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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
I have been writing a lot of proposals for new business lately and it’s easy to get lost in the details when you are trying to impress a new client and win their business. It’s gratifying to have the opportunity to write proposals but when you are working on them back-to-back for different types of […]
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 […]
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 […]
Earlier this week, I taught two classes at the TTIA’s Tourism College at Texas State University. The program, in its second year, will lead students who participate all three years to a certificate called “Certified Tourism Executive” or CTE. While teaching the sophomore class this week, we examined a mock crisis in small groups. Our […]
There’s a crisis every day somewhere in the world and plenty of advice from marketing and public relations professionals on how organizations should handle communicating when they happen. But rarely have I seen an attempt to outline the supplies you need to have on hand before your crisis hits. When I was the communications director […]
It happens to every organization at some point. Something sudden and unexpected happens which requires us to act. In tourism organizations, it can be as simple as a weather event which affects daily operation. Or as complicated as an event like the BP Oil Spill. Most disasters fall somewhere in between, but the key to […]
Do no harm. This was the first thing I was taught about crisis planning, back in the mid-1980s way before cell phones and Twitter. Twenty-plus years later and it’s still the best piece of advice anyone can follow. It is an integral part of every crisis planning and crisis response session I teach. The second […]