Marketing digital y Turismo basado en experiencias, una revolución para 2012

Del análisis de las cifras podemos extraer una conclusión irrefutable; los negocios online son los únicos que muestran una senda de crecimiento y creación de empleo en mitad de una de las crisis más sistémicas y estructurales de la historia reciente.

No podemos olvidar que el turismo ha sido tradicionalmente, uno de los motores más poderosos de la economía. Gracias a su facilidad para mimetizarse con su entorno es capaz de incorporar la innovación a todas sus propuestas, logrando con ello la puesta en escena de mejores y más creativas experiencias turísticas.

¿Qué nos depara 2012 en relación al marketing digital de la industria turística?

Si analizamos las distintas variaciones experimentadas por el mercado del turismo a lo largo de la historia nos damos cuenta que, de la masificación, pasamos al “todo vale” a golpe de crédito, para centrarnos ahora en un turismo basado en las experiencias.

El turismo recupera así su esencia vinculada al placer de viajar, de conocer, de degustar otros sabores, escuchar otros idiomas, conocer otra forma de vida… el turismo se vuelve una experiencia a la que se tiene acceso a golpe de clic.

La magia del nuevo turismo y la revolución de la Web móvil

Los turistas buscan nuevas experiencias y para ello, interactúan de forma constante con sus redes a fines logrando acceder al poder de la recomendación a través de sus dispositivos móviles. 

La geolocalización adquiere un papel determinante en el gran desafío que enfrenta  el marketing digital del sector turístico de 2012. Hoy, las técnicas tradicionales de generación de “necesidad” han dejado de funcionar ante la eficiencia innegable de la recomendación en las redes sociales.

Las empresas vinculadas al sector turístico deben saber que, cuando un usuario quiere visita un hotel, un restaurante, un museo, querrá saber más y para ello accederá a la red, redes sociales, aplicaciones de realidad aumentada, recomendaciones o comentarios adversos, experiencias de turistas que estuvieron allí… ¡ahí es donde las marcas deberán estar y entregar valor agregado!

Para lograrlo, es necesario para empezar, la sincronía del equipo pero además, la tecnología está disponible. El uso de los smart phones y las tablets aún está en sus primeras etapas, la penetración de la geolocalización, las aplicaciones de realidad aumentada y la interacción permanente en movimiento y en tiempo real, son grandes aliados del nuevo turismo experiencial.

Marcas que encuentran en sus usuarios “compañeros de viaje” con los que establece vínculos que le permiten encajar una propuesta atractiva en una oferta excelente y casi,  personalizada, logrando captar la atención del nuevo turista social.

Entregar valor agregado en el mundo online y materializarlo con propuestas personalizadas, comprometidas y respaldadas por un equipo de trabajo cohesionado, son las claves para las marcas vinculadas al nuevo turismo. Y sin duda alguna, éste mercado en constante proceso de expansión, es un muy buen ejemplo de cómo hacer marketing móvil hoy.

Un usuario visita un hotel tras haber revisado las recomendaciones de los usuarios en las redes sociales y después,  desde su tablet, accede al contenido que  – irremediablemente- la marca tiene que estar entregando desde su presencia online.

Mientras esto sucede, el turista disfruta de la calidad de servicio que presta el equipo del hotel en el mundo real y… deja un comentario en forma de recomendación desde su tablet.

Y obviamente, entregará un cupón de descuento entregado por la marca en las redes sociales, al pagar el hotel.

El marketing digital aplicado al turismo debe conjugar la eficiencia y la calidad en el mundo real y el digital, sólo así se logrará que la experiencia del cliente se transforme influencia y crecimiento.

http://www.puromarketing.com

Tnooz LIVE - Episode #1: 2011 roundup and 2012 preview

* What happened to all those game-changing products and trends that Tnooz predicted   would happen during the course of 2011?

** Did they materialise in some form or simply fall by the wayside, forever consigned to the bucket of bad crystal ball-gazing.

*** Such reflections -- and taking a look at the Tnooz Predictions 2012, which will be published in the week leading to Christmas -- is the subject of the first episode of TnoozLIVE, where we bring together our expert team and Nodes for a (mostly) friendly fireside chat.

http://tnooz.com

Global Hotels, Broken Down By Social Media Rewards [INFOGRAPHIC]

A new year is just around the corner, which means one thing — a new batch of vacation days! But where will you go? And, more importantly, where will you stay? Lucky for you, savvy traveler, the infographic below can help you figure that out. There are deals to be had, upgrades to be enjoyed and virtual tours to be taken, should you capitalize on the resources available on social media sites.

See what the biggest names in hospitality are doing on Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare and YouTube — and who’s dominating on each platform. Based on their activity on social channels, it looks like Wyndham, Marriott, Hyatt and Starwood have come out on top, but they have some competition, which we expect to increase as social travel really takes off. Have a gander, take your pick and then hop on over to our list of top travel tools to help plan your entire vacation.

Where do you stay when you travel? Do you follow your favorite hotel brands on social media, and have you saved money by doing so? Let us know in the comments below.

http://mashable.com

Top 10 hospitality industry trends for 2012

The hospitality landscape is evolving quickly as new technology demands that hotels become more social and engaging in their marketing efforts, travelers are looking for the best value propositions, and consumer demand is pushing for hotels to make concerted efforts on property upgrades and improvements.

 The upcoming year is projected to be a better and brighter one for the hospitality industry, but what are the new factors driving the market in 2012? The landscape is evolving quickly as new technology demands that hotels become more social and engaging in their marketing efforts, travelers are looking for the best value propositions, and consumer demand is pushing for hotels to make concerted efforts on property upgrades and improvements.

