Skift Take
Event organizers need to do a better job educating attendees on the perks of booking a hotel stay in their room block. Otherwise, more people will simply book through the channels they prefer.
Why don’t conference attendees book in the room block they’re supposed to? Well, it’s complicated.
New research found that loyalty programs, a lack of education, and the power of the corporate card all contribute. Check out my story below on the subject.
We’ve also got the latest on Visit Florida’s fight for its life and a big move by Oyo to bring more affordable hotel stock to Japan.
If you have any feedback about the newsletter or news tips, feel free to reach out to me via email at [email protected] or tweet me @sheivach.
— Andrew Sheivachman, Senior Editor
The Future of Events and Meetings
Room-Block Perks for Conference Guests Need More Promotion: It turns out loyalty status and the power of the corporate card are a couple of reasons conference attendees don’t book inside a hotel block. Event organizers should do a better job informing attendees of the perks that come from booking with the group.
Visit Florida’s Future Is Up in the Air (Again): Destination marketing money is again a political football in Florida, a state that 126 million people visited last year. As governments around the country examine their stance on publicly funded self-promotion, will the Sunshine State stay the course?
Oyo to Flood Japan With Budget Hotels in New Deal With SoftBank: Japan is a destination that’s never, ever described as affordable. But Oyo, with its budget hotel concept, could be transformational for its tourism economy.
Around the Industry
Rise of Voluntourism Presents New Challenges for Advisors: Who would have thought that people would pay to do back-breaking work and enjoy the experience? Voluntourism is gaining momentum and putting pressure on advisors to match traveler skills and expectations with community and conservation needs.
Consumers Lead the Sustainability Debate, Says InterContinental CEO: Of course the tourism industry could do a better job dealing with sustainability. But the bigger issue is that one of its key components — air travel — is a significant contributor to climate change.
Barack Obama on Walls, Borders and Tourism: He’s only been out of office for a few years, but it’s still refreshing to hear a politician articulate the importance of travel and the benefits of tourism.
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Skift Senior Editor Andrew Sheivachman [[email protected]] curates the Skift Meetings Innovation Report. Skift emails the newsletter every Wednesday.
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Tags: meetings, meetingsiq
Photo credit: The Ace Hotel in New York City. Eden, Janine and Jim / Flickr