Monday, August 22, 2011

Lady Golfers the Target for Carnoustie.

Good wee article in the Guide and Gazette  including an interveiw with Colin McLeod, Carnoustie's Golf Services Manager follwoing the recent Ricoh Women's Open in which the golf course is hoping to attract more female golfers following the success of the recent event. It's an interesting on how to secure secondary benefits from an event that perhaps didn'y attract the spectaotr numbers that were hoped for and shows that the legacy of events has to have as much importance as the event itself. A lesson here for the Ryder Cup 2014?
Colin McLeod, golf services manager of Carnoustie Golf Links Management Committee, believes that the tournament opened new doors for tourism in the town. He said: “I deal a lot with tour operators from the United States, Europe and beyond. Up until now there has been a pre-conceived idea that the course is too difficult for women, and, as a result, it has primarily been mostly the wives of gentlemen who have played.
“The Ricoh Women’s Open has changed all that, especially in the Far East.”

With this expanding market in mind, the new golf shop in the recently opened pro-centre will also feature a sizeable stock of ladies’ equipment. Mr McLeod added: “We have opened up a much bigger pro shop in the new centre with a large area dedicated to ladies.” He believes the Ricoh ladies have shown the way, and their example will allow the town to tap a new seam of golf-tourists. They have shown that the course is playable, that has definitely been proven through the Ricoh Women’s Open.”

Mr McLeod hopes to use his existing contacts in the global golf media to spread the word that Carnoustie is open for business to lady golfers.

He said: “I have good contacts in ladies’ golf magazines and they are already putting nice articles about us in their magazines.”

Carnoustie Country Ambassador and Ricoh Women’s Open competitor, Catriona Matthews said: “It’s not often that we get to play in Scotland and to play at Carnoustie is a great experience. Carnoustie is one of the best links courses there is and I think everyone enjoyed their week here.”

Friday, August 19, 2011

Finance for Perthshire Business Tourism Group

A  group of 13 Perthshire businesses, including Strathearn’s Crieff Hydro and Blue Sky Experiences, has been awarded £18,500 by VisitScotland to help market the region as a top destination for conferences and exhibitions.

First Minister Alex Salmond announced the funding for the Perthshire Business Tourism Group at Perth Racecourse, one of the partners in the group, in August 2011.

VisitScotland match-funded the £37,000 project, which also includes a £4,500 contribution from Perth and Kinross Council, to pay for marketing activity such as arranging press trips, using social media and producing a promotional video.

Speaking at the time, Mr Salmond said: “Perthshire has beautiful scenery that attracts many thousands of tourists each year, driving the local economy and helping businesses thrive.

“As well as leisure tourism, Perthshire is an ideal location for business tourists, with some fantastic venues that can host conferences, seminars and other events. Today’s announcement will help local firms take greater advantage of this lucrative market, driving further growth and bringing even more jobs to the area.”

Compensation for Bed Bug Bites...

On first reading this came into the "you must be joking" category but no, here's something else for hotels to worry about...

The full article is from Travel Mole and headlines that Hotel pays guests £1,600 after they were bitten in the night.

The London hotel paid two sisters £1,600 compensation after they were bitten by bed bugs in their room and fears must be that it will just be the tip of an iceberg or a tiny bitesize peice of what may follow if it opens the flood gates to other claims by hotel guests suffering similar.



Apparently bed bug infestations are reportedly on the rise across the developed world and the number of patients treated in the UK alone for bug bites has risen 19% in the last year and are a particular problem for hotels as the bugs travel on clothing and in bags, so they can easily spread.

After seeking legal advice from their solicitors the guests reached an out-of-court settlement with the hotel - you thought they may have added a no publicity vclause to the settlement don't you!

Apparently They told BBC Radio 5 Live they would spend the £1,600 on a holiday - would you book them in?

The image is from a site that will tell you all you need to know about bed bugs. Have fun reading

Understanding Google Places for Hotels

All of Plan B's more recent web clients have benefitted from the set up or auditing of their Google Account which includes the set up usually of a Blog, Analytics, YouTube Channel, Alerts and possibly most importantly Google Places.

First off is if you don't have a Google Account then you need to get one set up immediately. It is free and any business that is not utilising the tools in there is not truly working their online presence properly.

In a blog posting featured on Hotelmarketing, Laurian Clemence, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs with Google UK highlighted the imprtance of Places, “By having an online presence via Google Places, hotels are enabling users to find and interact with their business,” says Clemence. He recommends keeping listings simple, accurate and consistent.

From a tourism perspective Google Places is taking, and is likely to take even more, prominence as Google identify means of improving their social media offering (see Google + and Googe +1 Button articles elsewhere in this blog). But even now have a look at how it impacts on you just now.

Before jumping into the content below why not spend a couple of minutes looking at what's currently happening in your area and how Googel Places is using your (and your competitors) information.

Open a new window and try the following for your own area.
We've typed in Ayr Hotels and the search has come up as follows.

As usual paid listings at the top and right hand column - no change there. But on the left hand column you can now filter your searches - Click on Places and see what happens to your results.


Another addition you may not have seen is the Travel Dates button on the left. Visible on Tuesday but not Friday so a test feature we'd guess but an indicator perhaps of how Google Hotel Finder will come into play very soon.

The hotels are listed by letter via the Google Places information and on the map. Not the new information associated with each entry. By rolling over the listing you get an impresion of the website. In reality this means that the potential guest can get an impression of your website without leaving the search. Is your site ready for that?


You'll also have noticed that in Google Places the online travel agency and third party websites have vanished. This in iteself must offer hotels hope for regaining some of the business lost by the OTAs adveritsing and buying power. As the traveller uses Places more for specific searches the hotels have got a greater chance of relevant visibility.

The price button on the right hand side is linked to the Travel Dates button on the right hand side. Change the dates and the rates displayed will alter. The prices the hotel is offering to each of the OTA's then becomes visible with a click of the drop down button next to the best available price.

Most importantly however is the fact that the hotels are now clickable directly from the link. It is therefore of obvious importance that you have the best available rate on your website and use every tool available to promote it. See below. Also note at this point that if you don't have your Google Place active  you won't see your own booking link.

