So instead of sending endless emails and waiting for customers to visit my website, I installed a tool known as TripBlip™. I’m a beta tester for this product and I think, for the customer, it is a great tool as well.
TripBlip™ empowers the customer to take control of the message and shape it to fit his/her needs. TripBlip™ enables the user to create up to three different trip profiles and when a vacation comes along that matches the profile, TripBlip ™ notifies the customer with a discreet message next to the TripBlip™ icon. The customer can look now or later or not at all. Offers can be deleted from the current page and will remain in a history area for a while and eventually will disappear.
It is easy to use, easy to download and, best of all, the customer decides what to receive. Instead of endlessly searching through weekly emails and travel websites, set the parameters and receive the offers that are of interest.
What I have found so far is that when one of my customers receives a Blip, the customer realizes that it is from me, can read through it and discuss it with me in person, by telephone or by email. I’ve had some consumer sign ups from people who I don’t know and they, too, are accessing offers and contacting my office by email.
Give it a try and let me know what you think.
New Paltz Travel’s TripBlip™
Filed under: Abercrombie & Kent, Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America, International Travel, Social Media Tools, Summer Vacation, caribbean cruises, carnival-cruise-lines, popular vacation destinations, travel technology
2008 Top 10 Domestic Hot Spots – Cities
|
Rank
|
City
|
% of total responses
|
|
1
|
Orlando |
17.5%
|
|
2
|
Las Vegas |
15.4%
|
|
3
|
San Francisco |
4.5%
|
|
4
|
Los Angeles |
4.3%
|
|
5
|
Miami |
2.6%
|
|
6
|
Seattle |
2.2%
|
|
7
|
New York City |
2.1%
|
|
8
|
Honolulu |
1.9%
|
|
9
|
San Diego |
1.7%
|
|
10
|
Washington, DC |
1.7%
|
2008 Top Five Domestic Hot Spots – States
|
Rank
|
State
|
% of total responses
|
|
1
|
Florida |
23.6%
|
|
2
|
Nevada |
15.7%
|
|
3
|
California |
14.9%
|
|
4
|
New York |
11.6%
|
|
5
|
Hawaii |
9.7%
|
2008 Top 10 International Hot Spots – Cities
|
Rank
|
City
|
% of total responses
|
| 1 |
London |
10.3%
|
| 2 |
Rome |
9.0%
|
| 3 |
Cancun |
7.1%
|
| 4 |
Paris |
6.4%
|
| 5 |
Montego Bay (Jamaica) |
3.5%
|
| 6 |
Punta Cana |
2.3%
|
| 7 |
Venice |
1.4%
|
| 8 |
Barcelona |
1.1%
|
| 9 |
Puerto Vallarta |
1.1%
|
| 10 |
Vancouver |
0.8%
|
Top 10 International Hot Spots – Countries/Regions (2006-2008)
|
Country/Region
|
2006
|
2007
|
2008
|
| Italy |
20.3%
|
20.5%
|
18.7%
|
| Mexico |
19.0%
|
14.6%
|
16.1%
|
| UK |
18.8%
|
15.2%
|
12.5%
|
| Caribbean |
9.6%
|
11.6%
|
9.0%
|
| France |
10.5%
|
8.6%
|
9.0%
|
| |
|
|
|
| Europe total: |
49.6%
|
44.3%
|
40.2%
|
Filed under: Foreign Travel, Italy, Jamaica, Summer Vacation, popular vacation destinations
February 24, 2008 • 4:04 pm
For Americans traveling abroad, Western European destinations are the most popular summer spots in 2008 with five cities coming in the top 10. Mexican destinations are the other major grouping in the international top 10 list.
Italy remained the top international country/region booked by U.S. travel agents with an 18.7 percent share. Mexico came in second with 16.1 percent, and the UK received a 12.5 percent share of the votes. The UK was second in previous years and both Italy and the UK had larger percentage shares in 2007 and in 2006, suggesting the weak dollar is shifting some travel away from Europe with Mexico and other locations not in the top five benefiting.
Survey data was collected through the 2008 ASTA Research Family, a representative sample of ASTA member travel agency owners and managers. www.asta.org
Filed under: Air Travel, Foreign Travel, International Travel, Summer Vacation
February 13, 2008 • 12:25 am
For the sixth year running, Orlando (17.5%) and Las Vegas (15.4%) were named the most popular domestic summer travel destinations booked by travel agents, according to ASTA’s 2008 Hot Spots for Summer survey. Overseas, the top four international destination cities remained the same for the sixth year in a row with London receiving a 10.3 percent share of the vote followed by Rome (9%), Cancun (7.1%) and Paris (6.4%).
While the domestic destinations in the top 10 have remained the same since 2006, their rankings have not. New York City, for example, fell to seventh place after five years in the number three spot, with San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami moving up two spaces each to numbers three, four and five respectively. Seattle moved up from number nine to number six in this year’s survey.
When looking at which states see the most summer travelers as booked by travel agents, Florida came out on top in 2008, accounting for 23.6 percent of all responses with cities such as Orlando, Miami, Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa. Nevada drew the second largest number of responses a 15.7 percent share with almost all the travel for Las Vegas. In 2007, Florida topped the top state destinations, accounting for 28.0 percent of all responses; Nevada drew the second largest number of responses a 19.2 percent share.
Survey data was collected through the 2008 ASTA Research Family, a representative sample of ASTA member travel agency owners and managers. www.asta.org
Filed under: Air Travel, Summer Vacation
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