The authenticity of TripAdvisor reviews is under the spotlight again after new research revealed thousands of suspect postings on the Chinese version of the website.

The study, carried out by Kwikchex, an "online reputation management" company that has been a regular critic of TripAdvisor, uncovered what it called "alarming patterns" on daodao, the site's Chinese domain.

Chris Emmins, Kwikchex co-founder, cited "amazingly prolific" reviewers on the site, including one member who had posted 2633 reviews since 2010.

He highlighted instances where these so-called "super-reviewers" seemed to follow similar patterns of travel, posting reviews about the same businesses in the same parts of the world.

Another reviewer, who had posted 1361 reviews since October 2013, claimed to have stayed in 51 Paris hotels in a single month in 2013 - while also posting reviews on 50 other hotels in several other countries.

TripAdvisor has taken down the suspect reviews since Telegraph Travel drew them to their attention.

James Kay, a TripAdvisor spokesperson, confirmed that they had been "removed from the site pending further investigation".

He said: "We fight fraud aggressively and have sophisticated systems and teams in place to detect fraudsters, whether they be users or business owners, and we have penalties in place to deter them.".

"Detection techniques and deterrents mean the amount of fraud attempted is extremely small," he added, saying that "there was honesty in numbers."

 He also pointed out that the TripAdvisor China business - a "highly dynamic emerging market" - operated on a separate platform from TripAdvisor due to "market and regulatory differences", and that "identifying new fraud patterns is an ongoing effort that we take very seriously".

All of the reviews on daodao, which was launched in 2009 and described by TripAdvisor as "the largest pure travel review site in China", go on to TripAdvisor.com too.

Chris Emmins, meanwhile, conceded that TripAdvisor had invested more in its efforts to fight fraudulent reviews, but said the latest research revealed "hotspots of extremely suspicious activity", including many in Asia.

In the past, KwikChex has exposed a fraudulent review of a non-existent restaurant in Devon, and forced a ban on TripAdvisor claiming all its reviews were real after complaining to the Advertising Standards Authority.

In another instance, it revealed a senior marketing executive from Accor, one of the world's biggest hotel groups, was posting positive TripAdvisor reviews about his company's hotels, and negative reviews on rivals.

By now most hotels have a Facebook page, but many struggle with how much time to dedicate and what results to expect. Is Facebook a channel for sales, marketing or guest service? In ReviewPro's most recent webinar, we tackled these questions and more. Here are the highlights from our discussion.

Is Facebook declining in popularity?

First, are rumors true-are people abandoning Facebook in droves? A study by digital agency iStrategy found that Facebook users declined by 25.3% in the 13-to-17-year-old age category between 2011 and 2014 and by 7.5% among 18-to-24-year-olds. But the study also found that users grew by 32.6% among 24-to-34-year-olds, by 41.4% among 35-to-54-year-olds, and by 80.4% among those 55+.

Does this mean young people are fleeing Facebook as parents rush in? And will parents soon follow? Only time will tell. For now, unless teenagers book the majority of your rooms, with 1.23 billion users worldwide Facebook is more relevant than ever for hotels.

Building your fan base

During the webinar, panelist Alex Houg, vice president of optimization at BlitzMetrics, recommended a three-campaign system on Facebook: build an audience, engage and convert.

When building an audience, it's quality and not quantity that matters, said Emeric Ernoult, CEO and co-founder of AgoraPulse. "The highest quality fans are those who have visited you," he said. "They know your property, and they can provide that valuable 'social proof' travelers are looking for when deciding where to stay."

Ernoult said that the best time to recruit these fans is when they are onsite. But it's not enough to display a sign that says "Like our page". "What's the return for the guest?" he asked. Instead, offer incentives for guests to check in or to become a fan such as free Wi-Fi, a cocktail, an appetizer or an upgrade.

Spain-based Palladium Hotel Group knows all about building a fan base. One of its properties, Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel, has attracted over 318,000 fans and 171,000 check-ins in three years, despite having only 450 rooms and being open only a few months each year. How? Through a three-pronged strategy of commerce, guest satisfaction and loyalty, Guille Rodriguez, Palladium's social media corporate manager, told us.

It helps that on any given day up to 5,000 people come to the hotel's club to see the world's best deejays. "That's thousands of potential ambassadors," said Rodriguez. "We encourage them to tell their friends and make them jealous."

Ushuaïa makes it easy by providing ID bracelets that allow guests and visitors to log on to Facebook at kiosks around the property. They also give them access to free photos and videos of themselves for sharing on social networks.

Engaging your fans

The real power behind Facebook is its sharing features. People are more influenced by friend activity and advice than by marketing messages, so there's an incentive to mobilize your fans to help spread the word. The more they like, comment on and share your content, the greater its reach.

But as with fans, not all content is created equal. Citing a survey BlitzMetrics conducted of 2,121 hotels and 114,634 posts on Facebook, Alex Houg said that pictures of food get shared the most, photos of local scenery get liked the most and promotional posts receive low engagement rates.

The data also indicated that different post actions have different values in Facebook's algorithm. Houg identified the hierarchy from least valuable to most valuable as: likes, comments, shares, check-ins and reviews. "A comment is worth seven times more than a like, and a share is worth 13 more times than a like," he said.

Ernoult stressed that guests are the most likely to engage with you on Facebook. He recommended holding onsite contests such as asking guests to post a selfie or a photo of the view from their room or to vote for the best local bars and restaurants.

Advertising on Facebook

Recent changes to Facebook's algorithm have made it increasingly difficult for brands to get their posts seen by fans. This helps to keep news feeds from being cluttered with brand messages, but it has the dual purpose for Facebook of obliging businesses to pay for advertising if they want a guarantee that their posts will appear.

Facebook offers a variety of paid options to help boost engagement and build your fan base. Options includes features that find your guests on Facebook using emails from your property database and that retarget visitors to your website with Facebook ads.

But is advertising on Facebook worth it? Both Ernoult and Houg recommended experimenting with paid options and keeping a close eye on results to determine ROI. "Post content that resonates with your audience, and amplify it with a dollar or two per day so that people see your messages," said Houg.

Ernoult said that he finds paid features that target friends of fans and "lookalike audiences" - users with profiles similar to your fans-to be most effective. Use Google Analytics' attribution model to understand the role Facebook plays in the customer decision journey, he said.

Asked if Ushuaïa spends money on Facebook advertising, Rodriguez said the company operates on a very lean budget. "We prefer to spend money on technology improvements and innovation rather than advertising," he said.

Facebook as a customer service channel

For hotels, probably the most compelling reason for maintaining an active Facebook presence is its increasing popularity as a customer service channel. More travelers are using Facebook to share feedback and make inquiries directly with hotels. Given its public nature and the ease of sharing, this calls for extra vigilance.

For many hotels, Facebook has become an extension of on-property service, a channel for helping guests to plan their stay, for connecting with them onsite and for keeping in touch post-stay-all of which is truly meaningful engagement.

At Ushuaïa, listening, responding promptly and providing solutions are all part of enhancing guest satisfaction. "We learn from our guests. They are the best teachers," said Rodriguez.

Panelist Tim Towle, co-founder of ReviewPro, demonstrated how ReviewPro's social media dashboard helps hoteliers monitor mentions across social channels, track your Facebook Index Score and compare performance against competitors.

Facebook as a revenue channel

Remember the rush to build Facebook booking widgets a few years ago? Bookings have been so low that some brands have dismantled their widgets.

"Facebook is not a booking channel," Ernoult told us point-blank. "There's no harm in having a booking widget, but it's not likely to help your bookings much."

That isn't to say that hotels can't generate revenue. "We do sell through Facebook," said Rodriguez of Palladium Hotel Group. "I agree that it's not a booking engine, but it can help make people more likely to book."

Palladium generates revenue through special offers and promotions and monitors conversion rates with tracking codes and Google Analytics. They also build loyalty by rewarding fans with exclusive offers. "Make them feel special, and they are more likely to come again," he said.

Facebook as a marketing channel

Probably the greatest impediment to Facebook becoming a sales channel is intent: people go to Facebook to socialize, not to plan trips. That said, the path to purchase is increasingly social, and more consumers are checking out hotel Facebook pages and inquiring with friends before making booking decisions.

And it appears that Facebook is working hard to change this mindset. New features like Graph Search, Nearby Places and Reviews make Facebook more viable as a marketing channel by borrowing elements from Google search, Foursquare business listings and TripAdvisor reviews and layering in the trust and influence of friends. Who knows what's next -a Facebook metasearch engine?

