Tourism Research and Tidbits Blog

Gap Year Travel - an untapped opportunity?

2008-01-01T10:13:00.001-08:00

I just came across this article from last summer.... interesting stuff.
http://tourismintelligence.ca/2006/08/10/exploiting-the-gap-year-travel-niche/

Disney Goes to the Dogs

2007-12-06T19:49:00.001-08:00

Dog days at Disney World
Walt Disney World in Orlando is going to the dogs. Literally. The
company wants to coddle dogs with bedtime stories and treat cats to
tuna on Ritz crackers. "We will be able to provide wonderful
experiences for pets," Dennis Dolan, president and chief executive
officer of Best Friends Pet Care Inc., told The Orlando Sentinel. His
Norwalk, Conn., company has a contract from Disney to operate the
resort's five existing kennels -- and to build a state-of-the-art
boarding center where dogs and cats can board in two-room suites with
patios.

Ice cream snacks? Bottled water? Elevated beds with lamb's-wool
bedding? Even orthopedic beds will be available. For dogs used to
curling up on a child's bed and drifting off to sleep as a parent
reads a bedtime story, bedtime stories will be available. For those
conditioned to nap in front of a TV, televisions can be provided.
What's playing? Dog movies.

"A lot of people leave their televisions or radios on at home during
the day to keep their pets company. This is really an idea that came
to us from our clients who wanted a more homelike setting for their
pets," said Best Friends spokeswoman Debra Bennetts. She added: "What
we provide is luxury suites. . . . It's really for that person who
wants to make sure that their pet is being pampered the way they get
pampered at home."

Cats will get a different kind of pampering. Their "condos" will come
with lofts. Their TVs will play videos of birds. They can have
aquariums to watch.

Dolan said luxury boarding for pets has been emerging for years, and
he considers his company to be one of the innovators. Best Friends has
44 other boarding centers nationwide. Most of the luxury features are
available at most of them. At those other Best Friends facilities,
basic boarding fees for dogs range from less than $25 to more than $40
a day, depending on the local market and the size of the dog. Luxury
features, such as 10 minutes of cuddle time, can be purchased
separately for $2 to $12 per feature or in packages that add $12 to
$38 a day to the cost.

The company has not yet set its Disney World luxury rates.

Report by David Wilkening

Study says Gay / Lesbian Travellers are Ideal Travellers

2007-11-29T03:40:00.001-08:00

See the story at CTC News: http://www.corporate.canada.travel/corp/media/app/en/ca/newsItem.do?articleId=67468

--
all the best,
todd

todd.lucier@gmail.com
Todd Lucier, co-founder, Northern Edge Algonquin Inc.
http://www.northernedgealgonquin.com
http://www.tourismclicks.com
Toll Free: 800 953-EDGE

Keep in touch with all that's new and natural at the Edge subscribe to our Web log: http://www.algonquincanada.com/blogger.html or subscribe to the weblog feed at http://www.algonquincanada.com/atom.xml

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the Concious Consumer

2007-11-12T05:06:00.000-08:00

Consumers Prefer To Buy From Companies That Reflect Their Values

According to the inaugural BBMG Conscious Consumer Report, nearly nine
in ten Americans say the words "conscious consumer" describe them well
and are more likely to buy (if products are of equal quality and
price) from companies that:

* Manufacture energy efficient products (90%)
* Promote health and safety benefits (88%)
* Support fair labor and trade practices (87%)
* Commit to environmentally-friendly practices (87%)

Conducted by BBMG, in conjunction with Global Strategy Group and
Bagatto, the report research in three U.S. markets with a national
survey of 2,007 adults to reveal how companies reach, inspire and
motivate values-driven consumers.

Raphael Bemporad, founding partner of BBMG, says "... conscious
consumers expect companies to do more than make eco-friendly claims.
They demand transparency and accountability across every level of
business practice... "

Key findings from the Conscious Consumer study include these excerpts:

Consumers' most important issues are the ones that affect their
health and wellness most directly, such as:

* Safe drinking water (90%)
* Clean air (86%)
* Finding cures for diseases like cancer, AIDS and Alzheimers (84%)
* Only 63% describe global warming as the most, or a very, important issue.?

