Online Travel Company Journeys Forward With Social Media

I discovered this ingenious site when I was working and living in Japan last year. For me, it was the perfect tool. The site promised to help me plan my multi-stop trip around Asia and would automatically search for flights that matched my ideal itinerary. It meant I could go to Korea for a week, then head right to Micronesia without coming back to Japan in between—perfect!

Here’s an excerpt from the site:

“AirTreks.com is the worldwide leader in providing affordable, customized and efficient international air tickets through advanced technologies for complex multi-stop international journeys.

AirTreks.com enables travelers and travel agents to create customized itineraries -- with an unlimited number of destinations -- and receive instant online price estimates with one click.”

Today was the first day in a long time that I’d visited AirTreks.com and it had undergone some major changes. The company has been keeping up with the time and within the last year, embraced social media tactics. They now have a travel blog and an e-newsletter that people can subscribe to.

While these are good initial efforts to incorporate social media into every day business, I think the company could benefit from a higher dose of social media. Let me elaborate.

I was reading a travel blog by Edward Hasbrouck called The Practical Nomad and he writes that advertisers use social media as a vehicle to push a company’s marketing message. While I agree with this, I think that social media benefits the communications department and the company as a whole. How? It pushes messages to the widest audience and, on the positive side, it’s budget-friendly for companies during this economic downturn. Additionally, it helps companies with their public relations and marketing efforts by increasing awareness and leveraging their brand(s). Take the example of the Disney World Moms Panel in one of my previous posts.

Social media may appear to be great, but where’s the proof?

There’s a great post about social media statistics on a blog called Social Media Today. Author and WebProNews Blog partner Michael Stelzner surveyed approximately 900 marketers and developed a report about social media use. Here are some interesting statistics from the report (taken from the blog post):

• 88 per cent indicated they were employing social media for marketing purposes
• 72 per cent have only been using social media marketing for a few months
• 64 per cent of marketers are using social media for 5 hours or more each week
• 39 per cent are using it for 10 hours a week
• 81 per cent say the number-one benefit is generating exposure, followed by increasing traffic and building new business relationships
• Over half saw a rise in search engine rankings
• Out of social media tools marketers most wanted to learn about, social bookmarking sites, such as Delicious ranked highest followed by Twitter

His post also examines what business owners want to know about social media and marketing. Most of them expressed an interest in measuring social media’s effectiveness and what tactics are the most successful.

The travel industry is definitely jumping on the social media bandwagon. Travel USA 2009 dedicated a whole conference to social media. The conference promises to give companies the tools to develop a social media strategy, generate leads, drive traffic and boost sales.

Social media is obviously still evolving and AirTreks.com has taken some preliminary efforts to incorporate it (the blog and e-newsletter). The blog discusses common travel topics such as airline travel, documenting your trip, etc. and website visitors can comment and engage in an active online discussion. While this is a great first step, I think they should sign up for a Twitter account to make the company’s online presence even more apparent. An online discussion board would also help them with customer service, as they could listen to and learn from their customers and make appropriate changes. The company could also benefit from social bookmarking.

While social has appeared to work for AirTreks.com thus far, it’s important to realize that not every company is going to find success through social media. As blogger Michael Stelzner writes, “That's one of the greatest appeals of the medium though. There are so many possibilities.”

Do you think AirTreks.com is taking the right approach to social media? What are some other companies that have been successful in their social media efforts?

Twitter Detox

My classmate, Sarah, blogs about finding the balance between social media and being social. I feel like I’m up to my eyeballs in social media sometimes and have recently backed away from using Twitter. I guess it's like a Twitter detox. In this post, Sarah talks about being an overactive user of Twitter (a “Tweetaholic”). I know many people who must be glued to their computers all day. Me: No thanks. I have better things to do.

Although I seem a little skeptical about social media, I’m really not. I think I’ve finally figured out that using social media is about creating a fine balance between socializing with people and socializing with your computer. To which degree? Well, whatever makes you happy!

I came across this Harvard Business blog post today when I was perusing my Google Reader. There might be a lot less business travel happening due to the current economy, but social media has proven to be a saviour when networking.

