Olie Summers

As a DMC, local operator or accommodation looking to be promoted by your B2B clients your main focus must be to make it easy for your Tour Operator and Travel Agents to sell you. One of the simplest errors I see suppliers make time after time is providing information in PDFs and other forms of documentation that cannot be easily cut and pasted and without easy access to copyright-free images. When working on my agency "Curious Travel" I often stop putting a supplier's product on my website or social media if it is too much like hard work. For B2B sales and marketing, I highly recommend low-tech solutions like an itinerary copy in a word document and sharing those documents and related images on a system like http://ed.gr/cnik7 - followed up with great training and support of course :) :) #DigitalMarketing #DAMSoftware #TravelTechnology

9

1 Comment

We need to talk about trains! Rail reform is coming but is it happening fast enough and is there enough focus on the needs of the business travel market? The BTA are working hard with the rail industry to have the voice of business travel heard and the BTA is also pushing the message to the new government that business travel is a huge opportunity for the rail sector. Business travel on the railways is not yet back to the pre pandemic levels and there is an obsession to just focus on getting revenues back to those 2019 levels but we say NO! The focus must be on doubling the pre pandemic levels from our sector and that's just a conservative possibility. Business travel represents a huge opportunity to grow revenue and yields from modal shift and organic growth. The BTA has created the infographic below to help everyone understand the opportunity, the reform needed and the sectors importance to rail in the UK. #businesstravel #yourbta #travelmanagement #corporatetravel #railreform #railways

57

6 Comments

More national coverage placed by our team on the Daily Mirror online highlighting new research by our client AirAdvisor, who crunched the numbers to establish the popular holiday destinations where flights to and from the UK are most likely to be delayed. Speaking to the Mirror exclusively, AirAdvisor's CEO Anton Radchenko, Esq. said: “Our analysis highlights the extent to which British air travellers are still being affected by disruption to their travel plans, with average delays to some flights extending to well over an hour. "These figures are of course averages and many travellers will experience delays of over three hours this summer. If this happens, you are likely to be able to claim between £220 and £520 compensation from your airline for the inconvenience. You are entitled to care in the form of food, drink, and accommodation (for overnight delays) if your flight is delayed for two or more hours. “If you are affected by a flight being cancelled or delayed more than three hours, I recommend that you use a flight compensation calculator to establish how much compensation you might be due. Airlines might initially try to offer you vouchers, however, we advise our clients to only accept the cash compensation that they are due.” Read more: https://lnkd.in/ekt9NHpT Joanna Teljeur

2

“I had the worst Travel experience” “No proper arrangements were made.. No, these aren’t my words but by my Clients Who had a terrible experience before they reached me out People often make a common mistake of booking Through random websites. Here’s why booking with a Travel Agent  Is necessary : 1. We can help with last minute changes 2. Travel suppliers gives us special perks which you may not find through direct booking. 3. We can organize complex itineraries 4. We will help you save money 5. We provide you Personal Touch and Care Now next time you plan your trip, You know where to reach. If you’ve read till the end, Hi I’m Kumar Asirvatham I help you plan your dream destination. DM “Explore” to started

35

4 Comments

Calling all Hotels, Lodges, DMCs and Local Tour Operators. Did you know you can use your Squirrel Fish account to create a FREE "Agent Login" or "Partner Area" on your website? It literally takes however long it takes you to create a button on your website and costs NOTHING. Sound too good to be true? Why not check out our video below to see how it works and get in touch for a demo and a free trial. (We use the wonderful Roundabout Experiences DMC in Slovenia and Croatia as an example in this video) #DAMsoftware #Travelsoftware #TravelTechnology #Digitalmarketing #BusinessDevelopment

1

🌟 Today marks the launch of ABTA's Manifesto for #Travel & #Tourism, outlining the industry's key policy priorities for the next government and beyond. ✈ With the right policy framework in place, the sector is predicted to outperform the UK economy in the next few years and offer improved job and educational prospects. See how you can get involved below 👇 #travelandtourismmatters

3

CEO weekly diary #43: Softish signs, Aviation economics, Policy with teeth Now that May is nearly upon us every tourism business owner is trying to get a handle on what the season might hold. Unfortunately early signs aren’t the most optimistic. Hotel occupancy levels in Q1 are marginally down on Q1 last year, some flagship attractions are picking up hints of a soft market, and there is a raft of food business closures due to escalating cost pressures. Hopefully the early months of the year aren’t a trend that will continue. Saying that tho it is difficult to see how Ireland’s tourism industry can be expected to thrive with such an array of roadblocks (much of them State-induced) set against it; 20% of visitor accommodation unavailable for humanitarian reasons, a cap on arrivals at Dublin airport, new labour costs, a Vat hike of 50%, impending legislation to curtail airbnbs…the list goes on… Of course Irish tourism has a long proud history of being resilient and who would bet against it proving so again 💪. Hopefully 2024 will be stronger than it looks at the moment…CSO April data (due to be published next month) will be interesting as for the first time since the pandemic it will show year on year performance by key source market. We think US visitors are up but are they? is Europe really as soft as it feels? All to be revealed next month… Talking about the airport cap at Dublin some commentators say that Ireland’s regional airports can pick up the slack. This is unfortunately a fallacy. Aviation economics dictates a different outcome. Using an (admittedly layman) example of a transatlantic route, the seats on the flight could comprise a quarter pure tourists, a quarter business travellers, a quarter Irish people returning home, and a quarter people transferring to another flight bound for Europe. So arriving into Shannon, Cork or indeed Belfast, instead of Dublin, will suit the tourists but the rest of the passengers will say “no thanks”…as a result of the demand-led nature of aviation economics the airline is likely to point that plane elsewhere… By all means Ireland’s regional airports must be encouraged to expand their services (and Government could be much more generous with financial support whilst staying within EU state aid rules) but that blasted cap at Dublin Airport must be lifted… As readers of these weekly musings will know ITIC is a broad church and we have the luxury of taking a helicopter view on key issues. Member organisations are generally united on the shared opportunities and challenges and this is vital on a lobbying front. One of the areas that there is very much a common view on is the upcoming national tourism policy out to 2030 from the Government and the need for it have teeth. Clear targets for industry growth must be stated whilst also being mindful of any environmental impacts - without hard numbers and metrics the policy risks being woolly and lacking credibility and that is in no one’s interests…