It also increases ease of competitive price transparency - the easy to click price button means that for any selected dates you and by definition your potential guests can review your competition's pricing (or be reviewed by) before they even need to open a website. Good or bad? Depends on how effectively you promote best available rate in your title tag!


Hotels who are succeeding in converting direct online sales (that is through their own online booking engine on their own website) Best Available Rate is a given. Why offer your direct customer a higher rate than if they book elsewhere? Rhetorical question.

So with the introduction of this on-search page transaparency there is a strong argument for using the Meta Title to promote the fact that your site is offering Best Available Rate as with the example above.

Last thing to note here is that Google have now launched their own reviews and the other review sites have been dropped to below the search.

Action
So what should you do? Well make sure that your hotel, bar, restaurant, leisure facility has the correct presence in Places. Ensure that no-one else has hijacked your business name and be ready for whatever comes next; for instance did you know that you can already highlight offers through Google Places?
And most importantly do it NOW!
  • Research your hotel profile in your town, county, region.Type Yourhotel in YourTown, YourHotel in YourCounty and 

  • Take note of what others are doing better or differently. 

  • Look at your rates differences in your own channels and your competitors.

  • Update your Google Places account accordingly - content, images, categories, video, offers, etc

  • Create new Google Place for all definable products - restaurant, bar, leisure. Google are clearly happy that your products are legitimately listed

  • Update your Home Page metatag to promote Best Available Rate even before guest opens the site

  • Ensure you have best available rate on your site at all times

  • Consider encouraging guest reviews via Google Places not just encouraging TripAdvisor


Quick Links
An overview of your Google Place
Read more about Google Places from Google itself 

Google Places for Your Hotel

All of Plan B's more recent web clients have benefitted from the set up or auditing of their Google Account which includes the set up usually of a Blog, Analytics, YouTube Channel, Alerts and possibly most importantly Google Places.

First off is if you don't have a Google Account then you need to get one set up immediately. It is free and any business that is not utilising the tools in there is not truly working their online presence properly.


In a blog posting featured on Hotelmarketing, Laurian Clemence, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs with Google UK highlighted the imprtance of Places, “By having an online presence via Google Places, hotels are enabling users to find and interact with their business,” says Clemence. He recommends keeping listings simple, accurate and consistent.

From a tourism perspective Google Places is taking, and is likely to take even more, prominence as Google identify means of improving their social media offering (see Google + and Googe +1 Button articles elsewhere in this blog). But even now have a look at how it impacts on you just now.

Before jumping into the content below why not spend a couple of minutes looking at what's currently happening in your area and how Googel Places is using your (and your competitors) information.

Open a new window and try the following for your own area.
We've typed in Ayr Hotels and the search has come up as follows.

As usual paid listings at the top and right hand column - no change there. But on the left hand column you can now filter your searches - Click on Places and see what happens to your results.


Another addition you may not have seen is the Travel Dates button on the left. Visible on Tuesday but not Friday so a test feature we'd guess but an indicator perhaps of how Google Hotel Finder will come into play very soon.

The hotels are listed by letter via the Google Places information and on the map. Not the new information associated with each entry. By rolling over the listing you get an impresion of the website. In reality this means that the potential guest can get an impression of your website without leaving the search. Is your site ready for that?


You'll also have noticed that in Google Places the online travel agency and third party websites have vanished. This in iteself must offer hotels hope for regaining some of the business lost by the OTAs adveritsing and buying power. As the traveller uses Places more for specific searches the hotels have got a greater chance of relevant visibility.

The price button on the right hand side is linked to the Travel Dates button on the right hand side. Change the dates and the rates displayed will alter. The prices the hotel is offering to each of the OTA's then becomes visible with a click of the drop down button next to the best available price.

Most importantly however is the fact that the hotels are now clickable directly from the link. It is therefore of obvious importance that you have the best available rate on your website and use every tool available to promote it. See below. Also note at this point that if you don't have your Google Place active  you won't see your own booking link.

It also increases ease of competitive price transparency - the easy to click price button means that for any selected dates you and by definition your potential guests can review your competition's pricing (or be reviewed by) before they even need to open a website. Good or bad? Depends on how effectively you promote best available rate in your title tag!


Hotels who are succeeding in converting direct online sales (that is through their own online booking engine on their own website) Best Available Rate is a given. Why offer your direct customer a higher rate than if they book elsewhere? Rhetorical question.

So with the introduction of this on-search page transaparency there is a strong argument for using the Meta Title to promote the fact that your site is offering Best Available Rate as with the example above.

Last thing to note here is that Google have now launched their own reviews and the other review sites have been dropped to below the search.

    Action
    So what should you do? Well make sure that your hotel, bar, restaurant, leisure facility has the correct presence in Places. Ensure that no-one else has hijacked your business name and be ready for whatever comes next; for instance did you know that you can already highlight offers through Google Places?
    And most importantly do it NOW!
    • Research your hotel profile in your town, county, region.Type Yourhotel in YourTown, YourHotel in YourCounty and 

    • Take note of what others are doing better or differently. 

    • Look at your rates differences in your own channels and your competitors.

    • Update your Google Places account accordingly - content, images, categories, video, offers, etc

    • Create new Google Place for all definable products - restaurant, bar, leisure. Google are clearly happy that your products are legitimately listed

    • Update your Home Page metatag to promote Best Available Rate even before guest opens the site

    • Ensure you have best available rate on your site at all times

    • Consider encouraging guest reviews via Google Places not just encouraging TripAdvisor


    Quick Links
    An overview of your Google Place
    Look at Google Adwords - who's bidding for your brand or hotel name?
    Look at your metatags and content? Understand what they do.
    Read more about Google Places from Google itself 







    Google Places for Your Hotel

    All of Plan B's more recent web clients have benefitted from the set up or auditing of their Google Account which includes the set up usually of a Blog, Analytics, YouTube Channel, Alerts and possibly most importantly Google Places.

