<p>In this episode, we dig into all things GDPR and try to lay out exactly what you need to know and do prior to the May 25th deadline. There’s a lot of information and misinformation floating around about GDPR and we try to cut through the noise and break it all down Fueligan style.</p>
<p>If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.</p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:</p>
<h2><b>What is GDPR?</b></h2>
<p>The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the new law regulating how companies handle and protect personal data of citizens of the European Union.</p>
<h2></h2>
<h2><b>When Will GDPR take effect?</b></h2>
<p>GDPR becomes enforceable from 25 May, 2018 and your hotel should be compliant before that date.</p>
<h2></h2>
<h2><b>Who is subject to GDPR Compliance?</b></h2>
<p>Any property or company that markets goods or services to EU residents, regardless of its location, is subject to the regulation. While GDPR doesn’t actually cover EU citizen’s interactions when they are outside of the EU, if the EU citizen books their stay from a location within the EU, then the data is covered under GDPR. As a result, GDPR compliance is required by every hotel or management group that allows EU citizens to book at their property.</p>
<h2></h2>
<h2><b>What happens if my hotel doesn’t comply with GDPR?</b></h2>
<p>Hotels that fail to achieve GDPR compliance before the deadline may be subject to stiff penalties and fines.  Depending on the nature of the violation, the penalties for GDPR non-compliance, which can be up to 4% of the violating company’s global annual revenue or 20 million Euros (whichever is greater). Much like the current regulations under the existing Data Protection Directive, the reality is that most companies who are found to be in violation will be instructed to rectify the situation without initially incurring fines. However, it’s certainly not worth the risk.</p>
<h2></h2>
<h2><b>What are the GDPR requirements?</b></h2>
<p>The data protection and privacy requirements of GDPR contain 11 chapters and 91 articles.The specific requirements depend on whether you are a data controller or a data processor. The most impactful rules for the majority of hotels relate to the following:</p>
<ul>
<li>Requiring the guests explicitly consent to data collection and processing</li>
<li>Clearly informing the guests of what’s being collected, what it’s used for, who it’s used by, and how long it’s going to be stored</li>
<li>Clearly informing the guests of their rights related to their data and providing them with a method to request copies of their data or to have their data removed at any time.</li>
<li>Safely handling the transfer of data across borders and between companies</li>
<li>Providing notifications of data breaches via specific channels and within specific timeframes</li>
<li>Anonymizing data to protect the guest’s privacy</li>
<li>Not using the data to preferentially serve segments of your database. I.e. no special rates for people from EU.</li>
<li>Some companies are also required to appoint a data protection officer to oversee GDPR compliance. Specifically, this impacts any company that processes data revealing a subject’s genetic data, health, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs, etc. and therefore will not impact the majority of hotels. However, there are a few things you need to be aware that could impact hotels and you should probably avoid storing:
<ul>
<li>Health status &#8211; could be disclosed in guest requests for special assistance</li>
<li>Religious/political beliefs or trade union membership &#8211; could be obtained by attendance to a specific event</li>
<li>Racial/ethnic origin &#8211; just don’t collect this info, and certainly don’t use it for targeting marketing campaigns.</li>
<li>Biometrics &#8211; if you happened to use retinal or fingerprint scanners</li>
<li>Sexual orientation &#8211; not sure how you’d obtain this, but you never know</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h2><b>Is my hotel a data controller or a data processor?</b></h2>
<p>In almost every case, you are likely a data controller because you “control” the data. If you are a flagged property, you may also be considered a joint controller due to the fact that both you and corporate control what happens to the data. According to the guidelines, you are a controller if you decide:</p>
<ul>
<li>To collect data in the first data</li>
<li>What data to collect</li>
<li>What the purpose of the data is</li>
<li>How long to keep the data</li>
<li>Whether to disclose the data and if so, who to</li>
</ul>
<p>You may also be a data processor, but so are many of your technology vendors such as your PMS, your eCRM, your booking engine, etc. Processors typically decide:</p>
<ul>
<li>What technology systems or other methods to use to collect data</li>
<li>How to store the personal data</li>
<li>The method of transferring data between organizations</li>
<li>The method of adherence to the retention schedule</li>
<li>The method used to delete the data appropriately.</li>
</ul>
<h2></h2>
<h2><b>What questions should I be asking myself about GDPR?</b></h2>
<ul>
<li>What personal data do we collect or store?</li>
<li>Did we obtain the data appropriately and did we have the necessary consent?</li>
<li>Did we clearly and unambiguously inform the subject of the specific purpose for which we’ll use their data?</li>
<li>Were they informed of their right to withdraw consent at any time?</li>
<li>Are we reviewing our data to ensure that we aren’t holding it for any longer than is necessary?</li>
<li>Are we keeping the data secure by using a level of security appropriate to the risk?</li>
<li>Are we ensuring that staff only have access to the data that is required for a specific purpose?</li>
<li>Are we transferring the data to any third-parties and if so, do we have adequate protections in place?</li>
<li>What measures are my legal team and my insurance companies going to require of me?</li>
</ul>
<h2></h2>
<h2><b>Does the data need to be encrypted?</b></h2>
<p>This is the most ambiguous part of the GDPR regulations. It’s going to be a decision you have to make based on your specific risk factors and your legal team’s requirements. If you only have a nominal number of EU guests, it may not be worth the extra time and cost to you. However, it should probably be a consideration for everyone. Hopefully, your vendors will handle this piece on your behalf.</p>
<p>Article 32 of the GDPR gives the following recommendations but none are requirements:</p>
<ol>
<li>The pseudonymisation (obscuring the identities) and encryption of personal data</li>
<li>The ability to ensure the ongoing confidentiality, integrity, availability and resilience of processing systems and services</li>
<li>The ability to restore the availability and access to personal data in a timely manner in the event of a physical or technical incident</li>
<li>A process for regularly testing, assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of technical and organizational measures for ensuring the security of the processing.</li>