35

4 Comments

If you are a DMC / Local Tour Operator using Squirrel Fish, you can make resources (images, videos, FAQs and documents) of the hotels and lodges you use available to both your own staff and your clients by adding them to your PORTFOLIO. If these properties are also using SquirrelFish you can merely ask them to connect with you and add them into your PORTFOLIO. In this way, you and your clients always have access to their latest resources and you never have to spend time chasing for the latest images etc for your staff and your clients. If the properties you use are not using SquirrelFish you can upload their resources yourself into a hotel account we can set up for you and they will appear in your PORTFOLIO for your staff and clients to easily view, search and download. For more details watch this video and let us know if we can help set this up for you. https://rebrand.ly/ypioaql #imagestorage #Digitalmarketing #TravelTechnology #SquirrelFish #Travelkinsh@i

2

A great article written by AITO - The Specialist Travel Association Executive Director Martyn Sumners highlighting what needs to be done and resolved for our industry and travellers. When will all the chaos end? Read all about it:https://lnkd.in/eSpjWSPu

18

1 Comment

New figures show that #Scotland experienced a record-breaking influx of international visitors in 2023, welcoming 3.9 million tourists, a 15% increase from pre-pandemic levels. #traveltrends #travelindustrynews #travelandtourism #tourism #tourismrecovery

1

IN THE NEWS 🗞️ Cost of living pressures aren’t impacting the desire for comfortable travel among corporate travellers, with bookings in the business cabin taking off ✈️Corporate international business class bookings have grown by 14 per cent, and it goes to show that despite many businesses feeling the pinch of the cost of doing business, travel continues to be a necessity for business success and survival. Find out which industries are most likely to take up a spot at the front of the plane here: https://okt.to/DkxmsV

1

"How To Start An Airbnb Business" (I have to use "#airbnb" in my titles as #servicedaccommodation #shorttermrentals etc are too looooong) Link to my YouTube channel in the comments 👇

41

7 Comments

The answer to over tourism is quite simple. Don’t go to the same places as everyone else. Adventure operator Intrepid Travel, who have been carbon neutral since 2010, have published a ‘Not Hot List’ of places to go. Intrepid provide small group adventures with local guides and unique experiences so even if you go somewhere unfamiliar, they will make sure you get the most out of your trip experience. If Greenland, Pakistan or Mongolia are a bit too leftfield, there are also options in Australia, USA and Morocco. Sometimes it’s better to be ‘not' rather than ‘hot' - so don’t follow the crowds! #exploremore #whereyourjourneybegins

8

📣 Want to hear about the latest global travel trends? 🌍 📣 Join our Quarterly Travel Trend Webinar next week (Thurs 6 June) where we'll be delving into the Flight Centre Travel Group corporate booking data from this year. If you’re a Corporate Traveller UK customer or have been thinking about transitioning to managed travel, we’d love to see you there 👋 Registration is open now 👉 https://okt.to/GkMtNe #BusinessTravel #TravelTrends #TravelInsights

6

One of the favourite functions on Squirrel Fish for Travel Agent, Tour Operator and Travel Media users is the ability to search for images/videos from an individual supplier, group of suppliers, countries or in fact your whole supplier network! Say you are writing a blog on mountain biking around the world or Shaman or Tigers? You can use Squirrel Fish to do a word search of ALL the images and videos in your selected group of suppliers and see what comes up. Then you just browse through the images/videos in that search result and add the ones you like to your "shopping cart." You can also choose what size of image you want. When you are ready you download all of the images in your "shopping cart" for use. Not only does it save time but often it will bring new ideas and inspiration as images will pop up from unexpected destinations and suppliers. You can see how this works in the 6-minute demo video below. Why not try it out and let us know what you think? #DAMsoftware #SourcingImages #ImageStorage #TravelImages #StockPhotography

6

A Saturday morning reminder on the crucial role The BTA members play in economic growth. It’s also a Saturday morning reminder of the diverse range of services that TMCs provide to corporates as they manage their most valuable assets, their employees, safely, efficiently, sustainably and cost effectively around the globe. It’s a Saturday morning reminder that TMCs are the glue that stick the deliberately fragmented content back together again to serve the corporate buyer and traveller. It’s a Saturday morning reminder that in the corporate space, booking in direct via a TMC is absolutely the best. #businesstravel #corporatetravel #yourbta #travelmanagement #indirectisbest

55

1 Comment

We continue to improve the Europcar EV Guide to support our customers. Have you seen our new EV Knowledge Hub yet? 👀 Featuring a Beginner’s Guide, a Charging Guide and advice for businesses, it's packed with invaluable information for all drivers considering going electric, as well as those who have recently made the switch! ⚡ Take a look here: https://soamp.li/lSYo What else would you like to see covered in the knowledge hub? Drop it in the comments below 👇 #EVHire #SustainableMobility #ChargeYourMind

16

1 Comment