    First off is if you don't have a Google Account then you need to get one set up immediately. It is free and any business that is not utilising the tools in there is not truly working their online presence properly.


    In a blog posting featured on Hotelmarketing, Laurian Clemence, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs with Google UK highlighted the imprtance of Places, “By having an online presence via Google Places, hotels are enabling users to find and interact with their business,” says Clemence. He recommends keeping listings simple, accurate and consistent.

    From a tourism perspective Google Places is taking, and is likely to take even more, prominence as Google identify means of improving their social media offering (see Google + and Googe +1 Button articles elsewhere in this blog). But even now have a look at how it impacts on you just now.

    Before jumping into the content below why not spend a couple of minutes looking at what's currently happening in your area and how Googel Places is using your (and your competitors) information.

    Open a new window and try the following for your own area.
    We've typed in Ayr Hotels and the search has come up as follows.

    As usual paid listings at the top and right hand column - no change there. But on the left hand column you can now filter your searches - Click on Places and see what happens to your results.


    Another addition you may not have seen is the Travel Dates button on the left. Visible on Tuesday but not Friday so a test feature we'd guess but an indicator perhaps of how Google Hotel Finder will come into play very soon.

    The hotels are listed by letter via the Google Places information and on the map. Not the new information associated with each entry. By rolling over the listing you get an impresion of the website. In reality this means that the potential guest can get an impression of your website without leaving the search. Is your site ready for that?


    You'll also have noticed that in Google Places the online travel agency and third party websites have vanished. This in iteself must offer hotels hope for regaining some of the business lost by the OTAs adveritsing and buying power. As the traveller uses Places more for specific searches the hotels have got a greater chance of relevant visibility.

    The price button on the right hand side is linked to the Travel Dates button on the right hand side. Change the dates and the rates displayed will alter. The prices the hotel is offering to each of the OTA's then becomes visible with a click of the drop down button next to the best available price.

    Most importantly however is the fact that the hotels are now clickable directly from the link. It is therefore of obvious importance that you have the best available rate on your website and use every tool available to promote it. See below. Also note at this point that if you don't have your Google Place active  you won't see your own booking link.

    It also increases ease of competitive price transparency - the easy to click price button means that for any selected dates you and by definition your potential guests can review your competition's pricing (or be reviewed by) before they even need to open a website. Good or bad? Depends on how effectively you promote best available rate in your title tag!


    Hotels who are succeeding in converting direct online sales (that is through their own online booking engine on their own website) Best Available Rate is a given. Why offer your direct customer a higher rate than if they book elsewhere? Rhetorical question.

    So with the introduction of this on-search page transaparency there is a strong argument for using the Meta Title to promote the fact that your site is offering Best Available Rate as with the example above.

    Last thing to note here is that Google have now launched their own reviews and the other review sites have been dropped to below the search.

      Action
      So what should you do? Well make sure that your hotel, bar, restaurant, leisure facility has the correct presence in Places. Ensure that no-one else has hijacked your business name and be ready for whatever comes next; for instance did you know that you can already highlight offers through Google Places?
      And most importantly do it NOW!
      • Research your hotel profile in your town, county, region.Type Yourhotel in YourTown, YourHotel in YourCounty and 
      • Take note of what others are doing better or differently. 
      • Look at your rates differences in your own channels and your competitors.
      • Update your Google Places account accordingly - content, images, categories, video, offers, etc
      • Create new Google Place for all definable products - restaurant, bar, leisure. Google are clearly happy that your products are legitimately listed
      • Update your Home Page metatag to promote Best Available Rate even before guest opens the site
      • Ensure you have best available rate on your site at all times
      • Consider encouraging guest reviews via Google Places not just encouraging TripAdvisor

      Quick Links
      An overview of your Google Place
      Look at Google Adwords - who's bidding for your brand or hotel name?
      Look at your metatags and content? Understand what they do.
      Read more about Google Places from Google itself 







      Updating and Monitoring Google Places

      Google Places is going to play an increasingly important role in searches for the hospitality sector and it is important that product producers maximise their use of this free tool. If you need to understand how it's changing have a read of Google Places and Your Hotel.

      The following was motivated by an interview featured in HotelMarketing's blog in an interview with  Laurian Clemence, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs with Google UK.


      Updating Google Places

      Ensure that your business’s name, address and phone number are listed in a consistent format across the web. The Company/Organization field acts as the title of your listing and should include the word “Hotel” and your destination if they are part of your official business name.Google doesn’t permit descriptors or keywords in titles.

      Your property description is limited to 200 characters and needs to sum up what your hotel, product and key markets are. This 200 character limit is something that hotels and other businesses must come across on a fairly regular basis for online advertising, listings and other third party activity.

      Why not therefore spend some time developing a few templated 200 character descriptions for different markets - business, leisure, golf, activity... makes sense and means that you keep a consistent theme and never miss out the obvious things. Remember who, what, why where, when and how. Keep it simple.

      Use of Multiple Listings?

      The Google Guy went on, “We recommend that separate listings should be created if the restaurant, lounge or spa within a hotel has its own name and telephone number, separate from that of the hotel. An individual website is not a requirement.”

      The same principle therefore applies as you would for the creation of a separate web page for each of your product areas - Leisure Club, Restaurant, live music venue - create a separate searchable entity for each one in Google Places linking back to the relevant website or page.

      Categories and Additional Details
      You can choose up to five categories to describe your business. At least one must be standard; the rest can be customized. Google recommends being as specific as possible, as it will automatically determine the generic category as well. For example, if you enter “Country House Hotel” Google will know that you are also a hotel.

      In the Additional Details section Clemence recommends hotels include “any additional information that would be helpful to potential customers as long as it’s specific and factual. Examples could be specific awards the hotel has won or a unique URL that leads to a menu for the hotel restaurant. The purpose is to help the user find all of the details about your business that might be useful to them.”

      Imagery and Map
      Businesses can upload a maximum of 10 photos and five videos, so make sure they are high quality, representative of your property and do a job for your sales conversion. You can't currently add captions but that may come in the future. The chances are that increased user photo uploads will follow in the future but you should keep an eye on them and report inappropriate photos.