Americans readily self-identify as:

* "conscious consumers" (88% well, 37% very well)
* "socially responsible" (88% well, 39% very well)
* "environmentally-friendly" (86% well, 34% very well)
* "green" (65% well, 18% very well, which is viewed as more exclusive)

While price (58% very important) and quality (66% very important) are
paramount, convenience (34% very important) has been edged out by more
socially relevant attributes... where a product is made (44% very
important), how energy efficient it is (41% very important) and its
health benefits (36% very important) are all integral to consumers'
purchasing decisions.

Jeffrey Pollock, president of Global Strategy Group, says "Americans
think before they buy... they tend to prefer to buy from companies
that reflect their values... "

test

2007-10-27T11:21:00.001-07:00

sss

--
Nancy Arsenault, PhD, Dean
Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management
Royal Roads University
... Located on Hately Park National Historic Site
www.royalroads.ca/tourism www.hatleypark.ca

World Cafe Facilitation Technique

2007-10-27T09:16:00.000-07:00

Here we are 'at the Edge' delivering an exciting multi-sector tourism training course in Atlantic Canada. In this course we look through the lens of the B2C (Business to Consumer), B2B (Business to Business) and B2CM (Business to Community). One activity that is vital to tourism growth is facilitating meaningful discussions with staff, stakeholders, communities, partners ... and the list goes on. On the 2nd afternoon of this three day course, we exposed our participants to the World Cafe as we explored opporunities for experiential travel within a community! Perhaps this may help you!

The EDGE of WEDGE World Café

Building awareness, creating links, and furthering action!

What is a World Café?

Quite simply, it is a technique for creating meaningful dialogue, speaking from the heart, sharing ideas, and listening. The goal is to achieve a shared view by the end of the café and take action.

In their book “The World Café: Shaping our World Futures Through Conversations that Matter”, Juanita Brown and David Isaac they share this methodology that is based on small group, intimate conversations, and talking about questions that really matter. Even in a large setting with hundreds of people, they can all be engaged in the same conversation (www.worldcafe.com).

How does it work?

1. Clarify the context
2. Create a hospitable environment
3. Explore questions that matter
4. Encourage everyone’s contribution
5. Cross-pollinate and connect diverse perspectives
6. Listen together for pattern, insights and deeper questions
7. Harvest and share collective thoughts

‘The Edge’ Rules of Engagement

* Self select -- find a table with a group of 4 or 5 people that you haven’t had a chance to chat with in a meaningful way yet.
* Your ‘host’ will ask you to quickly reintroduce yourselves and refresh the others on your relationship to tourism.
* A question will appear on the screen, read it, them discuss at your table – everyone’s voice matters!
* Jot notes down on the paper on the table or ideas on the flip chart while your ‘host’ retains summary thoughts
* After 15 minutes, one person will stay behind, the others will move to another table, you don’t have to travel together, mix and mingle!
At the new table, a second question will appear on the screen and with this new group; we’ll repeat the process a second time, then a third.

Nancy Arsenault, Ph.D.
Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management
Royal Roads University
... located at Hatley Park National Historic Site

Posting to my blog!

2007-10-23T12:11:00.001-07:00

<<Nancy Arsenault.jpg>>
Nancy Arsenault (PhD), Dean
Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management
Royal Roads University
2005 Sooke Road, Victoria BC, V9B 5Y2 Canada

Tel: 250.391.2600 ext 4424     www.royalroads.ca
Cel: 250.589.0004                  www.halteypark.ca
Fax: 250.391.2546
Toll Free: 1.866.241-0674

Travel with Pets

2007-10-23T11:53:00.001-07:00

TripAdvisor dug it up: More than half of Americans travel with their
pets. And hotel-owners should know: more than half will only stay at
accommodations that are pet-friendly.
Pet-friendly accommodations are most important to dog owners --
according to almost two-thirds of those polled -- compared to more
than one-third of cat owners. More than a third of respondents with
pets would pay more to stay at accommodations that are pet friendly.
More than one third of pet owners take shorter vacations, and 25% take
fewer vacations because of their pawed pals.