</ol>
<h2></h2>
<h2><b>Hotel GDPR Checklist:</b></h2>
<h3><b>1. Designate someone as your Data Protection Officer</b></h3>
<p>Even though this isn’t necessarily a requirement, it’s still important to have someone on-staff or an external contractor that understands the ins and outs of GDPR and can ensure that you are compliant. If you don’t have someone on staff that has the knowledge or the time to invest, we strongly recommend that you contract a third-party expert to perform a data compliance audit.</p>
<h3><b>2. Map out your inbound and outbound data flow</b></h3>
<p>It’s important that you understand the data that your collecting and sharing. Start out by mapping it and discussing how the data is collected, what data you actually need and what data is no longer necessary. This can reduce your risk tremendously.</p>
<h3><b>3, Clean your current data</b></h3>
<p>Take the time to mark the data you have and understand all of those individuals that could possibly have provided information while in the EU. Reach out to those individuals and gain explicit consent for continuing to hold and use their data. DO THIS BEFORE MAY 25th, If you don’t, you’ll have to delete them from your database for ever.</p>
<h3><b>4. Update your internal policy manuals</b></h3>
<p>Every staff member who may potentially collect or process guest data,  should be aware of GDPR and its implications but more importantly, they should be trained to handle and use guest data appropriately and respectfully at all times.</p>
<h3><b>5. Update your privacy policies</b></h3>
<p>There are many online templates that can help you craft a compliant privacy policy, the biggest thing to note is that the language used should be clear and should avoid legaleze. At a minimum, your privacy policy should include:</p>
<ul>
<li style="list-style-type: none;">
<ul>
<li>What personal information you collect</li>
<li>How and why you collect the data</li>
<li>How you use the data</li>
<li>How you secure the data</li>
<li>Any third parties with access to the data and their purpose for doing so</li>
<li>If you use cookies and why</li>
<li>How users can control any aspects of their data &#8211; see the <a href="https://www.vividfish.co.uk/blog/gdpr-8-rights-under-gdpr">8 user rights under GDPR</a></li>
<li>Who the data controller is and their contact information</li>
<li>Whether or not you use the data to make automated decisions</li>
<li>What’s your legal basis for transfering data. &#8211; here’s the breakdown of the <a href="https://gdpr-info.eu/art-6-gdpr/">6 lawful reasons for processing data</a> under GDPR</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<h3><b>6. Update your data collection processes</b></h3>
<p><b>Online: </b>You should consider moving to a double opt-in strategy for all online data acquisition. If you’re not ready for that, at the very least, you should make it clear why someone is signing up, what you intend to do with the data, and how long you will keep it for. In addition, you should document all relevant information pertaining to the signup, including date/time, ip address, method, etc, and you should require them to check a box to indicate that they understand the privacy policy, which should be clearly defined right where they are signing up from.</p>
<p><b>Offline: </b>Also, at check-in, you should explicitly and clearly tell every guest what data you’re collecting, why you’re collecting it, what you’re using it for, and how long you’re keeping it for. You should also tell them that they can opt-out at any time. You should then obtain explicit consent from them at this time.</p>
<h3><b>7. Have a data breach policy</b></h3>
<p>In the event of a data breach, you must have a process by which you notify the supervisory authority within 72 hours and you must also notify the affected individuals and provide information related to the steps you have taken to remedy the situation.</p>
<h3><b>8. Create methods for guests to modify and/remove their data</b></h3>
<p>In the event that a guest asks for a record of all of their data, it must be provided in a standardized format within 30 days of the request. The guest may also ask that you remove their data and you must do so, unless legally required to do otherwize.</p>
<h3><b>9. Ensure that any joint controllers and authorized data processors are in compliance</b></h3>
<p>As a data controller, you are ultimately responsible for your data and you will need to ensure that your joint controllers and data processors are adhering to the GDPR regulations and you should update your contracts accordingly with joint controllers and obtain a data processing agreement (DPA)  from any processor vendors.</p>
<h3><b>10. Seek legal council if you are concerned</b></h3>
<p>Even with a designated data officer to oversee your compliance, it may still be a good idea to seek legal council to review your situation and especially your contracts.</p>
<h3><b>11. Test the process thoroughly</b></h3>
<p>Go through the process of providing your own data to your organization and ensure that everything is functioning as it should and that the data is being used appropriately and that you can modify, limit use of, and remove your data at any time.</p>
<h2></h2>
<h2><b>Where can I find more information about GDPR</b></h2>
<p>Simple google searches for ‘GDPR for hotels’ will provide plenty of nighttime reading. In addition, HTNG recently published a whitepaper and self-assessment for hotels that is very useful. Go <a href="http://www.htng.org/?page=technical_specs" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">here </a>and click on ‘<b>Applicable to most software systems</b>’, then select ‘<a href="https://htng.site-ym.com/resource/collection/CC1CE2B8-0377-457E-9AB0-27CFDD77E17B/HTNG_GDPR_Documentation.zip" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>GDPR for Hospitality</b></a>’ to download a zip file. If you are unsure about GDPR, then we strongly recommend that you hire an expert to help you through the process.</p>
<p><b>Hotelier Wishes</b></p>
<p>Kris Altman</p>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Would love to have a booking tool available to independent hotels (similar to the airlines) that overlays room rates on top of a hotel floor plan allowing a user to book the exact room they want. &#8230;. that and a room full of monkeys to execute on every little thing marketing has to touch. 🙂</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div></div>
<p>========================<br />
In The Newsies</p>
<p>Google Allowing Business to Remarket to YouTube users<br />
<a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-advertisers-can-soon-retarget-searchers-youtube-ads/242875/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-advertisers-can-soon-retarget-searchers-youtube-ads/242875/</a></p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Follow Us on Twitter:</p>
<p>@_travelboom<br />
@stuartbutler<br />
@makavanagh<br />
@pdimaio<br />
@pforiska</p>
<hr />
<div></div>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]</p>


Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode  82 – What Hotels Need To Know About GDPR Before It’s Too Late

<p>How should hotels be spending their marketing dollars? We Break down our top 10 lists of hotel marketing investments in this week’s Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast.</p>
<p>Digital marketing has made marketing so much more effective, but at the same time, it’s made it more complex. There are no right or wrong answers, but we try our best to use our knowledge and experience and debate the pros and cons of everything from brand PPC to email marketing.</p>
<p>If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.</p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:</p>
<p><b>Melissa’s Top 10</b></p>
<ol>
<li>Mobile first <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/booking-engine/">booking engine</a></li>
<li>mobile first website</li>
<li>Analytics tracking</li>
<li>Email</li>
<li>Brand PPC</li>
<li>Technical SEO: speed, meta tags, schema, mobile friendly</li>
<li>GHA</li>
<li>tripadvisor</li>
<li>Photography</li>
<li>Advocacy platform like flip.to</li>
</ol>
<p><b>Pete’s Top 10</b></p>
<ol>
<li>Rate Parity</li>
<li>Mobile First Mentality</li>
<li>Excellent Booking Engine</li>
<li>Analytics</li>
<li>PPC</li>
<li>Meta Search Trip Advisor (CPC, Instant Book, Sponsored Positions&#8221;HA!&#8221;), GHA</li>
<li>Loyalty/Rewards Program</li>
<li>Paid Social</li>
<li>Email</li>
<li>Listen to The Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast</li>
</ol>
<p><b>Phil’s Top 10 things Hotels Should Be Spending Money On:</b></p>
<ol>
<li>Property Improvements</li>
<li>Analytics</li>
<li>Brand PPC</li>
<li>Google Hotel Ads/OTAs</li>
<li>Training Staff</li>
<li>SEO</li>
<li>TripAdvisor CPC</li>
<li>Photography</li>
<li>Facebook</li>
<li>Non-Brand PPC</li>
</ol>
<p>(in my tinkering I removed email and forgot to add it back)</p>
<p><b>Stuart’s op 10 Things to Spend Your Marketing Budget On</b></p>
<ol>
<li>Hiring and Training the right people</li>
<li>Email Marketing</li>
<li>Super fast, mobile-friendly, ADA compliant website with a kick-ass CMS that handles all of the technical SEO stuff and seamlessly integrates with a mobile-first booking engine that utilizes psychology to reduce friction and nudge people through the booking funnel.</li>
<li>Content (Especially answering ALL the questions and great photography)</li>
<li>Guest incentive and social media advocacy programs</li>
<li>Performance Advertising (Brand PPC, lead ads)</li>
<li>Data and Analytics</li>
<li>Guest experience (Property Amenities, Events, etc)</li>
<li>OTAs, Meta sites and local portals</li>
<li>Influencer marketing</li>
</ol>
<p><b>Combined, the Fueligans came up with 18 unique items between each of their top 10 lists. Here they are in the order they came up within the show:</b></p>
<ul>
<li>Fuel podcast</li>
<li>Qualified Non-brand ppc</li>
<li>Advocacy platform</li>
<li>Influencer marketing</li>
<li>Photography</li>
<li>Email marketing</li>
<li>Facebook advertising</li>
<li>OTAs, meta search, local profile etc.</li>
<li>Guest experience &#8211; on property</li>
<li>Data/analytics</li>
<li>Loyalty/rewards</li>
<li>Technical SEO</li>
<li>Performance advertising &#8211; direct response</li>
<li>Brand PPC</li>
<li>Training staff</li>
<li>Content</li>
<li>Mobile</li>
<li>Rate parity</li>
</ul>
<p><b>Don’t spend your money on the following until the above are maximized:</b></p>
<ol>
<li>Display Advertising</li>
<li>Like Ads/Boosted posts</li>
<li>Third-party email blasts</li>
<li>Direct Mail</li>
<li>Blockchain/AI/VR</li>
</ol>
<p><b>Hotelier Wishes</b></p>
<div></div>
<p>None this week</p>
<p>========================<br />
In The Newsies</p>
<p>Room With a Brew:<br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/realratedred/videos/1750705941634328/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/realratedred/videos/1750705941634328/<br />
</a><a href="https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/press-hub/doghouse-ellon" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.brewdog.com/lowdown/press-hub/doghouse-ellon</a></p>
<p>Analytics Alert:<br />
Fuel client sees third consecutive month of more mobile bookings than desktop</p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Follow Us on Twitter:</p>
<p>@_travelboom<br />
@stuartbutler<br />
@makavanagh<br />
@pdimaio<br />
@pforiska</p>
<hr />
<div></div>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]</p>


Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode  81 – Top 10 Ways To Drive Direct Bookings In 2018

<p>Google is not known for keeping the status quo and if all indications are correct 2018 is going to really shake up the hotel space. For years we have seen Google continues to make efforts to keep users on their platform for longer and longer. In 2016/17 Google even became a full-funnel system with the rollout of Google Hotel Ads. Well, they’re not stopping there. Here’s just a glimpse of what Google has in store for hotel searchers in 2018.</p>
<p>If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.</p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:</p>
<p>There are so many sources talking about mobile data, but do the numbers all add up? What exactly does the data mean and how can hoteliers take action? In this episode, we dig into Fuel’s own data and compare it to data published by other folks in the industry to see if we can help you make sense of it all. Find out what we learned.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-travel-smartphone-usage/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/consumer-insights/consumer-travel-smartphone-usage/</a></p>
<p>Researching:</p>
<ul>
<li>48% of US travelers feel comfortable researching, booking and planning the entire trip to a new destination using ONLY a mobile device</li>
</ul>
<p>Booking:</p>
<ul>
<li>Across all devices, smartphone users cite price as the most important factor in booking</li>
<li>Easy search functionality and simple booking process were also mentioned as important</li>
<li>46% of US travelers said researching hotels on their mobile device was easy</li>
<li>Over ⅓ of smartphone users have a negative view of a brand if the experience is slow</li>
</ul>
<p><b>Length of Stay Based on Fuel Data:</b></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><b># Nights</b></td>
<td><b>Bookings: Phone</b></td>
<td><b>Bookings: Non-Phone</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>1</b></td>
<td>12%</td>
<td>6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>2</b></td>
<td>28%</td>
<td>21%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>3</b></td>
<td>26%</td>
<td>27%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>4</b></td>
<td>14%</td>
<td>17%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>5</b></td>
<td>8%</td>
<td>11%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>6</b></td>
<td>5%</td>
<td>7%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>7</b></td>
<td>6%</td>
<td>9%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>8+</b></td>
<td>1%</td>
<td>2%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><b>Booking Window Based on Fuel Data</b></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td><b>Booking Window</b></td>
<td><b>Bookings: Phone</b></td>
<td><b>Bookings: Non-Phone</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>0</b></td>
<td>11%</td>
<td>2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>1</b></td>
<td>7%</td>
<td>4%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>2</b></td>
<td>4%</td>
<td>3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>3</b></td>
<td>3%</td>
<td>3%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>4</b></td>
<td>3%</td>
<td>2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>5</b></td>
<td>2%</td>
<td>2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>6</b></td>
<td>2%</td>
<td>2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>7</b></td>
<td>2%</td>
<td>2%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>8-30</b></td>
<td>27%</td>
<td>28%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>31-60</b></td>
<td>16%</td>
<td>20%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>61-90</b></td>
<td>8%</td>
<td>11%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>91+</b></td>
<td>14%</td>
<td>20%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><b>Lower ADR vs. Higher ADR Based on Fuel Data</b></p>
<table>
<tbody>
<tr>
<td></td>
<td><b>% of Traffic</b></td>
<td><b>% of Bookings</b></td>
<td><b>% of Revenue</b></td>
<td><b>% Difference in Avg. Revenue</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Lower ADR</b></td>
<td>60%</td>
<td>37%</td>
<td>38%</td>
<td>-6%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td><b>Higher ADR</b></td>
<td>52%</td>
<td>29%</td>
<td>25%</td>
<td>-21%</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p><b>Mirai findings as a response to Criteo study &#8211; consistent with Fuel Data:<br />
</b><a href="https://www.mirai.com/blog/why-your-soaring-mobile-traffic-is-not-turning-into-bookings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.mirai.com/blog/why-your-soaring-mobile-traffic-is-not-turning-into-bookings/</a></p>
<ul>
<li>Trended over time, phone and desktop gap is getting smaller</li>
<li>The average booking window does not decrease at the same pace as the length of stay. The reason lies in the other part of the variable, the price (ADR), which still varies a lot for mobile clients in comparison to desktop clients.</li>
<li>Little advance time and a short stay result in a greater use of the smartphone for bookings. It registered for almost 40% of single-night bookings for the same day.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Bookings made well in advance for long stays registered a low use of the smartphone. Only 11% of bookings for 5 nights or more 60 days in advance were made with a mobile phone. This represents four times fewer bookings.</li>
<li>The lower the rate, the larger the use of the mobile phone to book. As the rate grows, the use of the mobile phone decreases in favour of the desktop.</li>
</ul>
<p>Our breakdown of the Criteo study: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-78-hotel-isnt-ready-second-mobile-tipping-point/">https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-78-hotel-isnt-ready-second-mobile-tipping-point/</a></p>
<p><b>Mobile Payment:<br />
</b><a href="https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2018/02/25/mobile-payment-will-shake-hospitality-sector-accor-ceo/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2018/02/25/mobile-payment-will-shake-hospitality-sector-accor-ceo/</a></p>
<p>CEO of Accorhotels sees mobile payment as a bigger threat than OTAs. China is 2-3 years ahead than the rest of the world, using Alipay and Tencent. Alipay has 520 million users; Tencent has 400 million. In 2 years, 90-100% of transactions in China will be mobile (no cash or credit card). For the travel industry in 5-6 years, 100% of travel transactions will be mobile.</p>
<p><b>Hotelier Wishes</b></p>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Ed St. Onge
<ul>
<li>My Wish is for every member of a Hotel’s team to audit the entire guest journey from search to post stay.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li>Loren Gray
<ul>
<li>I want to be as right as Ed is certain&#8230;.. after that I would say a magic integration tool for all platforms from PMS / CRM / Channel management / marketing platform(s) and website with the ability to centrally house for the propertie(s) their data. Oh and a real light Sabre since you asked 🙂</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p>========================<br />
In The Newsies</p>
<p>AI To Be Included In New Version Of Windows 10<br />
<a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/7/17089860/microsoft-windows-ml-windows-10-ai-platform" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.theverge.com/2018/3/7/17089860/microsoft-windows-ml-windows-10-ai-platform</a></p>
<p>Google Voice Search Ranking Factors Analyzed:<br />
<a href="https://searchengineland.com/study-11-voice-search-ranking-factors-analyzed-unpacked-293221" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://searchengineland.com/study-11-voice-search-ranking-factors-analyzed-unpacked-293221</a></p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Follow Us on Twitter:</p>
<p>@_travelboom<br />
@stuartbutler<br />
@makavanagh<br />
@pdimaio<br />
@pforiska</p>
<hr />
<div></div>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]</p>


Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode  80 – Hotel Booking Data Reveals Surprising Consumer Mobile Behavior

<p>Google is not known for keeping the status quo and if all indications are correct 2018 is going to really shake up the hotel space. For years we have seen Google continues to make efforts to keep users on their platform for longer and longer. In 2016/17 Google even became a full-funnel system with the rollout of Google Hotel Ads. Well, they’re not stopping there. Here’s just a glimpse of what Google has in store for hotel searchers in 2018.</p>
<p>If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.</p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:</p>
<h3><b>Think Mobile First Or Get To The Back Of The Line</b></h3>
<p>The 1st mobile tipping point, back in 2014, saw more web traffic on mobile devices than desktops. The 2nd and 3rd tipping points, related to bookings and revenue, are likely to hit in 2018.  Google is well aware of the clear shift away from desktop use and, for the first time, beginning to penalize sites that are not thinking mobile first.  What does this mean?</p>
<ul>
<li><b>Death to the pop up!  </b>Google has been penalizing mobile sites since January 10, 2017 for intrusive pop ups on mobile devices (<a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-confirms-rolling-mobile-intrusive-interstitials-penalty-yesterday-267408">https://searchengineland.com/google-confirms-rolling-mobile-intrusive-interstitials-penalty-yesterday-267408</a>). However up until now those ranking penalties have been minimal and the SEO world has not seen a significant hit to rankings.  Why?  The answer is twofold:
<ul>
<li>Web marketers have avoided getting rid of them en masse, meaning the biggest sites with the best rankings still have them in use and any penalty has not been enough to dramatically impact the SERP.</li>
<li>Google hasn&#8217;t broken out the big guns yet. Yes they have outlined  intrusive interstitial rules but they haven’t started the big crack down.  Will this happen in 2018?  Time will tell though for an independent hotelier, our advice is to listen to what Google is saying, avoid mobile pop ups, and find new ways to promote your specials and collect emails</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li><b>Your mobile experience will drive your rankings. </b>But don’t take our word for it.  Google representatives are quoted as saying, “Google will create and rank its search listings based on the mobile version of content, even for listings that are shown to desktop users.” This means if you have an amazing desktop experience, but drop the ball on mobile… expect to see bad things happen to your rankings.  We have several clients who are seeing 70+% of traffic from mobile, which means anything less than a true “Mobile First” mentality is going to leave you falling short to both your customers and search engines.</li>
<li><b>Slow traffic keep right. Site speed has long been a ranking factor in search.  Now that Google is paying closer attention to mobile, it is becoming even more important.  If you haven’t tested your site speed, check out a service such as tools.pingdom.com to test.  Then look into speed optimizations such as moving to a CDN, proper site caching, proper image and file compression, and optimizing for general coding best practices.</b></li>
</ul>
<h3><b>Voice Search, Structured Snippets and Schema Markup Will Grow</b></h3>
<ul>
<li>One in 20 mobile searches originates from a voice search… based on 2016 data! (<a href="https://searchengineland.com/google-reveals-20-percent-queries-voice-queries-249917">https://searchengineland.com/google-reveals-20-percent-queries-voice-queries-249917</a>)</li>
<li>With the growth of voice search and increase of voice results from devices such as Amazon’s Echo, Google Home, Apple HomePod, and others, hoteliers will need to be ready to provide the right data to search engines.  Primarily in the form of featured snippets.</li>
<li>A study last year of over 1.4 million search results found that over 30% of results included a featured snippet in the way of a quote, direct answer, table, etc.</li>
<li>What this means is any hotel site moving forward needs to have the appropriate markup including structured data and schema.org markup</li>
</ul>
<h3><b>AI and Linkless Mentions</b></h3>
<p>Artificial Intelligence is going to be a big buzz word in 2018, Google’s RankBrain is getting smarter every day and search results will change.  How will this impact hoteliers?</p>
<ul>
<li>Linkless mentions, when your site or hotel is included in a listing or article on the web, has always been frustrating to a search marketer.  In the past it was one of the big missed opportunities for an inbound link.</li>
<li>Times are changing, Bing is already tracking unlinked brand mentions and using them as one of the many ranking signals in their results. Google appears to be doing this as well, which means what was once a lost opportunity will begin to play a larger and larger role in overall rankings.  In fact, it may eventually serve as the most ‘conversational’ form of creedance a search engine can use to determine site/property worth.  If someone is sharing a great experience about your property, link or no link, it will help your rankings grow.</li>