      It's obvious that you should ensure you place marker is in the right position as it will impact on Maps, Street View, Satellite View, Driving Directions and Hotel Finder in the future.

      Offers, Updates and Analytics
      You can also add offers and updates to your listing and again it is free and as with any content it is a positive means of ensuring that your business is seen as engaging with your customers and lead to increased conversion through your own website.
      If you add an offer it will appear on your Places page and Google Maps listing. Similarly to share news, events or packages click the “Share an update” link.

      Google now features room rates and availability data on Places, Maps and Hotel Finder but restricts access to a limited number of online travel agencies, GDS providers and brands with sizable inventories across multiple markets.

      For your hotel, only a link to the hotel/brand website is provided. Some would argue that this is a deterrent to direct bookings but we'd argue that it's an awful lot less so than having OTA's buy your name in Google Adwords or flooding the searches with your product on their pages. In any case it is likely that an interface will emerge allowing hotel's to show their own direct rates - soon hopefully.


      Reviews
      With the recent removal of third-party reviews from Places listings and the addition of a more prominent “Write a review” button, Google has embarked on a campaign to develop reviews from its own users and whilst the volume builds they may have limited effect but you should not ignore.With the introduction in the UK of Google+ and Google Hotel Finder and the integration of other products Google user reviews can only become a more important part of your online reputation management program.

      We already know the many benefits of traveler reviews to search visibility and conversions. Says Google's Clemence, “Engaging with the reviewers can be a good way to get to know your customers and what they think about your business. Business owner responses allow you to build relationships with customers, but keep in mind that the responses are also public.”

      Presently reviews are not monitored by Google. If you're concerned about the accuracy of a review, Clemence recommends clicking the “Flag as inappropriate” link to submit a report. “If we find that the review is in violation of our Google Maps policies,” he says, “we'll take the appropriate action since we aren't always able to remove or be certain of violations.”

      What’s the Future of Google Places?


      The opportunities for increasing direct sales for hotels is a real one and we see the new products as offering an opportunity for hotels to gain back some of the business lost to OTA's. It won't necessarily be easy but it is do-able if you put your mind to it.

      Quick Links
      Read more and some action points on a related blog Google Places for Your Hotel



      Updating and Monitoring Google Places

      Google Places is going to play an increasingly important role in searches for the hospitality sector and it is important that product producers maximise their use of this free tool. If you need to understand how it's changing have a read of Google Places and Your Hotel.

      The following was motivated by an interview featured in HotelMarketing's blog in an interview with  Laurian Clemence, Corporate Communications & Public Affairs with Google UK.


      Updating Google Places

      Ensure that your business’s name, address and phone number are listed in a consistent format across the web. The Company/Organization field acts as the title of your listing and should include the word “Hotel” and your destination if they are part of your official business name.Google doesn’t permit descriptors or keywords in titles.

      Your property description is limited to 200 characters and needs to sum up what your hotel, product and key markets are. This 200 character limit is something that hotels and other businesses must come across on a fairly regular basis for online advertising, listings and other third party activity.

      Why not therefore spend some time developing a few templated 200 character descriptions for different markets - business, leisure, golf, activity... makes sense and means that you keep a consistent theme and never miss out the obvious things. Remember who, what, why where, when and how. Keep it simple.

      Use of Multiple Listings?

      The Google Guy went on, “We recommend that separate listings should be created if the restaurant, lounge or spa within a hotel has its own name and telephone number, separate from that of the hotel. An individual website is not a requirement.”

      The same principle therefore applies as you would for the creation of a separate web page for each of your product areas - Leisure Club, Restaurant, live music venue - create a separate searchable entity for each one in Google Places linking back to the relevant website or page.

      Categories and Additional Details
      You can choose up to five categories to describe your business. At least one must be standard; the rest can be customized. Google recommends being as specific as possible, as it will automatically determine the generic category as well. For example, if you enter “Country House Hotel” Google will know that you are also a hotel.

      In the Additional Details section Clemence recommends hotels include “any additional information that would be helpful to potential customers as long as it’s specific and factual. Examples could be specific awards the hotel has won or a unique URL that leads to a menu for the hotel restaurant. The purpose is to help the user find all of the details about your business that might be useful to them.”

      Imagery and Map
      Businesses can upload a maximum of 10 photos and five videos, so make sure they are high quality, representative of your property and do a job for your sales conversion. You can't currently add captions but that may come in the future. The chances are that increased user photo uploads will follow in the future but you should keep an eye on them and report inappropriate photos.

      It's obvious that you should ensure you place marker is in the right position as it will impact on Maps, Street View, Satellite View, Driving Directions and Hotel Finder in the future.

      Offers, Updates and Analytics
      You can also add offers and updates to your listing and again it is free and as with any content it is a positive means of ensuring that your business is seen as engaging with your customers and lead to increased conversion through your own website.
      If you add an offer it will appear on your Places page and Google Maps listing. Similarly to share news, events or packages click the “Share an update” link.

      Google now features room rates and availability data on Places, Maps and Hotel Finder but restricts access to a limited number of online travel agencies, GDS providers and brands with sizable inventories across multiple markets.

      For your hotel, only a link to the hotel/brand website is provided. Some would argue that this is a deterrent to direct bookings but we'd argue that it's an awful lot less so than having OTA's buy your name in Google Adwords or flooding the searches with your product on their pages. In any case it is likely that an interface will emerge allowing hotel's to show their own direct rates - soon hopefully.


      Reviews
      With the recent removal of third-party reviews from Places listings and the addition of a more prominent “Write a review” button, Google has embarked on a campaign to develop reviews from its own users and whilst the volume builds they may have limited effect but you should not ignore.With the introduction in the UK of Google+ and Google Hotel Finder and the integration of other products Google user reviews can only become a more important part of your online reputation management program.

      We already know the many benefits of traveler reviews to search visibility and conversions. Says Google's Clemence, “Engaging with the reviewers can be a good way to get to know your customers and what they think about your business. Business owner responses allow you to build relationships with customers, but keep in mind that the responses are also public.”