Doggie Trends

2007-09-05T07:10:00.000-07:00

http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1122041.php?mpnlog=1&m_id=_r_r~AT_m~A

Nancy Arsenault, Ph.D.
Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management
Royal Roads University
... located at Hatley Park National Historic Site

U.S. Visits to Canada down Signficantly

2007-06-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

U.S. Visits to Canada are down since 9/11.
http://www.travelmole.com/stories/1119068.php?mpnlog=1

Trends according to TravelZest Report

2007-05-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

The top 10 "niche" travel markets tipped to grow over the next five years are:
• Learn-a-skill-in the-sun (eg cooking, surfing, painting, salsa dancing)
• Inner self escapes (eg yoga, meditation, spa)
• Hobbies abroad (eg art, gardens, cycling)
• Festivals & Fiestas (dance, opera, food & wine)
• Eco-lifestyle
• Wildlife & nature tours
• Sports tourism (following teams and playing sport)
• The home-from-home hotel
• Soft and extreme adventure
• Nip/ Tuck tourism

CTC staff report US traveler going GREEN

2007-05-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

A TripAdvisor survey of more than 1,000 travellers worldwide has found that 40% take environmentally-friendly tourism into consideration when making travel plans, according to an article by Bev Fearis in TravelMole. The survey also found that 66% believe that environmentally-friendly measures in travel are making a difference.

The survey also reveals nearly 25% believe that air travel should be avoided, whenever possible, to help preserve the environment, while 38% said would pay more to take an eco-friendly flight and 26% would pay a 5-10% premium. However, only 3% have ever purchased carbon credits.

The accommodation sector is also on the green radar: 34% of those surveyed said they would pay more to stay at an environmentally-friendly hotel, while 38% said they had already stayed at an environmentally-friendly property, and 9% would specifically seek out environmentally-friendly establishments.

A second TravelMole article - by David Wilkening - reports on an Orbitz profile of environmentally-friendly destinations that claims 65% of Americans say it would somewhat impact their decision to stay at a hotel if they knew the hotel was using solar or wind energy to supplement the powering of the building, and 63% say they would pay a little more to rent a hybrid vehicle or stay at a "green" hotel.

- CTC staff

Online Payment fears on the rise . . .

2007-04-24T12:01:00.000-07:00

The number of consumers concerned with submitting their credit-card information online has doubled. About 9% cited this reason in Forrester's 2005 poll, and in 2006, 16% said:

"I didn't want to submit my credit-card/payment information over the Internet."

Forrester views this reason as a "red flag for all travel sellers"

"The growing fear of online identity theft presents a real and serious obstacle to continued online booking growth, as even travelers who have booked online in the past are now afraid to do so," the report reads. Report by David Wilkening

TourismClicks.com

Single Travelers - not alone!

2007-04-11T13:54:00.000-07:00

About 11% of all leisure travelers of 34.8 million adults in the US travel alone, according to the Travel Industry Association (TIA).

Typically, the solo vacationer is:

* Forty-two-years old.
* Has an annual household income of $54,000.
* Has completed college (38%).
* Has a professional or managerial occupation (26%).
* Is unmarried.

A survey of 100 AAA travel counselors and their counterparts in Canada, the CAA, found 27% reported increases in the number of trips booked by single travelers.

"There are nearly 90 million single people in the US, and this is clearly a market that the travel industry has been focused on in the past few years" said AAA's vice president of travel, Sandra Hughes.

People between the ages of 18 to 35 comprise the largest group (35%) of solo travelers, according to the TIA.

The next largest group is 35 to 49 year olds (27%), followed by 50 to 64-year-olds (26%) and 65+ (12%).

Source: TravelMole.

Who is the average Adventure Traveler?

2007-03-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

A recent AATA study reveals travelers representing 35 countries who engage in Adventure Travel includes these interesting data points:

• Women comprise 52% of adventure travelers.

• 41-60 year olds comprise the highest participating age group.

• 46% of all adventure travel companies offer sustainability programs for customers.

Posted by todd.

Travel Mole says Humanitarian Travel on the Rise

2007-03-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

wyciwyg://7/http://mail.google.com/mail/?view=page&name=js&ver=1kudxq6lor5wp

Tourism is all about Experiences!

2007-03-06T09:47:00.000-08:00

Experiential travel has been on the rise for years as visitors seek enriched travel experiences that are 'just for them'. Companies across Canada have been responding to the call and building dynamic packages across the country. Now the Canadian Tourism Commission will be extending the reach of these companies and their products through a new on-line Explorer Quotient (EQ) that will link great travel products to different 'types' of travelers.

Read the complete article

Nancy Arsenault, Ph.D.
Faculty of Tourism and Hotel Management
Royal Roads University
... located at Hatley Park National Historic Site

Learning Travel no longer niche

2007-03-05T09:10:00.001-08:00

A survey of US travellers taken last year by the Travel Industry Association found that 56% said they were interested in taking an educational trip and 22% said they were more interested now compared with five years ago, according to a report by David Wilkening (TravelMole February 22, 2007).