To understand the market and to help hoteliers capitalize on what's to come, Robert Rauch, otherwise known as the Hotel Guru and president of R.A. Rauch & Associates, a San Diego-based hospitality management company, has compiled and released his list of Top 10 hospitality industry trends for 2012:


1. Hoteliers will invest in reinvigorating properties to take advantage of the market.
After years of delaying capital expenditures, hotel companies are betting that now is the best opportunity to renovate their properties. In 2012, we'll see even more hotels renovating lobbies, restaurants, bars and fitness centers, as well as replacing beds, TVs, and more. Hotel sales, an absolute outcome of an improved market, will spur even more renovations since sale contracts always contain a provision requiring the new owner to upgrade the property.

2. There will be little to no new development dollars on the debt or equity Side.
This is good news for most, but bad news for the developers who genuinely have enviable sites in great markets. Despite that, optimism reigns. A great deal can, and will, get done. We've seen it. In fact, we're working on one ourselves.

3. Online booking will continue to (modestly) grow.
The number of U.S. travelers booking and researching online is still growing. More than 114 million people will research travel online this year, while 94 million will actually book reservations. While more than 50 percent of travel bookings are made on the Internet, the online travel market has matured and I expect modest growth and stabilization.

4. There will be more mobile bookings and research.
More and more travelers will be turning to their mobile devices to not only research lodging and travel options, but to book and communicate room preferences directly with the hotel. Mobile channel booking has increased four-fold between 2008 and 2010 according to Forrester Research. Plus, Google is projecting that mobile will overtake PCs as the most common Web-access device by 2013. With travelers adopting smartphones and tablets at such a rapid pace, it's crucial for hoteliers to optimize their website for mobile usage to capture potential mobile transactions.

5. Demand and average rate are up in most markets, but not equally distributed.
The top 25 markets in the U.S., and those that were really battered at the height of the recession, have seen the most bounce by and large. Many secondary and tertiary markets have not seen a strong recovery to date.

6. Revenue management will make the art of managing a hotel more of a science.
Revenue management has morphed from the days it was first introduced by the airline industry in the 1970s to being a complex science today. Managers have always lowered prices to stimulate sales when demand is weak and have raised prices during peak demand periods. Hotels are now able to update prices for all future arrival dates to match market demands each day, via advanced market intelligence applications. TravelClick has pace reports for transient and group demand that look at bookings one year in advance. Plus, Smith Travel Research will soon introduce reports offering intelligence looking at future bookings, rather than solely historic figures.

7. Proliferation of distribution channel management will largely impact pricing.
More than ever, it will be vital for hotel owners and operators to stay on top of the distribution landscape that is expanding beyond OTAs, including popular sales vehicles such as meta-search, flash sales and mobile channels. Beyond simple awareness of the different mediums available to sell hotel rooms, hoteliers must know the costs of the variety of distribution channels and the returns expected from each. Hoteliers must preserve rate parity and their brand by utilizing the most cost-effective distribution channels, instead of using desperate measures to sell inventory.

8. Brands will put more money into deals to expand market share.
The brands are at war for the development deals that have a chance to get financed. Starwood, Hyatt, and Intercontinental are aggressively pursuing the Hilton and Marriott juggernaut. Whether it's key money, mezzanine debt or equity, seasoned developers will have their way with the brands as they fight for share of the new builds.

9. Prepare for growth.
However, know where we are in the game. We are in the second inning of the industry when compared to a baseball game with the peak or 9th inning coming in 2016...use caution from 2017 and beyond. These next five years will see hotel values with annualized double digit growth. Demand will stabilize in 2012 but rates will grow beyond the rate of inflation. That means profits and values improve markedly.

10. Social media will continue to transform connections with travelers.
By 2016, half of the travel industry will be using social media as a way of generating revenue and bookings. Currently more than one-fifth (22 percent) use social media as a revenue generating tool with a further 27 percent planning to do so over the next five years. Plus, social media will become more of a key component of Search Engine Results Page (SERP) algorithms. Facebook's posts are already integrated into Bing search and Google+ emerged with native integration into Google search. Hotels can no longer afford to linger over adding social media to their marketing mix. It's now a necessary element of traffic-driving success.

http://hotelmarketing.com

Marketing Digital y Turismo: Vivir una Experiencia

El sector del Turismo será la locomotora de la economía en los próximos años y es necesario transformarla hacia nuevos entornos donde seamos capaces de innovar y captar así las mejores experiencias de los turistas. Este fue el mensaje que intenté recalcar el pasado jueves 15 en Jaca, bajo la I Feria de Turismo Cultural y de Naturaleza “Románico Blanco“.
Marketing Digital y Turismo: Nuevas experiencias para atraer a tus clientes

El Turismo, tal y como lo concebimos hoy en día, ha sufrido variaciones a lo largo de la historia, desde que comenzó allá por el S.XVIII. Lo que si es cierto, es que, tras pasar por la masificación del S.XX, del todo vale, ahora, en el S.XXI pasamos al Turismo de las Experiencias. Ahora, por ejemplo, cualquier rincón del mundo está al alcance de unas pocas horas de avión y los destinos se buscan en función de las experiencias que vayamos a obtener de ellos: una excelente gastronomía, un paisaje inolvidable, un centro de compras espectacular en mitad de los rascacielos, un concierto de mis artistas favoritos, un musical…Todo envuelve la magia del nuevo turismo.

