Archive for September, 2010

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Lincoln Welcomes Nebraska Travel & Tourism Conference

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

Lincoln Welcomes Nebraska Travel & Tourism Conference

Oct. 12-14 event will explore state’s third largest industry

LINCOLN, NEB. (Sept. 3, 2010)—The Nebraska Department of Economic Development’s Travel and Tourism Division invites the state’s travel industry to attend its annual Travel and Tourism Conference. This year, Lincoln is “Rollin’ Out the Red & White Carpet” for the Oct. 12-14 conference at The Cornhusker, a Marriott Hotel, 333 S. 13th St.

Tourism is Nebraska’s third largest earner of revenue from outside the state after agriculture and manufacturing.

In challenging economic times, promoting and increasing travel and tourism is a proven way to boost the economy as travelers come here and spend money on attractions, hotels, restaurants and other necessities. The annual travel conference educates members of the Nebraska tourism industry on how to grow their businesses and how to put Nebraska at the forefront of travelers’ minds.

Attendees at this year’s conference can discover social media strategies, explore green tourism opportunities and pick up tips for working with their senator.

The conference also includes educational workshops, general sessions and networking opportunities, as well as travel industry exhibitor booths displaying essential new products. Attendees can also participate in the Nebraska Travel Association’s Silent Auction, a fundraiser that will benefit tourism activities throughout Nebraska.

The Nebraska Travel & Tourism Conference wraps up with an awards ceremony recognizing outstanding achievements in tourism in 2010.

Check out the conference agenda or register online now at http://VisitNebraska.gov/tcregistration. A special conference hotel rate is available only until Sept. 24, so book your lodging reservation early.
Book your stay at a local B&B!

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New French and German Versions of Nebraska Tourism Marketing Materials Enhance State’s Appeal

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

New French and German Versions of Nebraska Tourism Marketing Materials Enhance State’s Appeal

Online, printable brochures give French- and German-speaking tourists information about Nebraska’s Byways

LINCOLN, Neb. (Sept. 1, 2010) — The Nebraska Department of Economic Development’s (DED) Division of Travel and Tourism has launched French- and German-language versions of its latest Nebraska’s Byways brochure. When combined with the Spanish-language version of the brochure launched last month, the new brochures enhance the value of the state’s marketing efforts by showcasing the byways to a wider audience of potential visitors.

The French and German versions of Nebraska’s Byways: An Unexpected Adventure have been produced in online reader and printable PDF formats. The French version of the brochure is available for viewing or printing at VisitNebraska.gov/francais, while the German version is available at VisitNebraska.gov/deutsch.

“This brochure gives French- and German-speaking travelers a clearer picture of the great things the byways have in store,” said Christian Hornbaker, director of the DED’s Travel and Tourism Division. “With a better understanding of the resources available on Nebraska’s Byways, travelers will see the true value and beauty of each of the nine scenic and historic routes.”

To learn more or download the translated versions of Nebraska Byways: An Unexpected Adventure, go to VisitNebraska.gov/francais, VisitNebraska.gov/deutsch, or VisitNebraska.gov/espanol.

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[Francais]

POUR INFORMATION, CONTACTEZ :

Shannon Peterson au (402) 471-3797,

courriel : shannon.j.peterson@nebraska.gov

ou

Matt Gersib au (402) 489-2121,

courriel : mgersib@snitilycarr.com

POUR DIFFUSION LE 1 SEPTEMBRE 2010

Tourisme Nebraska publie de nouvelles brochures promotionnelles en allemand et en français pour vanter les charmes du Nebraska

Des brochures en ligne et imprimées font découvrir les petites routes du Nebraska aux touristes français et allemands

LINCOLN, Nebraska (Le 1 Septembre 2010) — La division des voyages et du tourisme du Nebraska Department of Economic Development’s (DED) (Département de développement économique du Nebraska), a publié des versions allemande et française de ses plus récentes brochures sur les petites routes du Nebraska. Elles s’ajoutent aux brochures publiées en espagnol le mois dernier et souligent les efforts de marketing déployés par l’État pour faire connaître les petites routes du Nebraska à un plus grand nombre de visiteurs potentiels.

Les versions française et allemande de la brochure Les petites routes du Nebraska : Une aventure surprenante ont été publiées en ligne et en formats imprimés PDF. Vous pouvez lire ou imprimer la version française en vous rendant à l’adresse VisitNebraska.gov/francais alors que la version allemande est disponible à l’adresse VisitNebraska.gov/deutsch.