Carbon Offsets - Sun News Service report Buying Your Way Out of Impact

2007-02-28T16:52:00.000-08:00

Carbon offset programs seem to be the new rage -- but are they ethically correct?
By VIVIAN SUNG, SUN MEDIA
February 26, 2007

Forgive us Mother Earth for we have sinned.

It's been five years and 758 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions since our last confession -- the amount of pollutants Canada has pumped into the atmosphere despite having ratified the Kyoto agreement in 2002.

How many Hail Mary's and carbon offsets must we commit to absolve ourselves of our sins?

By now, the allegory of the carbon offset and the papal indulgence has become as commonplace as the parable of the prodigal son among environmentalists -- only in this case, it's Mother Nature who stands with outstretched arms, welcoming back her rebellious child.

How it works

Here's how it works: Carbon offset programs work to neutralize carbon emissions produced by driving, flying or home energy consumption. On average, each Canadian produces more than five tonnes of carbon emissions a year -- enough to fill five Olympic-size swimming pools.

After calculating the amount of carbon produced from driving, for example, consumers can mitigate the damage done by paying into an offset program that invests the money into energy efficiency and green projects, mostly in developing countries.

Though well-intentioned, critics have likened the scheme to the 16th-century practice of papal indulgences, where Catholics were able to buy their way out of sinning.

Similarly, skeptics caution carbon offsets give polluters an easy way out -- $20 buys absolution of another kind, mollifying guilty consciences.

"Purchasing offsets can be seen as an easy way out for governments, businesses and individuals to continue polluting without making changes to the way they do business or their behaviour," warn Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth and the World Wide Fund for Nature-U.K., in a joint statement. "In particular, there are strong concerns over the environmental credibility of the credits and the contribution of the projects to sustainable development."

Carbon offset schemes are not a new concept, having been around for more than a decade. But it's gained momentum in Canada only recently, with about a dozen offset companies in the country, many of which popped up within the last two years.

But if the fevered pitch of environmentalism continues along the current trajectory, chances are green initiatives like offset programs will grow.

At Offsetters.ca, a Vancouver-based, non-profit provider, business has been brisk.

In the last four months alone, co-founder James Tansey said sales have quadrupled.

When Offsetters.ca partnered with the airline WestJet in October of last year, they sold $120,000 in tickets for the airline translating into $2,400 or roughly 160 tonnes of offsets -- the equivalent of the annual output of 32 Canadians.

If they continue at the rate of the last three to four months, Offsetters.ca expects to grow by up to 10 times and offset $2 million in air travel this year, Tansey said.

When consumers purchase WestJet flights via their website, a 2% commission of the ticket cost is reinvested in carbon offsets, Tansey explains.

Caveats

Environmental groups, meanwhile, agreed carbon offsets can be a part of the solution but all cautioned their endorsements come with caveats.

"The first priority is to reduce our own emissions," said Matthew Bramley of the Pembina Institute, based in Calgary. "But once you've done all you can to reduce emissions, we believe offsets enable you to go further. If you go all the way to carbon neutral, you're taking responsibility for 100% of emissions which is never possible to achieve purely through reductions."

Some carbon-intensive activities like driving for example, are unavoidable especially for rural and northern communities.

"The most important thing is that the consumer is becoming aware of their consumption of energy and the result of their emissions," said Bryce Conacher, CEO of Reknewco and Cleanairpass, launched in December 2005.

The first step to offsetting involves calculating your own emissions, Conacher said, which in itself acts as a wakeup call for the average Canadian, unaware of their own carbon footprint.

Ron Dembo, CEO of Zerofootprint in Toronto, describes the interest in offsetting as more than just a trend, but a watershed moment for Canadians.

"The first thing you're doing is making an enormous cultural leap. You now actually believe that the environment costs money," Dembo said. "By paying for that offset, you've made a massive cultural leap ... getting people to understand that the environment's not free."

Added Dale Marshall of the David Suzuki Foundation: "People looking into this are generally concerned and looking at their daily activities. It's an important criticism but not as big as some say."

In the U.K., bogus carbon schemes have caused so much concern the government moved last month to set standards and bring greater clarity to an exponentially growing industry.

