Special Treatment Based On A Guests‟ Social Influence In San Fran, A Weekend Is 49 Hours Long Social Trip-Planning Site Target Group Travel With Friends Colorado City Taking Market Direct To The Public

And more

points, and for each offer that their friends purchase, they receive 250 points. Accumulated points can be redeemed for free rooms, dinners, drinks and more. Furthermore, customers who check-in to the hotel via Facebook Places may receive two drinks for free.

SPECIAL TREATMENT

BASED ON A GUEST’S

SOCIAL INFLUENCE

The Palms Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas has introduced the Klout Klub as part of its Social Rewards Program, allowing high-ranking social media influencers (based on their Klout score) to access additional amenities during their stay in hopes that they will share these positive experiences with their online networks. Their Social Rewards Program awards points to anyone who Tweets about the hotel, and for each offer that someone Tweets, they earn 10

Source: psfk.com and kukimedia.com (picture)

SMURFS AND BILLY THE KID HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON: THEY ARE BOTH PROMOTING TRAVEL

The bipartisan US House-Senate committee charged with finding US$1.5 trillion to be cut from budget deficits is now in operation, though virtually no one thinks it has much of a chance for success. No one expects it to have much influence on travel, either.

But it does raise the question of what the federal government has done to promote overseas travel, which virtually all groups say is a desirable goal not only because of its highly favorable economic impact but also to help polish the image of the US.

The US is far from alone in wanting more tourism, and Billy the Kid and the Smurfs are among creative gimmicks other areas and countries are doing to promote much-needed tourism in tough times.

But first, what has the US Congress done?

Source: travelmole.com

CONCRETE PIPES

TRANSFORMED INTO

ECO-HOTEL IN MEXICO

Combining the concept of pod-like hotel rooms, with the growing trend of eco-responsible tourism and the use of waste materials for construction, architects T3arc have created the 20 room Tubohotel made from recycled concrete pipes.

Inspired by dasparkhotel which opened in Germany in 2006, T3arc have extended the concept by stacking pipes to form two mini pyramids with ladders to access the upper level. Located 45 minutes south of Mexico City, T3arc completed the project in three months, furnishing the 2.44m by 3.5m pipes with a queen-size bed, desk light and fan, with space for under bed storage. Unlike dasparkhotel which operates a pay-as-you-wish system, rooms at Tubohotel are priced at USD 42 a night, which they hope will attract backpackers and those looking for alternative and unique accommodation that won‟t break the bank. Unfortunately the cement pipe doesn‟t allow for bathroom facilities, but there are two communal bathhouses onsite with private showers.

Both Tubohotel and dasparkhotel have explored the possibilities of using unwanted construction materials in natural surroundings to create hotels that are cheap and quick to build, better for the environment and boast the benefits of affordability and a quirky experience for visitors. Plenty here to be inspired by!

Source: springwise.com

IN SAN FRAN, A WEEKEND IS 49 HOURS LONG A weekend is 48 hours but the number 49 is significant in San Francisco. And now tourism officials there are capitalizing on that unlikely number in a clever promotion that should pay off.

“The average weekend is 48 hours, but in San Francisco, there‟s no such thing as an average weekend.” claims Matt Stiker, SF Travel executive vice president/chief marketing officer. “It takes at least 49 hours – or an extra day - to explore new neighborhoods, experience new ideas in art and culture and indulge in some of the best food in America.”

Tourism officials have started a contest for participants to show what they love about the city in 49 seconds of video in its “49 Seconds of SF” contest, part of their summer-long “49 Hours of SF: Arts & Culture” program. Learn more here.

Source: travelmole.com and sanfrancisco.travel (picture)

FIND A PLACE TO STAY

WITH GOOGLE’S HOTEL

FINDER

Google is now offering users the ability to look for a hotel for their trip in the U.S., with options to refine that search by preferred location, dates, price and ratings. Recommendations are then shown in either a list or on Google Maps and the user can book a room from a range of available partners or directly from the hotel.

