Friday, November 23, 2012

Travel Inspiration: Tourism Blog Picks For 11-23-12

A new, urban art park named after sculptor and academician Tapio Wirkkala inaugurated in Arabianranta!
"At the end of October the Arabianranta district in Helsinki was enhanced by a new art park named after the late Finnish designer Tapio Wirkkala and designed by celebrated American artist Robert Wilson."
{Helsinki Tourism Blog}

Pin It to Win It in Santa Barbara this Holiday Season!

"Looking to treat yourself with a little holiday cheer? Santa Barbara invites you to use your creativity to inspire a Santa Barbara getaway and enter to win a vacation to The American Riviera®!"
{The SB Post}

Syros: not just a beautiful Greek island but also an excellent cultural destination

"Syros is located in the centre of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. The largest town, Ermoupolis, is the capital of Syros and the Cyclades. It has always been a significant port town and during the 19th century it was even more significant than the port of Piraeus."
{Visit Greece Blog}

The Road to Old Terengganu

"The deep seas off Terengganu may be rich in oil and gas reserves, making the east coast state among the region's leaders in the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, but some argue that its real treasures are all found on the mainland."
{Tourism Malaysia Blog}

Take a tour through Thailand's wine regions

"You probably know the difference between Old World wines (from Europe) and New World wines (from the USA, South America, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa) but who has heard of ‘New Latitude Wines’?"
{Tourism Thailand Blog}



Thursday, September 6, 2012

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Win a Trip! 3 Social Media Contests


Social Media Travel Contests




      Thursday, July 5, 2012

      Social Media Travel & Tourism Jobs for 7-5-2012

      Today's Featured Travel & Tourism Jobs 

      • Contractor - Social Media Marketer/Blogger - Sabre Holdings
        Details
      • Senior Digital Product Manager - Sierra Club
        Details
      • Social Media & Digital Marketing - Oregon Athletic Clubs Administration
        Details
      • Intern - Social Media - United Airlines
        Details
      • Social Media Marketing Intern - Hertz
        Details

      To view prior listings, click here





      Monday, June 18, 2012

      VISIT FLORIDA Launches Summer 2012 Social Media Campaign

      On May 25, 2012, VISIT FLORIDA - the state’s official tourism marketing corporation - announced the launch of its newest social media-based campaign to increase awareness of Florida as a summer vacation destination. The campaign features “Florida’s Three for Free Giveaway” sweepstakes, where participants can enter to win a grand prize of three personally selected Florida vacation packages. In addition to the three-vacation grand prize, VISIT FLORIDA will award nine other single-vacation prizes.

      Participants may enter daily through June 30 at VISIT FLORIDA’s Facebook page and at VISITFLORIDA.com/threeforfree.

      “VISIT FLORIDA worked with our tourism industry partners across the state to put together 12 unique prize packages that demonstrate the broad range of vacation options available in the Sunshine State,” said Chris Thompson, President and CEO of VISIT FLORIDA. “There truly is something for everyone in Florida and creating a sweepstakes that allows participants to build their own grand prize is a great way to showcase the diverse destinations we are all so proud to share with our visitors.”

      The five-week campaign, which is expected to garner more than 425 million impressions, kicked off with targeted Facebook and Twitter ad buys. VISIT FLORIDA worked closely with the two social media giants to develop a highly-defined target audience that includes families and couples throughout the North and Southeast who are interested in summer drive travel. As a way to continue the campaign’s momentum, house ads on VISITFLORIDA.com and a dedicated email blast to e-newsletter subscribers will begin in early June.

      In the summer of 2011, VISIT FLORIDA conducted a highly-successful Facebook-driven campaign that became the subject of white papers from Facebook and Wildfire - the Facebook marketing software provider that produced the applications used in the sweepstakes. A Nielsen study on the “Sunshine Moments” campaign showed a 10-point increase in intent to visit Florida and a significantly improved opinion among the state’s key demographic of 25-34 year olds.

      “The big idea behind this summer’s campaign is to inspire visitors with an amazing collection of travel experiences that can only be found in the Sunshine State,” said Will Seccombe, Chief Marketing Officer of VISIT FLORIDA. “On the strength of the Florida brand, a compelling sweepstakes and a targeted social media plan, we expect to equal or even exceed last year’s visitor engagement levels.”