Los turistas, en busca de estas experiencias, seleccionan los destinos, viajes, estancias,… y lo hacen apoyándose en los nuevos dispositivos. El sector turístico tiene que adaptarse a este nuevo entorno, donde el viajero, por ejemplo, se fía más de las recomendaciones de una red social, que de las proporcionadas por el recepcionista del hotel; o que cuando visita un museo y quiere conocer más sobre una obra determinada lo hará a través de su smartphone o tablet… y es ahí donde el museo tendrá que estar. Al visitar un restaurante que le hayan recomendado, puede recibir la carta digital, con una serie de rutas de platos y sugerencias en función de sus gustos,  cultura, religión, afinidades…

Para conseguir todo esto, es necesario que todos los agentes involucrados: administraciones, clusters, patronatos, cadenas hoteleras, restaurantes, espacios, museos, teatros… estén sincronizados y hablando en el mismo lenguaje. De nada sirve, por ejemplo que una persona pueda escoger mesa en un restaurante desde la pantalla de un taxi, si luego en el restaurante lo ponen en otro lugar. En estos casos, la unión hace la fuerza y la competencia ha de verse como una forma enriquecedora para todos. Si a los hoteles de la zona les va bien, a los restaurantes seguro que también, e igual pasa con la oferta cultural…

La tecnología esta ahí, hay que inventar poco. Todos sabemos el uso actual que hacemos de los smartphones, de los tablets… se han convertido en nuestros compañeros de viaje y a ellos confiamos gran parte de nuestras relaciones con el exterior. Si el sector turístico es capaz de encajar con una oferta excelente, una propuesta atractiva e integrada con estos ‘compañeros’, tendrá mucho ganado para capturar al nuevo viajero o turista del siglo XXI.


Post Original de Juan Félix Beteta : http://www.aunclicdelastic.com/

HEDNA´s hotel distribution trends for 2012

During two information-packed days, attendees at HEDNA's Winter Conference in Las Vegas learned how to "Cash In on Distribution" through social media, connectivity, marketing, and payment technologies.

The conference, held December 5-7 at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, drew more than 200 attendees who came to learn, network and be inspired.

To kick off the meeting, Melanie Ryan Owens, president of HEDNA and of Orbitz Worldwide, announced the new vision and mission statements for the association:

HEDNA Vision: HEDNA will be known for creating an environment which fosters strategic collaboration toward business development in the global hospitality industry.

HEDNA Mission: HEDNA is the leading global forum to advance the hospitality distribution through collaboration and knowledge sharing.

"HEDNA's Board of Directors has worked diligently to ensure that the association continues evolving to meet the needs and expectations of its members," Owens said. "All of HEDNA's strategic goals will support the new vision and mission statements, developing an even stronger association geared to the ever-changing industry."

Snapshot of industry trends

There is good news for the hospitality industry. It is recovering, but slowly, said Pegasus Solutions' Julie Parodi, senior director, strategic planning and analysis and editor, The Pegasus View. North American corporate travel bookings are growing by a modest margin while ADR shows solid growth. Length of stay is being used by corporates to contain costs per trip, Parodi said. Corporate travel in the Rest of the World shows a similar pattern to North America with bookings outpacing the prior year. Leisure travel is showing resilience in North America, but in the Rest of the World, the impact of the economy is taking a greater toll. What does the future look like? Parodi sees continued growth in corporate travel with leisure demand spurring bookings and ADR growth.

Gleaning intelligence from guest reviews

Guest reviews are increasingly important tools for consumers and hoteliers. What kinds of patterns are being generated by guest reviews? A study of more than 3,000 guest reviews conducted recently by Natasa Christodoulido, assistant professor, department of management and marketing at California State University, looked at positive versus negative reviews. Among the findings: consumers who are extremely dissatisfied tend to expend more time and energy to extensively critique a property than those with a favorable review. While she believes that strong incentives should be developed to attract more balanced reviews of hotel properties, she encouraged hotels to use the negative ratings to uncover patterns of deficiencies and gain ideas for product and service improvement. Christodoulidou's study will be published soon in the Journal of Hospitality Marketing and Management.

Brian Payea, head of industry relations at TripAdvisor, says his company uses built-in metrics to help hoteliers discover patterns in reviews, allowing them to understand the sort of people that are reviewing and how to benchmark against other property reviews. Surprisingly, only 7% of bad reviews have a management response, he said. In addition, because of the growing use of mobile, Payea encouraged hoteliers to make sure their mobile presence meets a high standard.

Defining business in 2012

There are three factors that will define the hotel business in 2012, said Henry Harteveldt, chief research officer and co-founder of Atmosphere Research Group. Uncertainty is a large factor since economies are still in a delicate state. Fragmentation will impact the business because 7 in 10 guests have no sense of brand loyalty. Immediacy is the third factor, allowing guests to access information immediately, especially on digital devices.

Counting on the wisdom of friends

Social media is evolving and nowhere is this more evident than Facebook. The wisdom of friends is replacing the wisdom of crowds, says pioneer Facebook builder Janice Diner, founding partner of Horizon Studios. Facebook has realized this and is adapting its offerings, such as Open Graph, to reflect the changing reality. Open Graph allows third party applications to include arbitrary actions and objects. This move to Open Graphs is moving us to the wisdom of friends.

Sharing ideas

HEDNA's Knowledge Workshops on payment, marketing and technical issues allowed attendees to learn from the top experts in these fields. HEDNA Forums on Standards, Payment Technologies and Leisure Wholesale allowed members to contribute thoughts and ideas to HEDNA's ongoing efforts on behalf of the industry.

HEDNA Award of Excellence

Every year HEDNA takes time to acknowledge the extraordinary efforts by one of its members. Congratulations to Laury Anne Behrens of Worldwide Payment Systems on being the recipient of the 2011 HEDNA Award of Excellence. "Laury has worked tirelessly to bring change and improvement to the payment segment of the hotel electronic distribution industry," Owens said in presenting the award. "She has been the driving force behind HEDNA's UGI initiative, spending countless hours and effort moving the UGI project forward within the industry and working to make lasting change through better categorization of property data."
Spirit of Innovation Award

Congratulations to HotelTonight, the winner of HEDNA's Spirit of Innovation Award. The Spirit of Innovation Award recognizes a key travel innovator who is driving the industry in a new direction. During the "Meet the Innovators" session, the five nominees presented to attendees, who then cast their votes to recognize the best innovation in travel and the hospitality industry.

