Vote For Your Favorite Mobile in Travel Initiative

We believe that those travel brands who are taking the plunge and investing their valuable time and resources in mobile, paving the way for others to follow, should be rewarded.  


EyeforTravel's Mobile Innovation in Travel awards seeks to do just that.  The nominations stage has now closed and it's been fantastic to see such a wide variety of brands - all experimenting with mobile.  We've read many insightful mobile case studies and it's great to see so much innovation in the industry!


Whittling down the entrants has been tough but we have now announced the short list for the next stage of the awards process.  Voting is now live and we encourage you to vote for your favorite initiative in each category.  Make sure you vote before February 20th.   


The 3 lucky finalists per category will be invited to present their present their pitch at the awards ceremony which will take place at EyeforTravel's Mobile Strategies for Travel conference, San Francisco, March 5-6. 

Will Peer-to-Peer Marketplaces Impact Your Travel Sales in 2012?

Peer-to-peer marketplaces are causing a quiet revolution that could change the way your travel products and created and sold - to the same extent that Ebay changed retail 15 years ago.

It's already a sizeable business model. This July, following investment in Air bnb, its estimated worth was US$1.3 billion. But it's not a one company wonder. Wimdu the German equivalent has 35,000 accommodation options on offer and their website says they are doubling their inventory every month.

It's also not just accommodation.  Peer-to-peer marketplaces are spreading across the travel industry.

One of the earliest movers in this space was car hire. The UK’s Whipcar boasts over 1,000 cars for hire and the business model is being looked at seriously by innovative car companies such as Sixt. I mentioned technology enabled - if your mobile phone can open your hotel room it won’t be long before it can find and open and start cars sold through the peer-to-peer marketplace - making the system even more functional.

Gidsy is one of a host of marketplaces to find guides for all sorts of activities. While http://campinmygarden.com/ is just brilliant way for gardeners and campers to make money, connect and enjoy life.

The whole movement is inspired by austerity, environmentalism and the ever present  human desire to connect. People are looking for new ways to make and save money. Many are rejecting consumerism and looking to enjoy what’s sustainably available.  Indeed, one of the oldest and biggest sites www.couchsurfing.com does not make a penny.  However we must not forget it's being driven by the desire to connect with other humans not a corporation or business.

These are a strong set of motives and the industry needs to look at them carefully. As ever, we are always looking to embrace the latest travel trends and Air bnb, Wimdu, HouseTrip and Gidsy are all speaking at the Travel Distribution Summit in London this April 17-18. For more information go to http://events.eyefortravel.com/travel-distribution-summit-europe/

A Reason to Be Hopeful in 2012

The ongoing process of recognising that much in our Western Capitalist system is ill and needs mending does help focus the mind on priorities and reasons for doing what we do. For me, working in travel distribution and marketing is really about connections - my connection with great people all over the world, and the easier connection we can help facilitate for people who want to travel and explore different cultures, experience how others live and expand their horizons.

Dragon Head by Ai Weiwei

The search for connection is probably best exemplified in the quick and unprecedented expansion of the Asian tourism market over the past few years, led by China the Dragon. With 2012 being the year of the Dragon, we should expect this giant flying lizard motif to be displayed everywhere we look (So I am starting this trend now). With it comes another double digit growth of China's outbound tourism and a new waive of younger (and older) Chinese travelers who are no longer content to sit in coaches for 12 hours snapping famous sites from behind a tinted window. The confidence that comes with experience and growing disposable income is now translating into demand for more diverse and culturally insightful travel experiences. Access to information, thanks to the investment in excellent internet infrastructure in China, allows Chinese to research and plan independently of travel agents or guide books. They now take to travel forums to hear about other tourists' experiences, monitor destinations and brands on social media and add their own views and opinions online. They look for travel partners online and group  together to negotiate discounts on travel accessories, flights and packages.

