Travel2.0

Travelers turn back to travel agents

For years, it looked as though the travel agent had gone the way of the milkman. As online booking sites soared in popularity, travel agents became the butt of jokes. But the travel agent has been given a reprieve, as travelers are starting to need vacations from planning their vacations. “Not only are customers confused [...]

Stories, People and Relationships

Is to me what sums up the basics of a successful blueprint for social web engagement. In this excellent interview with Adam Wallace, New Media Marketing Manager, of the Roger Smith Hotel in Manhattan in my opinion deservedly called a Social Media Rock Star – we learn a lot about what makes them the gold [...]

Apple iTravel: Major headwinds for OTAs, more options for hotel marketers

This guest post is an editorial in Hotelmarketing.com re-published here: Apple filed a patent this month for a future iPhone app called iTravel that like the Google/ITA rumors has the potential to become a game changer for the travel industry, or how Steve Jobs would put it “revolutionize travel.” By Markus Busch The folks at [...]

Talking about Smartphones and Travel

Here’s my brief recent interview with FOX Business on the topic of how both business and leisure travelers can use the vast number of apps on their smartphones for pre-trip planning, booking, check-in and during the trip with location aware apps as well as for social sharing. Had much more to talk about but the [...]

Cool new travel site and blog widget

Of course, widget are nothing new on blogs or sites but I found this new one introduced by VisualDNA adds an interesting twist that should make it much more fun for site visitors to use. Here’s Stephen Fry telling you how it works: As a matter of fact, you can try it out right here [...]

Is travel stuck in web 1.0?

Reads the title of the  Travolution blog post guest written by Mark Seall which I found very thought provoking. I thought it might be useful to repeat my comments here as well: If the major travel players are indeed aware of the fast changing environment they are operating in, it isn’t reflected in how their [...]

Will Old Travel Strike Back?

Old Media Strikes Back is the title of an article on Newsweek.com by Daniel Lyons writing about why Hulu, the venture founded by NBC and Fox is winning the online video race. This has made me realize certain similarities with the travel industry based on his lead in: As the worlds of technology and media [...]

Why is there not more API integration?

TripIt Opens API, Third-Party Devs Pounce; Travel Sites Lag reads the headline in MarketingVOX today. What struck me most is the last part “Travel Sites Lag”. The same thing can be said about the API’s already available and being developed by the new innovators for travel planning like Tripbase, Uptake, Travelmuse as well as others [...]

Another PhoCusWright Conference is history

and what an conference it was. Under the very appropriate theme, applicable not only for the travel industry but the global economy itself, which despite the turmoil it is undergoing now and for some time in the near future will produce innovative winners, close to one thousand participants gathered in Hollywood and it became clear [...]

Seat Guru for Hotels

is what SwissMiss – my favorite design blogger – called this site and she’s right. TripKick.com lists hotel room reviews that allow you to find the best hotel room with a lot of details about each property. So, no more sleeping next to the ice machine or elevator shaft but in the room with the [...]