HEDNA on the Horizon

Looking at 2012, the momentum will continue with HEDNA's Spring Conference in Madrid, Spain on June 5-7 at the Hotel Melia Castilla.

HEDNA's Virtual Roundtable series and HEDNA U 1.0 sessions will be offered on a monthly basis in 2012. There will be Virtual Roundtables on corporate booking tools, merchandizing and revenue management, among others. HEDNA U 1.0 will be offered in a number of North American and European locations, bringing this excellent education offering to a wide range of industry participants.

In the Asia-Pacific region, HEDNA's newly formed ASPAC working committee is actively engaged in understanding the needs of the region and will roll out new strategies and initiatives in early 2012.

HEDNA's social media will continue to bring news of the association to followers on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. HEDNA's Blog is the place to check on all things HEDNA and for the latest industry news.

HEDNA's goal to learn, network and be inspired isn't just a one event philosophy. It's a driving force behind the association's daily work on behalf of the industry and its members.

Related Link: HEDNA

¿Cómo desenchufarnos para descansar en Vacaciones?

No existe una receta infalible para poner en off el botón de la rutina, pero sí algunas buena ideas para que los días de descanso huelan a felicidad.

Parece sencillo pero no lo es. Llegan las vacaciones, que, generalmente, coinciden con el verano o el invierno, y la gran mayoría parte a destinos diversos con el mismo objetivo prefijado: desconectarse de la rutina, de las responsabilidades y de los jefes para disfrutar.

Sin embargo, vacaciones y descanso no siempre son sinónimos. Y el problema llega cuando en esos momentos, destinados oficialmente al relax, no logramos alejarnos de la vida que llevamos el resto del año, esa misma que, al cabo de un tiempo, nos hace necesitar asueto.

Sucede mucho y no se logra sortear tan fácilmente. Así suena con cada vez más consenso y placer la expresión mini vacaciones, una modalidad que se apoderó de los fines de semana largos para renovar las energías. Pero, sea una pausa de quince o dos días, lo importante es cómo nos disponemos a vivirla, sabiendo que, en realidad, el descanso puede no tener las mismas características para todos: ser, por un lado, completo relax o llenar el día de actividades recreativas, una tras otra.

"Muchas veces hablamos de vacaciones y parece que se tratara de algo genérico que todos experimentamos de distintas maneras. Hay que saber que su sentido sí es universal: hacer un corte con la cotidianeidad y todas sus actividades. Tal vez no uno total porque hoy en día resulta medio utópico al estar tan ligados a tantas responsabilidades. Pero sí buscar el equilibrio que me permita sentirme bien y sin preocupaciones", cuenta el doctor Walter Ghedin, médico psiquiatra y psicoterapeuta.

Algo así como un derecho natural, el descanso es necesario y saludable para todos los seres humanos. Pero hay que dejar en claro que no se trata sólo de cambiar de escenario y dejar la mente atrapada en medio de la vida diaria.

 "Cuando no logramos descansar en las vacaciones el cerebro pierde algunas de sus capacidades básicas. Durante el año, las situaciones de estrés hacen que liberemos substancias químicas como el cortisol, la adrenalina y la noradrenalina, que nos ayudan a sobrellevar esos momentos, pero que, al mismo tiempo, afectan áreas del cerebro como el hipocampo y la corteza prefrontal -explica Alejandro Caride, médico neurólogo, jefe del Servicio de Neurología del Hospital Alemán-. El cortisol deteriora la fisiología natural de las células del hipocampo e inhibe su reproducción, alterando nuestra memoria. Lo mismo sucede con la corteza prefrontal, que es la que nos permite fijar la atención y desarrollar múltiples tareas en forma simultánea."

Aunque con la vorágine diaria no es tan simple aislarse de todo lo que compone nuestra vida cotidiana, todo lo anterior se vuelve razón suficiente para bajar el ritmo en vacaciones y programar nuestras actividades sin generar estrés.

"Cuando realmente logramos descansar se retiran el cortisol y la adrenalina del hipocampo favoreciendo la reproducción de las células. Y aunque no lleguemos a reproducirlas totalmente, las nuevas nos ayudarán a enfrentar futuras situaciones de tensión más preparados. Asimismo, las conexiones que tiene el hipocampo con el área prefrontal también se restablecen y se recupera la habilidad de la multitarea, algo muy común y necesario hoy en día", agrega Caride.

"Otros signos de nuestra contemporaneidad que resulta difícil dejar de lado son internet, los mails, las redes sociales, el chat y el teléfono. Y esto produce malestar y ansiedad en muchas personas",refleja Ghedin.

Por eso, a veces buscamos vacaciones que mantengan nuestros hábitos y sean cada vez más seguidas. Porque la tecnología y el ritmo acelerado, con sus exigencias y presiones, son parte del día a día y tenemos la capacidad de elegir la calidad de vida que llevamos y la de sus momentos de descanso. "El conflicto surge cuando existe una relación excesiva con todo aquello: ¿Qué gano y qué pierdo cuanto más apegado estoy a la tecnología? ¿Cómo creo el equilibrio en medio del aceleramiento de la vida?", reflexiona Brenda Quintana, entrenadora internacional en el campo de Transformación Personal, Liderazgo, Ontología y Familia.