Take a look at Alexandra Samuel’s Top Ten Social Media Travel Tools list.

I hadn’t even heard of TripIt or Dopplr, social media tools developed to organize and share personal travel plans with your social network at the click of a button. These tools can help you network even before you jet set. It seems like there’s social media for everything these days.

Social media definitely makes networking a breeze—if you use it correctly. Because everyone has different views, it’s important to consider a person's preferred method of online communication. If someone you meet on a business trip likes to communicate by e-mail, use it. If someone else prefers Twitter, use it. If another person likes the phone, use it. To sum it up: use what they prefer. If you cater to what an individual wants, chances are your network will grow. What are your thoughts on this topic? Do you think social media travel tools, such as the ones above, are beneficial for business travellers?

Every Kid's Dream Vacation

March Break. It’s definitely a popular time to travel to sunny utopias to beat the winter blahs. Last year, I was gallivanting in South Korea and Micronesia. This year’s break was a tad quieter.

During my childhood, I was fortunate enough to do lots of family travelling during the breaks (a benefit of having parents who are teachers). As every March Break would creep closer, my parents would ask: “So...what should we do this year?” For as long as I can remember, my brother and I would shout (as if we’d been rehearsing for years): “DISNEY WORLD!”

Well, we finally got our wish in March 2002. My family packed our bags and flew to Orlando for the week. We experienced magic, the fairytales and the fun. Before we knew it, the week had flown by and we were on our way back to chilly Ottawa.

Disney World has been on my mind lately with all the talk about March Break travel. Pearson International Airport was hit hard with excited March Break travellers—experiencing the highest volume since the start of the year on March 13. However, this article reports that there's a four per cent decline in flights compared to last year.

If the great weather we’ve been experiencing recently decides to stick around, I won’t be that upset that I’m not sitting on a beach somewhere or getting my picture taken with Mickey and Company on Main Street USA.

Disney is one of the most popular destinations for March Break travel according to this blog. It’s appropriate for travellers of all ages and can be done on a variety of budgets. And budgeting is key—especially this year.

I didn’t really think Disney World needed a lot of PR help with the volume of people that visit every year, but I guess it never hurts to be proactive. In January 2008, Disney World hired New Jersey-based Coyne PR to launch a creative social media campaign that spread the good, the bad and the ugly about Disney through a group of Moms. The Walt Disney World Moms Panel, as it is known today, was built on the idea that moms rely on other moms for advice. The Coyne PR team created the first-ever online forum that gave guests “insider tips and insights from parents who have the passion and knowledge to create an ideal Walt Disney World vacation experience for others.”

The program didn’t stop with the online forum. Coyne PR launched a nationwide search for 12 parents who could share insider info about Disney. After the winners were announced, “Disney Parks invited the 12 panellists – the 11 moms and one dad – to Walt Disney World to participate in the specialized training sessions, which included media training, a Web tutorial for the site, photo shoots, one-on-one meetings with executives, and various park and property tours.”

A parent’s dream job? Perhaps if you’re keen about all things Disney and enjoy sitting in front of a computer while exchanging information with site visitors.

Although there’s no Disney World for me this March Break, I had a relaxing one-night getaway in Niagara Falls and got my wisdom teeth out. I have fond memories of my family trip to Disney and will definitely use the Moms Panel when I plan a trip for my own family some day. What do you think about Coyne’s PR initiative? Creative? Strategic? What would you do generate buzz?

Interactive Websites + Value = Tourists

During the February long weekend, I spent 19 hours in a car. The real purpose of my trip was to visit my best friend, who is currently pursuing an Ivy League education. Because Yale just over an hour outside of NYC, I figured it was only appropriate to make a one-day pit stop to do some shopping, go out on the town and, of course, have a romantic Valentine's Day in The City That Never Sleeps.

After going to Las Vegas and seeing firsthand how the economy was suffering, I was curious to see if The Big Apple was in the same boat. I've been to NYC once before in 2007 and I remember it being a lot busier but I think there were some valid reasons. Firstly, it was summer. Secondly, it wasn't during a recession. Thirdly, it was during the week of Independence Day.