</ul>
<h3><b>Security, Security, Security. HTTPS will influence rankings in July</b></h3>
<p>Google has laid down the gauntlet on sites and stated very clearly that starting in July 2018. If your site is not fully secure (https) it will hurt you in the rankings.  Not necessarily with a penalty, but the search engine will prioritize other fully secure sites over yours. IE: a penalty that’s not really a penalty.</p>
<p>The good news, going HTTPS is easier than ever and something you should be doing anyway.  In years past purchasing an SSL, setting up a secure site, and maintaining all your assets was a daunting process.  Lucky site hosts have been rolling out more an more options for free and low cost SSLs and making going secure a piece of cake.  You’ve got until July, and we highly suggest you get your web team making your site ready to take advantage of the priority Google is going to place on your site over your non-podcast-listening competitors.</p>
<h3><b>Google Hotel Ads (GHA) Gets a New Admin Interface</b></h3>
<p>We don’t know exactly when google is going to roll out their new GHA interface, but we are continuing to hear it will be very soon.</p>
<p>Now, like the rest of the world, we don’t know exactly when we’ll get the first glimpse of the new interface.  Though we do know through our AdWords rep it will be a separate system with a very AdWords like feel, not integrated into Adwords like initially suggested.</p>
<p>What does this mean for you?  Well we’re typically seeing ROAS for our GHA clients north of 500% with their current (archaic) system. We fully expect once we can fully optimize GHA campaigns on a more granular basis we will see a typical ROAS soar.  AKA: if you’re not on the GHA train now, buy your ticket and get ready to ride!</p>
<h3><b>People Also Search For&#8230;</b></h3>
<p>Finally, and not directly related to hotels, Google rolled out a new element of the “people also searched for…” box on the search results page.  Now anytime you complete a search, visit a result and click back (known as pogo sticking in the SEO world) Google will serve a box under the result you clicked for other searches.</p>
<p>We’ve known for a long time that Google wants to keep you on the results page, as well as sever the best results.  Now when you click a suggested search you not only get a new set of results you also get four more paid results to browse through as well, and Google gathers more relevant information for their AI.  How convenient.</p>
<p><b>Hotelier Wishes</b></p>
<p>Mark Simpson</p>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Sensible answer &#8211; I don&#8217;t know what it is like over there in America, but here in the UK, the independent hospitality owners are leaving so much money on the table by not investing time in email marketing. My wish would be for everyone to get on board with it in 2018</li>
<li>Or,  Speaking as someone who has run their own hospitality business over here, I just wish there was a tracking tool which would ping you when guests are thirty minutes to an hour away, so you know when they are going to arrive, so you don&#8217;t have to wait up/in for them every single day.</li>
<li>The snarky answer, ban all yappy dogs! They don&#8217;t do anyone any good =) I have loved every show I have managed to catch this year, here&#8217;s to another set of quality ones next year</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div></div>
<div>
<p>Check out Jeremy’s Tumblr page: <a href="http://jeremyrazook.tumblr.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://jeremyrazook.tumblr.com/</a></p>
</div>
<p>This episode brought to you by <a href="http://www.myersofkeswick.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Myers of Keswick</a></p>
<div></div>
<p>========================<br />
In The Newsies</p>
<p><b>AirBnB Turns 10 and wants 1 Billion guests by 2028<br />
</b><a href="https://www.tnooz.com/article/marking-its-tenth-year-anniversary-airbnb-pivots-to-a-future-of-1-billion-annual-guest-nights-by-2028/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.tnooz.com/article/marking-its-tenth-year-anniversary-airbnb-pivots-to-a-future-of-1-billion-annual-guest-nights-by-2028/</a></p>
<p><b>Priceline Group Changes Its Name to </b><b>Booking Holdings<br />
</b><a href="http://fortune.com/2018/02/21/priceline-group-booking-holdings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://fortune.com/2018/02/21/priceline-group-booking-holdings/</a></p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Follow Us on Twitter:</p>
<p>@_travelboom<br />
@stuartbutler<br />
@makavanagh<br />
@pdimaio<br />
@pforiska</p>
<hr />
<div></div>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]</p>


Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode  79 – These Google Changes Will Rock Your Hotel’s World in 2018