      Travel + Leisure Recognizes the Best in Social Media With the First Annual SMITTY Awards

      On Thursday, June 7, 2012, numerous travel and tourism organizations were recognized for their innovations in the social media space at the first annual Travel + Leisure Social Media in Travel & Tourism Awards (The SMITTYS).

      "The SMITTYs came about when we saw travel companies doing some pretty cool things in the social media space, and we wanted to recognize their efforts. So we asked airlines, tourism boards, car-rental companies, tour operators, cruise lines, and others to give us their best efforts from 2011." -Travel + Leisure

      Meet the judges and the winners.





      Saturday, May 26, 2012

      Connecticut Tourism: New Branding Campaign Unveiled

      On Monday, May 14, 2012, the state of Connecticut unveiled its new branding campaign, entitled ‘Still Revolutionary’. The campaign, part of a two-year, $27 million dollar initiative to bolster tourism, will include TV, radio, print, and digital advertising. The new logo will also appear on the state’s social media channels.

      “While neighboring states have engaged in vigorous campaigns to attract tourism dollars, Connecticut has languished, and as a result, we were literally taken off the tourism map. Starting today, we begin to change that,” said Governor Malloy. “Still Revolutionary speaks to Connecticut’s deep roots in the founding of this country and reminds us that we still have that independent, revolutionary spirit. For centuries we have been the home of literary greats, innovators and natural wonders — an incredibly diverse array of products and talent, all right here in Connecticut. We are a beautiful state, and we are very proud of our history, even as we look toward our future. It’s time we did a better job of telling that story.”

      Throughout the lead-up to the launch of this new campaign, the Connecticut team engaged more than 1,500 residents, soliciting advice and feedback. DECD’s “What’s Your Connecticut Story?” project, which invites residents and visitors to share what they love most about living, working, and visiting Connecticut, also helped inform the state’s strategic direction for the campaign.



      Thursday, April 12, 2012

      Idaho’s New Tourism Marketing Campaign Lets Visitors Star in Their Own Idaho Adventure Videos

      The Idaho Division of Tourism has announced the launch of its 2012 prime season marketing campaign, My ID. Designed to showcase the state’s scenic beauty, affordable family-friendly destinations and abundant outdoor recreational opportunities, My ID encourages visitors to interact with personalized content featured on the official Idaho travel website, http://www.visitidaho.org.

      Utilizing innovative patented photo-personalized technology developed by PixFusion, a leader in personalized entertainment and composite imagery across all media formats, My ID invites visitors to cast themselves, family, and friends in any of three entertaining Idaho online adventure videos:

        • Agent 208 (Experience the mystery and intrigue of Idaho in this spy adventure.)
        • Are We There Yet? (The entire family will enjoy this RV trip through Idaho.) 
        • Adventures in Loving (Romance is alive and well in Idaho.)

          To take part in the online adventure, all you need is a sense of humor and photos from your computer or Facebook account. Once created, the video may be shared via social media channels such as Facebook and Twitter. Guests may also put themselves into any of eight customizable postcards, add a message and send them to friends and loved ones.

          “This is an amusing, innovative way to share all the great vacation possibilities in our state,” says Karen Ballard, Idaho Division of Tourism Administrator. "Friends and family who appreciate Idaho will help share the story on how fun an Idaho vacation can be. We’re excited to combine PixFusion’s interactive elements to showcase the scenery and activities that make Idaho special,” Ballard added.

          “‘Imagine yourself here’ just took another big leap with the Idaho Division of Tourism’s new campaign,” commented Rich Maryyanek, CMO PixFusion. “In this incredibly fun campaign, people not only get to see what Idaho has to offer families, but see themselves as they go for the ride.”

          The My ID integrated campaign also includes an online sweepstakes, targeted print and online advertising, PR/social media outreach and video assets. Communications will focus on Idaho’s larger destinations like Coeur d’Alene and Sun Valley, as well as the smaller communities that offer a wealth of recreational activities, events and attractions.