El famoso estrés y la ansiedad agravan el cansancio, el desgaste y la perdida de energía y pueden traer irritabilidad, falta de motivación y entusiasmo. Estar más atentos a todo no vuelve inestables e impacientes. Es la llamada hipervigilancia (elevación del nivel de conciencia) que, a largo plazo, impacta a nivel físico y nervioso, generando un desequilibrio en nuestro sistema y es ahí cuando llegan las enfermedades.

En términos de vacaciones y familia, el descanso y el cambio de aire pueden ser positivos para las parejas. Siempre y cuando se aporte un granito de arena para romper con la rutina, darle un espacio a la intimidad y enriquecerla, propiciar las salidas -solos, si es posible-, y después sostenerlo durante el resto del año.

Cuando hay hijos el tema cambia: "Durante las vacaciones se suelen generar entre padres e hijos un circuito de demandas que genera mucha tensión. Los hijos piden más de lo que se les puede dar, en algunos casos y en otros los padres ofrecen más de lo que los chicos pueden recibir. Esto genera ansiedad y augura futuras discusiones -explica Lic. Fernando Osorio, psicoanalista y escritor. Es fundamental no perder de vista que la satisfacción de los hijos no existe y que no hay objeto ni permiso que logre frenar sus demandas". Por esto, conviene planificar que es lo que se va a hacer, comprar, permitir y cumplirlo, aún frente al enojo de los chicos.

¿Existe una receta para unas vacaciones realmente des-estresantes y exitosas? El secreto parece estar en desconectarse de la rutina, disfrutar de las pequeñas cosas y compartir con la familia y los amigos. Y, claro está, en sacarle presión al "tengo que descansar". Lo único que falta es sentir al descanso como una obligación.

lanacion.com.ar

Un nuevo impulso para 2012: Nueva Junta Directiva de los Miembros Afiliados de la OMT

Comienza esta semana el proceso electoral para elegir una Junta Directiva más abierta y geográficamente equitativa. La Junta Directiva de los Miembros Afiliados supervisa el trabajo del Programa de los Miembros Afiliados, aportando su conocimiento, dirección y una representación formal del sector privado en los organismos de dirección de la Organización Mundial del Turismo (UNWTO). Tras la aprobación del nuevo Reglamento de los Miembros Afiliados en la última Asamblea General (octubre de 2011) se procederá a elegir una nueva Junta Directiva mediante un sistema electoral que asegura la mayor participación y una representación más equilibrada de los Afiliados en todo el mundo.

Nuevo procedimiento

De acuerdo con el nuevo Reglamento, la Junta Directiva se compone de un Presidente y 22 Vice-Presidentes incluyendo 2 miembros de cada una de las seis regiones de la OMT. La votación será en persona o mediante correo postal con el fin de asegurar que todos los Miembros Afiliados puedan determinar qué organizaciones representan mejor sus intereses dentro de la OMT. Cualquier Miembro Afiliado actual puede presentar su candidatura o votar.

El procedimiento comienza ahora

El calendario electoral establece que las entidades afiliadas podrán presentar su candidatura a partir del 13 de enero hasta las 18:00 (hora de Madrid) el 9 de febrero de 2012. La lista de candidatos se publicará el 14 de febrero y la elección de los miembros de la Junta Directiva tendrá lugar el 9 de marzo de 2012 en ITB, Berlín durante una reunión plenaria de los Miembros Afiliados.

** Todos los documentos relacionados con la elección se encuentran dentro de la Comunidad de los Miembros Afiliados en www.platma.org Para acceder a la Comunidad es necesario disponer de clave y contraseña. En caso de no disponer de éstas, se ruega contactar con platma@unwto.org **

 El Reglamento anterior fue vigente desde el año 1985 y este nuevo Reglamento ha sido renovado tras amplias consultas con los Miembros Afiliados. Javier Blanco, Director del Programa de los Miembros Afiliados de la OMT está muy satisfecho con el resultado, comentando que “este Reglamento asegura una participación más equitativa de nuestros Miembros en cuanto a la dirección de las actividades de los Afiliados y en su participación en los organismos de la OMT ya que la Junta Directiva aporta una visión muy valiosa y necesaria del sector privado a las actividades de esta Organización. Animamos a todos los Miembros Afiliados a participar activamente en este proceso electoral mediante su voto y su candidatura”.

platma.org

Five trends to watch out for marketing and social media in 2012

Travel suppliers are constantly looking for new ways to enable meaningful experiences with their target consumers. Ultimately suppliers try to ensure the customer gains more value by engaging with them directly.

Travel companies acknowledge that social, local, and mobile are huge areas of innovation and places to win.

The past year saw many new developments in online marketing. The factors that impact search results have changed drastically. The best search results are not just the ones which have the right content and meta-tags and relevant links pointing back to them. Hoteliers and other travel companies also need to focus on several ranking factors such as the ones that are related to your website, content, relevance of business in online world, social circle and online reviews, search categories saturation etc.

Technology is allowing for faster innovation, but it's also important for marketers to prioritise where they invest. They can’t afford to miss out on opportunities. For instance, according to findings from a global study initiated by TNS, businesses are wasting time and money trying to reach people online without realising many resent big brands invading their social networks. The online world undoubtedly presents massive opportunities for brands, however it is only through deploying precisely tailored marketing strategies that they will be able to realise this potential. Choosing the wrong channel, or simply adding to the cacophony of online noise, risks alienating potential customers and impacting business growth.

Predictions

Optify, a provider of online marketing software and services for the real time web, has listed its top five 2012 predictions. Excerpts:

1. Mainstream Organisations Adopt Marketing Automation & Social CRM

2011 witnessed the expansion of Social CRM, enabling another channel to reach and interact with customers and it has become one of the fastest growing segments within the CRM industry. In the next year, Social CRM will evolve from an early adopter strategy into a mainstream solution for organisations wanting to connect marketing operations from the top of the funnel, to online search, down through sales and customer management.

