New Open Review Website [TripReviews.com] in Private Beta

Occasionally I get the opportunity to participate in some very cool private betas.  In this case, a friend and colleague of mine, Sean Rollinson from Escapes.ca has recently launched a new project called TripReviews.com.  Besides being a lucky domain name score, the site itself has some strong potential in the travel review space. Some of the key differences between TripReviews.com and other review websites is the focus on openness, transparency, and supplier/operator participation.  TripReviews.com doesn’t just support hotels but also destinations, attractions, and cruises.  The rating... Read more »

Travel Agents Finding Relevance Amidst Web 2.0

I read an article today on Boston.com which I found really interesting.  Firstly, it confirmed something that I have been arguing for a long time, that travel agents can find relevance in the new age of on-line travel and secondly, despite what critics say, travel agents are not going to go away.  The article titled “With help from the Web, travel agents regain relevance” points out that there are new web 2.0 sites that are being developed that are helping travelers connect with specialized travel agents.  The reason being that many travelers (23% according to Forrester Research)... Read more »

Forecast for November - A Perfect Storm

The theme for this PhoCusWright 2008 is “The Perfect Storm: Search, Shop, Buy.”  The potential for discussion around this theme is intriguing because I think there is a lot of opportunity to show how online travel is blurring the entire process and how some opportunities are clearly being lost because of a lack of consolidation between these distinct travel purchase steps. In my opinion there are actually four distinct steps in the travel planning process: Dream - This is a visionary step where the traveler dreams about where they might want to go based on their unique travel style and lifestyle... Read more »

New Travel Bookmarking Site a Cross Between Del.icio.us and LonelyPlanet

I recently came across a new website called TravelBookmarking.com. I found it quite by accident while using Stumbleupon to look for travel related sites. TravelBookmarking.com is a sister site to SoMuchWorld.com which is a free web based travel guide similar in nature to Wikitravel.org or World66.com but written by a set of professional travel writers. The reason why I like TravelBookmarking.com is because it gives travelers the ability to bookmark sites (in del.icio.us style) in order to create their own personal travel guides. Travelers can even copy and paste in creative commons or open... Read more »

Connecting with Eric Bjorndahl, CEO TravBuddy.com @ PhoCusWright Orlando

I had a chance to talk to Eric Bjorndahl, CEO of TravBuddy.com at the Google Moonlight party at the PhoCusWright Conference in Orlando. Travbuddy.com is a popular user generated travel content site that allows people to review, read reviews, and connect with other people or TravBuddies. The site boasts an Alexa ranking of about 30,000 which, although some SEO experts will argue is not a legitimate indication of popularity, is still a very good indication of how well the site ranks against other sites of similar ilk. In this quick interview, Eric talks about TravBuddy.com and shares some his thoughts... Read more »

Truth is Online Gold Dust -President & CEO, Stephen Kaufer

Stephen Kaufer, CEO of Tripadvisor provided an engaging presentation about truth online and the effect that Tripadvisor has had of the travel industry. He discussed how products like TripAdvisor are promoting long tail products by allowing users to rate and comment on all types of accommodations and activities, not just those that are popular or well established. He noted that a tree top adventure in Colorado is now the most popular product on TripAdvisor. Mr. Kaufer went on to discuss that… Honest Brokers = Truth Social Networks = Trust …and that by combining honest brokers with... Read more »

Canada-E-Connect video interview with Butch Langlois

I had the opportunity to meet with Butch Langlois from PlanetEye.com, the innovative travel startup that won the Canada-E-Connect Entrepreneurial Spotlight. Butch and I talked a lot about start-ups, financing and what it takes to be successful in a highly competitive marketplace. PlanetEye.com looks like a really exciting site and I wish Butch the best of luck with the project. Sphere: Related Content Read More →

Top 10 Search Engine Marketing Strategies for Travel Marketers

By Scott MacGregor Director of Marketing and Client Services Search Intelligence Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is now a serious marketing consideration for travel marketers with three-fifths of all online travel shoppers reporting that they rely on search engines as their research and planning resource (source: PhoCusWright). Clearly, search engine visibility can be a major determinant for online success. There is a great deal of good information written on the subject of search marketing, however little focuses on some of the more unique characteristics of travel and even less specifically for... Read more »

84% Of Travellers Will Consider Offsetting Emissions

I just received my latest newsletter from STI (Sustainable Travel International). In the newsletter was a really interesting article about a new global survey by Lonely Planet. The survey shows that travelers world wide are concerned about their travel impacts on the climate and will support neutralizing their travel related emissions through legitimate offset programs. The survey, which polled over 24,500 people worldwide, “showed 84 percent of respondents said they would consider offsetting their emissions in the future, where only 31 percent had done so in the past. Seventy percent of travellers... Read more »

Web Reservations International and Boo.com

In a previous post I mentioned a survey by Boo.com which prompted me to do a little more of my ow research into Boo.com and it’s parent company Web Reservations International. From what I can find through the WebResInt.com website, the company provides reservation services for 50,000 + accommodations providers around the world. Their business model is very interesting because they’re primary goal is to provide a non-gds distribution network for providers of all sizes including the small and independent providers. Needless to say, I am all for this type of network because it serves... Read more »

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