« Cette brochure offre aux voyageurs de langue française et allemande un portrait plus précis de ce que peuvent offrir les petites routes », déclare Christian Hornbaker, directeur de la division des voyages et du tourisme du DED. « En découvrant les secrets de ces petites routes, les voyageurs apprécieront mieux le charme authentique et la beauté de chacun des neuf itinéraires touristiques et historiques. »

Pour en savoir davantage ou pour télécharger les versions traduites de la brochure Les petites routes du Nebraska : Une aventure surprenante, rendez-vous aux adresses VisitNebraska.gov/francais, VisitNebraska.gov/deutsch, ou VisitNebraska.gov/espanol.

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[Deutch]

Weitere Informationen:

Shannon Peterson, (+1) 402 471 3797,

E-Mail: shannon.j.peterson@nebraska.gov

oder

Matt Gersib, (+1) 402 489 2121,

E-Mail: mgersib@snitilycarr.com

Freigabe 1. September 2010

Neue deutsche und französische Ausgabe von Tourismus-Informationsbroschüre rückt Nebraska ins rechte Licht

Ausdruckbare Online-Broschüre informiert deutsch- bzw. Französischsprachige Urlauber über Nebraskas schönste Ferienrouten

LINCOLN, Nebraska, d. 1. September 2010 — Die Fremdenverkehrsabteilung des Staatsministeriums für wirtschaftliche Entwicklung (DED) von Nebraska hat die neueste Ausgabe ihrer Broschüre über die schönsten Ferienrouten, die sogenannten „Byways“, des US-Bundesstaates jetzt in deutscher und französischer Fassung vorgelegt. Zusammen mit der bereits im vergangenen Monat erschienenen spanischen Ausgabe präsentiert sich Nebraska mit seinen Byways nun auf breiter internationaler Basis als lohnendes Urlaubsziel.

Die französische und die deutsche Fassung der Broschüre Urlaub in Nebraska: Das ganz andere Abenteuer wurden als PDF-Dokumente ins Web gestellt und können mit dem gängigen pdf-Readerprogramm gelesen und ausgedruckt werden. Die deutsche Fassung steht zum Lesen und Ausdrucken auf VisitNebraska.gov/deutsch, die französische Fassung auf VisitNebraska.gov/francais zur Verfügung.

„Diese Broschüre vermittelt deutsch- und französischsprachigen Urlaubern ein besseres Bild von den Byways und ihrem reichhaltigen Erlebnispotenzial,” erläutert Christian Hornbaker, Leiter der Fremdenverkehrsabteilung des DED. „Indem wir deutlicher darstellen, was die Byways von Nebraska zu bieten haben, rücken wir für Urlaubsplaner den wahren Wert und die Schönheit dieser neun landschaftlich und historisch reizvollen Routen ins rechte Licht.“

Weitere Informationen und die Broschüren zum Herunterladen finden Sie unter VisitNebraska.gov/deutsch bzw. VisitNebraska.gov/francais bzw. VisitNebraska.gov/espanol.

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On My Mind- In the Shadows for Too Long

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

On My Mind- In the Shadows for Too Long
By Jay Karen, PAII CEO

Have you ever tried to get someone to try something you just knew they would like, but found it hard to convince them? That’s what I feel our industry has been up against for decades – trying to get travelers to try B&Bs. There is no question with the sharp growth of the industry in the 80s and 90s and the marketing power of the internet since the mid-90s, millions of travelers have experienced our great product. We have loyal customers who understand the value of a fantastic B&B stay. But there are many more travelers out there who have never stayed at a B&B – either because of one of the many “myths” or negative perceptions they might already have, or (according to our own research) staying at a B&B doesn’t even cross their minds as an option when booking travel. Whatever the reason, we all know in our industry what a fantastic product we have. With the rise of alternative lodging options and the sincere efforts of hotels to deliver an experience more like ours, we need to press forward and start getting more people to book stays at B&Bs. Our industry has to start doing something different and fresh to enter the consciousness of the traveler. We want people spreading the word about B&Bs in ways now possible that were impossible before. Enter – Better Way to Stay.

PAII wants to get more people talking, Tweeting, Re-Tweeting, status updating, sharing, linking, forwarding and emailing about B&Bs. We don’t want to build another directory. We want to get more travelers checking out what the industry already has – some great assets that have been around for years. I’m talking about the B&B directories, travel sites, state and local association web sites, your web sites, and ultimately clicking the “Book Now” button more and more. As your industry’s trade association, it’s part of our DNA to want to do this. We want to create buzz and attention for the great businesses in our marketplace.