To understand how China's growing clout is dramatically affecting the tourism sector, we need to observe the changes that South East Asia has been going through over the last 5 years or so. China is now the top market for most SE Asian countries and the top spenders in most of the Asian countries (all the way to Australia and New Zealand too!). Products and services no longer need to be exclusively tailored to Americans or Europeans - they are now being customised to Chinese tastes and preferences. And Asia's experience will be replicated in North America in Europe in the near future (provided we don't shut the gates but actually invite visitors to spend their money here with easier visas and better, targeted marketing and promotion).

So, as I count over 6 years since ChinaContact launched to communicate the opportunity that the Chinese tourist market represents, I hope that you will take this contemplation period to think what is your strategy and action plan to be relevant for Chinese visitors. Contrary to what you may think, that is not the exclusive domain of multinationals or large wealthy countries with millions to spend on promotion. The internet levels the playing field to a great extent (bearing in mind the internet sites popular in China are indeed different to the sites we flock to in the West) and you can take advantage of that.

With this in mind, the Travel Distribution Summit Asia provides a golden opportunity. With major companies from Asia and international speakers including from China, this is an excellent education and networking event. The Summit this year will include dedicated discussions and workshops on China aimed at all levels of familiarisation with the market. So it is a great entry point but also a good step on the way to implementing your China and Asia strategy. I am planning to hold a market entry workshop focused on how to utilize online marketing and social media to build brand and grow revenues in China.

I will be presenting alongside 75+ other industry leaders from brands like Qunar.com, Google, Malaysian Airways, IHG, Air Asia X,  Hilton, Expedia, Starwood, Lufthansa, Priceline, Facebook, Air New Zealand, Groupon, Shangri-La, Lufthansa and TripAdvisor to name just a few. You can see the full summit agenda and speaker line-up here: http://events.eyefortravel.com/travel-distribution-summit-asia/agenda.shtml

Hope to see you there and have a great Dragon year.

Roy

Roy Graff is Managing Director of ChinaContact, a boutique market entry and business development service which offers insight, strategy, marketing and distribution in the Chinese market since 2005. Roy has been intimately involved with China's tourism industry since the year 2000 and spent 3 years in China developing the independent travel division of gta before returning to London to launch ChinaContact. He has assisted national and city tourism boards, hotel chains, tour operators and technology companies with their China strategy and execution. Roy speaks fluent business level Mandarin Chinese.

A New Look for eyefortravel.com

After a long wait, I’m very excited to launch the new look www.eyefortravel.com site.   Please let me/the team know your thoughts!

We’ve opted for a more intelligent layout for our news, reports and events that enables you to navigate the site by the topic you are interested in.   Topic areas include:-

•         Mobile and Technology
•          Social Media and Marketing
•          Revenue and Data management
•        Distribution Strategies

You can also use the top right hand search bar to search for keywords related to the topic you are exploring.

There’s a never a dull moment in the travel industry and you never know what’s round the corner.   One thing’s for sure, we’ll be here to provide the latest business intelligence you need to drive forward your business in 2012 and beyond!

Mobile Social Networking Is On the Rise

Ever been bored on your commute to work and checked your favourite social networks on your phone?  If so, you are not the only one.

The prolific rise of smartphones has led to more and more consumers accessing popular social networking sites on the move.  It’s a key trend that’s only set to grow in popularity as access to smartphones and the necessary technology continue to improve.

A recent study by comScore found that in September 2011, more than 60 per cent of those surveyed posted status updates on their mobile devices.

Mobile social networking users also engaged with brands on their mobile devices, as 44.3 per cent reported reading posts from organisations, brands, or events, and a similar percentage (41.6 per cent) reported reading posts from public figures or celebrities.

This represents an interesting key shift in consumer behaviour.  Social media users are more comfortable than ever before in sharing information about their lives, and also expect instantaneous access to information and purchasing no matter where they are in the world.

Travel brands in particular should also be aware the increasing trend to watch video via tablet and mobile platforms.    A report by VideoMind Video Index found that, on average, tablet viewers watched videos nearly 30 per cent longer than when watching on their desktop — and were more than twice as likely to complete an entire video.

