Be More Productive

  • Fran Stephenson
  • August 29, 2013
  • 3 min read

This week I led a session for the Texas Travel Industry Association on productivity tools and apps for small travel organizations.  It was fun to talk about some of the tools I use to increase my efficiency and simplify the day-to-day functions of my business. At the beginning of the session, I polled the group […]

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Halloween is Sweet for Texas Attractions

  • Fran Stephenson
  • October 19, 2012
  • 3 min read

In case Halloween is under the radar at your attraction, here are some staggering stats from the National Retail Federation.  170 million people will celebrate Halloween this year, according to the group’s annual consumer spending survey.   24% of those plan to “visit a haunted house,” a category which has grown consistently year after year from […]

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Travel Takeaways — Mike Walsh at TTIA Summit

  • Fran Stephenson
  • October 1, 2012
  • 3 min read

It’s easy to get lost in conflicting advice when you attend conferences. I’ve been to one too many conferences in which I came away with a mere checklist of tactics which I was told to get….right now.  Lately, the list includes social media, mobile web sites and integration. All those things are important to those […]

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Grand Rapids Raises the Bar

  • Fran Stephenson
  • August 18, 2011
  • 1 min read

It’s the end of another summer season and tourism destinations are about to ask themselves the hard questions as they start to plan next year. What worked? What didn’t? What should we change for next year? It’s hard for some destinations to rise above the well-funded voices of the “biggies” like New York City, Orlando […]

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Earlier this week, Jet Blue announced a different sort of airfare.  Unlimited three month airfare “pass” between two of their key cities.  Like the unlimited rail passes so attractive to backpackers in Europe, the unlimited fares have a number of desirable characteristics. The fares are good until November and include the ability to book up […]

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Traveling with your Grandparents is Nothing New

  • Fran Stephenson
  • August 1, 2011
  • 3 min read

Multi-generational or 3G travel is an emerging trend that has gotten media and public relations professionals talking. Earlier this summer, it was the focus of one of the livelier sessions at the PRSA Tour and Travel Section Conference held in June in San Antonio. (Disclosure:  I was part of the local, logistics team for the […]

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The Tourism Paradox

  • Fran Stephenson
  • June 22, 2011
  • 2 min read

Tourists vs. travelers. Which do you want visiting your destination? Tourists are those somewhat doe-eyed, hapless visitors who are incapable of decision-making without a guidebook or map, while a traveler is some independent soul enjoying a physical and spiritual journey independent of coupons, specials or freebies. Not true. They’re really one and the same. The […]

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Celebrate Your Destination, Don’t Sell It

  • Fran Stephenson
  • June 21, 2011
  • 3 min read

This was the clear message from National Geographic Traveler’s Keith Bellows to attendees at the Public Relations Society of America’s Travel and Tourism Section national conference two weeks ago. This is a hard message to hear for destination “cheerleaders,” those who make their livelihood from promoting destinations, attractions, transportation and hospitality. Bellows has been a […]

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