Facebook: a little of everything

So it seems that a well-managed presence Facebook can be a modest hybrid of all three channels: marketing, guest service, even revenue. The key is to stay disciplined, to make guest satisfaction the priority, and to carefully weigh ROI against tried-and-true marketing channels like your website, search engine marketing and review sites.

About the Author

Daniel Edward Craig is a former hotel general manager and the founder of Reknown, a consultancy specializing in social media strategy and online reputation management for hotels and the travel industry. He collaborates with ReviewPro as Industry Advisor, Engagement

I ask this question a lot when I'm working with the hotel industry. I'm always surprised by the answers I receive. Some of my clients respond it's our location.  I then have them walk outside with me, and there's a whole group of hotels all around them. Some of my clients respond by saying it's our product offering and amenities. So I then have them go online and look at the other hotels on their level to discover that they also possess the same level of product offering and amenities, if not better. I won't even go into the pricing one. I'll spare you from going down the entire list of responses as well, but I do want to tell you what I've told others in the industry.

The X- factor insight

Your X-factor is what will ultimately differentiate you from the other 52,000 hotels in the United States, and the X number of national and international hotel brands in the world as well. It's your true competitive advantage to your customers that can't be easily procured, duplicated, or exceeded by your competitors. You see, when all things are equal in the marketplace location, product, brand, ratings, services, price, etc., what is your differentiating factor that separates your business from the pack? How do you stand out and make an impression with your customers that generates memorable experience toward achieving loyalty with your brand?

In a customer experience design perspective, when it comes to developing the X-factor of your business, it's built on cultivating those characteristics of your business that have the ability to enhance the experiential value that your customer receives from your business, that in turn makes you more identifiable, approachable and engaging. It's not so much based on a marketing perspective of what you can offer them in the tangible sense per se, but more so on how you make your guest feel about themselves during their stay at your hotel.

The number guys have weighed in

Now, let's presume that all the behavioral and social economists are right, as well as the entire customer experience profession. They all profess that the industry has become commoditized, i.e. purely seen as a product offering and not as a total experience in the eyes of their customers. I believe this has been happening to the hotel industry, due to the relationship the OTA's have with the industry's customers, and some industry overbuilding, as well as the past couple of recessions affecting supply and demand.

Let's also consider that these experts are in agreement that we are in a customer-based economy that is based more on the total experience of the business, versus one that competes solely on the tangible aspects of the business, i.e. product and pricing, for earning customers’ preference and loyalty.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news

If that's the case, then everything I listed in a tangible sense to do with your business is only equivalent to being 50% or less of the perceived value by your customers. It's the introductory value of the business equation, when it comes to creating a total customer buy-in. The other 50% of the business is then made up of the non-tangible elements and is considered the long term value of the business relationship, i.e. the experiential value, which is usually left undervalued and unmanaged as well as badly underdeveloped in over 90% of the hospitality industry businesses.

The bigger challenge with this paradox is that's where your X-factor qualities reside for competing in a customer driven economy, as well as achieving sustainable customer loyalty and brand relevance. It's the non-tangible elements of your business that enhance the tangible. It's basically where the gap exists between your customers and your business. It's where the physical qualities meet the personal attributes and qualities of the business.

Tangible, versus the non-tangible

The hospitality industry puts too much pressure on the tangible aspects of their business as being the catalyst for creating their financial performance and improving loyalty with their customer segments, but never consider the impact the non-tangible elements can and do have on the overall performance of the business. By not having a good understanding or awareness of your non-tangibles can really impact the consistency and the quality of the tangible elements of the business and the overall ability for the business to achieve a stronger level of customer loyalty for enhancing the long term financial picture of the business.

You can have the greatest location, the nicest and the newest hotel property with strong branding and star ratings positioning, but if you're not equally focused on the non-tangibles of the business and managing the total customer experience of your enterprise, then all those niceties and over the top investments on the tangible side of the business will not yield the level of customer loyalty or sustainable financial performance that you would deem appropriate for the amount of energy, time and financial investment you have committed to in your business.

Cultivating your X-factor qualities

Let me give you a little direction on how to start cultivating your X-factor. First, take a look at position of your business model, specifically the value proposition. Is it really focused on what you think you can be remembered for by your customers? Is it more focused on the tangible and logical side, versus the non-tangible aspects that make up the total customer experience of your business? Does the value proposition have the ability to connect with your customers on an emotional level that makes them feel good about themselves from the experience they have received from your hospitality enterprise in perhaps the same way Apple does with their customers?

Do you have the goods?

Secondly, consider looking at the amount of resources you put into the tangible elements of your business, versus the non-tangibles. Look at the level of importance and significance the non-tangible elements receive versus the tangible. I find 99% of the time, this scale is considerably out of balance. Consider what's important to your customers when it comes to the non-tangible aspects of your business and invest in developing those areas.

Do you have a separate business discipline that's just committed to the customer experience aspect of your business? Do you have a well-established service excellence program that's in alignment with the customer experience business strategies? Do you have a customer experience management system in place? How much time and resources do you invest in developing your people around the customer experience and the service excellence initiatives? Is it somewhere between 250 to 300+ hours a year per employee , like the Ritz-Carlton, Southwest airlines, and Nordstrom's?

Getting to the core

Look at the position of your core guiding principles. With a strong focus around the vision and mission statements position, are they customer focused with the balance between the tangibles and the non-tangibles elements of your business? Look for the qualities in your hospitality culture that seem to align or identify with your hospitality enterprise. It's not something you do, it's something that you are. That's when you get to the core of your X- factor sweet spot that will have you connecting better with your customers, like Disney, Crystal Cruise Lines and Starbucks.

When I see businesses that understand and cultivate there X-factor qualities, they're not solely focused on competing against their competition or designing their operation to do so as well. They are more focused on contributing value to their customer's life. It is more of a focus of creating the business as a brand extension to support their customer's life, versus being overly focused on the competition. They are being hospitality and have moved out of the position of trying to do hospitality. Please keep in mind the stronger your X-factor quality and persona are, the stronger your customer and employee relationships will become. The businesses with a strong X-factor awareness are the ones that are able to maintain their relevance and connectivity in the marketplace during good times and bad.

About the author

Brett Patten is approaching 35 years in the hospitality industry where he has spent those years accumulating invaluable experience in a variety of leadership positions, and business enterprises, to recently completing his education as an executive leadership and engagement coach in the area of customer experience design.

Brett's unique management and business approach consistently transformed hospitality enterprises with sustainable growth results from his days with the prestigious four and five-star hotels like Stouffer's hotels, Pan Pacific Hotels, and Le Meridien hotels, as well as working with prestigious five-star club resort enterprises like Longboat Key and Greenbrier to the launching of a nationally award-winning four-star hospitality brand in 2007. From there, he built a hospitality business strategy platform that he developed and trademarked out of his commitment for achieving customer experience excellence. Brett then turned this business strategy platform into a company called "Five-Star Customer Experience Design." Today, after spending the last 15 years researching, studying and developing customer experience design strategies for the hospitality and tourism industries, he engages with some of the top hotel brands and hospitality groups both nationally and internationally in the industry.

With the emergence of social media, and visual-rich website experiences, visual storytelling has become a necessity for hotels to stand out online today.

Hotels don't necessarily need to produce a sea of content in order to have plenty of fresh, interesting media. This is the 21st century, take advantage of the internet and social media by crowdsourcing content from guests.

What is crowdsourcing?

In case you didn't know, crowdsourcing means accomplishing a task with the help of a crowd of people on the internet. Collectively working together and putting their ideas together online with hundreds or thousands of other people allows for an optimized result. It is basically the outsourcing of a task to a crowd of people to complete cooperatively, and it works particularly well for hotels looking to become visual storytellers. You can use an online community to obtain endless amounts of unique and inspiring guest photos and videos by encouraging guests to tag your hotel in their social media posts, especially on Instagram.

Just take a look at the Freehand Miami, a hostel that truly stands out thanks to their excellent job of curating, publishing, and amplifying guest's photos on their website. Even with a limited budget, properties can successfully crowdsource via any social media channel, especially Instagram, to create exciting and compelling visual stories.

Get started with crowdsourcing

With all that in mind, why shouldn't your property take advantage of this modern and exciting marketing tool? Encouraging guests to share photos and videos on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and review sites is a great way to keep content current and see your property through the eyes of consumers. Often the photos shared by guests online are telling your hotel's story on your behalf or even identifying a story you may not be aware of. Use this to your advantage by curating and amplifying those visual stories.

Before you get started, have a look at some of the essential Do's and Don'ts we've compiled.

