Marketing and advertising is no longer about publishing as many print adverts as possible, or nurturing those relationships with travel agents and OTAs, it's about engaging with customers and guests through the channels that are important to them. Converting that unknown guest into a trusted brand advocate and thereby retaining that business through them, their followers, friends and family is the only way for hoteliers to stand out in this crowded market. So how is this done? Understanding the strategy and knowing what guests want is key but also coming to grips with the concept of spending your marketing budget in the right place will determine which way you go. READ MORE

The subject of this article is the most common complaint I've been hearing for the last few months, from hoteliers who are unhappy about their number one supplier: the OTA (Online Travel Agency). As an enterprise platform developer to the hospitality industry, we are in the privileged position of hearing the most up-to-date requirements of hotels and their guests from a technology and guest facing point of view. We are also amongst the first to hear their complaints and issues and this includes the current dominance of the hotel booking market by the OTAs such as Priceline and Expedia. READ MORE

Travelers love to tell stories: the snorkeling trip they took in the Molokini crater in Maui, or the fabulous dinner they had at a hole in the wall in a far-flung city. They regale their friends and family with stories of their adventures, showing them pictures, recommending their best spots, and warning them off bad experiences. Some of them will post on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, sharing their good - and bad - encounters with your company on their journey. READ MORE

We've all traversed the same bumpy social media path over the last several years. What can we anticipate for 2016? Is the battle for social dominance a worthy endeavor in light of the new disrupters taking headlines, and profits, from the hotel industry? What does it mean for the brands and our customers? READ MORE

The next few years, and the distant future, will see the profession of alternative therapy (i.e. naturopathy, homeopathy, physiotherapy, psychotherapy, energy alignment, soul healing, fitness, exercise and the likes) in much higher demand than at any rate and time before. The increasing demand for complementary therapies will unfold itself through the yet unseen energetic forces of the soul and spirit. These two entities will ignite a fire with the human body volcano to release deeply repressed and unresolved issues; regardless of the mental, spiritual and/or physical condition of the individual. It is going to happen across the globe, stretching into every tiny corner of society; the business environment must be ready to accommodate its demand and be open to new opportunities, not the other way around. READ MORE