Technology

HILTON EMBRACES MOBILE MESSAGING FOR GUESTS

Late check-out request. Extra pillows. Wine glasses. Replacement toothbrush. Just send a text. To support the growing need for frictionless travel and introduce easier ways for guests to engage with hotel teams, Hilton is expanding its mobile messaging platform to its more than 7,000 Hilton properties worldwide by the end of 2024.

BUSINESS DIGEST: Tips for building brand awareness

Building brand awareness is essential for long-term success in today’s competitive business landscape. Public relations is an essential tool in shaping how the public perceives a brand. Here are some tips to help you succeed in the brand awareness game.

DIGITAL DIGEST: A 2024 website update guide

The start of a new year is a perfect time to review brand and marketing collateral for potential updates and optimizations, and what better place to start than your website? Devices, technology, and user behaviour change regularly, so staying current is critical. Here are some ideas for staying up to date.

BUSINESS DIGEST: The pitfalls of slashing PR and marketing budgets

In times of economic uncertainty, it’s not uncommon for business owners to tighten their belts and cut costs wherever possible. Unfortunately, one area that often falls victim to budget reductions is public relations and marketing. Some view it as an “extra expense” rather than a strategic investment.

ACV UNVEILS NEW GROUP QUOTING TOOL

Following a soft launch last week, Air Canada Vacations has officially unveiled its new Group Quoting Tool, offering travel advisors the capability to easily create and manage their group quotes.

DIGITAL DIGEST: The digital case study 2024

As the new year begins, evaluating your performance for 2023 is essential to understanding how 2024 will shape up. Whether you are an agency, a brand, or an entrepreneur, crafting your digital media report will unearth functional insights and also help to align expectations for the coming year.

DIGITAL DIGEST: The power of AI and human perspectives

AI or Artificial Intelligence is a powerful tool for content production, including articles, images, and videos. However, it requires not only intelligent input from the user, but also a keen eye to understand the product. AI is only part of the solution because it’s the human element that makes it powerful and effective. Here’s a guide to understanding the balance.

DIGITAL DIGEST: PR tips for the holiday season

With the closing of 2023 just around the corner, one message is clear: Don’t let the holiday season be a signal to wind down PR efforts. Instead of succumbing to the temptation of festive relaxation, seize the opportunity to set the stage for a successful 2024. During the holidays, winding down pitching efforts is a mistake.

DIGITAL DIGEST: Maximizing online presence

In the dynamic world of travel and tourism, keeping the Press Room pages of websites up to date is crucial, not only for the convenience of the media but also for enhancing a website’s search engine optimization (SEO) performance.

DIGITAL DIGEST: Webinars – why and how?

Webinars have been around for a while and have become an essential communication tool for disseminating knowledge, promoting products, or connecting with a wider audience. What makes them great, due to their digital nature, is accessibility, cost-efficiency, and above all, interactivity.

ENDURING, CONSCIOUS, DIGITIZED: Keeping up with changing travellers

Leading hotel commerce platform SiteMinder, has released the 2023 edition of what it says is the world’s largest consumer research on accommodation. Among its notable findings are the continued dependence of travellers on both new and familiar technologies (and devices) – from artificial intelligence to social media and the Web – in the travel planning and booking process.

DIGITAL DIGEST: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence

Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) are among the most frequently used phrases in business today. In simple terms, machine learning entails a machine or system using processes and algorithms to learn a solution to a problem, while AI mimics human intelligence to do the same. It’s more complex than this explanation but adopting some of these technologies today will give your business the early-mover advantage with years of benefits.

THE REAL THING: There’s no AI in I at Travel Industry Today

We don’t use AI. Indeed, Travel Industry Today produces content the old-fashioned way – by real people, who really travel, and through travel industry sources cultivated literally for decades. I mention this because a just-released survey by The Canadian Journalism Foundation reports that fully one-half of Canadians admit they are not confident in their ability to distinguish between fake news generated by AI and human-produced content.

DIGITAL DIGEST: Cybersecurity best practices for work at home

The pandemic brought major work culture changes worldwide and a few of those changes are here to stay. Work from home (WFH) or the remote working concept has been around for a while, but the pace has picked up post-pandemic. Today we highlight the best cybersecurity practices for remote workers.

DIGITAL DIGEST: The importance of keyword planning for search

Keyword planning is one of the basics of a great digital strategy. It means research and analysis on words that are relevant to your brand and target group (TG). The better and richer the keyword planning, the easier it is for the audience to find you.

WILD CARD: Cybersecurity issue causes big problems at MGM Resorts

MGM Resorts said in a statement Monday that it had “recently identified a cybersecurity issue affecting some of the Company’s systems.” The issue was not described, but the statement said efforts to protect data included “shutting down certain systems.” It said the investigation was continuing. By Monday evening, the websites for all MGM Resorts International were offline with only a post offering telephone contacts for the various resorts’ locations.

CARNIVAL EXPANDS USE OF FACIAL BIOMETRIC TECHNOLOGY

Carnival Cruise Line continues to expand the use of facial biometric technology to expedite the debarkation process and its partnership with US Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The cruise lines says over three million guests have already used utilized the new technology, with helps make disembarking from ships faster and easier.

ACTA WEBINARS TAKE AIM AT NDC CONFUSION

Citing “significant confusion” among travel advisors, ACTA is hosting two webinars – one with Air Canada and one with Amadeus – to help explain the impact of Air Canada’s New Distribution Technology (NDC).

DIGITAL DIGEST: The importance of cybersecurity

In today’s digital age, with the increased reliance on technology for professional and personal use, cybersecurity is more important than ever. Networks and data are under constant threat and need to be monitored diligently, while security measures need to be resourced adequately to ensure digital safety.

THE FACE OF FUTURE TRAVEL: But biometric ID prompts privacy concerns

A passenger walks up to an airport security checkpoint, slips an ID card into a slot and looks into a camera atop a small screen. The screen flashes “Photo Complete” and the person walks through – all without having to hand over their identification to the customs officer sitting behind the screen.

NEW RETAIL OPPORTUNITIES: Air Canada, Amadeus expand partnership

Citing New Distribution Capability (NDC) technology’s ability to create new retailing opportunities for airlines around the world, Air Canada and Amadeus say that an expansion of their long-standing partnership will allow travel sellers to benefit from a long-term roadmap that offers additional features and new content.

A NEW APPROACH: Business looks at new world of work and expenses

Nearly nine in 10 finance managers would welcome an AI-powered future for expense management solutions according to a new survey which further revealed a host of priorities for expense management. More than 90% say it has affected the process in some way.

APPY DAYS: Air Transat unveils mobile app makeover

If you haven’t tried Transat’s mobile app for awhile, now’s the time, as the airline has unveiled a fresh interface and new features, all designed to simplify the user experience.

GENERATION GAP: The influence of social media on your clients

Social media influencers are inspiring one in five young travellers to head off on holiday – but their impact drops dramatically over the generations, new research shows. At the same time, that same demographic is the most likely to book with a travel agent.

WHY BOOKING ON YOUR PHONE IS A BAD IDEA

Since the first iPhone launched 15 years ago, consumer shopping habits have slowly but relentlessly shifted toward mobile devices. According to a recent survey of 3,250 consumers from Pymnts.com, a website dedicated to analyzing the role of payments in new tech, the majority of travel service purchases (51.4%) were made on a mobile device.

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