      Presently reviews are not monitored by Google. If you're concerned about the accuracy of a review, Clemence recommends clicking the “Flag as inappropriate” link to submit a report. “If we find that the review is in violation of our Google Maps policies,” he says, “we'll take the appropriate action since we aren't always able to remove or be certain of violations.”

      What’s the Future of Google Places?


      The opportunities for increasing direct sales for hotels is a real one and we see the new products as offering an opportunity for hotels to gain back some of the business lost to OTA's. It won't necessarily be easy but it is do-able if you put your mind to it.

      Quick Links
      Read more and some action points on a related blog Google Places for Your Hotel



      Golf Channel launches Big Break Ireland microsite

      If like me you were completely unaware of Big Brother's re-emergence you may find the attached  a little more interesting.


      Too often recently I've heard statements that allude to the fact that we need to capitalise on Ireland's problems with our own tourism marketing in Scotland.

      As a business we're linked pretty heavily to the Irish economy and see a little bit more closely how they work and with our experience as a golf tour operator to Ireland in a previous life we know for certain that in spite of the issues with hotel and golf course over capacity they have the ability to bounce back and punch way above their weight.

      The Irish tourism marketing machine can be mightily impressive and their recent Home of Champions golf marketing is in our opinion just the start of the fightback and if I was American and I was being hit by Drive it Home from VisitScotland or Big Break Ireland, I think I know where I'd put my money. Have a look at the press release below - and in particular watch the video footage -  and tell me that as a golfer you wouldn't watch this? How much advertising money will be going in alongside for product positioning?

      I think it's Pure Genius!

      In advance of the season premiere of Big Break Ireland, Golf Channel today launched the series’ official microsite – www.GolfChannel.com/BigBreak.

      The new site features text and video bios about the 12 contestants, photos and preview videos, including a three-minute trailer that gives viewers a sneak peek into the drama and excitement that will unfold during the 10-week series. Weekly blogs from the producers and contestants also will post on the site, and fans will have the opportunity to opt in to become a “text club” member and receive weekly mobile alerts.

      Big Break Ireland’s Facebook page, (www.facebook.com/GolfChannel.BigBreak) will allow fans to interact with fellow fans and Golf Channel, as well as receive weekly bonus clips and features.

      Big Break Ireland, premiering Sept. 20 at 9 p.m. ET, will feature an international cast of six men and six women competing against each other in an attempt to make their lifelong dreams of playing alongside the world’s top golfers a reality. Filmed at The K Club in Kildare, Ireland, the ultimate winner will be awarded two exemptions from the four exemptions up for grabs – which represent events on the LPGA Tour, European Tour and Ladies European Tour, among other prizes.

      The Big Break show concept pits highly skilled golfers against each other in a variety of challenges that test their physical skills and mental toughness. During Big Break Ireland, one contestant will be eliminated each week, with the last person standing crowned Big Break champion.

      Scotland awarded the 2015 World Orienteering Championships

      Press Release from Event Scotland - 18th August 2011

      At a press conference today the International Orienteering Federation announced that British Orienteering will host the 2015 World Orienteering Championships in Scotland. There was competition to stage the event with Sweden submitting a strong bid; however the strength of the British Orienteering bid won favour with the IOF.

      The Championships will be based in Inverness during August 2015 and will utilise the world class terrain along the Moray coast and in the Cairngorms National Park. The Scottish 6 Days will run in parallel to the Championships and will bring 5000 competitors to the area boosting the local economy by an estimated £2 million.

      The foundation of the British bid is the strong partnership which has developed between orienteering organisations, government agencies and the local community who all have a shared vision for the event. The partners are: British Orienteering, the Scottish Orienteering Association, EventScotland, the Scottish 6 Days Event Company, and the Highland Council.

      Shona Robison, Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport said, “Congratulations to the bid team and I am delighted we will be welcoming the World Orienteering Championships to Scotland in 2015. It is a wonderful legacy from 2014 that we will continue to have world class sporting events in Scotland beyond this milestone year. It further demonstrates our capability at staging such major events and further enhances our active messaging across the country.”

      Lyn West, Chairman British Orienteering said “We are delighted to have been awarded the 2015 Championships and look forward to working with the IOF and our other partners in delivering an exciting and memorable event”

      Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer for EventScotland said “It is great for British Orienteering and Scotland to have successfully won the bid to host the World Championships in 2015. I am sure that with the continued hard work of the partnerships established, Scotland will prove to be the perfect stage for this event.”

      Colin Matheson, Professional Officer Scottish Orienteering Association said “Scotland has been recognised by the international orienteering community as having world-class areas for staging major events. In the run up to 2015 we look forward to hosting the JK2012 International Orienteering Festival as well as the Scottish Orienteering 6Day Event Company in Moray 2013. We look forward to meeting orienteers from across the world at these and other competitions before the main event in 2015.”

      Lynne Walker, Chairman Scottish Orienteering 6-Day Event Company said “We are honoured to be involved with the partnership formed to stage the prestigious WOC 2015 event and associated public races. We will do our utmost to deliver an unforgettable experience for everyone.”

      Dr Mike Cantlay, Chairman of EventScotland and VisitScotland commented, “This once again shows Scotland’s huge ambition to attract major world class events and continues to build on our fantastic event tourism opportunities post 2014.”

      Councillor Bill Fernie, Chair of The Highland Council’s Education Culture and Sport committee said “we are absolutely delighted to be welcoming the World Championships back to the Highlands. We saw a lasting sporting and economic benefit the last time the championships were in the area and I’m sure it will be bigger and better this time round. We will prepare our best Highland welcome for everyone involved”

      Thursday, August 18, 2011

      TripAdvisor Cover Bases?


      An article from Cornell showcaisng the fact they have developed software that has a 90% success rate in identifying fake travel reviews themn went onto highlight a statement made to the American Securities and Exchange Commission that exposes Expedia worries over the "airing of grievances" on review sites and the fear of litigation in the future.

      Expedia to take the step of warning potential TripAdvisor investors of possible liabilities in the form of legal claims stemming from such user reviews. In a 184-page document filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 27, Expedia said TripAdvisor could be subject to legal expenses related to claims ranging from defamation and libel to negligence.