Need authority

"Clearly there's a role for the federal government to establish an agency or some sort of authority...where Canadians can be assured that if they're buying carbon offsets, the money is actually taking carbon out of the air," said Stephen Hazell of the Sierra Club of Canada.

Though environmental groups often cite the Gold Standard -- used under Kyoto's Clean Development Mechanism -- as the highest bar to measure offsets, few are registered and are expensive for smaller projects. Voluntary offsets also come with a confusing assortment of standard guarantees: EcoLogo in Canada, Green-e in the U.S., and the International Organization for Standardization.

When purchasing an offset, experts advise the most important aspect to consider is additionality -- that is, the project wouldn't have happened without the extra funding from the sale of offsets.

"The whole purpose of offsets is to shift people away to a carbon neutral future," said Howie Chong of Toronto-based CarbonZero, launched last September. "If we can convince Canadians and the government to do this on their own, if we can make drastic changes so we're no longer carbon dependent, we'll shut down. It's that simple."

The above article also appears in the following news publications:

Buying your way out; Carbon offset programs seem to be the new rage -- but are they ethically correct?
Forgive us Mother Earth for we have sinned. It's been five years and 758 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions since our last confession -- the amount of pollutants Canada has pumped into the...
Byline: BY VIVIAN SUNG
Edition: Final
The London Free Press
Mon, Feb 26, 2007

Buying your way out; Carbon offset programs seem to be the new rage -- but are they ethically correct?
Forgive us Mother Earth for we have sinned. It's been five years and 758 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions since our last confession -- the amount of pollutants Canada has pumped into the...
Byline: BY VIVIAN SUNG
Edition: Final
The Toronto Sun
Mon, Feb 26, 2007

Buying your way out; Carbon offset programs seem to be the new rage -- but are they ethically correct?
Forgive us Mother Earth for we have sinned. It's been five years and 758 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions since our last confession -- the amount of pollutants Canada has pumped into the...
Byline: BY VIVIAN SUNG
Edition: Final
The Winnipeg Sun
Mon, Feb 26, 2007

Buying your way out; Carbon offset programs seem to be the new rage -- but are they ethically correct?
Forgive us Mother Earth for we have sinned. It's been five years and 758 megatonnes of greenhouse gas emissions since our last confession -- the amount of pollutants Canada has pumped into the...
Byline: BY VIVIAN SONG
Edition: Final
The Ottawa Sun
Mon, Feb 26, 2007

http://www.tourismclicks.com

Consumers Prefer Green

2007-02-28T16:49:00.000-08:00

Fully two-thirds of consumers are likely to

switch their spending to companies that have demonstrated a commitment to

green policies, further illustrating how important the environment is to

Canadian consumers, according to a survey released today by Bullfrog

Power(TM), Ontario's first 100 per cent green electricity retailer.

The poll, by Environics Research Group, is the first snapshot to capture

how Canadians view companies not just on the basis of the goods or services

they provide, but the way they do business, specifically when it comes to how

they care for the environment. And it proved what many suspected is true:

Canadian consumers are more attracted to companies that have clearly shown a

commitment to a cleaner, greener environment.

In the survey of more than 1,000 Canadians conducted Feb. 7-14, 67 per

cent said they are likely to switch to banks, stores and other retail or

service outlets that have demonstrated their commitment to the environment. In

British Columbia and Alberta, consumers are most likely to make the switch,

with 7 in 10 responding that they would move their business, followed by

Ontario at 68 per cent and Quebec at 64 per cent.

In addition, 75 per cent of Canadians surveyed said they are likely to

change their own shopping habits to purchase more environmentally friendly

goods and services, even if it means paying a premium price. Regionally,

British Columbians were the most likely to change, at 83 per cent, followed by

Ontarians at 78 per cent and Albertans at 75 per cent.

"We're seeing a fundamental shift in consumer behavior that reflects the

increased mainstreaming of environmental consciousness," said Michael Adams,

founding president of the Environics group of research and communications

consulting companies. "Canadians are exercising their consumer power by

actively and very deliberately rewarding those companies who are taking action

on the environment."

The national poll also found women consumers (80 per cent) were more

likely than men (69 per cent) to change their shopping habits in favour of

environmentally friendly goods and services. However, consumer interest in

green companies, including banks, malls and retail stores did not vary between

different income levels.

