Comments on: Bloggers view of the travel and tourism industry http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/14/bloggers-view-of-the-travel-and-tourism-industry/ Sun, 29 Jan 2012 01:52:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Julie Ovenell-Carter http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/14/bloggers-view-of-the-travel-and-tourism-industry/#comment-141584 Julie Ovenell-Carter Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:54:56 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=2329#comment-141584 Yeesh. Just went and read the full post on your being invited to talk to PM re: tourism in the UK. You got me. Happy April Fool's to you too--but wouldn't it be truly thrilling if it HAD been true? Yeesh. Just went and read the full post on your being invited to talk to PM re: tourism in the UK. You got me. Happy April Fool’s to you too–but wouldn’t it be truly thrilling if it HAD been true?

Report this comment

]]> By: Julie Ovenell-Carter http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/14/bloggers-view-of-the-travel-and-tourism-industry/#comment-141582 Julie Ovenell-Carter Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:45:36 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=2329#comment-141582 Hey Darren, been following your tweets for a while, but it was the news that you were invited to talk tourism with 10 Downing that got me to your site. And a great site it is too. Across the pond in Canada, we have similar issues: the travel industry has been slow to embrace social media which is odd given the very social nature of travel and tourism. The rapid demise of print travel sections is forcing them to refocus their attention on other avenues--blogs, twitter--but they are being dragged kicking and screaming (except, perhaps, for Tourism BC, which seems to lead the pack of tourist boards here when it comes to social media). I have no doubt things will change dramatically in the next 12-24 months, especially with the approach of the 2010 Olympics. (There is a bit of sturm und drang here right now because VANOC is not exactly embracing bloggers when it comes to media accreditation.) The reality is that the train has left the station, and tourism will have to run like hell to jump on the last car--but most will. The upside of this transition is that is has produced new employment and consulting opportunities for those writers/bloggers among us (myself and yourself, to point to at least two) who know the travel biz from the ground up and can point with a degree of confidence and authority to how social media can benefit both tourism suppliers and consumers. I'm going to subscribe to your blog right after I submit this. The British government is wise to listen to what you have to say. Cheers from damp Vancouver! Hey Darren, been following your tweets for a while, but it was the news that you were invited to talk tourism with 10 Downing that got me to your site. And a great site it is too.

Across the pond in Canada, we have similar issues: the travel industry has been slow to embrace social media which is odd given the very social nature of travel and tourism. The rapid demise of print travel sections is forcing them to refocus their attention on other avenues–blogs, twitter–but they are being dragged kicking and screaming (except, perhaps, for Tourism BC, which seems to lead the pack of tourist boards here when it comes to social media).

I have no doubt things will change dramatically in the next 12-24 months, especially with the approach of the 2010 Olympics. (There is a bit of sturm und drang here right now because VANOC is not exactly embracing bloggers when it comes to media accreditation.) The reality is that the train has left the station, and tourism will have to run like hell to jump on the last car–but most will.

The upside of this transition is that is has produced new employment and consulting opportunities for those writers/bloggers among us (myself and yourself, to point to at least two) who know the travel biz from the ground up and can point with a degree of confidence and authority to how social media can benefit both tourism suppliers and consumers.

I’m going to subscribe to your blog right after I submit this. The British government is wise to listen to what you have to say. Cheers from damp Vancouver!

Report this comment

]]> By: Sheila Scarborough http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/14/bloggers-view-of-the-travel-and-tourism-industry/#comment-132648 Sheila Scarborough Mon, 15 Dec 2008 13:54:17 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=2329#comment-132648 Why Kevin, of course Darren is the UK Consumer Travel Savant - we ALL know that! :) Why Kevin, of course Darren is the UK Consumer Travel Savant – we ALL know that! :)

Report this comment

]]> By: Kevin May http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/14/bloggers-view-of-the-travel-and-tourism-industry/#comment-132538 Kevin May Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:44:17 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=2329#comment-132538 Sheila: Never had Darren down as some kind of Oracle.... :-) Sheila:

Never had Darren down as some kind of Oracle…. :-)

Report this comment

]]> By: Sheila Scarborough http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/11/14/bloggers-view-of-the-travel-and-tourism-industry/#comment-132427 Sheila Scarborough Sat, 13 Dec 2008 00:20:17 +0000 http://www.travel-rants.com/?p=2329#comment-132427 Darren, hang in there and keep leading/teaching. Many in the travel industry simply will not see that their cozy world (as they thought they knew it) is burning down around them. The UK seems to be much slower even than the US (which is so slow, it makes me crazy.) You have broken new ground in the UK. Stick with it. I know it is tiresome to have to explain social media over and over again (I teach Web 2.0 workshops and I am not generally a patient person) but you WILL start to get traction. Some WILL begin to see, and you will be one of their guides. The rest will soon get tired of having their butts and business models soundly kicked, and will start listening. I am seeing the wave beginning to crest here in the US - it's coming your way. Meantime, keep hanging out with blogger-types (who "get it" even if they don't write about travel) and also keep spending time with those who are confused and questioning. Help them. You are in a powerful spot; it's just hard to see it sometimes. :) Darren, hang in there and keep leading/teaching. Many in the travel industry simply will not see that their cozy world (as they thought they knew it) is burning down around them. The UK seems to be much slower even than the US (which is so slow, it makes me crazy.)

You have broken new ground in the UK. Stick with it. I know it is tiresome to have to explain social media over and over again (I teach Web 2.0 workshops and I am not generally a patient person) but you WILL start to get traction. Some WILL begin to see, and you will be one of their guides.

The rest will soon get tired of having their butts and business models soundly kicked, and will start listening. I am seeing the wave beginning to crest here in the US – it’s coming your way.

Meantime, keep hanging out with blogger-types (who “get it” even if they don’t write about travel) and also keep spending time with those who are confused and questioning. Help them.

You are in a powerful spot; it’s just hard to see it sometimes. :)

Report this comment

]]>