Do keep photos fresh and up-to-date by curating crowdsourced images on a regular basis in addition to your professional content
Don't completely let go of your professional photography, travel shoppers want to see your full story through a mix of authentic and professional photos

Do check the social media site's terms of use and consult a lawyer before publishing your guest's photos on your website in order to avoid any risk of copyright liability
Don't publish your guest's photos on your website as your own without doing your research, and without obtaining permission first

Do use crowdsourcing to monitor how customers view your hotel, and what they find interesting enough to share online
Don't ignore the free feedback that those guest photos are providing your hotel, use the feedback to make improvements

Do select the best and most compelling guest photos to host on your website to ensure a consistent story and message
Don't confuse travel shoppers by using absolutely every photo that gets posted about your hotel

Do encourage guests to post the photos on social media using a predetermined hashtag to make finding and selecting photos as easy as possible, and not to mention publicly available
Don't use photos from a guest's personal copyrighted website

Do include as many photos as you need on your website in order to accurately tell your hotel's story
Don't set a limit for yourself and don't withhold images that tell your story

Do curate your guest photos with the intention of appealing directly to your target audiences
Don't send an irrelevant message that won't resonate with your target audience

Do be creative with crafting visually compelling amenities, decorations, breakfasts, etc. in your hotel that lures guests to snap a photo and share it online
Don't leave guests without a reason to take photos of your hotel during their stay

Do involve guests in this engaging and exciting experience by giving them credit and informing them online when you used one of their photos
Don't treat social media as a one way broadcast channel, instead you should treat it as a two-way dialogue

A recent TripAdvisor TripBarometer report re-highlights the importance of online reviews in the purchasing behaviours of online travellers: 93% of travellers worldwide say online reviews have an impact on their booking decisions.

Whilst TripAdvisor is probably the most widely recognised online reviews platform for accommodation, Google is rolling out a valuable tool for hoteliers, giving insight into your guest feedback.

Part of Google Places for Business, the new 'Reviews in Google Places' helps you learn what your customers are saying across the web, in one convenient location.

From here, you can easily respond to reviews left on Google+ and read reviews from other sites such as Booking.com, Agoda, Trivago etc.

Booking.com continues to see strong growth in mobile bookings with the total transaction value of mobile accommodation bookings more than doubling from over $3 billion in 2012 to over $8 billion in 2013. Looking back at the 2011 figure where Booking.com saw $1 billion in mobile bookings, it is clear that mobile accommodation booking continues to grow rapidly year on year.

"Booking.com has more than 425,000 accommodations across 25 different accommodation types, bookable via all devices," says Booking.com CMO, Paul Hennessy. "We're seeing a shift in consumer behaviour from simply booking last minute accommodations on mobile devices to planning, researching, booking and utilizing post booking functionality on our mobile platforms."

The online mobile hotel and accommodation bookings referred to above were made through the Booking.com family of hotel booking apps including native apps for iOS and Android, and through Booking.com's mobile websites.

Stuart Perry from New Zealand is the first General Manager of the newly established Tonga Tourism Authority.

His apppointment started the daily operation of the authority in January 2014, to ensure the delivery of outputs mandated in the Tonga Tourism Authority Act 2012. The Act established the private-sector led authority to drive the marketing of Tonga as a tourism destination, with strong partnership between public and private sectors.

Mr Perry was formerly the CEO of the Regional Tourism Organization for the East Coast of Tasmania. His work included close collaborations with both the private sector and local government in Australia and New Zealand, - both forming Tonga’s primary tourism market.

He has over 30-years experience in general management, tourism management, marketing and brand management in media and publishing.

The Authority is situated at the former Ministry of Tourism office on Vuna Road, Nuku'alofa.

Boss. Leader. Manager.

Kick enough goals, win enough brownie points, and you'll frequently progress up your career ladder to any one of these positions. These are often the terms given to you when you take on the management of not just a task, but a project that involves people, personalities and project goals. Each of these terms are also interchangeable right!?

The distinction between doing these sorts of jobs and leaving an inspiring mark determines your capabilities as not just a boss, but as a leader. As newly appointed head honcho, you've only won half the battle - Engaging a team, inspiring the networks that make your business tick and having the business nous to build the strategy to make it happen (and work!) is how you'll win the war. No small task. 

The following was shared on my LinkedIn network this week, generating significant conversation and support around the key differences between managers and leaders:

This got me thinking about the progress from do-er to leader. Oftentimes, its our capabilities in our craft that gets us progressed to taking on larger projects, and the responsibilities of managing an individual or team of people. Some lack, or are not given the opportunity to learn and develop the skills of leadership; often getting bogged down in the details of the task, and missing the "big picture"implications of their direction and decisions in project and people management. Sometimes this happens through rapid promotion, or more often through "invisible promotion", where the inclusions of a job's responsibilities expand without the official job description changing.

The Peter Principle - When things go Wrong; a study on management and workplace psychology developed by USC's Dr Laurence J Peter in the 60s, went so far as to theorise that in workplace hierarchy (i.e., any/every type of organization): -"every employee tends to rise to his level of incompetence". Essentially, this idea illustrates the difficult trend we continue to see in global business where professionals rise to a point beyond their capability, where they essentially become inept and are unable to do their roles effectively. The result is often a fractured team and under-performing organisation where managers are promoted, and a culture of leadership and accountability is not fostered. Teams feel uninspired, demotivated and like a cog in a machine. This poses not only a major challenge for big business, but also the fast-growing contingent of start-ups working their way up into the mainstream as their ideas and business viability grow from concepts to living, breathing revenue generators and places of work. The next generation of business owners, need to build teams and leaders amongst them that guide and inspire to take their businesses to the heights they dream of.

How can businesses ensure its brightest stars see the big picture, work for the greater good and inspire their teams to greater heights as leaders, rather than just "act like a boss and get the job done"?  I believe recognition of a few key factors are at play in determining an organisation's leadership strategy and capability:

1. Not everybody is designed to be a leader

Remember the old adage that says leaders are born, not made? Great leaders need to have the people skills to connect, empathise and inspire a team, through a combination of both confidence and emotional maturity. Couple with that the business smarts to understand what makes it tick, and the strategy required to build it and take it to the next level, and its clear that the requirements of a leadership role are significant. Strong technical or executional ability will not always make a great leader. Ensure leaders have these emotional, people and business strategy skills to lead teams and business units.

2. Leadership needs to be transformational, not transactionary

In a post-GFC business environment, short term gains and being seen to respond quickly to tasks or challenges at hand is seen as "effective". In reality, effectiveness comes from consideration, reflection and action based on strategy and forward thinking. A leader is one who considers the goal, stops, checks and reflects on the team's capabilities and resources to deliver, and guides on execution based on these insights. Foresight and a long-term strategic approach builds strength for the long term, not just a quick win for right now.

3. Give your brightest stars the tools and capabilities to lead

Invest in your people and reap the rewards. Professional growth should be more than a process of "corporate osmosis" where skills are acquired on the job, and developed on the frontline. Whilst many skills are learned in the day-to-day of a role, good long-term leadership strategies identify the strengths and weaknesses of leaders and offer structured mentorship, training and development to bridge skills gaps and elevate skills/capabilities. A stronger, more skilled team will deliver rapid return on investment.

4. Inspire or expire

Vision is what separates good organisations from great organisations. Leaders with a vision and goal for their team or organisation already have the seeds to grow an engaged and positive workforce, united in its goal to succeed. Passive or neglectful management will do just the opposite.

As hotels start to assemble social marketing teams, it is important to understand how to integrate  social media in hotels. Being clear about how you see it being used, will only help your customers understand how to use it.

The bad news: Social media in hotels is not a primary tool. It can not on its own - at this time - lead the charge in driving your desired results. For example, you can not walk into any meeting and say "Don't worry about our[sales goals, front desk service, food taste], our Facebook strategies will/can take care of this."

The good news: Social media may be the only tool that can effect multiple points within your hotel. While it can not be a primary driver, it can be a secondary or tertiary driver of results for multiple areas. For my golfers out there, it is a 'utility club' ... I can rely on it to contribute in various ways.

With that being said, here are 3 key ways that you should execute social media in hotels:

Create unique, photo-worthy experiences If you are a destination, we get it, you don't have to do much. Your location and surroundings provide you this awesome resource. But if you are a hotel without the best setting, create experiences within your property that have 'wow' value. For example, this could be a food/beverage item, a human sized chessboard on the patio, or an item that changes with the season (ex. Cupid's Arrow, hanging from the lobby during Valentine's Day). This will take your guest's expectations and experience to a new level.