2. Social Media Becomes an Increasing Factor in Search Algorithms

Social media networks are growing. In 2011, Facebook's social signals were integrated into Bing search and Google+ emerged with native integration into Google search.

In 2012, Optify expects social media to become more of a key component of Search Engine Results Page (SERP) algorithms. For companies looking to preserve or improve their rankings, social marketing activities will no longer be optional; they will be a necessary element of traffic driving success.

3. Customers and employees become an extended part of companies' marketing teams

As social networks are used ever more frequently for aggregating and sharing interests, expect opinions, both positive and negative, about products and services to spread with lightening speed. As a result, businesses customer relationships will become increasingly focused on creating and managing perceptions.

In 2012, companies will need to proactively scale their marketing efforts by creating and sharing information with employees and influential customer evangelists to help define their brands, products and services from the ground up.

4. Mobile + Social Evolve Together to Create New User Scenarios

Customer interactions and purchases, in specific marketplaces such as travel, shopping and dining, will occur with increasing frequency on mobile devices.

5. Facebook platform grows and expands into new markets

With a large infusion of IPO cash and the potential to create social shopping experiences, Facebook will be well positioned to give online retailer Amazon a run for its money. While analysts have begun speculating Amazon will launch a smartphone in 2012, Facebook will likely do the same. These visionary companies see that the mobile phone is quickly becoming the portal to purchase; an opportunity to get in front of customers before they've even arrived online or a physical store.

http://www.eyefortravel.com

Three things to consider in hotel distribution and marketing in 2012

Today’s hotel marketing landscape is changing rapidly. The advent of new distribution channels has created more options to truly personalize a strategy to suit the needs of your property. With that in mind, it was no surprise when a recent survey of Sabre Hospitality customers revealed that understanding new distribution and marketing trends presented one of the top challenges to their business.

When planning their online strategies, hoteliers regularly look for guidance on choosing the top trends to follow. Mobile, social media conversion, and channel management are three key areas where some of the most significant trends for hotel marketers are emerging. This article intends to provide an overview of each and what to look for as you plan your 2012 strategy.

1. MOBILE: This trend is number one for a reason: as computing and communications become increasingly personal and user-customized, the term refers to more than just smartphones with internet browsers. Obviously hoteliers must consider mobile as an important marketing channel, but must also be aware of the trend to expand on-property with the advent of NFC and other device-activated services. Below is a list of five tips to help maximize your mobile-marketing strategy:

• Start with an optimized mobile website and booking engine which considers user experience across multiple mobile devices, including tablets. Take advantage of this trend with an excellent mobile site designed to get your mobile visitors to the answers they are looking for quickly and efficiently, with the ability to book on every page.
• Think of mobile as its own channel so you can offer special rates, promotions, product descriptions as well as tracking specifically for this market.
• Take advantage of SMS/text message marketing programs. Guest can opt-in and receive messages pre- post- and during their stays at your property.
• Work with sites with geo-location services such as Foursquare, Facebook, Gowalla, and Yelp to offer promotions. Participate in the free marketing programs that many of these sites offer, such as adding links to your website and other social media accounts, uploading pictures or offering check-in deals and specials.
• Optimize your location for mapping and mobile search. Consider running a mobile targeted AdWords campaign with click to call and tailor your message to mobile users.

2. SOCIAL MEDIA: By now you have hopefully initiated conversations and established relationships with your customer base through various social media channels. If you’re a hotel or a hotel group, you will have an active presence on at least Facebook and Twitter, if not other channels, and use these to engage and retain fans of your brand. The next question is, are you using social media to convert?

In the past year, social media channels such as Facebook have created more and more opportunities for hotel marketers to use social media as an extension of their direct-to-consumer strategy.  Some areas to consider to help your business grow through your social media efforts:

• Leverage Facebook as an extended booking engine and include call to actions just as you would on your own website to prompt fans and new customers to book directly.
• Take advantage of push-marketing opportunities on Facebook and include a specially designed optimized landing page that encourages interaction and engagement.
• Update your own content with targeted tags for the channels that are right for your brand. Consider including new tags such as Facebook send and Google +1 to leverage your customers’ networks on the larger social networks.
• Plan your social media advertising campaigns with your marketing efforts on these channels, giving new fans and viewers the opportunity to easily convert and engage with your brand.
• Are you investing in remarketing to capture interested consumers? Remarketing is an advertising campaign directing users back to your website or social media profile after they have already viewed your content and clicked away, and can help you capture a segment that may not have otherwise converted using your channels.

3. CHANNEL MANAGEMENT: Even though hotels do not want to be dependent on third parties/OTAs, there is still a value to these partnerships in the overall marketing and distribution landscape. The Billboard Effect trend has been one that we have been telling customers to pay attention to throughout the year, and it is still relevant for 2012. Managing and maximizing your presence across channels, including OTAs, can help you use third-party relationships to drive business back to your own property website.

The Billboard Effect tells us that 23% more bookings direct to brand website when present on OTAs (Cornell study).

The average online travel consumer spends 10 searching sessions over and average of five weeks before a reservation is finally made, accessing at least 20 websites in total. Your strategy should embrace their research – but ensure that you offer rate parity across channels, and that your own property is optimized to convert and be the place that more customers choose to make their bookings.

http://www.webintravel.com

5 tendencias que pueden transformarán la distribución turística en los próximos años

El viernes pasado Mashable, una de las más prestigiosas webs de información tecnológica, anunciaba que Facebook adquiría Gowalla. Parece aún un simple avance o rumor porque no hay confirmación oficial, pero no deja ser una justificación para la argumentación que quiero compartir.