For years innkeepers have wanted PAII to build an effective directory of our members. They figured it would be the silver bullet for membership growth and ultimate stability and success for PAII. The fact is that the horse is out of the barn on that one – several directories have been around since the mid-90s and are leagues ahead of what we could do from a search engine optimization standpoint. We don’t want to compete with them – or you, the innkeeper! Building our own directory – if we were to be effective in the search engines – would mean having us compete with you for premium placement on search result pages. There are some great B&B directories and association web sites that have been delivering value for years to innkeepers. We don’t want to compete with them – we want to bring more traffic to them!

But, we’ve been up against many elements for years. As we fight for PAII’s sustainability and success, it’s time we get on the offense rather than the defense. With the help of volunteers within the PAII ranks (our Board of Directors, Advisory Council, Campaign Committee and many others) as well as some folks who had some early blind faith in our ideas and vision (see list at bottom of this post), we are moving forward with the industry’s first ever campaign to get more people understanding that B&Bs are the “Better Way to Stay.” We have enlisted professional assistance from some fantastic resources and are currently building the basic elements of a successful campaign.

What we do with this campaign will have a lot to do with the level of support we get from all four corners of our industry – from everyone who has a stake in the game. Sure, we’re not going to get everyone to chip in, even though the intent of this campaign is to be non-discriminatory with regard to whom we want to get more business. We want all innkeepers to benefit from our efforts, but naturally we plan to promote those who support the campaign. And I hesitate to use the word “campaign,” because it can imply something temporary. The intent is for PAII to coordinate and support permanent, ongoing efforts to raise awareness and influence people to give us a look. We should only ever back off such efforts when most innkeepers are turning away business on account of being full throughout the year. With a national average occupancy somewhere near 40%, we know there’s a lot of work to be done.

So, today I’m writing this just to keep you informed about what is happening. We’ve been talking about the prospect of this campaign for at least two years. We are not ready to launch it, but we’re ready for you to start knowing about it. Visit www.betterwaytostay.com for a few more details and to get a flavor of what we’re working on.

Stay tuned for more! We hope you are as excited as we are.

Thank you to the following folks for your early support:

* BedandBreakfast.com
* Empire State B&B Association
* New Mexico B&B Association
* British Columbia B&B Innkeepers Guild
* Illinois Bed and Breakfast Innkeepers Association
* Bed and Breakfast Inns of Missouri
* Indiana Bed and Breakfast Association
* Pennsylvania Tourism & Lodging Association
And individual innkeepers

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Handy tips to getting your B&B on social media

Saturday, September 4th, 2010

by Joe Johnson on 24. Aug, 2010 in Travel IT
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Social media is huge and it’s here to stay. Facebook, the world’s most highly populated social network now has over 500 million users, if it were a country it would be bigger in population terms than the U.S.A. This is why social media is now not just an option for any business, small or large, but an absolute necessity. With many social media users logging on multiple times throughout the day, businesses have a great opportunity to get their brand out there and into the conversation without using traditional methods of paid advertising. And with a potential audience of this magnitude, your company can’t afford not to invest in social media.

The fact that social media activities are required is a given but how to go about it is an art rather than a science. Constantly bombarding people with ‘sales talk’ will turn them off immediately, you need to offer your audience great content that they want to engage with. This could take the form of a video on your website, or an interesting, newsworthy post on your blog, anything that makes your audience want to engage with you and share content with others.

Handy tips to getting your B&B on social media

The key component of your campaign should indeed by the company blog, this provides the foundation for all your social activities and is the first point of contact for customers and potential customers trying to discover the human side of your business. This notion of appearing human is crucial, almost every business now has a website that informs and educates, make sure yours also discusses, jokes and debates. Tools such as Facebook and Twitter can then be used to promote the blog and continue the dialogue with your publics.

It is important to stay on top of social trends as it is young, developing medium which changes almost daily. Something all location-based businesses like B&Bs will need to start considering is location based services, this allows visitors to ‘check in’ at your physical location letting all their friends know where they are and earning you a spot of valuable publicity. Foursquare has been offering this for some time but Facebook places will bring it to the masses. So there you have it, a few handy tips to get your B&B out there in the public consciousness, get blogging and tweeting!

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