Extend your concierge and front desk services with Twitter The landline disappeared because of it's cord. Now that we are used to ‘tapping away' on our phones, some of us have forgotten that our cell phones can actually be used to talk to people. Mobile users often find it more convenient to text, tweet, or email someone rather than call them. With this in mind, educate your guests that you can be contacted for ‘concierge' or 'customer service' purposes by Twitter. Make sure to give them your Twitter handle, and any expectations (ex. your Twitter hours (8am - 11pm).

Socialize the guestroom Just because your guestrooms look similar, doesn't mean that your guests experience has to be. Implement different 'social cues' in your hotel that provoke your guest to 'socialize'. For example, the Sol Wave House placed stickers on their room fridges with #FillMyFridge, where the hotel would bring you any desired food/beverage item (hello, social revenue). Brainstorming such creative interactions will help drive traffic to your favorite social channels.

Embedding these social strategies into the hotel will take commitment and planning. Educating your guests through signage or staff is important. Ensuring that you have the proper operational logistics in place to ‘socialize' with your guests is also paramount. Take each project one at a time and consider rolling out in installments. For example, implement your customer service via Twitter during specific hours. Or roll out your in-room project to only your Rewards members. This will help you ramp up your efforts.

The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has published new research that highlights how the expectations of 21st century travellers are evolving - and the standards expected of global hotel brands are high.

The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has published new research that highlights how the expectations of 21st century travellers are evolving - and the standards expected of global hotel brands are high.

In the past, the hospitality industry has traditionally focused on how to be 2D - global and local. This research shows that given the rapid rise of technology-enabled personalisation travellers now want hotel brands that are 3D - global, local and personal.

Last year, IHG published: 'The New Kinship Economy', highlighting a transition from brand experiences to brand relationships in the hospitality sector. This year's, 'Creating ‘Moments of Trust': The key to building successful brand relationships in the Kinship Economy', builds on this work to help IHG gain a deeper understanding of what it is that travellers around the world are likely to want from their relationships with hotel brands.

It shows that travellers are reshaping their expectations of global hotel brands and are now looking for hotels to not only deliver consistently good service and to reflect local trends and customs, but to also tailor their stays to meet their personal preferences.

According to the research, travellers' expectations of tailored experiences at every touch point are increasing - nearly three in five (59%) travellers say their hotel stay is significantly more comfortable if services are personalised and more than half (54%) admit it makes them feel more valued.

Factors such as age and geography mean travellers view personalisation differently:

Millennials (people age 18-34) are particularly interested in access to personal content, such as movies or music while travellers over 65 are most interested in healthy food and beverage choices.

Three in four of these millennial travellers believe that global hotel brands do a better job at being innovative in comparison to local hotel brands.

"New Global Explorers" (travellers originating from emerging economies) have higher expectations for personalisation than travellers from developed markets. For example, 64% of Chinese and 62% of Brazilian travellers expect a hotel to tailor the experience they have to their personal needs, compared to 43% of US and 42% of UK travellers.

These "New Global Explorers" also prize personalisation more highly than developed market counterparts, seeing it as a sign of respect. 62% of Chinese, 54% of Brazilians, and 46% of travellers from the UAE feel more respected if their experience is personalised.

Richard Solomons, IHG Chief Executive said, "This report shows us that today's traveller trust global brands to deliver on a promise of quality and consistency. They also increasingly expect these same brands to deliver localised and personalised experiences, whether they are travelling for business or leisure - to experience truly 3D brands. That is why IHG has developed our HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts and EVEN Hotels brands and why we are focused on supporting technology-enabled personalisation across our whole brand family."

According to the research, preferences for what is personalised also vary:

Americans are most likely to value choosing their exact check in and check out time

Britons are most likely to appreciate surprises with a personal touch

Russians are most likely to look for travel guides in their own language

Travellers from China most want interactive apps to find special things in the local area.

Whether in New York or New Delhi, people are increasingly looking for reliable, familiar services every time. For many travellers only global hotel brands can provide this reassurance, with nearly three in four (71%) saying global hotel brands are more likely to be consistent and more than half saying they like knowing what to expect (60%).

However, despite placing a high importance on consistency, travellers don't want cookie cutter experiences. Travellers from emerging markets (Brazil 68%, UAE 60%, and China 58%) purposely choose global hotel brands because they feel they are considerate to local tastes, customs and cultures. For these travellers, the more a brand demonstrates its respect for the local culture, the more trusted that brand is likely to be. 

Karin Sheppard, Chief Commercial Officer AMEA at IHG says: "People now expect products and services in all aspects of their lives to be completely personalised and the travel industry is no exception. This research shows that travellers are increasingly demanding more from their hotel experience - they want authentic and exciting experiences as well as the comforts of home, wherever in the world they are. With this new paradox of desires for both innovation and consistency, IHG continues its focus on delivering a higher degree of localisation and personalisation across our portfolio of trusted global brands."

In the past, the hospitality industry has traditionally focused on how to be 2D - global and local. This research shows that given the rapid rise of technology-enabled personalisation travellers now want hotel brands that are 3D - global, local and personal.

Last year, IHG published: 'The New Kinship Economy', highlighting a transition from brand experiences to brand relationships in the hospitality sector. This year's, 'Creating ‘Moments of Trust': The key to building successful brand relationships in the Kinship Economy', builds on this work to help IHG gain a deeper understanding of what it is that travellers around the world are likely to want from their relationships with hotel brands.

It shows that travellers are reshaping their expectations of global hotel brands and are now looking for hotels to not only deliver consistently good service and to reflect local trends and customs, but to also tailor their stays to meet their personal preferences.

According to the research, travellers' expectations of tailored experiences at every touch point are increasing - nearly three in five (59%) travellers say their hotel stay is significantly more comfortable if services are personalised and more than half (54%) admit it makes them feel more valued.

Factors such as age and geography mean travellers view personalisation differently:

Millennials (people age 18-34) are particularly interested in access to personal content, such as movies or music while travellers over 65 are most interested in healthy food and beverage choices.

Three in four of these millennial travellers believe that global hotel brands do a better job at being innovative in comparison to local hotel brands.

"New Global Explorers" (travellers originating from emerging economies) have higher expectations for personalisation than travellers from developed markets. For example, 64% of Chinese and 62% of Brazilian travellers expect a hotel to tailor the experience they have to their personal needs, compared to 43% of US and 42% of UK travellers.

These "New Global Explorers" also prize personalisation more highly than developed market counterparts, seeing it as a sign of respect. 62% of Chinese, 54% of Brazilians, and 46% of travellers from the UAE feel more respected if their experience is personalised.

Richard Solomons, IHG Chief Executive said, "This report shows us that today's traveller trust global brands to deliver on a promise of quality and consistency. They also increasingly expect these same brands to deliver localised and personalised experiences, whether they are travelling for business or leisure - to experience truly 3D brands. That is why IHG has developed our HUALUXE Hotels & Resorts and EVEN Hotels brands and why we are focused on supporting technology-enabled personalisation across our whole brand family."

According to the research, preferences for what is personalised also vary:

Americans are most likely to value choosing their exact check in and check out time

Britons are most likely to appreciate surprises with a personal touch

Russians are most likely to look for travel guides in their own language

Travellers from China most want interactive apps to find special things in the local area.

Whether in New York or New Delhi, people are increasingly looking for reliable, familiar services every time. For many travellers only global hotel brands can provide this reassurance, with nearly three in four (71%) saying global hotel brands are more likely to be consistent and more than half saying they like knowing what to expect (60%).

However, despite placing a high importance on consistency, travellers don't want cookie cutter experiences. Travellers from emerging markets (Brazil 68%, UAE 60%, and China 58%) purposely choose global hotel brands because they feel they are considerate to local tastes, customs and cultures. For these travellers, the more a brand demonstrates its respect for the local culture, the more trusted that brand is likely to be. 

Karin Sheppard, Chief Commercial Officer AMEA at IHG says: "People now expect products and services in all aspects of their lives to be completely personalised and the travel industry is no exception. This research shows that travellers are increasingly demanding more from their hotel experience - they want authentic and exciting experiences as well as the comforts of home, wherever in the world they are. With this new paradox of desires for both innovation and consistency, IHG continues its focus on delivering a higher degree of localisation and personalisation across our portfolio of trusted global brands."

The state’s leading industry associations and Hoteliers have had a mixed reaction to the proposed NSW liquor law changes.

The Australian Hotels Association NSW said it would be examining the details of the policies over coming days and discussing the implications with its members.