<p>Has the world not realized yet? Mobile is a big deal and you need to be doing everything you can to cater to the consumer’s desire to book on mobile. In this episode, we look at a recent white paper from Criteo and also dig into some of our own data to show just how close we are to becoming a mobile-first industry.</p>
<p>If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.</p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:</p>
<p>Criteo’s White Paper highlights some interesting mobile stats for the travel industry. Keep in mind, this is not exclusively hotel data.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.criteo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/18_Criteo_Travel_Report.pdf"><b>https://www.criteo.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/18_Criteo_Travel_Report.pdf</b></a></p>
<p>Stand out stats:</p>
<ol>
<li>45% of OTA bookings are Mobile (excluding apps) Vs. 16% for suppliers (aka: you, the hotelier)</li>
<li>30% of bookings were preceded by a click from another device.</li>
<li>Up to 80% of last-minute bookings are mobile</li>
<li>Apps account for up to 41% of last-minute traffic</li>
<li>Tablets account for approximately 6% of total bookings (we are seeing this number decrease)</li>
</ol>
<p><b>What is the second mobile tipping point?</b></p>
<p>There are going to be three tipping points. The vast majority of our clients have already hit the first. This is when more traffic is coming to their website from a mobile device than from a desktop/laptop. The second tipping point which will happen later this year for some of our clients, is here the number of bookings on mobile outweighs the bookings from desktops/laptops. This will be follow shortly by the third mobile tipping point, when revenue from mobile outpaces revenue from desktops/laptops.</p>
<p><b>When will the second mobile tipping point occur?</b></p>
<p>For some properties, with lower ADR and lower income guests, it will be December 2018. With the third tipping point following in early 2019.</p>
<p><b>Why do lower ADR properties seem to be ahead of other properties?</b></p>
<p>There are a few theories regarding this.</p>
<p>1, It’s a smaller purchase and therefore doesn’t require as much thought</p>
<ol start="2">
<li>Lower income guests are less likely to have a computer in their home and therefore they rely on their phone as their main device for accessing the Internet.</li>
<li>Lower income guests may not work on a computer and therefore don’t have time to do their vacation planning during the day.</li>
</ol>
<p><b>Fuel’s HSMAI presentation on the second mobile tipping point:</b></p>
<p><a href="https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_IDG4Slm3FeXEhU8HdTDRAVkkxDRPXGdN1xOWA31KZ8/edit" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><b>https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1_IDG4Slm3FeXEhU8HdTDRAVkkxDRPXGdN1xOWA31KZ8/edit</b></a></p>
<p><b>What can hotels do to get ready for the second mobile tipping point?</b></p>
<ol>
<li>Integration of the booking engine</li>
<li>Smarter search functionality</li>
<li>Streamlined forms</li>
<li>Use psychology like a boss. See this episode for more examples:</li>
</ol>
<p><a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/blog/fuel-hotel-marketing-podcast-episode-69-5-simple-marketing-psychology-hacks-increase-direct-bookings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 69 – 5 Simple Marketing Psychology Hacks To Increase Direct Bookings</a></p>
<p><b>Hotelier Wishes </b></p>
<p><strong>Anna Bowers</strong><br />
My snarky response would have to be the elimination of all OTAs but we both know that will never happen. That being said, I would love to see the amount of paper eliminated at check-in. I’m sure other properties have solutions to get rid of the paper stack that is handed out at check in (parking pass, property map, room key, discount card, etc.). We taut ourselves as being “green” but we give each one of our guests these bulky packets filled with papers when they check in. Most of our market is a drive market and this seems to me something that could be downloaded by John Smith on the trip down while his wife is at the wheel. Maybe the MB guest isn’t savvy enough for this?</p>
<p>Streamlining social media postings would be nice as well. Instead of having to post on FB, Instagram, Twitter, and Snap Chat (FB and Twitter at least connect), it would be nice if all posts were picked up across all platforms.</p>
<p>An unlimited budget and an inside track to how the powers at be with Google think would also be highly beneficial!</p>
<p>========================</p>
<div id="lp-pom-text-16" class="lp-element lp-pom-text nlh"><strong>PARTICIPATE IN THE 2018 HOSPITALITY TECHNOLOGY STUDY: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/tech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WWW.FUELTRAVEL.COM/TECH/</a> </strong></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<p>========================<br />
In The Newsies</p>
<p><b>Webjet signs travel agencies onto blockchain<br />
</b><a href="https://www.itnews.com.au/news/webjet-signs-travel-agencies-onto-blockchain-485319" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.itnews.com.au/news/webjet-signs-travel-agencies-onto-blockchain-485319</a></p>
<p><b>Google Updates the “People Also Search For” Feature<br />
</b><a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-search-feature/238169/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-search-feature/238169/</a></p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Follow Us on Twitter:</p>
<p>@_travelboom<br />
@stuartbutler<br />
@marketingmeisha<br />
@makavanagh<br />
@pdimaio<br />
@pforiska</p>
<hr />
<div></div>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]</p>


Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode  78 – Your Hotel Isn’t Ready For The Second Mobile Tipping Point

