It’s called click-baiting, whereby fantastically humorous quizzes await those who link through and then (usually) share the results with friends on Facebook. In this case, ‘Canvey Island (oh dear)’ said ... Read more
The correct information and stringent hygiene procedures are needed to avoid panic amongst passengers and airline crew. Hotels and airlines are constantly dealing with ever-changing large volumes of guests. In ... Read more
Image: Dilbert Some news in the last few days has reminded me of one of the subjects I was addressing at my World Travel Market seminar back in 2010. The ... Read more
Travel blogger conference TBEX has removed a dolphin tour from its programme. Despite objecting to the very existence of such tours, I am not sure how pleased I am.
This month saw the launch of the 2014 WTM Responsible Tourism Website and along with other developments within our community over the past few months, I found myself thinking once more ... Read more
Wellness and wellness tourism is an enormous segment. It encompasses more than what may readily spring to mind and certainly, today, depression, resilience, stress, anxiety and general mental health issues, ... Read more
This post’s title is a much repeated question and one that is often answered by digital agencies with “What is the ROI of a chair or a phone?” The chair ... Read more
Debate over who will win the World Responsible Tourism Awards 2014, sponsored by the Sultanate of Oman Ministry of Tourism, begins in earnest today as the official Longlist is released. ... Read more
The presentation of the World Responsible Tourism Awards at World Travel Market on World Responsible Tourism Day at Excel each year is a red letter day; an opportunity to see ... Read more
Any business that is serious about its sustainability credentials should seriously look at how it sells water, says Peter Ducker FIH, chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality Bottled water ... Read more
I work with social media in travel every day. Nose down to the grindstone, I don’t sniff the air often enough to always gauge what others are doing. But this ... Read more
Image: TepWireless I make no apologies for getting back to the subject of mobile. It is simply the most important issue that is affecting travel right now. It is vital ... Read more
Facebook, Linkedin, Twitter and various websites provide many ways to discuss sustainable and responsible tourism online. Do you agree with our favourites?
World Travel Market 2014’s, the leading global event for the travel industry, Responsible Tourism Programme includes some of the biggest names in travel including Tui, Thomas Cook, Kuoni, Virgin Holidays ... Read more
It’s been a sociable and revelatory few weeks. I was very privileged to be invited to the newly opened Woburn Forest Center Parcs in Bedfordshire last week, to see the ... Read more
In preparing monthly reports for travel clients on how well their social media is faring, I’m a fan of Twitonomy in gathering data on Twitter. It gives you a pile ... Read more
Since 2011, Travel Bloggers Unite have been working in partnership with World Travel Market to further the blogging industry. This year’s collaboration sees the greatest range of opportunities for bloggers ... Read more
With a new simplified visa process, the UK is expected to welcome more Chinese visitors. Peter Ducker FIH, chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality, explores how operators can best ... Read more
As you all know, this January we headed out to 2 schools in Kenya that had successfully had water tanks installed for them, funded by WTM and implemented by Just ... Read more
They say that email marketing is dead. That the opening rates are so low, that you do your brand more damage than good by abseiling into an inbox. I can ... Read more
At the beginning of June, I organised the recent Distribution Best Practice Forum for Travel Technology Initiative – www.tti.org. (TTI will be partnering with WTM to bring you the WTM ... Read more
Will TUI’s ongoing commitment to develop the sustainability of its portfolio, matched with its financial success, encourage more in industry to follow suit?
Surtrek runs luxury travel experiences across South America. jeremy Smith spoke to its founder Alfonso Tandazo about his inspirations, challenges and ideas.
I had the privilege of attending a speech last week by a gold medal winning Paralympian, from the 2012 games. David A. Smith MBE has been on a heart-rending journey ... Read more
Across the world, different cultures have perfect words that capture the essence of why we travel. This is language designed to inspire better holidays
If you are on Twitter, you won’t need any introduction to the concept of newsjacking. It is the, some say shameless, practice of jumping on board something that is happening ... Read more
Preparations are underway for World Responsible Tourism Day 2014 – and more than ever before the focus is on how operating responsibly is good for business.
Press registration for World Travel Market 2014 has recently opened for bloggers and whilst November may seem a long way away, it is worthwhile registering as early as possible to ... Read more
STA travel has stopped offering dolphin shows on its holidays. What does it say about our relationship with such intelligent animals that they exist at all?
If the industry’s workforce is to expand, productivity levels will need to increase, says Peter Ducker FIH, chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality One of our industry’s most publicised ... Read more
There is one area of travel that technology has yet to tackle well. We are getting there but I don’t think that it is yet good enough. Pre-Internet when travel ... Read more
The New ‘Reconsider South Africa’ destination marketing video is causing a stir online. Is this viral hit greenwash, or an example of excellent tourism marketing?
By Professor Harold Goodwin On November 5th, World Responsible Tourism Day, there will be events taking place around the world as businesses and tourism organisations demonstrate what can be done ... Read more
There have been a few more blog posts doing the rounds recently announcing the death of the social media consultant. The broad argument goes that, as companies have gotten used ... Read more
Vote for who you want to win in 12 categories – inc. best destination, poverty reduction, wildlife conservation – in 2013 World Responsible Tourism Awards.