“The organisation wholeheartedly welcomes tougher sentencing for thugs and official recognition of the role drugs play in night-time violence,” the association said.

“However, we remain sceptical about the effectiveness of lockouts across the Sydney CBD area and ‘last drinks’ at 3:00am – the time of the taxi changeover.

“We do not believe tens of thousands of people will stay in licensed premises past 3:00am once alcohol is no longer served but will instead be out on the streets looking for a way home – the Government will need to address this new issue.

“The lockouts and closures in the Sydney CBD will also have an undeniable impact on the night-time economy – penalising businesses that are well run and have had nothing to do with the recent violence,” the AHA said.

Merivale CEO Justin Hemmes (pictured) owner of over a dozen leading venues and the Establishment boutique hotel, said he “strongly welcomes and commends the Premier for these tough measures to combat drug and alcohol-fuelled violence”.

“Without doubt, these measures will create a safer environment for all,” he told HM’s sister website TheShout.

The Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF) also welcomed the reforms, saying they will help Sydney “maintain its reputation as a safe and welcoming destination while preserving its vibrancy as a global city”.

TTF Chief Executive Ken Morrison said the reforms take into account the needs of the tourism industry.

“The reforms announced today by Premier Barry O’Farrell seek to balance improving safety with ensuring that Sydney remains an attractive destination for visitors from around the world,” Morrison said.

“Sydney has an international reputation as a friendly, safe and welcoming city and these measures will ensure the city retains that positive image at the same time as ensuring that visitors’ needs can still be catered for.

“As a global city, it’s vital that Sydney has a vibrant night-time economy which offers visitors a range of entertainment and dining options.

“The decision to exempt restaurants, tourist accommodation providers and small bars from the reforms means that Sydney can continue to meet the expectations of domestic and international visitors.

“The proposed reforms also recognise The Star’s position as one of Sydney’s major tourism destinations and a venue that is already heavily regulated.

“The tourism industry is a key generator of jobs and economic activity in central Sydney and these reforms will ensure that contribution can continue.

“We also welcome the news that additional free bus services will be provided for patrons of venues in Kings Cross, linking them to Night Rider services from the CBD.

“Ensuring people have a way to get home is critical to a successful night-time economy and more frequent buses will provide more options and help clear the precinct more quickly.”

This from HOTEL MANAGEMENT MAGAZINE

Video is taking content marketing by storm, but you'll have to do more than just make one to realise its full potential.

Video is everywhere. Small businesses who ignore it 'do so at their peril'. Photograph: Robert Gray/Getty Images

If it were five years in the future, would you be reading this article or would you be watching it? As online video continues its inimitable rise, it's an interesting question to ponder.

By 2017, video will account for 69% of all consumer internet traffic, according to Cisco. Video-on-demand traffic alone will have almost trebled. Leafing through a swathe of statistics on the subject, I'm hard pressed to find any indicator that doesn't suggest rapid growth.

With online video quickly becoming a key means for people to satisfy their information and entertainment needs, small businesses that fail to include it in their internet marketing strategies will do so at their peril.

Video is the future of content marketing. That is, if it's not the here and now. Various studies show more than half of companies are already making use of the medium – a figure that's predicted to rise as more and more realise the possibilities. Nielsen claims 64% of marketers expect video to dominate their strategies in the near future. It's not difficult to see why.

When it comes to potential reach, video is peerless. YouTube receives more than one billion unique visitors every month – that's more than any other channel, apart from Facebook. One in three Britons view at least one online video a week – that's a weekly audience of more than 20 million people in the UK alone. Video can give you access to all this. Video done well can give you a slice of it. What other form of content can do the same?

The success stories of videos that have gone viral are legend. A recent campaign from Volkswagen, for example, saw a trio of its videos viewed a combined 155 million times. If such numbers seem out of reach for companies without 12-figure revenue streams, they at least demonstrate video's inherent shareability. Engage viewers and they will share the video with others. They will spend longer on your website and more time interacting with your brand. For any social media campaign, any SEO exercise, video is without doubt one of the best tools in the kit.

It is naturally engaging and, in an age of information overload, it's vital for small businesses to offer content that is easy to digest; if not, consumers will simply move on. Video does this very well. If a picture paints 1,000 words then one minute of video is worth 1.8 million, so say Forrester's researchers. Little wonder then that Axonn Research found seven in 10 people view brands in a more positive light after watching interesting video content from them.

But is video really possible for small businesses? Absolutely. Production costs have fallen significantly in recent years and you no longer need to be a technical whiz to work out how to use it. Apps such as Twitter's Vine, with its six-second maximum clip length, have dramatically increased the opportunity for businesses on a limited budget to get stuck in. Nevertheless, if you're to realise a decent return on your investment, you will need to bear the following in mind.

Always consider the audience you are trying to reach and ensure the video is relevant to them. If it's not the most appropriate means of getting your message across, you are probably wasting your time.

Do not neglect social media and be sure to promote across multiple channels. If you want to fully realise video's potential, you must make it easy for users to find and share it. Don't neglect mobile either. Ooyala has claimed a tenth of all video plays happen on mobiles and tablets, and it's an increasingly important segment, with mobile phones holding 41% more share of video consumption at the end of June 2013 than at the start of that year.

Finally, be creative, not only with the videos themselves but in the campaign strategy you build around them. As my head of marketing likes to say, creativity wins over the cost of production every time. Get that bit right and video won't just be the future of content marketing, it'll be the future of content marketing for you.

Chris Trimble is director of content at content marketing agency Axonn Media

A local resort has successfully set up a solar system – letting the owners achieve their dream of getting off the national power grid.

Muri Beach Resort owners Paul and Jane Pearson have always believed in alternative methods and thought Rarotonga the perfect place for solar energy because of its long sunshine hours.

When the couple first thought about getting off the grid the technology was not available, but since then advancements have been made to make their dream viable.

Paul Pearson says they have watched the water quality of Muri Lagoon change over the years and wanted to make sure they were taking the environmentally friendly approach. On top of their latest switch to solar, they use aerated septic systems and reduce and recycle waste.

“The only way this island can move into the future is to go green. People are looking at clean, renewable places to stay in.”

His wife agrees. “Tourists put that on their checklists when deciding where to stay. Going green could be a huge feature for the island.”

Esben Torget started design work on the resort’s solar system a year ago. The Norwegian – who has an electrical engineering background – lived in the Cooks a number of years ago where he met his local wife. They have lived in Norway for the past 10 years where Torget has been designing yachts.

On their return to the Cooks last year, Torget set up Sunshine Solar Solutions, a solar design and installation business. He has set up a number of smaller solar systems around the island but this is the largest one to date. With his engineering background as a base, he trained in solar systems with SMA Solar Technology – which is the system he uses and deems the “world leader”.

The installation was done by Torget, Pearson and resort maintenance staff, with help from John Koteka and his team at Koteka Electrical.

One room at the resort is used to house 96 large batteries which weigh 250 kg each. They store excess energy not used throughout the day, which is converted from DC in useable AC current by solar invertors.

The resort has a generator which kicks in automatically when needed as back-up. They might use it for one hour during the night if there has not been much sun that day.

Torget says the only limitation on the system is roof space. There are 406 panels at 250 watts each, which cover 700 square metres of roof space. Muri Beach Resort also built another structure out the back of the hotel to hold extra panels.

They cover each unit roof in the 20-room resort surprisingly subtly, giving off an obsidian gleam – and in Torget’s opinion, make for a more pleasing aesthetic than the previous roofing.

He said if the system is installed correctly then maintenance is easy– there is none. The panels are cleaned by the rain and dried by the sun. They do need to be placed on roofs that can handle the load in a cyclone, but most houses can.

Trees must be kept trimmed so branches do not shadow the panels – but Torget uses a handy technical web-based tool provided by SMA which monitors exactly which panel is being shadowed and a team can be sent to trim the branch. This free tool allows Torget and resort owners to log in from anywhere in the world to check what is happening with the grid and make sure everything is performing as it should.

Graphs show energy produced and used, battery fullness and power levels the invertors are producing. Other graphs show what happened to the battery banks overnight, what the sun is doing and what the grid levels are.

This real-time monitoring of the system allows the resort to plan daily energy activities. They do all their washing, and run septic and pool pumps when the battery levels are at their highest. The resort uses 40 kilowatts per hour, on average, and uses most of its energy on hot days when guests run air conditioning in their rooms.

The project was not cheap – costing the resort somewhere between $600,000 and $650,000 – but it is an investment deemed extremely worthwhile by the Pearsons.