<p>There are a lot of buzz-worthy two-letter acronyms thrown around these days. None more so than Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Artificial Intelligence (AI), But, what do these things mean to you as a hotelier and how can they impact your hotel marketing? Tune in to this episode of the Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast to find out.</p>
<p>If you like what you hear, please leave a comment below, share it with your friends, and also leave a review.</p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>SHOW NOTES:</p>
<p><b>What is Virtual Reality VS What is Augmented Reality? </b></p>
<p><b>AR &amp; VR Growth &amp; Adoption</b></p>
<ul>
<li>According to EyeForTravel.com, the shipments of VR devices are expected to grow by over 400% between 2017 &#8211; 2021</li>
<li>Omnivirt.com estimates that there will be more than 171 million active VR users by 2018</li>
<li>Omnivirt.com discovered that 41% of adults are interested in trying a VR device</li>
</ul>
<p><b>AR &amp; VR Applications For Travel // Predictions</b></p>
<ul>
<li>AR offers lower barrier to entry → Will be the initial stepping stone for travel brands</li>
<li>Large brands will be the first to experiment with applications</li>
<li>Room tours, on-property navigation, destination experiences</li>
</ul>
<p><b>What Is Artificial Intelligence? </b></p>
<p><b>Artificial Intelligence Stats</b></p>
<ul>
<li>CMO.com estimates that 85% of customer interactions will be managed without a human by 2020</li>
<li>72% of business leaders believe investing in AI is a “business advantage”</li>
<li>Investment in AI increased 300% in 2017</li>
<li>By 2025, the AI market will surpass $100 billion</li>
</ul>
<p><b>Artificial Intelligence in Travel // Predictions</b></p>
<ul>
<li>Hilton is testing “Connie” → automated concierge powered by IBM Watson and Wayblazer; answer guest questions about services, amenities, local attractions, and more</li>
<li>KLM Royal Dutch Airlines → allows travel shoppers to receive booking info, check-in notifications, boarding passes, and flight updates via FB Messenger</li>
<li>Visit Orlando → Integrated AI into its web and app platforms to answer unique travel searches like “where to find the best brunch” or “places for local craft beer”.</li>
</ul>
<p><b>Listener Questions:</b></p>
<p>Hey Guys,</p>
<p>Someone just introduced me to a site called <a href="http://trvl.com/">TRVL.com</a>, which lets individuals earn travel agent commissions. They make their own booking page (<a href="https://lisbonfinest.trvl.com/">like this</a>) with the hotels, then share these recommendations with friends. If friends book, they get the bulk of the commission, with TRVL.com getting the rest.</p>
<p>Have you heard of this site?</p>
<p>The biggest issue I see here is TRVL.com uses the big OTAs for bookings, so in the end it doesn&#8217;t appear to help the properties; it just re-splits the commission. But maybe properties can benefit from the more personalized recommendations TRVL offer?</p>
<p>What&#8217;s your take?</p>
<p>Thanks and keep up the great work with the podcast,</p>
<p>Chris Blachut</p>
<p>Chief Unconventionalist</p>
<p><b>Hotelier Wishes </b></p>
<ul>
<li>Bob Applewhite
<ul>
<li>In an effort to radically improve conversion, it should be mandatory that all visitors to a hotel website MUST book immediately. Site abandonment will not be allowed for any reason — including but not limited to rate-shopping, amenity comparison, reading TripAdvisor reviews or other such time-wasting nonsense. The only allowable exception will be in the case of a property that is 100% occupied, at which time the site visitor will be required to book the next available dates, regardless of their preference, personal needs or vacation schedule — thus maintaining the perfect 100% conversion rate. Can Fuel come up with something like this???   Lol</li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p>========================</p>
<div id="lp-pom-text-16" class="lp-element lp-pom-text nlh"><strong>PARTICIPATE IN THE 2018 HOSPITALITY TECHNOLOGY STUDY: <a href="https://admin.travelboommarketing.com/tech/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">WWW.FUELTRAVEL.COM/TECH/</a> </strong></div>
<div></div>
<div></div>
<p>========================<br />
In The Newsies</p>
<p><b>Could Airbnb Soon Have A Loyalty Program?<br />
</b><a href="https://www.smartertravel.com/2018/01/17/design-loyalty-program-airbnb/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.smartertravel.com/2018/01/17/design-loyalty-program-airbnb/</a></p>
<p>========================</p>
<p>Follow Us on Twitter:</p>
<p>@_travelboom<br />
@stuartbutler<br />
@marketingmeisha<br />
@makavanagh<br />
@pdimaio<br />
@pforiska</p>
<hr />
<div></div>
<p>Submit your questions and topic ideas on Twitter to <a href="http://www.twitter.com/fueltravel" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@_travelboom</a>.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]</p>


Hotel Marketing Podcast

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 82 – What Hotels Need To Know About GDPR Before It’s Too Late

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 82 – What Hotels Need To Know About GDPR Before It’s Too Late

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 81 – Top 10 Ways To Drive Direct Bookings In 2018

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 81 – Top 10 Ways To Drive Direct Bookings In 2018

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 80 – Hotel Booking Data Reveals Surprising Consumer Mobile Behavior

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 80 – Hotel Booking Data Reveals Surprising Consumer Mobile Behavior

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 79 – These Google Changes Will Rock Your Hotel’s World in 2018

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 79 – These Google Changes Will Rock Your Hotel’s World in 2018

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 78 – Your Hotel Isn’t Ready For The Second Mobile Tipping Point

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 78 – Your Hotel Isn’t Ready For The Second Mobile Tipping Point

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 77 – Why Hotels Should Be Paying Attention To AR, VR And AI

Fuel Hotel Marketing Podcast: Episode 77 – Why Hotels Should Be Paying Attention To AR, VR And AI

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