      “These claims, whether brought in the United States or abroad, could divert management time and attention away from TripAdvisor’s business and result in significant costs to investigate and defend,” Expedia stated in the document. “If TripAdvisor becomes subject to these or similar claims and is not successful in its defense, TripAdvisor may be forced to pay substantial damages.”

      Last September, a group representing owners of about 120 U.K. hotels said it would file a class action against TripAdvisor, alleging that the site hurts sales at many smaller hotels and other businesses in the hospitality industry by publishing libelous and potentially false reviews without verifying them.

      U.K.-based KwikChex, which had been soliciting companies to pay 35 pounds ($50) to join a group legal action, said it presented its findings to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission in March.

      Forrester Research principal analyst Henry Harteveldt said Expedia’s warning in SEC filings didn’t surprise him.

      “However, I wouldn’t expect it’s something they’d want to voluntarily disclose,” Harteveldt said. “I suspect that it was deemed important enough by the firms’ lawyers and investment bankers as a risk to the business that it needed to be disclosed.”

      Read Full Article on Travel Weekly website

      More Worry about Groupon

      It is also worth noting that, in the history of the company, Groupon has raised a total of $1.1 billion of cash--and paid out $942 million of that cash to its early investors and executives (highly unusual for such a young company). If Groupon does get into cash trouble, therefore, it will not be because the company didn't discover an amazing new business opportunity or raise all the capital it needed. It will be because of, well, greed.
      The above comes from a Business Insider Article which really is worth reading in full.

      Given the nature of markets currently and runs on dollars, euros and share value decapitations it is not too unrealistic to think that unless Groupn can come up with answers quickly then they are going to see a reduciton in offers from businesses who clearly see a possibility of not being paid in the future. Reality and perception again. The voucher money may very well be safe but if they have any doubts will they stop providing product. Less product less cash flow, catastrophic collapse. It si not an impossible scenario. 
      Given the figures in the opening paragraph however it does look like a certain banking sector scenario with large payouts regardles of the reality...

      Bravado - An Independent Scottish Tourism Production

      You've got to love him for his unbridled passion and energy but I am really concerned that our venerable tourist chair has got shares in Pixar and is getting just a little carried away with the number of visitors going to be coming to Scotland following the release of Disney's "Brave".

      If you Google Mike Cantlay you may on page 23 or so (depending on your personal search settings) find a press release where he doesn't actually mention the film!

      Now I recognise the opportunities don't get me wrong.

      There'll be lots of tickets for the Worldwide premiere which will undoubtedly be held in Oban, there'll be franchised Disney Pixar Stores in each of VisitScotland's TICs or VICs and the new VisitScotland site (which actually is scheduled to take longer to build than Pixar's own production) will earn millions in a commission share merchandise deal for "Mikey" dolls that even outshadows the Online Travel Agents revenues...

      In the good natured way that is clearly intended we are therefore looking for scriptwriters and animators of our own to develop the story of Bravado...

      Bravadod - A Synopsis
      Since ancient times, stories of epic battles and mystical legends have been passed through the generations across the rugged and mysterious lands of Scotland. With Bravado, a new tale joins the lore when the courageous Mikey confronts tradition, destiny and the fiercest of beasts.
      Mikey the Proclaimer is a skilled teller of tales and the impish supporter of would be High Chieftain Ec and his sidekick King Malcolm of Leith.

      Determined to carve his own path in life, Mike defies his height and heads out on the road, his right hand forever waving the flag the right distributing proclamations to the communities he visits.


      However Mikey’s actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury in the kingdom, and when he turns to an eccentric old Wizard for help, he is granted an ill-fated wish.

      The ensuing battles allows Mikey to introduce the rest of the nation to the meaning of true bravado and leads him on his quest to achieve greatness by increasing visitors to the mountains and valleys, glens and lochs, links and festivities. 

      This is a tale of Clans based in the ancient city of Dunedin but with a reach that extended into the many mountains and glens, coastal routes and dunes. 

      It will inspire literally dozens."
      Yeah ok, it may not fly...

      Bookassist and MICROS-Fidelio announce certified OPERA Connectivity Solution for Hotels

      We're delighted to announce that our booking engine partners in Scotland Bookassist has announced official certification of their booking engine software integration with the OPERA Property Management System (PMS) from the world's leading hotel solutions provider MICROS-Fidelio. The connection service allows hotels to automatically and seamlessly manage their online reservations from Bookassist via the OPERA PMS.

      The connection service is the latest in a list of integrations between Bookassist's popular booking platform and the world's leading property management systems and channel managers.

      Speaking about the advantages of the integration, Karen Moran, Sales and Marketing Director at Moran & Bewley's Hotels UK & Ireland said: "We're delighted to have direct integration between our online booking and our MICROS-Fidelio OPERA property management systems right across the group. It saves considerable time and effort, and more importantly makes sure that the reservations detail is end-to-end accurate. The automation allows our staff to get on with the more important business of running the hotel rather than worrying about technology."

      Bookassist have collaborated with MICROS-Fidelio on the integration and client roll-out over the last 18 months culminating in official certification. A number of existing mutual clients have been using the integration since its first introduction in late 2010.

      Discussing the official certification, Bookassist CEO Dr Des O'Mahony said: "A significant number of our clients in all the countries we operate in are also MICROS-Fidelio clients. This integration is a real advantage for them, reducing manpower, eliminating transfer errors, and improving efficiency. We expect a significant uptake of this new joint service."

      "MICROS-Fidelio is pleased to offer connectivity between our hotel solution OPERA and Bookassist. The interface with Bookassist provides automated booking notifications directly into the OPERA hotel system," said Dr Peter Agel, Senior Vice President eCommerce and Strategic Solutions EMEA at MICROS-Fidelio.

      Bookassist® (bookassist.org) creates and manages successful and proven online strategies for thousands of hotels and groups and is one of the leading hotel booking engine and online marketing providers in Europe. Headquartered in Dublin and with offices in 6 countries, Bookassist has received numerous awards in Online Trade, Online Marketing, and Technological Innovation.