Before putting in the system, the resort’s power costs per month were around $6000 to $10,000 per month. Now they are totally off the national grid – and didn’t even know about the recent island-wide power cuts until someone told them later.

This project looks impressive and the statistics show it is. It is the fifth largest off-grid system in the Pacific Ocean, and three times bigger than the government solar project in Rakahanga.

The government has a much publicised renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2015 and 100 per cent by 2020. It has recently secured a funding injection from New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates after the Pacific Energy Summit in Auckland. But there has been recent public doubt the ambitious objectives will be achieved on time.

Torget and Pearson think storage is the biggest problem Rarotonga faces in the quest to becoming fully solar powered. There is not enough space to store the batteries needed – so they think storing the energy in water, using hydro dams in the mountains, is the way to go.

Muri Beach Resort does not feed back into the national grid, despite approaching Te Aponga Uira to ask them if they could. They have had some discussions with the energy company but at this stage TAU does not have the technical capacity to deal with excess energy coming in and then stopping suddenly. The resort could be potentially feeding in 100 kw/h when it is sunny and its batteries are full, but would stop feeding in energy once it got dark.

Once TAU has made adjustments to their system the parties will discuss again – the resort is keen to help out as they produce more energy than they can use and there is only so much energy the batteries can store.

The Pearsons are pleased with how the system has turned out and encourage more people to follow suit.

“There’s a mentality that it’s for people that have money because of the upfront investment. But they don’t think about how it pays itself back.”

Torget agrees. “Solar is definitely the way to go. The payback time is about five years for houses and just a bit longer for resorts.

“Muri Beach Resort wanted to go green. Tourists appreciate the eco side of things, and it’s cool to think all the energy used is from the sun. Any resort on the island could do it.”

Calida Smylie

If the UN’s World Meteorological Organisation is correct, Adelaide will be the hottest city in the world today with temperatures expected to reach 46C – hotter than the same time frame in Rio de Janeiro (40C) and Bangkok (32C).

Victoria, which has already experienced extreme temperatures this week, is on course to peak above 40C for four consecutive days, for the first time in 100 years, with temps expected to soar to 44C today, while Canberra will swelter through a predicted 40C.

The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that Hobart will experience extreme fire conditions on Friday when the mercury is expected to hit 38C.

With another 6 weeks until the official end of summer in Australia, meteorologists are tipping many more heatwaves across the country before the season is over.

In the past year, a lot has been said and happened in regards to Millennials and the hospitality industry.

For example, there was exciting news from Marriott and Commune Hotels with the announcement of new brands geared towards Millennials, Moxy and Tommie, respectively. But due to the intense interest in the next generation of travel, a lot of noise has been added to the conversation as well, with the same repetitive points being made.

Millennials are technologically savvy. Obviously. They are social and want a lobby design to reflect that where they can interact with others, but also practice isolated togetherness. Got it. Be on social media and connect with them instead of just pushing promotions. Yes, is this 2009? These are all things that should have been realized and acted upon by now. I summarized all these and the other top ten travel trends for Millennials a year ago.

The one thing that has not changed is the huge spending potential from this age group and the need for the industry to capture their business and fit their lifestyle.

These sweeping generalizations about millennials are not enough anymore. To truly gain their loyalty and thus, the money in their pockets, hoteliers and others in the travel industry must segment the millennial generation even further: millennial business travelers versus millennial leisure travelers. This article will go through the top two trends and opportunities in each of these segments and give one millennial's (read: my) viewpoint on each of these trends.

MILLENNIAL BUSINESS TRAVELERS

1. Millennials spend more per business trip than non-millennials.

OPPORTUNITY: Companies should be offering more amenities to generate additional revenue that millennials are willing to spend money on.

Due to their younger age group and point of their career they are in, it would be expected that millennials account for a lower number of business trips annually. However, there seems to be a geographical divide.

BCG reports that millennials currently account for approximately one-third of US business travelers, but is expected to increase to 50 percent by 2020, while Baby Boomers will drop to 11 percent. This strong demand from millennials is forecasted for the next fifteen years. Only 28 percent of American millennials report taking four or more business trip annually compared to 45 percent of non-millennials. It was also reported that Millennials take more trips related to training, recruiting, and conferences than client site visits or client relations; again, due to the stage of their career millennials are currently in.

On the other hand, according to a global study conducted by Expedia and Egencia, millennials worldwide (considered 30 and under) travel 4.7 times annually for business versus 3.6 times for 31-45 year-olds, and 4.2 times for 46-65 year-olds. No matter the debate over the number of trips millennial business travelers are taking, it is clear the huge potential of business this generation currently and will continue to represent in the future.

Another large potential of millennial business travelers is that they spend more per trip compared to non-millennials due to more last-minute booking, refundable tickets, and itinerary changes. Millennials are 60 percent more likely to upgrade their seat to another with more leg room and spend more on in-flight entertainment, which results in Millennials paying 13 percent more for airfare than non-Millennials.

Not only do they use more amenities on board, but they also use more amenities at the airport. This is in line with the finding that millennials are freer with company money than their own. 42 percent of millennials will spend company money on high-end meals compared to 26 percent of non-millennials. Millennials are also more likely to order room service , four times more likely to pay for wifi onboard, and two times more likely to download and watch in flight entertainment.

This all means more spending and more opportunities for the travel industry to earn revenue by offering amenities millennials are willing to pay for. This significant amount of spending highlights the largest potential in millennials: gaining their loyalty as business travelers. Not only does this capture the business demand that will only grow, but also will also carry their loyalty over to when they travel for leisure.

Millennial Viewpoint:

The finding from Expedia that millennials are freer with company money is not surprising. I have eaten steak on business trips simply because I cannot afford it in New York City. I live in one of the most expensive cities in the world and pay an exorbitant amount of rent on a typical post grad salary. One steak dinner on my own dime would blow my monthly food budget out of the water. On my first training assignment, my training manager explained it to me this way, "We are inconvenienced by travel, and thus we can expense overpriced food at the airport if we are hungry." That has been my viewpoint ever since.

Don't get me wrong, my company has limits and I never order anything unreasonable, but I do believe it is in my right to budget my daily allowance as it pleases me. If I hardly eat breakfast and get fast food for lunch because I am rushing between meetings and site visits, I feel that I am entitled to a pricier steak dinner if it is within my daily allowance. Or as a female traveler, I sometimes go to a grocery store and stock my hotel mini fridge with yogurt and fruit for breakfast because I want to be healthy and this is honestly the most economical situation as well. I think that is absolutely fair. We millennials don't mind playing an antiquated game, but we will play them using our rules.

2. Millennials are not loyal to travel brands...yet.

OPPORTUNITY: Companies have a large potential at capturing and maintaining this loyalty as millennials enter their prime spending years and become the majority of business travelers.

As millennial business travelers are just becoming road warriors, their loyalty is up for grabs. Millennials are less loyal towards travel brands than non-millennials and more willing to switch to another airline or hotel brand if they believe that loyalty program has a better product or global alliance network or is willing to match their elite status. (Millennials are generally three times more brand loyal in other industries and are willing to take action on social media on behalf of brands.)

It is important to note that millennials want different benefits out of loyalty programs than non-millennials, which should indicate to airlines and the hospitality industry they need to use different tactics and strategies to gain their loyalty. For example, millennials report more dissatisfaction with airline mile programs, particularly with how fast miles expire since they do fewer trips. Additionally, millennials are more likely to use miles and points for free or discounted travel rather than upgrades as cashing in a large number of reward points at once is more prevalent among millennials. And due to their stage in life and spending, millennials are currently less likely to use a specific brand's credit card, which is another big opportunity to capture their loyalty.

As millennials are testing out the different brands, they are slowly figuring out what they prefer and what brands fit their travel lifestyles. Companies should be communicating and marketing to millennials already using targeted campaigns and social media. Not only should brands offer a product millennials want, but their loyalty program and distribution systems should match their lifestyles and way of booking as well. The next several years are crucial as companies with more foresight and planning in their marketing departments capture the loyalty of millennials. Once they start accruing status and a large number of points on one program, they are less likely to switch to another unless their status is matched.

Millennial Viewpoint:

I have to confess that I am a miles and points junkie. I travel a lot for work, but due to the obscure locations I often fly to, I cannot choose just one airline to be loyal to as many do not fly to the smaller regional airports I am trying to reach. And as I get reimbursed for all expenses, I earn all the points and miles on my credit cards. Thus, I have become quite fluent in the world of credit card sign-on offers and capturing the large bonuses they use to entice you to apply for their cards. But I have to admit, I am currently not brand loyal. I do have an airline alliance that I prefer to earn miles on, but this was only after I finally earned status with them and I wanted to maintain and get to the next level.