"Canadian consumers are demonstrating their environmental awareness,

leadership and action," said Tom Heintzman, President, Bullfrog Power. "During

this period of heightened awareness about environmental issues, consumers are

clearly looking for green products and also looking to support businesses that

have demonstrated environmental stewardship."

Bullfrog Power is the only electricity retailer in Ontario that buys

power exclusively from pollution-free wind and low-impact hydro generators who

meet or exceed the federal government's Environmental Choice(M) Program

EcoLogo(M) standard for renewable electricity.

Bullfrog Power provides homes, businesses and non-profit organizations

with a convenient, easy way to go green. A number of Ontario businesses have

already demonstrated environmental leadership by signing up for Bullfrog

Power, including RBC Financial Group, Wal-Mart, Ivanhoe Cambridge, Cadbury

Adams, and Credit Union Central of Ontario. Residential customers and members

of the Bullfrog Founders Club include Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip, Mark

Cullen, Jamie Kennedy, David Crombie, Thomas Homer-Dixon, Graham Gibson and

Margaret Atwood.

The Environics Research Group national survey was conducted among 1,013

Canadians and is considered accurate within plus or minus 3.1 percentage

points, 19 times in 20. Survey data is weighted to replicate actual population

distribution by age and sex according to most recent 2001 Census data.

The complete survey results are available online at

http://www.bullfrogpower.com/news/Survey_Data.pdf

About Bullfrog Power

Bullfrog Power(TM) is a 100 per cent green electricity retailer in

Ontario that sources electricity exclusively from wind and low-impact water

power producers who meet or exceed the federal government's EcoLogo(M)

standard for renewable energy. Bullfrogpowered(TM) customers ensure that their

electricity dollars support clean, renewable energy producers who are

displacing polluting and CO2-emitting electricity production on the Ontario

grid. Bullfrog Power has pledged 10 per cent of company profits to

organizations that promote sustainability. Visit Bullfrog Power on the web at

www.bullfrogpower.com.

Michael Adams, founder of Environics Research Group, and Tom Heintzman,

President of Bullfrog Power, are both available for interviews.

For further information: Bill Walker, Senior Vice President, Veritas

Communications, Tel: (416) 482-2248, Mobile: (416) 558-8766, Email:

walker@veritascanada.com

ONLINE BOOKINGS continue to grow - over 70% of Web Users Book ONLINE.

2007-02-24T10:36:00.000-08:00

2/3 of Web users who plan to travel in the next three months will do their travel research and buy tickets or book hotels online, according to a new study by Burst Media. Burst surveyed around 2,100 adult Web users who were planning to travel in the next three months. Almost half (47.2%) said the Internet will be their primary travel resource, while two-thirds (66.9%) said they would research and make a travel-related transaction online.

72.9% said they would make hotel reservations. Consumers who used the Internet to research and make travel arrangements skewed toward higher incomes. Sixty-three percent of respondents who reported household incomes of over $100,000 said the Internet would be their primary travel resource, and 51.8% of those reporting household incomes of between $75,000 and $99,000 said the Web would be their primary resource. Respondents most valued the ability to check the availability and rates of hotels, flights and rental cars on a travel site. Fifty-five percent of users said that feature would convince them to return to a travel site, 49.9% wanted destination information, and 49.7% were looking for promotions and special deals.

Also, respondents who will make transactions online will also conduct travel research online – almost 60% will research travel destinations, and almost one-third will research travel/tour operators.

Todd Lucier - TourismClicks.com

Blogs Get Attention

2007-02-20T04:48:00.000-08:00

Travel Blog inspires media attention and government action.

THE CHANGING PROFILE OF TOURISTS

2007-02-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

More and more people are 'cash-rich' and 'time-poor' today, according to the World Travel Trends Report 2006/07. They have less time to travel for leisure purposes, but they want to ensure their trips create a memorable experience - one they can savour for a long time, although the majority of travellers are "still constantly on the look-out for price deals".

Today's leisure travellers, who comprise more singles, more female travellers, more grandparents travelling with their grandchildren, and more large family units (several generations), are much less concerned about which destination they visit, which means they tend to be less loyal to destinations than they ever were in the past. The increased desire for healthy living and the need to escape highly pressured working environments have stimulated the demand for niche products such as spa/wellness tourism, outdoor activities, cruises and educational trips.