Some of the features include a „tourist spotlight,‟ where Hotel Finder highlights the most visited areas of U.S. cities so you can see the popular areas on the map. A „compared to typical‟ section shows you how each hotel‟s price compares to its historical average, so you can see if you are getting a good deal.

Google Hotel Finder makes it fast and easy to compare. When you select a hotel, you are shown a collage of images, Google Places reviews and key information. You can also use keyboard shortcuts („J‟ and „K‟) to flip through the results quickly. As you do so, you can add the hotels you like to a shortlist to easily keep track of your favorites.

Source: psfk.com

VISIT FLORIDA

LAUNCHES ‘FLORIDA

FAN GAME’

Florida's tourism marketing corporation, Visit Florida, is launching a contest around NCAA football to boost the tourism-based economy by getting people to vote on which of the state's six major universities has the most avid fans.

Part of the "Share A Little Sunshine," a viral marketing program to get Floridians to support tourism, the effort involves Florida A&M University, Florida State University, University of Central Florida, University of Florida, University of Miami and University of South Florida which collectively have more than 10 million fans, per Visit Florida.

The "Florida Fan Game" includes TV spots by each of the six university head football coaches that start airing Friday, Sept. 2 via a partnership with the Florida Association of Broadcasters and the Florida Cable Telecommunications Association. The ads feature head coaches Jimbo Fisher, Al Golden, Skip Holtz Will Muschamp, George O'Leary and Joe

Taylor. Learn more here.

Source: mediapost.com and sportslogos.net (picture)

SOCIAL TRIP-PLANNING

SITE TARGETS GROUP

TRAVEL WITH FRIENDS

There‟s been virtually no end to the list of travel-planning sites emerging in recent years, but one niche we hadn‟t yet seen filled is group trips jointly planned by multiple friends. Sure enough, TripHuddle targets just that situation, with a social trip-planning application that aims to make coordinating trips easier and more fun by helping people work together and share their travel information.

Users of TripHuddle begin by registering with the site and then creating trips, entering their travel plans and inviting their friends. Trips can always be kept private, but those who are invited can see who is attending and the details of their travel plans. Users can also edit a trip-specific shared calendar and post to a message board to make sharing easier. Each trip created then gets its own profile and features a list of who‟s going, a shared calendar for events and a bulletin board for posting thoughts and questions. The result? An easier way to coordinate arrivals, departures and accommodations, the Washington, D.C.-based company says.

Source: springwise.com

J.D. POWER: HOTEL

OVERALL

SATISFACTION

DECLINES

Drury Inn & Suites, Embassy Suites Hotels, Holiday Inn, Homewood Suites, Hotel Indigo, Microtel Inns & Suites and The Ritz-Carlton rank highest in customer satisfaction in their respective segments, although overall hotel guest satisfaction has declined.

Hotel guest satisfaction with costs and fees has improved despite higher room rates, while satisfaction with other service and product-related aspects has declined amid increasing occupancy rates, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study.

The annual study measures overall hotel guest satisfaction across seven hotel segments: luxury; upper-upscale; upscale; mid-scale full service; mid-scale, limited service; economy/budget; and extended stay. Seven key measures are examined within each segment to determine overall satisfaction: reservations; check-in/check-out; guest room; food and beverage; hotel services; hotel facilities; and costs and fees.

Source: mediapost.com

COLORADO CITY TAKING MARKETING DIRECT TO THE PUBLIC

The snow-conscious city of Telluride, Colorado, is doing something more people in the travel business might consider: It is asking the public how to market the destination directly to skiers and snowboarders next winter.

“Businesses spend countless hours and resources developing annual marketing campaigns to appeal to customers and drive products. But what interests guests can be different from what a business perceives,” says a press release from the site.

The resort has created a survey asking the public to become a part of the marketing team for the 2011-2012 ad campaign.

Source: travelmole.com and clubsaintbernardski.com (Picture)

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