Travel Marketing News

Is Google gunning for travel?

2006-04-18T12:23:00.000+01:00

Anyone scouring the Times job section recently may have noticed that Google is on the prowl again, this time for a travel executive. If the speculation is to be believed, Google is making its first inroads into the world of vertical search, and it is travel information that it is after.

Whilst it may be hard to believe that Google needs more data, a vertical travel search could make it a valid option for your average Joe wanting to book a holiday. What's more, a lot of blog activity generated by 'the ad' ahs thrown up the idea that Google may incorporate video streaming into its holiday results, making a potential Google Travel a very interesting advertising prospect.

Can you really find the best deal online?

2006-03-13T10:26:00.000+00:00

Despite the abundance of cheap deals, great flights and reasonable accommodation online, many tourists are still reluctant to part with their hard-earned cash, or submit the organisation of their precious few days a year out of the office, to the mercy of a nameless, faceless entity.

Yet in the face of stiff competition, are high street travel operators really upping their game and offering better service and specialist knowledge in the face of cheaper deals elsewhere? It would seem that in a lot of cases the answer is a rather depressing, no. Too many travel operators are neglecting to cash in on their 'always happy to help' advantage by being, quite frankly, unhelpful. There is also a nagging doubt that high street travel operators are no longer the specialists; offering lots of holidays to lots of places is not always an advantage if it dilutes understanding.

This of course is not to say that face-to-face holiday booking should be discounted, but high street agents may need to raise their game if they want to offer a viable, personable alternative.

New tourism angle for Scotland

2006-03-01T16:51:00.000+00:00

Forget haggis, loch ness monsters and beautiful scenery - the Scottish Tourism Board has set its sights on some new attractions.

Kilt-clad men are apparently the most appealing thing about Scotland, especially for those involved in the current sweepstake to find the 20 most eligible Scotsmen.

More insurance for unprotected travellers

2006-02-22T14:30:00.000+00:00

With the rise of independent travel there are a growing number of unprotected travellers, who are possibly unaware of the risks they face. A legal ruling defining package holidays has revealed that where many travellers thought they were protected by the agent, unless the deal was booked in one complete transaction with all the components dependent upon one another, then there is no protection if an agent or airline goes bust.

Winter Olympics set tone for Turin tourism

2006-02-13T09:42:00.000+00:00

Formally overshadowed by the fashion of Milan and the romance of Venice, Turin is staking its claim of the tourism pie whilst hosting the 2006 Winter Olympics.

Long held-dear by ski fanatics (Turin is home to the some of the best skiing in the World) yet the city itself is often over-looked if not completely ignored by snow-bound travellers.

Once the home of Italian film, in its hey-day Turin even provided the location for some of the most iconic cinematic moments from The Italian Job. It is now hoped that some of these famous landmarks will be recognised during filming of the games, and that the spectators flocking to the slopes will venture into the town to explore its delights for themselves.

Holiday search costs companies big

2006-02-02T09:40:00.000+00:00

Its good news for holiday companies, but bad for business; British employees spend so long looking for holidays online that it is costing British industry an average of £2.5bn per year in lost productivity.

A survey of 1,500 workers found that 4 out of 5 spend 25 hours researching and booking a holiday and check an average of 6 different sites, all from their work computer.

Environmental impact of flights hits home for travellers

2006-01-31T12:05:00.000+00:00

There has always been a hardcore of holidaymakers who refuse to fly due to the severe environmental impact of a rapid increase in air traffic. Yet the trend is no longer confined to dreadlocked eco-warriors; conscientious objectors to air travel are going mainstream.

The recent announcement by Mark Ellingham, founder of the Rough Guide to not only reduce the number of flights he takes himself, but to also include a warning in each new book published about the environmental impact of flying is a sure sign that 2006 is the year of the eco-traveller.

The impact for travel agents could be catastrophic, although it is a situation that the canny can benefit from. In addition to 'offsetting' - a scheme where travellers can make their flight carbon neutral by opting to pay an extra fee to fund a sustainable conservation project, there is obvious money to be made in offering other forms of transport.

Nobody is expecting the environmentally-friendly public to stop going on holiday, they are just being encouraged to find more imaginative ways of getting there. UK-based resorts stand to benefit from renewed interest, as does train travel and even sea-based trips.

