?
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Could Gyroscope become a new super channel for travel marketers?
By Nick Vivion | March 23, 2015
There's a new kid on the block in travel and she doesn't even know that travel is watching. It's a seamless sharing application called Gyroscope, which integrates various online platforms and perso... Read More
Picture evidence, please - the new rules of the social media era
News / Online
Picture evidence, please - the new rules of the social media era
By PhocusWire | March 23, 2015
The cultural premium now placed on recording and broadcasting one’s life and accomplishments means that social media has a problem.... Read More
Are OTAs doing enough to capture consumer attention early in the purchase funnel?
News / Distribution
Are OTAs doing enough to capture consumer attention early in the purchase funnel?
By Nick Vivion | March 23, 2015
OTAs must do more to capture consumer attention earlier in the travel purchase decision funnel, says new research by Millward Brown Digital. OTAs have been buying share through advertising since th... Read More
Obsessive or on-the-ball? Three out of five travel businesses check reviews immediately
News / Online
Obsessive or on-the-ball? Three out of five travel businesses check reviews immediately
By Kevin May | March 23, 2015
There are now very few in the travel industry who think reviews do not play a role in consumer choice - but how seriously do product owners take it? Quite a lot, it would appear. TripAdvisor say... Read More
Uber looks local to boost India expansion
News / Technology
Uber looks local to boost India expansion
By Linda Fox | March 23, 2015
Uber has formed a 'strategic partnership' with India's Times Internet to help grow its presence in the destination. A statement from Uber describes the deal as a marketing partnership and adds that... Read More
Checkfront checks in with $800,000 debut fund raise
News / Distribution
Checkfront checks in with $800,000 debut fund raise
By Kevin May | March 23, 2015
Checkfront has raised $800,000 has ended five years of self-funding since launch with a first capital-raising effort. The Canada-based company, which creates cloud-based booking tools for tours and... Read More
Surprise! Airbnb comes in dead last as Millennials' preferred accommodation
News / Online
Surprise! Airbnb comes in dead last as Millennials' preferred accommodation
By Nick Vivion | March 20, 2015
It's not often that hotels have something to celebrate when it comes to the sharing economy, but a recent survey of Millennials placed Airbnb dead last as a preferred accommodation type. The result... Read More