NYC seemed a little quiet when we drove in on Saturday morning, but by the afternoon I was wondering where all the tourists came from. I couldn't help but wonder if they, too, flocked to the city for a romantic weekend getaway.

Because our road trip was spontaneous, we didn't book any hotels or have any plans in advance. Luckily, we found a hotel in Times Square and got a dinner reservation at The Mercer Kitchen in Soho (after the concierge phoned 20 places). If I had known about this site, it would have made our trip planning more seamless.

Until I read this article, I was unaware that NYC had unveiled a $1.8 million visitor centre just a stone’s throw from Times Square. The centre, along with an interactive website, nycgo.com, enables visitors to create custom travel plans with state-of-the-art touch screen technology. This initiative was carried out by NYC & Company, the city’s marketing and tourism arm.

While this swanky new tourist centre may be great once you're in the city, it doesn’t help lure tourists to the city. The website, however, does. It not only promotes positive messages about the city to distant locations, but shows package deals, discounts and a plethora of other fun activities. Focusing on value is key for attracting international visitors during the recession and that’s why I think destinations should be investing money in tourist-centric websites as opposed to blowing budgets on tourist centres.

During this downwards slump in the tourism industry, destinations need to focus on bringing travelers in before anything else. What better way to accomplish this by launching a website or implementing another social media tactic. Your thoughts?

This is What Vegas is Like During a Recession

What’s it like going to one of the most popular tourist destinations in a recession? Fun, affordable and absolutely vacant.

Although this was my first time in Las Vegas, it wasn’t hard for me to tell just how badly the economy was affecting its tourism. The hotel check-in lines were completely empty as were the shows and casinos. The Strip was also undergoing a large construction project that will most likely delayed. Did I mention I went on Super Bowl Weekend—supposedly one of the busiest weekends in Vegas?

During one of my numerous cab rides up and down The Strip, I asked the driver “So, has it been busy?” The cab driver, who had moved from New York City ten years ago to support the city’s booming tourism, pithily replied, “When you can drive up and down The Strip this fast, things aren’t good.” According to her, some hotels are going bankrupt and the only person she thinks will keep afloat in the sea of economic uncertainty is Steve Wynn.

Wynn, a multi-billionaire casino developer who has slowly taken over Las Vegas, recently opened his newest hotel, Encore, on Dec. 22, 2008. However, given the economy, the opening was much more subdued than previous ones. I took a stroll through Encore and if I could sum it up in one word it would be “palatial.” Encore houses some of the world’s most lavish restaurants, shops and entertainment. Although the lack of tourism isn’t great for the local economy, it sure is for the tourists.

Even though I was only in Vegas for the weekend, I attended the private Miller Lite Super Bowl party with some friends who had been there in previous years. Like the opening of Wynn’s newest hotel and resort, the party (according to them) was much more modest. It had all the free food and drinks anyone could ever dream of, but was much more intimate in terms of how many people were actually there. Miller Lite also scaled back on swag. Tough times call for tough measures.

After getting back from my trip, I did some research about how Vegas brands itself as a tourist destination and came across this. In response to the economic downturn, Las Vegas trashed its “What Happens in Vegas” campaign for a new one—“Vegas Bound.” This new campaign features real people from Cranfills Gap, Texas who venture to Vegas for a funfilled vacation.

Blogger Grant Johnson ponders if a tagline can really make a difference in terms of generating business. He writes: “Why not ditch the ‘Vegas Bound’ tag and really drive home the value people can get. “Vegas: The best vacation bargain around!” Sexy, heck no. Effective? With the right subhead and testimonials and pricing packages featured it sure would be.” Maybe Vegas just needs to hear what prospective tourists want and create some new key messages.

After being in this downwards slump for a few months, maybe Vegas tourism has decided to shuffle things around. I was speaking to a friend today who is going there in a few weeks and for two people, a roundtrip flight and accommodations at a 4.5 star hotel for a week, it’s slightly over $1,000 CDN.

So, what is the best solution for popular tourist destinations, like Las Vegas, in this economy? Or is there one? Or is it just a big waiting game?