      Ian McCaig managing partner of Bookassist in Scotland, was delighted with the news, "This latest integration on top of some excellent new upgrades just presses the point about continuous improvement being critical. As the online booking sector moves ever faster with shifts to mobile, integration into social media and the need to react even more quickly to the market place this proves again that Bookassist can provide the hotel operator in Scotland - large and small - with the competitive advantages that they are looking for.

      If you're interested in finding out more about how Bookassist can work in conjunction with your MICROS set up inScotland email Bookassist Scotland or call 01292 512404.

      MICROS-Fidelio International (micros-fidelio.eu), the global markets subsidiary of MICROS®, is the premier provider of enterprise-wide integrated information technologies for the hotel industry. MICROS-Fidelio has become "the standard" in the industry with over 25,000 installations worldwide. Its enterprise solutions include multi-property, fully integrated hotel systems encompassing property management systems, sales and catering systems, central reservation systems, customer information systems, revenue management systems, an Internet/global distribution system-based hotel reservation service called myfidelio.net, and installation and support services associated with the various software products.

      Bookassist and MICROS-Fidelio announce certified OPERA Connectivity Solution for Hotels

      We're delighted to announce that our booking engine partners in Scotland Bookassist has announced official certification of their booking engine software integration with the OPERA Property Management System (PMS) from the world's leading hotel solutions provider MICROS-Fidelio. The connection service allows hotels to automatically and seamlessly manage their online reservations from Bookassist via the OPERA PMS.

      The connection service is the latest in a list of integrations between Bookassist's popular booking platform and the world's leading property management systems and channel managers.

      Speaking about the advantages of the integration, Karen Moran, Sales and Marketing Director at Moran & Bewley's Hotels UK & Ireland said: "We're delighted to have direct integration between our online booking and our MICROS-Fidelio OPERA property management systems right across the group. It saves considerable time and effort, and more importantly makes sure that the reservations detail is end-to-end accurate. The automation allows our staff to get on with the more important business of running the hotel rather than worrying about technology."

      Bookassist have collaborated with MICROS-Fidelio on the integration and client roll-out over the last 18 months culminating in official certification. A number of existing mutual clients have been using the integration since its first introduction in late 2010.

      Discussing the official certification, Bookassist CEO Dr Des O'Mahony said: "A significant number of our clients in all the countries we operate in are also MICROS-Fidelio clients. This integration is a real advantage for them, reducing manpower, eliminating transfer errors, and improving efficiency. We expect a significant uptake of this new joint service."

      "MICROS-Fidelio is pleased to offer connectivity between our hotel solution OPERA and Bookassist. The interface with Bookassist provides automated booking notifications directly into the OPERA hotel system," said Dr Peter Agel, Senior Vice President eCommerce and Strategic Solutions EMEA at MICROS-Fidelio.

      Bookassist® (bookassist.org) creates and manages successful and proven online strategies for thousands of hotels and groups and is one of the leading hotel booking engine and online marketing providers in Europe. Headquartered in Dublin and with offices in 6 countries, Bookassist has received numerous awards in Online Trade, Online Marketing, and Technological Innovation.






      Ian McCaig managing partner of Bookassist in Scotland, was delighted with the news, "This latest integration on top of some excellent new upgrades just presses the point about continuous improvement being critical. As the online booking sector moves ever faster with shifts to mobile, integration into social media and the need to react even more quickly to the market place this proves again that Bookassist can provide the hotel operator in Scotland - large and small - with the competitive advantages that they are looking for.

      If you're interested in finding out more about how Bookassist can work in conjunction with your MICROS set up inScotland email Bookassist Scotland or call 01292 512404.

      MICROS-Fidelio International (micros-fidelio.eu), the global markets subsidiary of MICROS®, is the premier provider of enterprise-wide integrated information technologies for the hotel industry. MICROS-Fidelio has become "the standard" in the industry with over 25,000 installations worldwide. Its enterprise solutions include multi-property, fully integrated hotel systems encompassing property management systems, sales and catering systems, central reservation systems, customer information systems, revenue management systems, an Internet/global distribution system-based hotel reservation service called myfidelio.net, and installation and support services associated with the various software products.

      Bookassist and MICROS-Fidelio announce certified OPERA Connectivity Solution for Hotels

      Bookassist, the technology and online strategy firm for hotels, has announced official certification of their booking engine software integration with the OPERA Property Management System (PMS) from the world's leading hotel solutions provider MICROS-Fidelio. The connection service allows hotels to automatically and seamlessly manage their online reservations from Bookassist via the OPERA PMS.

      The connection service is the latest in a list of integrations between Bookassist's popular booking platform and the world's leading property management systems and channel managers.

      Speaking about the advantages of the integration, Karen Moran, Sales and Marketing Director at Moran & Bewley's Hotels UK & Ireland said: "We're delighted to have direct integration between our online booking and our MICROS-Fidelio OPERA property management systems right across the group. It saves considerable time and effort, and more importantly makes sure that the reservations detail is end-to-end accurate. The automation allows our staff to get on with the more important business of running the hotel rather than worrying about technology."

      Bookassist have collaborated with MICROS-Fidelio on the integration and client roll-out over the last 18 months culminating in official certification. A number of existing mutual clients have been using the integration since its first introduction in late 2010.

      Discussing the official certification, Bookassist CEO Dr Des O'Mahony said: "A significant number of our clients in all the countries we operate in are also MICROS-Fidelio clients. This integration is a real advantage for them, reducing manpower, eliminating transfer errors, and improving efficiency. We expect a significant uptake of this new joint service."

      "MICROS-Fidelio is pleased to offer connectivity between our hotel solution OPERA and Bookassist. The interface with Bookassist provides automated booking notifications directly into the OPERA hotel system," said Dr Peter Agel, Senior Vice President eCommerce and Strategic Solutions EMEA at MICROS-Fidelio.