Peter Ducker FIH asks whether it is better for hotel operators to own property or not Optimism about hotel development, financing and property values is growing. At the annual International ... Read more
Facebook autoplay videos are the new Marmite – people either love them or hate them. Either way, they are hard to ignore. Starting last September, Facebook started trialling autoplay videos ... Read more
Nucleus, the brand, digital and intellectual property consultancy has been regularly surveying its clients since 2011, tracking the growth in mobile web browsing. The company’s latest survey highlights the continued ... Read more
Join Phocuswright as we discuss global online travel trends and the state of startups in Europe, and interview some of the most impressive demonstrators from The Travel Innovation Summit @ ... Read more
Tripzero says it will offset the carbon emissions caused by your transport and accommodation – for free – through a deal with Expedia. Is this a gamechanger?
Twitter has become a commercial beast for some time now. But until last week, I’d not really considered it as a potential business tool, instead using the network for chat. ... Read more
If there are large numbers of young people out of work, then why are major employers struggling to fill positions? Peter Ducker FIH, chief executive, Institute of Hospitality, reports. In ... Read more
You have just received a new Like on your brand’s Facebook page. Job done. In fact, the job is far from done and it is beginning to get even harder. ... Read more
What ideas and solutions were provided at the latest Responsible Tourism in Destinations conference? Harold Goodwin reports from an inspiring meeting of industry and campaigners
This year World Travel Market will be celebrating its 35th event. I thought it might be interesting to write a retrospective on how the technology exhibited at WTM has changed ... Read more
Social media is now an important part of the marketing mix for African travel organisations. The vast majority of businesses now have some form of social media presence. My company, ... Read more
The Center for Responsible Tourism’s new report says it has the statistics to prove responsible tourism is good for business. So why isn’t it using them?
Throughout the previous four years there have been two perennial questions we have been asked: Can a SME travel organisation like ours really benefit from working with travel bloggers? If ... Read more
Screenshot by Jennifer Van Grove/CNET There’s an old saying in journalism that goes like this: One is interesting, two is co-incidence, three is a blog post. That is to say, ... Read more
Is it possible to meet increasing demand for travel and tourism while protecting and promoting the wellbeing of the people who live in the destinations?
After an indescribably long journey from the U.S. to this untouched corner of Africa, I was happy to finally reach my hotel on Ibo Island, Mozambique The trip began like ... Read more
Should travel companies join Tripadvisor’s GreenLeader certification scheme? Harold Goodwin explains why he thinks it could be a game changer.. for good.
Cape Town International Airport has repeatedly been awarded Skytrax rankings and is served by more than 50 international airlines, as well as national carriers, so getting to Cape Town is ... Read more
The GDS (computerised–reservations systems) were originally created by the largest airlines to distribute their flights through travel agencies, but they then moved on to become independent firms. Industry observers see ... Read more
Thomas Cook Group has this week launched what it calls a “travel industry first”. Holidays to go! is a Twitter-driven offer engine that lets holidaymakers tweet at the company where ... Read more
This is a tale about the storyfication of travel. Once upon a time there was an industry called Travel. It sold holidays to People. People were happy. Travel would tell ... Read more
Travel Blogger Alliances Since the first travel blog post was written by Jeff Greenwald in 1994, there has always been collaboration of sorts between loose groups of travel bloggers. In ... Read more
Macabre Rhino Massacre The massive increase in the slaughter of southern Africa’s rhino population over the last seven years or so evokes a profoundly emotional response in many. There are ... Read more
For almost four years Travel Bloggers Unite have been privileged to be at the forefront of an exciting and burgeoning industry such as travel blogging. We have seen it grow ... Read more
Four members of the WTM team have just returned from a project visit to Kenya, accompanied by Just a Drop’s Nicola Baskerville and Colonel Mike Reynolds. The teams were visiting ... Read more
Image: Macca Sherifi More than 165 travel bloggers gathered in Newcastle/Gateshead at the weekend in the year’s first UK gathering, allowing observers (including me) to test the waters of the ... Read more
Four members of the WTM team have just returned from a project visit to Kenya, accompanied by Just a Drop’s Nicola Baskerville and Colonel Mike Reynolds. The teams were visiting ... Read more
What does the recent spate of economic good news mean for the UK hospitality industry? Peter Ducker FIH, chief executive of the Institute of Hospitality, shares his thoughts. After nearly ... Read more
Four members of the WTM team have just returned from a project visit to Kenya, accompanied by Just a Drop’s Nicola Baskerville and Colonel Mike Reynolds. The teams were visiting ... Read more
Cape Town recently claimed the top spot on the prestigious New York Times’ list of 52 Places to visit in 2014, ahead of destinations such as Los Angeles, the Vatican ... Read more
Facebook, which has just celebrated its tenth birthday, issued its latest results at the end of January and the results and comments from senior executives contained plenty of messages for ... Read more
Four members of the WTM team have just returned from a project visit to Kenya, accompanied by Just a Drop’s Nicola Baskerville and Colonel Mike Reynolds. The teams were visiting ... Read more
Stick a pin in a map of the UK and chances are that you’ll find an Instagram community at work in the area. From Cumbria to Dorset, groups have sprung ... Read more
For a unique event experience, Cape Town and CTICC is the perfect destination Situated at the foot of one of the world’s most iconic mountains, in the heart of South ... Read more
Icelandic travel company Elding offers responsible whale watching and is admirably open about its position on many issues – from whale meat to gay rights
Despite ever-mounting evidence to the contrary, accompanied by worsening weather conditions and terrible storms, many people act as if climate change was not real. Why?
2014 is set to be the year of the tablet. These user friendly devices are expected to make the long-expected jump to global acceptance. Recent figures show that 47.6 million ... Read more
Will tourism ministers focus more on the quality of tourists visiting a country rather than just the quantity? New Zealand’s approach may provide a way forward