Similarly to many other millennials, I report that I prefer Southwest and JetBlue for their superior product. And by superior product, I simply mean free snacks and in-flight entertainment. It truly is that simple. (Sometimes I like to fly Delta for the complimentary Biscoff biscuits and although many airlines serve Coca-Cola products, only Delta serves Fresca.) However, as was reported by BCG, millennials respond that they prefer Southwest and JetBlue much more often than they actually fly these two airlines. I believe that some of this is due to the limited routes these two airlines offer compared to the other major airlines. On the other hand, I often forget to check Southwest's own website as their flights do not show up in any OTA aggregators when I do my research. Another major pet peeve of mine regarding the Southwest website is their search function. The most common route I book with them is New York City to the San Francisco Bay Area. Southwest operates at Newark and LaGuardia for NYC and out of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland for the Bay Area. That means I have to perform individual searches for each possible combination as they do not have an "All New York City Airports" or "All San Francisco Bay Area Airports" option. This is extremely frustrating when my dates are flexible as well.

MILLENNIAL LEISURE TRAVELER

1. Millennial leisure travelers with lower incomes take fewer, but longer vacations and are opportunistic about travel packages and deals.

OPPORTUNITY: Create bundles and vacation packages that appeal to the millennial lifestyle to entice them to book longer vacations.

Millennial leisure travelers are largely based on income level and the stage of life they are in. The major indicators are: relationship status, financial spending, children, and the number of vacation days they have. Not surprisingly, leisure travel increases with income level. Currently, approximately half of millennials report taking four or more overnight trips a year compared to 75 percent of non-millennials.

However, high-income millennials travel as much as non-millennials. It is also interesting to point out that to save money, millennials will book fewer, but longer trips as airfare is often the largest cost of their trip. They will book further in advance to save money and seek out more vacation packages. Millennials will often view booking as a game and respond to low prices and interesting packages. This creates opportunities for travel deals, combination packages, and rewards.

Millennial Viewpoint:

While I won't blink twice at booking a last minute $700 ticket to Texas for a business trip, I constantly search and use tools like Airfare Watchdog to check if prices go up or down for my own leisure trips. I book far in advance, particularly if they are international flights. This is just an example of how important good revenue management is for airlines and hotels.

2. Millennials travel more socially and in groups for personal interests and activities.

OPPORTUNITY: Create tools and booking systems that fit the millennial itinerary and booking preferences.

Although millennials still travel for leisure less than non-millennials, the opportunity is presented in how and why millennials travel now and will continue to do so. Millennials are more likely to travel socially with friends or family. This is in line with the trend that millennials are a social generation. There is an opportunity for group travel and building itineraries.

Millennials currently think booking travel is very tiresome, so there is another opportunity to use technology or booking tools that they find less cumbersome and fit with their lifestyle. For example, there could be apps to book group travel that reserves plane tickets and other travel plans for 48 hours and having the ability for individuals to log on to a group itinerary and pay for their portion of the trip. This would be helpful in building a group itinerary and payment as many younger millennials would not have the financial ability to cover a flight or hotel reservation for four people, but are able to pay for their own portion.

Why millennials travel is also important to consider. The most popular answer is that they travel to visit friends and family, which is not unique to their generation. However, millennials more than any other generation, travel for personal interests such as food and wine, entertainment, outdoor activities, or shopping. All of these interests are social activities, which again brings back the point that millennials travel more socially than other generation and points to similar opportunities surrounding group travel.

Millennial Viewpoint:

On the most extreme side of this example, I recently took a trip with a fellow millennial who also works in consulting. Between the two of us Excel geeks, our expenses were entered on a shared Google Doc and split with fancy formulas and other nerdy functions where at the end, there were two boxes showing exactly how much each person owed the other. Because we were both fluent in Excel, this was almost a twisted sort of fun for us, but there is demand for better travel tools and technology for group travel.

What are the next steps?The constant theme in millennial loyalty is the lack thereof. Loyalty programs currently are not designed for millennials and they need to start targeting them to capture that loyalty early on. First, companies should start communicating and marketing to millennials now. Many of these campaigns can be quick and low-cost and should be acted upon immediately.

Secondly, companies need to ensure their loyalty programs are what millennials are looking for. Millennials are a generation that grew up with video and computer games. There is no reasoning to Angry Birds or Candy Crush. We are used to games where we simply want to get to the next level, so companies should make their loyalty programs more game-like and fun to encourage millennials to reach the next status level or earn more points.

There are also many more variations in loyalty programs now. Gone are the days where Marriott Rewards and Hilton Honors are the only players in the hotel loyalty game. Starwood's SPG program has improved vastly in the past several years and their points are much more valuable now. There are also reward programs for independent hotels such as Stash Hotel Rewards. And most recently, even Expedia has their own reward program that incentivizes people to double-dip rewards and book using Expedia. Cross-promotion within the industry is also possible as this was seen when airlines and hotel chains created partnerships to double-dip rewards and status matches such as Delta and Starwood Hotels.

Thirdly, travel distribution and booking strategies must match millennial lifestyles. It is no secret that millennials use mobile and tablets to reserve travel plans. Companies should make it as easy to book through as many different channels as possible. Millennials are more comfortable with their private information being saved to ease repeat bookings than older generations. Other examples of companies using technology to change the travel process include how mobile check-in went global at Marriott hotels this year or how Lowes Hotels even started allowing guests to start booking room reservations via Twitter recently. Companies must be able to keep up with millennials' technology demands and lifestyle.

Fourth, millennials should definitely be segmented between business and leisure travelers, but this can be segmented even further with target marketing, micromarketing, and social media. There is so much data available that general campaigns are not acceptable anymore.

Lastly, no matter how good the marketing and loyalty programs are, the product is still the most important and must be what millennials desire and prefer. Free wifi and social lobbies are just a start. These may be longer term and more capital intensive, but research and focus groups should be used to continually improve and change products that do not fit the millennial lifestyle because above all, millennials are flexible and fluid.

ConclusionTo tie together millennial travelers, it is important to remember that one person, such as myself, can be both a millennial business and leisure traveler. Our preferences and practices change as we switch roles between the two. But eventually, all millennials will age, progress in their careers, and move to higher income levels and have more disposable income. Loyalty built with current millennial business travelers will carry over to leisure travelers eventually.

This leaves many opportunities for cross-promotion rewards. But even as we age, the generational trends such as our tech-savvy, group and social travel preferences, and desire for in flight and airport amenities will stay the same. To put it simply, we will always want free wifi and we will always expect it to be free. I promise you, that will never change.

For the hotel and lodging industry, loyalty takes a backseat to price, according to Accenture Hospitality’s Global Consumer Pulse Research. The survey queried 12,867 customers in 32 different countries about the hotel and lodging industry.

The research found that 41 percent of customers find offers and deals as a top differentiator when choosing a hotel. These customers show the highest inclination to shop for better deals (45 percent) alongside retailing.

“There really seems to be a stagnation in the industry about the loyalty that customers feel to particular brands,” said Umar Riaz, the North American lead for Accenture’s Hospitality practice about these findings. “Even as customers think that companies in this industry offer differentiated products and services they still feel low levels of loyalty.”

Customer loyalty has dissipated with the rise of digital channels, which has made it really easy for customers to shop around for deals, noted Riaz.

Seventy-nine percent of customers made their hotel and travel bookings online, representing a 7 percent increase compared to last year. Forty-one percent of consumers use their mobile device frequently for online product searches and 33 percent use a device to make online purchases.

“Clearly customers are migrating more and more to digital or mobile channels in order to buy products and services in this industry,” said Riaz, adding that online travel agencies have made it easy and transparent to shop for deals.

“Even though customers think that a particular product might be really good, they still feel there’s a better deal out there. I think that’s been the fundamental dynamic that is changing the industry.”

Riaz said that looking across all industries, the survey found that hotel and lodging customers have the highest satisfaction levels  (36 percent). “So clearly a lot of the product investments that the hotel and lodging companies have made in the last 10 years or so in terms of upgrading their hotels are paying off,” he said.

Seventy-five percent of hotel customers have conducted business with two or more providers over the last three years, and only 14 percent stayed loyal to one company. Approximately three out of four hotel customers say that they consider doing business with other comp anise more often than they had in the past.