Gowalla es una aplicación de geolocalización que nació como la competidora de Foursquare, y que hace unos meses dio un giro estratégico para centrarse y posicionarse en los viajes.

Creo que son movimientos que, junto con los que de forma permanente nos está mostrando Google, ayudan a visualizar una posible tendencia de los probables escenarios que nos iremos encontrando. Y no es otra que la toma de posiciones de los líderes de contenidos y plataformas webs, en la distribución turística del futuro.

No creo ni mucho menos que este escenario tenga lugar en la guerra de la distribución actual, sino en una nueva distribución que aún está por explotar. Porque mientras los actores tradicionales de la distribución turística andan en su día a día, estas empresas toman posiciones para lo que sería el nuevo mercado. A nivel de distribución, en el “pre” (del viaje) no hay mucho más margen de negocio de distribución (sí de tráfico), con lo cual hay que apostar por el “durante” (el viaje). Y ahí sí el móvil, la geolocalización y los contenidos sociales, parecen ser el mejor compañero.

Dinámicas digitales versus analógicas

Me gustaría reflejar cinco tendencias que llevan desarrollándose en caminos paralelos y que, quien las conecte en el momento adecuado, será quien lidere esa nueva distribución del “durante”: experiencias, móvil, geolocalización, redes sociales y micropagos.

La gran apuesta estratégica de vender experiencias requiere, a nivel de distribución, solucionar una brecha que actualmente existe: la oferta que no es alojamiento o vuelo, a menos que esté bien diseñada como “razón de viaje”, no se vende en el “pre” -que ya incorpora dinámicas digitales- sino en el “durante”-que aún se mantiene con dinámicas analógicas”.

El teléfono móvil será sin duda la herramienta clave de la distribución (y de muchas más cosas) en el “durante”. Ya está introducido social y culturalmente, así que su explosión como herramienta de viajes sólo está a la espera de solucionar el hándicap del coste del roaming.

La importancia de la geolocalización nos la ha mostrado Google con su apuesta agresiva por mapear el mundo. No es baladí. Sobre el mapa pivotarán los contenidos en un futuro móvil. Si unimos el componente de contenidos sociales a la anterior, tenemos la plataforma que da título al artículo. Poniéndolo en este contexto, creo que se entienden perfectamente los posibles escenarios que Facebook se puede estar barajando. De forma aún más clara podemos comprender estrategias como la de Google Places, que no es otra que la verdadera apuesta –cual hormiguita que va tejiendo una plataforma de contenidos imposible luego de copiar- de Google por la distribución local…y que no es más que el “durante en los viajes”.

Y comprendemos más cosas, si unimos la última tendencia de los micropagos, donde Facebook y Google llevan apostando claramente con sus propias monedas y sistemas de pago para pequeños comercios.

A 4-5 añios de superar la brecha

La conexión de estas tendencias al turismo sólo tiene una última brecha, que no está en manos de estas empresas por ahora, entre otros porque no es un problema tecnológico: ¿cómo conseguir que las empresas de experiencias “digitalicen su inventario” y lo puedan conectar?

Estamos aún 4-5 años lejos de que la distribución de experiencias y, especialmente la distribución en el “durante” del viaje, sea un actor principal, pero ya se empiezan a tomar las posiciones. Elquid de la cuestión es: ¿quién ofrecerá el inventario para convertir la conexión de estas tendencias en las nuevas máquinas de distribución?


Post Original: http://www.02b.com

5 Tips to Freshen Up Your Hotel’s Tweets

It shouldn’t be news to you by now that Twitter is an essential tool for your hotel’s social media efforts. It’s a great channel that allows you to connect with your guests and see what people are writing about your brand. Unfortunately, there are many hotels using Twitter ineffectively and missing the boat entirely. Getting the most out of Twitter is a strong way to impress your current and potential guests as well as get your name out there and put a voice behind your brand. Read on for a list of fresh Twitter tips, content ideas, and do’s & don’ts that will help your hotel utilize Twitter to its fullest extent.

1. Make Twitter your digital concierge
These days, guests are constantly tweeting their thoughts and experiences for the whole world to read. Take advantage of these tweets by taking your actions a step further. Did one of your guests tweet that he isn’t looking forward to waking up before dawn for an early morning meeting? Surprise him with fresh coffee at his door or tweet him directions to the nearest java house! Did someone tweet that his toddler spilled juice in the room? Let him know that new towels are on the way. You can learn a lot about your guests by reviewing their tweets and tailoring yourresponses specifically to them. You will stand out, be appreciated, and keep your guests more than satisfied.

2. Offer a social media discount
A recent study shows that 48% of brand followers follow brands on Twitter just to get discounts and deals, so give your followers what they want! You can offer a promotion for something as simple as a discount on a spa treatment or even a gift shop item. Only promote the special on Twitter or your other social media channels, so that it is exclusive to your fans and followers! You could also create a special promo code for 10% off a room that you send to people who are actively engaging you on Twitter and tweeting about your hotel. Be more frugal with this one though, as you don’t want floods of people demanding you give them special room rates.

3. Share nearby events
Tweet about events going on in your city. Provide your guests with quick and easy information as well as links to these cool happenings. Do you have a shuttle taking people to the event? Spread the word on Twitter. Did you partner with the event to give guests at your hotel a discount? Include the event’s Twitter handle in your tweet so they see you are promoting their event. You never know who is the face behind that Twitter account and might be willing to work with your hotel on a special promotion. It is easy to be mutually beneficial to each other, not to mention your guests will appreciate the heads up about the great events they should check out!

4. Get the word out about your new blog posts and specials
Your followers will appreciate being the first to know about any new promotions and specials you have, so every time a new one is added it’s a nice idea to tweet them out. Hopefully your hotels manages its own blog, and tweeting every time you add a new blog article is a great way to drive more traffic to your blog and therefore your hotel website as well.