ABTA travel agents offer best service

2006-01-27T09:50:00.000+00:00

ABTA approved travel agents have been found to offer the best services to customers in terms of dealing with complaints, fair contracts and offering sound advice.

Approved by the Office of Fair Trading ABTA agents are monitored to ensure they maintain the standards necessary for approved status.

So for great travel package deals with operators you can trust contact Holidays-Direct now.

Rail travel top of the costs in UK

2006-01-23T13:53:00.000+00:00

The average cost per mile paid by Britain's railway travellers has soared to excessive levels; for an average £10 fare a British commuter will get about 38 miles, this is compared to 107 in France and a whopping 335 in Slovakia.

A hike in costs at the start of the New Year has made matters worse, London is now the most expensive city in the world for underground travel, and with prices going up by as much as 9% travelling by rail in the UK has definintely become rich person's public transport.

Travel entrepreuners hit the jackpot

2006-01-19T16:24:00.000+00:00

Two businessmen from Sussex have hit the business jackpot, although not before 20 years of hard-graft first.

It seems the resurgent popularity of camping and caravanning holidays has come good for the owners of Cinque Ports who have just sold their 19 holiday parks to Graphite Capital for a whopping £130m, making them two very happy campers indeed.

The cost of a term-time holiday has just gone up

2006-01-18T13:13:00.000+00:00

118 parents in the Doncaster region have just been fined for taking their children out of school during term-time, of these 26 now face court hearings for refusing to pay the £50 fine.

Ethics aside, the fining of parents for taking their children out of school could have some serious repercussions for the holiday industry. Traditionally the cheapest holidays were had to be had during term-time, but add a £50 fine, or a court hearing to the price and its not looking like so much of a great deal anymore.

Is Club 18-30 coming of age?

2006-01-16T11:18:00.000+00:00

Following a New Year slim-down, rumours are rife that Thomas Cook may be selling off its infamous Club 18-30 brand. Despite a sophisticated image overhaul by Saatchi & Saatchi, holiday numbers have not reached the 100,000 enjoyed at start of the century.

Bad press and a generally seedy reputation have been blamed for the demise in Club 18-30's popularity. Yet even the introduction of more wholesome activities such as scuba diving and golf have not brought the revellers back.

Whilst things are starting to look up for the brand, and Thomas Cook has not confirmed rumours, a selling or floatation of the company looks inevitable.

Go online or go under

2006-01-13T15:14:00.000+00:00

It is predicted that a third of all travel agents will close in the next 10 years unless online selling opportunities are maximised.

Speaking at a travel conference in Marrakech, Chris Motterhead, former boss of Lunn Poly, advised delegates that 30% of business should be coming from online sources. He also spoke of increased customer expectations; resulting in the onus being put on traditional agents to become tour operators, and even property landlords in their selected regions of expertise.

Can you trust the broucheres?

2006-01-11T10:04:00.000+00:00

Holiday Which? magazine has issued a scathing report on the ethics of unscrupulous holiday companies who advertise their resorts in an unrealistically optimistic light.

Whilst not accused of telling downright lies, some holiday companies have been charged with being 'disingenuously economical' with the truth by publishing pictures of hotels with building work and major roads carefully edited out.

Holiday makers are advised to question travel operators directly as to the state they may find their hotels in and to always stick to reputable agencies.

Late holiday deals beat January blues

2006-01-09T10:22:00.000+00:00

Holidays you like have the perfect anti-dote to the January blues; a selection of all inclusive holiday packages, bargain package holidays and late holiday deals to cheer up even the darkest January day.

With breaks to Malta, the Algarve and the Costa del Sol starting from just £175, you really can afford to get away from it all this January.

Mars and back in 6 hours? It could happen......

2006-01-05T08:49:00.000+00:00

Holiday-makers are becoming more adventurous in their choice of destination with exotic sounding cities such as Ljublijana regularly featuring in the top ten city break destinations, yet technology reported in the New Scientist could stretch the boundaries even further.

American scientists have developed a hypothetical spacecraft that, if their theory on the fabric of the Universe is true, could get you to Mars in just 3 short hours. The system relies on the creation of a massive magnetic field which will allow the spacecraft to slip into another dimension where, fortuitously, the speed of light is faster, meaning the spacecraft can whiz along in the super-charged slipstream.

