In 2011 we need Revolution not Evolution
In 2011 we need Revolution not Evolution As we move into 2011, the Internet is awash with articles from people looking back on 2010 forward to 2011. There are some great summaries of what happened last year and hundreds of predictions for the coming year. I just had a lo [...]
I’m a genuine example of a social disease
I was sitting on a bus - a rare occasion for me. And for once, with a defective Blackberry, I could not connect to anything. So I decided to just pay attention to the world around me.A pair of ladies who seemed scholarly were sitting across from me and were discussing a new phenomenon. They were dis [...]
I hope they serve cosmopolitans in Cairns
There’s a young man sitting across the aisle from me. He’s big and burly with biceps bulging the way my eyes are, from stealing looks at him.There’s a tattoo of the Great Wall on his left forearm – the Chinese wonder of the world looks distended.He’s obviously proud of his Chinese herit [...]
It’s really here and it’s not going away, so please, get used to it
I was meeting with a very large Singapore-based company a couple of months ago. I was talking with them about an upcoming multi-million dollar project and how using social media could generate some buzz, anticipation and expectation around what they were doing. Basically getting the consumer e [...]
Is social media David or the Emperor? You decide
Recently there have been articles and things said at conferences about social media that question its use in travel. I think this is a healthy debate and I’m glad that there are skeptics because they keep things honest.So is social media the emperor with new clothes or is it David in David vs Goli [...]
Is Social Media David or the Emperor (Part II)
The following is a continuation of a post that discussed whether social media is the Emperor without clothes or David in David v. Goliath. This post focuses on brand engagement in social channels.One of the questions I often get asked is, “How can I use social networks like Facebook and Twitter [...]
Hurricane Paula pays us a visit
This trip has been plagued by setbacks from the get-go! First we missed our flight to Lombok, prior to heading to Cancun, Mexico … and then … on Monday night, already in Cancun, we get a letter from the Fairmont Hotel GM informing us that Hurricane Paula is heading straight for us.Ironically, [...]
More than half of Chinese travellers book hotels online
Last year 97 million Chinese travelled abroad, up 14 million from 2012, and more than 50% of these travellers now book accommodation online via the web or mobile, up from 45% in 2013, according to a Hotels.com survey.The OTA's third annual Chinese International Travel Monitor (CITM) reveals less tha [...]
Asians swayed by social media in choice of beach holiday destinations
Asians so love social media that they are not only influenced by the medium for their sand and sea vacations, but is also the platform for them to show off photos and videos of their escapades.According to Expedia in its recently released “2014 Flip Flop Report” (see detailed report in infograhi [...]
Hooray, porridge and prata for breakfast in Oz at last
Having breakfast at my Sydney hotel for the fourth day, I found myself hankering for chicken porridge and roti prata but there was none to be found. That’s because I realized I am not staying in one of those Accor hotels that have embraced the group’s newly-launched, fully accredited “Optimum [...]