“The product is strong and yet the loyalty is low and that is the biggest challenge that a lot of companies in this industry have right now: how to increase the loyalty levels,” said Riaz.

By Feature Writer Arielle Sanchez

Online Travel Agencies or OTAs such as Expedia, Priceline, and Hotels.com may seem to be doing hotels a favor at first sight. Guests book a room online through the OTA's website and the hotel now has a customer it did not have before. Good right? Not exactly. OTAs take an average of 20-25% commission on each room sold while also taking away the relationship between your hotel and the guest. In fact, hotels could actually spend a lot less than the 20-25% commission taken from each room an OTA books and put it into marketing efforts. These efforts will drive the customer to book directly with the hotel and bring the relationship back between the hotel and guest. Here are 4 ways hotels can recapture share from the OTAs:

1. Website

It is crucial that hotels are competitive when it comes to their website. Websites should be easy to navigate, contain engaging content, and paint a true picture of the hotel. All photographs should be professional and accurately portray what the guest can expect when arriving at the hotel. For example, using a photo of the one Executive Suite at your hotel on the ‘Rooms' page of the website, when standard rooms are not as large or maybe not as up-to-date, will give guests the wrong impression and immediately create a negative experience for them when they arrive at the hotel. Hotels must put their best foot forward without creating expectations they cannot live up to.

Having a great website does not just apply to desktops and tablets, but also to mobile. Today, more people are beginning to use mobile phones for purchases, and this includes booking hotel rooms. If your hotel's mobile site is not easy to navigate or you do not have a mobile site at all, you should correct this right away. Don't lose a customer simply because it is easier for them to book on an OTAs site.

2. Online Marketing Strategy

When relying on OTAs, you are essentially relying on them to market your hotel. In order to recapture bookings, it will be necessary to develop an effective online marketing strategy. This should include Social Search Optimization (SSO), which incorporates social media in order to give your hotel a greater presence on the web. Many hotels have a presence on social media sites such as Google+, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, and Foursquare.

It is absolutely necessary for hotels to have a presence on social media since there is talk about your hotel on these platforms whether you are participating or not. When creating your online marketing strategy, decide which social media sites will provide value and drive traffic to your site. Regardless of the social media sites your hotel decides to participate in, Google+ must part of the list.

3. Google+

Google + is becoming increasingly important to hotels. Aside from the social media aspect and engaging with users, hotels must have an active account if they wish to have a presence on the Google Carousel. The Google Carousel is located at the top of the search engine results page when a user is searching for lodging. It contains a list of hotels, photos, and a star rating all on top of a black background. The Carousel was just launched in June 2013 and is already having an effect on which search results users click on due to its prime placement. In order to have a presence on the Carousel, hotels must have an active Google+ page.

So how can hotels become active on Google+? First, be sure to claim your hotel's listing and fill out all the necessary information such as the address, contact information, and a short description describing your property. Engage with users by posting content that will provide value for guests and by sharing other users' posts. Finally, be sure to respond to negative and a select number of positive reviews.

4. Competitive Rates

A problem some hotels face is the fact that rooms are listed at a higher price on their own websites compared to OTA sites. Why would a guest want to book the exact same room for a higher price? Don't allow OTAs to book the guest because the price of a room is better on their site. Hotels must regularly monitor OTA's sites to make sure rates remain competitive.

Though it is not always possible to offer a lower rate than the OTA due to contracts, hotels can be sure to offer an equal rate. To add an incentive for booking directly, hotels can offer special deals such as free breakfast or free Wi-Fi. This will add value for guests and encourage them to book through your website as opposed to an OTA.

Remember, when a customer books your hotel through an OTA, they are still choosing your hotel. Cut out the middle man and bring the relationship back between your hotel and the guest.

About the author

Arielle Sanchez is the Content Marketing Coordinator at E-Marketing Associates, where she writes personalized copy for hotel websites, assists independent hotels with social media, and blogs regularly for the E-Marketing Associates Blog. E-Marketing Associates works exclusively with independent hotels and builds innovative online marketing products that increase direct bookings and drive top-line revenue.

In this mornings Herald, Sideswipe makes a joke of the word MICE which it clearly has never heard of before but it is totally correct. We think the thought it should of been NICE!

WRONG.

Funny how one gets paid determines so much of one’s behavior. Or that of one’s business. Industry even.

We in the communications planning and delivery business generally get paid in one of two ways. Neither makes much sense, and both lead to bad behavior.

The first is around commissions. In brief, what that means is we are rewarded for spending as much of our clients’ money as we can get away with, ideally while guiding them toward those media with the highest commission rates.

We may talk about free media in the owned and earned, maybe shared arenas, but if we are on commission-based remuneration plans, one would assume we will hope to steer our clients away from such non-lucrative paths.

Or, we get paid based on an FTE (Full Time Equivalent) basis. Basically, a man-hour-based fee. While it certainly has advantages to the previous means of pay, it is fraught with its own set of issues. First, it means our focus now must be on keeping the maximum number of people working on a client’s business. Efficiencies be damned! But worse, it means the client has to manage our business for us, and will be robbed of real innovation. If one is not currently inclined toward a gaming, mobile, or social agenda, there will be no bodies committed to those endeavors. And evolution will be stymied.

A few years ago we blazed a new trail. One that has now fully half of our clients realizing a better result. One that lines up exactly with where their business results fall. It’s a simple notion, called Pay-for-Performance, or “P4P”. Client KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) are our KPI’s. Spend and man hours don’t matter.

Business outcome does.

Because of our move to P4P, we can drive innovation. Not just can, must. And, we can lead the industry to places we all know we need (and want) to go, but have gotten trapped by antiquated payment models.

Take automation for instance. We could have automated the buying (and selling) process years, maybe even decades ago. We still buy media the way we did when social meant only word-of-mouth.

We fax, translate Word into Excel, make mistakes as we translate. And take a whole lot of not very rewarding time in the process. But, as we get paid for our time, no reason to change, right?

My organization has put a big stake in the ground by insisting that 50% of all media, not only the long-tail of digital, be bought through automation by the end of 2015. It is a tall order, but one which we will achieve thanks to the tapping of great partners like A&E, Tribune, AOL, Cablevision, Clear Channel and ESPN. And there are more coming to join these trail-blazers. Which means that together we will create movement. And more opportunities like this for those willing to put their money where their mouths are.


Let us all measure success by the success measure that matters most: how our clients are doing! After all, isn't that why we are hired?

Photo: Michael Denora / Getty Images

Savings of $200 per couple are available on eight-day, whale-swim holidays in Tonga, with nature lovers able to frolic with the giant humpbacks that migrate to the warm tropical waters every year to mate and give birth.

Australia-based eco operator, Majestic Whale Encounters, runs a range of whale-swim holidays in Tonga from July to October, with small groups staying in casual beachside fales on the idyllic coral island of Foa in Tonga’s Ha’apai group of islands, 40 minutes north by air from the kingdom’s capital, Nuku’alofa.

The discounts are available on two eight-day packages available from 31 July and 7 August 2014. Each package includes seven nights’ accommodation at the beach-front Sandy Beach Resort, one-night at the Scenic Hotel near Nuku’alofa’s international airport on Tongatapu, a welcome dinner, daily breakfast and lunch, five days of guided, boat-based, whale swimming, snorkelling gear, inter-island flights and transfers and is available from A$3500 per person, twin-share – a saving of $200 per couple off the normal price.

Flights to Tonga from Australia (5 hours direct) with Virgin Australia or from New Zealand with Air New Zealand and Virgin are extra.

Bookings are also available for Majestic Whale Encounters’ tours in 2015.

During the personalised eco tours, snorkellers swim with the majestic mammals, which measure up to 19m long, while maintaining safe, non-invasive guidelines set by the Responsible Partnership for Whale Watching.

Guests also enjoy relaxed ‘island time’ during two leisure days when they can relax with a coconut cocktail on the palm-lined beaches, swim in the turquoise waters, meet friendly local villagers and dine in local restaurants offering local seafood, sweet potatoes, yams, breadfruit and tropical fruits.

“You only live once so our aim as nature lovers and passionate conservationists is to share this unforgettable experience of swimming with these spiritual creatures with as many people as possible to ensure they have the time of their lives,” said Majestic Whale Encounter owner, Carmen Ellis. “What we offer is a life-changing experience in the paradise of Tonga which is one of the most beautiful, charming and relaxed destinations on the planet. The close encounters our guests will experience with God’s most amazing animals will be ingrained in their hearts forever.”

For bookings or information, call Majestic Whale Encounters on  0405 594 253  or visit majesticwhaleencounters.com