          During the twenty-two week sweepstakes, weekly giveaways will be announced on Fridays and visitors may enter on http://www.visitidaho.org/MyID via email, Facebook or Twitter. Sample sweepstakes prizes include overnight stays, whitewater rafting trips, attraction passes, event tickets and even multi-day destination packages.

          For more information on all things related to Idaho tourism or to order a 2012 Idaho Travel Guide, visit http://www.visitidaho.org.

          Source: PR Web

          Tuesday, February 14, 2012

          Kempinski Hotels Selects Revinate as Social Media Solution

          Revinate, the new standard for guest satisfaction for the hospitality industry, today announced that Kempinski Hotels S.A. has partnered with Revinate across its portfolio of 71 luxury hotels in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. The global rollout of Revinate is happening in-line with Kempinski’s new social media strategy to ensure that success can be tracked and measured.

          Kempinski property and corporate staff will be using the software platform to both manage the properties’ online reviews and drive new business and loyalty with Revinate’s social media solution. In addition, General Managers and the Corporate Operations Department will be using Revinate GS2 Reports as part of their management reporting, ensuring that social media and online reviews will become operationalized, much like traditional guest satisfaction.

          Kempinski selected Revinate after an in-depth, multi-vendor evaluation process. Revinate won the business based on its comprehensive, multi-language review coverage and its rich feature set. Alexander Noak, Corporate Manager Digital Strategy at Kempinksi Hotels S.A. explains, “I was looking for a way to differentiate ourselves from our competitors and we can do that through our reviews. Of all the tools we looked at, only Revinate provides a solution that allows us to use our online reviews to influence conversion. Revinate’s Social Buzz makes it quick and easy to select and post quotes from reviews on our own sites to ensure that our shoppers have trusted guest feedback to give them confidence in their booking decisions with us.”

          Kempinski Hotels S.A. is an exciting new partnership for Revinate, who is already viewed as the gold standard in online reputation management for hospitality in North America. Marc Heyneker, Co-Founder and VP of Sales says, “With our recent addition of comprehensive global review coverage in all languages, Revinate is now actively expanding its services to address the needs of international customers. Having a large, well-established luxury brand like Kempinski select Revinate is a great testament to our solution’s strength and value overseas, and helps pave the way for our future growth across global markets.”


          Source: PR Web


          Tuesday, February 7, 2012

          Coral Hotels & Resorts Launches New Website With Great Use of Social Media Integration

          As part of its 2012 marketing strategy, Coral Hotels & Resorts recently unveiled its new website. Michel Noblet, President & CEO, HMH – Hospitality Management Holdings, said, “The new Coral Hotels & Resorts website, like most hotel websites, is an important e-commerce tool and is more significant than ever in an increasingly social, online world.

          “First and foremost,our new website has been designed to make the booking processeasier and simpler for our users as well as to help find quickly the information they are looking for. It allows visitors to experience our brand in the most optimum setting that in turn will ensure the ideal outcome for our business.”

          Today for most consumers, the online journey starts with Google. Other destinations such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube are equally important and are often a gateway to another. Michel stressed, “Our new website is well integrated with social media and will act as a promotional partner with the latest platforms of communication to maximize our company’s digital ROI.”

          Girma Wossensseged, VP – E-commerce Development, HMH, said, “Coral Hotels & Resorts website provides a compelling user experience. It is highly interactive with implementation of many interesting features such as contests, management tips, blogs, newsletter, mobile apps that have been driving more traffic to the site.

          The new website has been extremely well received by the Coral customers. “We have had an excellent feedback. There has been an increase in the number of visitors as well as the conversion rate.

          For more information please visit www.coral-international.com


          Source: Coral Hotels & Resorts

          Wednesday, January 25, 2012

          Canada's Top Social Media Maven Partners With Contiki Holidays

          Nadine Sykora, the recipient of the 2011 Digi Award for Canada's Top Social Media Maven, has partnered with Contiki Holidays for a three month adventure through New Zealand and Asia.

          The upbeat Sykora is a young Canadian video content creator, world traveler, and internet personality.

          Follow her journey with Contiki via her website, YouTube Channel and on Twitter.


          Video Courtesy of Hey Nadine on YouTube



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