The need to be more 'green', authenticity, interaction with local people and a more emotional and cultural link to the people and communities they visit rank as increasingly important. Consumers now want more control in organizing their trips, especially when travelling for leisure, and technology has provided them with the means to assume this control and customize their own travel plans. This trend is even apparent in China, where young, educated Chinese demand more flexibility instead of ready-made, organized package holidays.

More detailed analysis of the key issues and trends identified by the Pisa Forum participants is available in the ITB/IPK World Travel Trends report, which can be downloaded from the ITB website.

This article comes from Hotel News Resource www.hotelnewsresource.com; visit www.hotelnewsresource.com/article25986.html

TerraPass launches partnership with Expedia to bring carbon balanced flight to all travelers

2007-01-04T06:27:00.000-08:00

http://www.terrapass.com

Big news, people: Expedia and TerraPass have partnered in a program to offer Flight TerraPasses to travelers when they buy plane tickets.

Although the travel industry has undertaken limited experiments with this kind of offering before, this is the first program of its size and scope to offer measured, verified greenhouse gas reductions to all travelers. Expedia will offer TerraPass to every U.S. traveler who buys a plane ticket through their web site.

This is an important development for the travel industry and for the fight against global warming. Air travel has exploded in popularity as the cost of plane tickets has dropped. But planes create a large and growing proportion of global warming pollution. For frequent flyers, plane travel creates more emissions than their cars.

Previously, there was not much travelers could do about their contribution to this problem. Now there is.

Please help us spread the word about this exciting program. A lot of people will be watching to see how it does. If it’s successful, more industries will take note of the consumer appetite for real, substantive action on global warming.

The co-marketed Flight TerraPass comes at three purchase levels: 1,000 lbs of CO2 for $5.99; 2,500 lbs of CO2 for $16.99; and 5,000 lbs of CO2 for $29.99, enough to balance about 2,200 miles; 6,500 miles; and 13,000 miles of flying, respectively.

At the smallest purchase level, your purchase comes with a nifty co-branded decal. At the two higher levels, you get a magnificent co-branded luggage tag, made of durable, high-quality silicone.

To buy a Flight TerraPass through Expedia, you just book a ticket as you normally would, and look for us on the “Customize your trip” page under the heading of “Featured Activities & Services.” You can also buy a TerraPass through Expedia separately from your plane ticket by clicking on the “Activities” tab and selecting dates and a destination.

A bit about our partner Expedia, for those of you who are new to this whole internet thing. The company has quite a pedigree. They were the first online travel agency, and they remain by far the largest. They’ve been selling travel online since 1996, when the entire internet consisted of six computers administered by a thirteen-year-old boy named Kevin.* Travel was the first truly successful mainstream retail category on the Web, and Expedia has been a pioneer not just in online travel, but also in sustainable travel.

Savvy customers have been able to buy Flight TerraPasses through our web site for a few months now. But this new partnership gives us a reach that is really just unimaginable, which is great for customers, for us, and for the environment. Congratulations to Expedia for taking leadership on such an important issue.

The future of the partnership depends on its success, so we encourage our readers who have not yet balanced out their flying to make their next ticket purchase through Expedia — and make it carbon balanced. Spread the word!

Cruise Company sells family reunion cruises

2006-12-19T12:05:00.000-08:00

The rise of multi-generational travel has led Crystal Cruises to add a new web site: "Family Reunion Cruises."

"A family reunion aboard a cruise offers the opportunity of being together yet apart," said Nitsa Lewis, Crystal's vice president of marketing, saying the cruise line has long been known for both its amenities for adults and sophisticated learning programs and entertainment for children.

"What some people don't know is that our attention to detail extends to an exceptional Junior Activities Program on summer Mediterranean and European cruises, as well as to other destinations, offering compelling onboard programming for children," she said.

The Web site includes:

* Junior Activities Directors (on select sailings, such as summer and holidays) to plan and supervise such "insider" activities as cookie baking in the galley, bridge visits with the Captain and interactive backstage costume events.
* Dedicated children's playrooms with games and craft areas, and even Xbox 360 and Sony PlayStation kiosks.
* Multiple dining options with assigned group seating for dinners.
* Inspired menus appealing to a variety of dietary requirements, including vegetarian, sugar- and gluten-free, and low carbohydrate.
* Broadway-style shows for the whole family.
* Group portrait photography opportunities.
* Large families can earn free staterooms (limited availability).
* A family of connoisseurs can reserve the Crystal Cruises Vintage Room for exclusive, intimate wine-makers dinners.