5. Retweet and respond
Everybody loves being retweeted, and it will make your guests feel more special that you noticed them. Whether they are tweeting about your hotel, an event in your city, or anything else relevant, retweeting is a good way to acknowledge your customers. Also, don’t forget to respond to tweets! You don’t have to respond to every single tweet, but thanking your guests for a positive tweet about your hotel goes a long way. However, it doesn’t mean as much if every single tweet on your timeline is the exact same message thanking people and hoping they enjoyed their stay, so vary up the messages, tailor them specific to each person, and time your tweets throughout the day instead of tweeting all at once.

Feel free to share any other fun and unique Twitter techniques below!




http://www.e-marketingassociates.com

Moving from online channels to ecosystems

The future of online distribution lies not through channels but through ecosystems, distribution experts report.

Online travel agencies, brand.com, social media, mobile apps and websites—they’re all interconnected parts of the booking process. Revenue managers who fail to understand this broader perspective risk losing business and customers, concluded a panel of distribution experts Tuesday, 29 November during an HSMAI University webinar titled “What is the Future of Distribution?”

“Consumers have no concept of ‘channels.’ They just want to book a room where they are naturally,” said Michelle Wohl, VP of marketing for Revinate, a San Francisco-based company that specializes in social media solutions for the hotel industry.

And where they are “naturally” is increasing in scope. Panelists shared the following data points during the 90-minute webinar:

• Facebook has 800 million active users, 50% of whom visit the social-media giant daily.
• Review site TripAdvisor draws 65 million unique visitors every month.
• Smartphone sales have overcome PC sales during 2011, and 51% of business travelers use mobile devices to get travel information, which is more than double the rate two years ago.

“Consumers are shopping everywhere,” said Amy Severson, director of strategic accounts and industry relations for online travel company Expedia.

Attempting to be “everywhere” might be a little extreme, she added. Hoteliers, instead, should analyze where they can make the biggest impact in the consumer decision-making cycle.

Zero moment of truth
In the early 2000s, Procter & Gamble spent millions of dollars in just such an analysis, said Scott van Hartesvelt, president of Gcommerce Solutions, a Park City, Utah-based digital marketing company for the hospitality industry. Headquartered in Cincinnati, the pharmaceutical and cleaning supplies giant discovered the best brands elicit two moments of truth from customers:

1) at the short shelf where a customer sees and decides to buy the product; and
2) at home, when the product either delights or disappoints.

But the Internet has changed this dynamic, van Hartesvelt said. Citing an updated analysis of the customer “moment of truth” conducted by Google, he said the new point of greatest impact in the buying cycle is called the “zero moment of truth” or the online information-gathering stage that precedes a purchase.

Customers today research purchase decisions more than ever before, van Hartesvelt said. They visit online review sites, consult with social networks, read articles and blogs, as well as visit company home pages. By the time they hit the “shelf” to actually buy a product, they are more educated and have a clearer understanding of what they want to buy.

For example, the average consumer in 2011 used 10.4 sources of information compared with 5.3 in 2010 before making a purchase, he said. Hoteliers need to make sure their brand is present in other Internet sources to reach customers and influence their decision making.

“Think about what are each and every one of those zero moments of truth that you can identity that would impact your hotel,” van Hartesvelt said.

A good place to start is a simple Google search for a property and its competitors, he said. Revenue managers should analyze how their properties are represented and whether they positively influence the booking process.

“It’s a function of understanding where might somebody go to research my hotel and my location,” van Hartesvelt said.

Those information sources are becoming more and more fluid and interconnected, he added. Facebook posts links to TripAdvisor, which links to brand.com, which increasingly is showing customer reviews. It’s no longer about channels, van Hartesvelt said, it’s about ecosystems.

Reviews and the buying cycle
Reviews are everywhere, the panelists said, and that means they’re becoming an increasingly influential part in the booking process.

In addition to TripAdvisor, many OTAs are implementing reviews as part of hotel search results. Brand.com sites are doing the same.

The goal, Revinate’s Wohl said, is to give customers the information they need and to encourage a purchase. If reviews are posted directly on Hotel A’s website, customers no longer need to jump to TripAdvisor or an OTA to search for them, thus increasing the likelihood that travelers will book directly on Hotel A’s website—or at least in theory. The phenomenon is relatively new, and it’s unclear how the incorporation of reviews will impact the booking cycle, she said.

What’s clear, however, is the importance hoteliers are placing on reviews.

“The No. 1 key to the future distribution is going to be customer experience. A lot of times that gets drilled down to reviews,” van Hartesvelt said.

More than 7% of hoteliers now respond to reviews on OTA and other travel sites, Wohl said.

Doing so is a good way to positively influence the conversation, the panelists agreed.

“Don’t be afraid of bad reviews unless you are running a bad business,” van Hartesvelt said. “… the cream of the crop will rise to the top.”

Key takeaways
Moderator Jeff Higley, VP of digital media for HotelNewsNow.com’s parent company STR and editorial director of HotelNewsNow.com, closed the webinar by asking each panelist to share a key takeaway:

Scott van Hartesvelt: “The biggest thing to understand is the interconnectedness of the different channels. Each channel does not live on its own. … they’re all interconnected. Being insular in your point of view to only looking at, ‘What can I do to make my hotel website better?’ … you’re going to miss out on where your customer are engaging.”

Michelle Wohl: “People do want to validate their booking decision by reading reviews. Make sure reviews are very visible on your direct site, the Facebook page or wherever people are going.”

Amy Severson: “You need to be approachable where your customers want to reach you … Think about being visible where your customers want to book.”

http://www.hotelnewsnow.com