This rocks.
If you are still not using Google services to enhance the management of your tourism business, consider getting on board the G-train.
I’m delivering a training program in the fall that will be focused on helping tourism businesses streamline their CRM processes using the plethora of free tools on the Web, many that Google provides.

As a Gmail user, I’m already addicted to Google Calendars, Tasks and Documents – especially the free Google Forms tool which makes tracking inquiries and leads amazingly simple, but now, we can make free phone calls fromour computer right in our email client!

It’s as easy as clicking call phone from my google chat window and I’m making calls using my computer speaker and headset or built in computer microphone.

Watch out Skype.
I’m seriously thinking of dumping our expense for outgoing phone calls from the telephone and moving exclusively to Google calls within Gmail (free-for-now across North America and seriously cheap around the world).

watch for google phone booths in a university campus near you!Since the major telcos have been ditching their telephone booths, watch for someone like Google to come into your community and offer free services to fill the void.   For the 20% of North Americans who don’t carry a cell phone or for travelers in airports who don’t want to pony up the $2 bucks a minute to talk to folks overseas while they are traveling.

HECK, consider setting up a computer in your lobby and set it up with a Google account to provide free North American phone calls for your guests!  Now that’s something your ideal guest could really appreciate!

Be sure to hang a sign that says – “Tell your family and friends you are calling for free from – ‘YOUR Business Name’ “.

In the process, you might recruit a few new fans.

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Reflections on the Handheld revolution by 2014

by Todd Lucier on August 18, 2010

Cell phone has already replaced landline for 30% of U.S. Households

Also this report on cell phone use and adoption for online payments shows 15% of folks have bought things with their phone.

Where we are now: 50% of cell phones are web-enabled and there are 3 billion cell phone contracts across the planet.

Can you see the future?

Here’s my guess at the new communication landscape in 2014:

  • 80% of Cell phones are Web-enabled.
  • 50% of audio / video person to person communications take place over a handheld device that is not a landline phone.
  • 25% of people will regularly be paying for goods and services with their cell phone – linked to financial services.
  • More people will be accessing the Web by phone than by computer.
  • People will use computers primarily for work and school, handhelds will be the device of choice for accessing information that matters – when and where it matters most, HERE and NOW.
  • Computer banking will be replaced by handheld apps for most people.  (hopefully banks won’t fall into the trap of making the handheld a premium revenue-generating service!)
  • Office space will become cheap, cheap, cheap as businesses move away from clustered office cubicles and embrace an open-office standard where business is transacted wherever people are.

What is your best guess at the new communication landscape in 2014?  What do you think the implications are for travel and tourism businesses?

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How to Generate Facebook “Likes” and Twitter “Tweets” from your Webpage

August 13, 2010

By now, most of us have heard that the Web is social, but are you taking action to encourage social actions on your blog or website? Of course we can socialize with our fans and followers on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and the like, but now even our websites and blogs can become places where social [...]

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Earn Facebook Likes and Twitter Tweets on your Webpage or Blog

August 13, 2010

By now, most of us have heard that the Web is social, but are you taking action to encourage social actions on your blog or website? Of course we can socialize with our fans and followers on Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare and the like, but now even our websites and blogs can become places where social [...]

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Passports with Purpose:
Travel Bloggers and Tourism Industry
making a difference

August 10, 2010

Listen to my delightful conversation with Pam Mandel about how Seattle Travel Bloggers and their friends are making a difference in parts of the world where a little money can go a long way in bringing peace and sustainability to marginalized communities. Learn how you can get involved as a blogger, travel PR, tourism industry [...]

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Are your cell phone toting guests helping your brand?

August 3, 2010

As I often relate on this blog.  This is no time for your business to be anything less than amazing in delivering travel experiences.  Cell phones (yes, the majority of travelers are carrying them) are travelers gateway to spreading the word about your business, good or bad. This chart of the day from early July [...]

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Getting advice from someone like ME:
Social Networking and Travel

July 31, 2010

For travelers, getting advice from someone who has been there, done that has become second nature with traveler advice sites like TripAdvisor, Yelp!, Google Maps and others. But most of the time, we have no idea who those people are that are giving the advice. Social Networking should be smarter Is it someone like me? [...]

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QR Codes: Making interpretive signs come to life

July 21, 2010

When Calvin Klein recently replaced their racy billboards with QR Codes, it brought the emerging technology to the attention of a worldwide audience. Is it time for the Tourism Industry to embrace the opportunities presented by the bar codes? The Fort Smith National Historic Site has begun using Quick Response (QR) Codes on way signs [...]

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Who the hell is dancing for your destination?

July 19, 2010

Last weekend I tried to dance like Matt for a special guest in explaining how this internet phenomenon spanned the globe, igniting in others a passion for place and shared travel experiences.  Like Matt, there are guests who become truly excited about  experiences we share with them.  Part of our job is encouraging these guests [...]

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TripAdvisor: Now #1 Travel site on the Web

July 14, 2010

TripAdvisor is now the largest travel website in the world with 35,382,000 unique visitors. The next largest travel website in the world is former number one and parent company of TripAdvisor, online travel agent – Expedia with over 33 million uniques. Since four in five travelers read reviews on social media and the vast majority [...]

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