      Bookassist® (bookassist.org) creates and manages successful and proven online strategies for thousands of hotels and groups and is one of the leading hotel booking engine and online marketing providers in Europe. Headquartered in Dublin and with offices in 6 countries, Bookassist has received numerous awards in Online Trade, Online Marketing, and Technological Innovation.

      Ian McCaig managing partner of Bookassist in Scotland, was delighted with the news, "This latest integration on top of some excellent new upgrades just presses the point about continuous improvement being critical. As the online booking sector moves ever faster with shifts to mobile, integration into social media and the need to react even more quickly to the market place this proves again that Bookassist can provide the hotel operator in Scotland - large and small - with the competitive advantages that they are looking for.

      If you're interested in finding out more about how Bookassist can work in conjunction with your MICROS set up inScotland email Bookassist Scotland or call 01292 512404.

      MICROS-Fidelio International (micros-fidelio.eu), the global markets subsidiary of MICROS®, is the premier provider of enterprise-wide integrated information technologies for the hotel industry. MICROS-Fidelio has become "the standard" in the industry with over 25,000 installations worldwide. Its enterprise solutions include multi-property, fully integrated hotel systems encompassing property management systems, sales and catering systems, central reservation systems, customer information systems, revenue management systems, an Internet/global distribution system-based hotel reservation service called myfidelio.net, and installation and support services associated with the various software products.

      Monday, August 15, 2011

      Google +1 Button - An Introduction

      You may have noticed when browsing on Google over the past few weeks that there is now a new +1 Button.

      It has some similarities with Facebook's like button but has significant differences and potential benefits for your website traffic and search engine strategies.


      If you like any web page you can just click the +1 button on your screen and the same choicdes would become visible to your friends and contacts when they Google it. It is a virtual word of mouth recommendation.

      According to Google +1 is shorthand for "this is pretty cool" or "you should check this out" and they advocate that websites should embed the necessary code to allow your site visitors to publicly give the webpage their stamp of approval. The pitch is that +1's can help friends, contacts, and others on the web find the best stuff when they search. Watch the video below to find out a little bit more.

      We are recommending that all our clients should start using the +1 button on their website - it shouldn't take long and the notional cost should be well outweighed by the benefits. Just drop us an email and we'll let you know the cost and schedule the work in over the next couple of weeks for you. To find out why you could watch the video below and read some of the FAQs.



      Google provided some FAQ's on the developer website pages which may clarify some issues. Here's some of the the bits that may be of interest to you.


      How does +1 affect search results?

      +1 helps people discover relevant content—a website, a Google search result, or an ad—from the people they already know and trust. Adding the +1 button to your pages lets users recommend your content, knowing that their friends and contacts will see their recommendation when it’s most relevant—in the context of Google search results.

      When a signed-in Google user is searching, your Google search result snippet may be annotated with the names of the user's connections who've +1'd your page. If none of a user's connections has +1'd your page, your snippet may display the aggregate number of +1's your page has received. Does +1 affect my site’s performance in search?

      Does +1 affect my site’s performance in search?

      Content recommended by friends and acquaintances is often more relevant than content from strangers. For example, a movie review from an expert is useful, but a movie review from a friend who shares your tastes can be even better. Because of this, +1’s from friends and contacts can be a useful signal to Google when determining the relevance of your page to a user’s query. This is just one of many signals Google may use to determine a page’s relevance and ranking, and we’re constantly tweaking and improving our algorithm to improve overall search quality. For +1's, as with any new ranking signal, we'll be starting carefully and learning how those signals affect search quality.


      How does the +1 button work?

      If you want to use the +1 button, you will need a Google account. When you create a Google account, remember it is not just a mail-box; there are many added benefits to it. Generally, the +1 theme will work for all the Google sites but you are also provided with an option through which you can have the +1 button for non-Google sites.

      Google +1 Button - An Introduction

      You may have noticed when browsing on Google over the past few weeks that there is now a new +1 Button.

      It has some similarities with Facebook's like button but has significant differences and potential benefits for your website traffic and search engine strategies.


      If you like any web page you can just click the +1 button on your screen and the same choicdes would become visible to your friends and contacts when they Google it. It is a virtual word of mouth recommendation.

      According to Google +1 is shorthand for "this is pretty cool" or "you should check this out" and they advocate that websites should embed the necessary code to allow your site visitors to publicly give the webpage their stamp of approval. The pitch is that +1's can help friends, contacts, and others on the web find the best stuff when they search. Watch the video below to find out a little bit more.

      We are recommending that all our clients should start using the +1 button on their website - it shouldn't take long and the notional cost should be well outweighed by the benefits. Just drop us an email and we'll let you know the cost and schedule the work in over the next couple of weeks for you. To find out why you could watch the video below and read some of the FAQs.



      Google provided some FAQ's on the developer website pages which may clarify some issues. Here's some of the the bits that may be of interest to you.


      How does +1 affect search results?

      +1 helps people discover relevant content—a website, a Google search result, or an ad—from the people they already know and trust. Adding the +1 button to your pages lets users recommend your content, knowing that their friends and contacts will see their recommendation when it’s most relevant—in the context of Google search results.

      When a signed-in Google user is searching, your Google search result snippet may be annotated with the names of the user's connections who've +1'd your page. If none of a user's connections has +1'd your page, your snippet may display the aggregate number of +1's your page has received. Does +1 affect my site’s performance in search?

      Does +1 affect my site’s performance in search?

      Content recommended by friends and acquaintances is often more relevant than content from strangers. For example, a movie review from an expert is useful, but a movie review from a friend who shares your tastes can be even better. Because of this, +1’s from friends and contacts can be a useful signal to Google when determining the relevance of your page to a user’s query. This is just one of many signals Google may use to determine a page’s relevance and ranking, and we’re constantly tweaking and improving our algorithm to improve overall search quality. For +1's, as with any new ranking signal, we'll be starting carefully and learning how those signals affect search quality.


      How does the +1 button work?

      If you want to use the +1 button, you will need a Google account. When you create a Google account, remember it is not just a mail-box; there are many added benefits to it. Generally, the +1 theme will work for all the Google sites but you are also provided with an option through which you can have the +1 button for non-Google sites.