Video is known to increase conversions dramatically for travel brands.  It would therefore be very worthwhile for travel brands to consider the importance of video when planning their mobile strategies.

Want to find out more?  We’ll be discussing these key and more at EyeforTravel’s upcoming Social Media & Mobile Strategies for Travel conference, March 5-6, San Francisco.  Click here for more info or feel free to email me – gina@eyefortravel.com .

Nominate your brand for the Mobile Innovation in Travel Awards

Does your brand have an innovative mobile strategy?  We all know that mobile is going to play a vital role in future travel customer communications yet our recent research found that only 38% of travel brands have a basic mobile friendly website.

At EyeforTravel, we believe that those brands who are investing their valuable time and resources to drive forward successful mobile strategies (and pave the path for others to follow) should be rewarded.

 EyeforTravel’s inaugural Mobile Innovation in Travel awards will take place in San Francisco, March 5-6.   The categories are :-

• Best Mobile Travel App
• Best Mobile Website
• Best Mobile Strategy

Make sure you nominate your favorite brand online now (before December 30^th).

Good luck!

By Gina Baillie

Tablets Top Holiday Consumer Wish Lists

When the iPad first launched in January 2010 I have to admit I was a little sceptical about the concept of the tablet.  Why did we need them?

Less than 2 years later and they’re a must-have item.  According to recent research by PriceGrabber posted on Mashable.com, 79% of consumers would rather receive a tablet than a laptop this holiday season.

Amazon, Nokia, Samsung, HP, Dell and more, all have launched their own often more affordable tablets allowing tablets to not just be for the higher income consumer.

There are well over 100,000 apps for the iPad but many brands have been slow to release apps for tablets for a number of reasons -  namely cost and uncertainty of market reach.  Like mobile apps, it’s no longer just a question of designing for one operating system.  With Amazon’s Kindle taking tablet apps for Android mainstream, it would be foolish not to research the pros and cons of designing for other OS also.

But how are travel brands progressing with reaching the tablet user? 

At EyeforTravel’s Online Marketing & Social Media in Travel Summit earlier this autumn in Amsterdam, Adam Goldstein, Co-Founder & CEO, Hipmunk shared his advice on apps.  Hipmunk successfully launched their first iPad app earlier this year.

Adam suggested –

•  Not to do a tablet app by itself – the tablet market will not outgrow mobile
•  If you have a mobile website and a tablet app then not having a mobile app too would be a mistake
• Don’t forget to regularly update your mobile and tablet apps – it may be a reoccurring expense but it’s worth it to continue consumer engagement and usage
•  Consider the marketing of your app – if done correctly having a tablet app can lead to free PR and increased brand awareness

Other points which travel brands should consider is the fact that tablets can handle more rich media than mobile apps.   They are often used in the more ‘fun’ research and planning stages of the consumer travel lifecycle.  This makes them a great platform to inspire and engage customers (I’ve found research on conversion to be too limited to comment at this stage).

What’s also interesting is the opportunity for travel brands to use tablets in other innovative ways.   For example, more and more travel brands are using tablets during the actual travel experience. 

British Airways recently piloted a scheme to give cabin crew iPads to handle passenger management in-flight, allow crew to identify where each customer is sitting, their Executive Club status and any special meal requirements, and also to give them a “greater understanding” of previous travel arrangements.

In the hospitality space, Design Hotels’ Eccleston Square hotel in London was the first hotel to have an iPad in every room.  The iPads are used to control the room temperature, lights and curtain control, in-room dining orders, restaurant booking, spa reservations, housekeeping, as well as information about the hotel and the local area.  

With other hotels and travel brands looking to follow suit, I think we can safely say the tablet is here to stay!

If you’re a travel brand who has had a successful experience of working with tablets then let me know!  Email gina@eyefortravel.com

By Gina Baillie