So that beats queuing for hours at Heathrow at least, but when can you go? The US airforce is currently showing an interest in the technology, but in a best case scenario, testing may begin in 5 years... so it looks it may still be Malaga for a few summers to come.

Childless couples change holiday trends

2005-12-30T12:52:00.000+00:00

With a quarter of Brits taking their annual holiday in winter the traditional summer holiday is on the wane. The figures, produced by an International Currency Exchange survey, reveal a change in the demographics of the typical British household. An increase in the number of childless couples means that school term timetables are no longer the major considerataion for holiday planning, resulting in only 3 out of 5 Britons going on holiday last summer.

This is good news for travel agents specialising in winter sun resorts; typically in far-flung locations these resorts are popular with affulent couples looking or some luxury, and a child-free poolside.

Bumper Christmas holiday causes mammoth lost production

2005-12-23T12:22:00.000+00:00

Due to Christmas and New Years days falling on Sundays, this festive break is set to be one of the longest on record. The 3-week shut-down will cost £1.2 billion in lost production with 4 million British workers expected to be out of the office for a fortnight.

An other bumper crop is the number of people travelling abroad this festive period, estimated at 2.3 million. The holiday season has begun early with many companies gradually scaling down production from the 19th December and many employees setting off earlier on their travels to avoid the rush.

Long distance travel WILL pose a threat to health

2005-12-22T15:56:00.000+00:00

It has been announced that all journeys over 4 hours long will increase your risk of developing deep vein thrombosis. Whilst the risk is only small, it is undoubtedly real and should be acknowledged by all travellers.

DVT has been in the press quite a lot recently and whilst it is true that in some instances it can result in death, there are some fairly simple, yet effective steps that can be taken to reduce the risk. A person of generally good health is generally less likely to develop thrombosis, and older people do have a higher risk. Yet all members of the populace can protect themselves by wearing travel socks and, wherever possible, taking the opportunity to get up or at least move your legs if actually walking is impossible.

Online travel spend to grow by 10%

2005-12-16T15:38:00.000+00:00

Jupiter Research has predicted that online display and search advertising spend will increase annually at an average rate of 10% a year until 2010. The online travel industry is set to enjoy a whopping 13% annual growth rate

Oil explosion may casue travel chaos

2005-12-13T16:48:00.000+00:00

The recent oil explosion at Hemel Hempstead has caused chaos on neighbouring roads, which may extend to the skies. The huge plume of black smoke is obscuring visibility so badly that the M10 has been closed, and there are dangers that air traffic may be disputed - not only by the initial smoke but by possible ensuing oil shortages.

Travel meta-search engines pip the post for Europe

2005-12-07T16:07:00.000+00:00

Recent studies show that Europeans favour meta-search sites for finding holiday bargains instead of the pricier traditional online travel agent.

The report, published by 'eyefortravel' indicates that whilst American travellers prefer the security and personal touch of having all, or some elements of a holiday booked for them, and are happy to pay for the service, European travellers go for the cheaper option.

Because meta-search engines only offer price comparisons and no actual booking facilities, they are invariably cheaper, although the risk factor remains as clients are essentially booking their own travel, accommodation etc with limited idea of what to expect.

This cheap and cheerful model generally fits the profile of an online travel-shopper however who is, traditionally, looking for the best possible deal.

Travel meta-search engines pip the post for Europe

2005-12-07T16:06:00.000+00:00

Scottish National Day should cause more of a stir

2005-12-02T11:37:00.000+00:00

An article in The Scotsman National newspaper has caused a stir amongst radio and TV stations as well as prominent Scottish figures. The call to celebrate St. Andrew's Day in style has involved the First Minister, the Communities Minister and the Scottish National Party to name but a few.

The general consensus seems to be that more should be done to celebrate the 'Scottishness' of Scotland - and this should include a more formal recognition of St. Andrews day.

Holiday information in one place

2005-11-30T17:39:00.000+00:00

Get all your holiday information in one place with the brand new Newscertain. The online service allows companies to publish their press releases in the place where you want to find them.

By optimising articles Newscertain can also help ensure that when you search on your favourite keyword (such as bargain holiday) the results you see are the most relevant ones for you.

So why not save surfing time by cutting to the chase and getting it all your way?