Believe me I am alot like you with my direct experience helping my brother grow his Baja tour business an working with way over 100 tourism businesses and destinations, plus indirectly with 1000′s via my trainings, courses, videos and podcasts.

Looking forward to helping you make 2012 a record year.

To your success, Tourism Tim

Thanks. Doing your online course now. Listening to you and your advice, it sounds as if you’re talking directly to me. I have experienced a lot of what you talk about with problems. You could just insert my name into your message and it would be me.

Although my current business is not that old, I’ve been doing what I do as a guide and trip organizer around the world for 30+ years in some of the most remote wilderness and pristine areas on earth, Idaho, New Zealand, Antartica, , Nepal, Oman, to name a few, and now Mongolia, where I’ve lived and worked in national park management for the past 12 1/2 years. What I do as a tour business now, I’ve been doing since I was a boy, taking people out on horse back tours. Your advice is simple and direct and I see the benefits from taking it.

Cheers

No worries. Yes you are correct. I am on the pacific coast ( 1 hour north of San Francisco) and in the Pacific TIme Zone. The Grand opening for my new Tourism Marketing Success Course is based on this. SO @ 12PM PST on the 16th will be some time on the 17th for you all in New Zealand.

Here’s a time zone converter so you can know exactly the correct time:
http://www.timezoneconverter.com/cgi-bin/tzc.tzc

Although I don’t think I’ll sell out in the first hour or two, if I were you, I’d be sure to get in early

I Look forward Donna to helping you and your team take your cool Auckland tours to the next level and beyond!

To your success, Tourism Tim

A Big, Big thanks on the MASSIVE improvements to the Tourism Marketing Course! It is state-of-the-art training for those that like to see and hear effective, real-world tourism success stories and game-changing techniques. I thought the first version of this course was superb; the new format elevates the practice of tourism marketing to a new level of simplicity that tourism professionals can quickly grasp. I am digging in to this diamond mine and extracting those gems I can put into play this week! Please keep your information coming.

Thank you Tim,

Jack

Jack Ferrell
Tour Guide Florida
1338 Natures Woods Blvd
Deland, FL 32724
407-374-2352

I am from South African. a permit is allocate to me August 2011, to operate White Shark cage diving charters. I am 100% owner and not in operation yet.

Tim if u know of some who is interested to invest in my company? Email me.I am 1 of 2 new entrants from the 8 operates in Gansbaai habour, South Africa

Best regards

Warnick October

This is called “social proof”. It is critical for all tourism professionals to learn if you are going to survive in tourism

There are 1000′s of people who watch my videos, read my blog and emails who are travel agents and tour operators who may be interested in your destination and services… But first you have to convince us.

How to Sell to the Travel Trade
Selling to the travel trade is even more challenging than selling to the public because they require even more “Social Proof”.

“Social Proof” means you are a good operator, safe, have a lot of experience, references and social media reviews and ratings. These all support and prove you are a solid choice to do business with and you will not screw up my client relationships.

Does this make sense to you?

Would you love to get more clients from the affluent markets in North America, Europe and Asia?

Stay tuned. Watch my videos, read my emails and keep your eyes open for something very cool I am finishing up soon that will help you enroll more foreign travel partners.

To your success, Tourism Tim
PS Are you enjoying the video interviews? What are you learning?

PPS What is your #1 travel website marketing question?

Hope you are fine. We really appreciate your advices about our visit to the world travel market 2011

We are not exhibitors. We will attend as visitor and our goal for the visit is to get some buyer for Egypt.

We have updated our website last week and we add new language Japanese. We are talking about safety in Egypt in the social network as facebook and twitter, linkedin and other

The one thing I know is that in the tourism industry there are 10′s of 1000′s of people just like you and me who want to make a good living doing what we love in the travel and hospitality world.

I love helping people start, grow and prosper in their travel business and career because I have struggled too helping my brother Kevin start and grow his Baja, Mexico adventure travel tours and lodge. Now Kevin’s adventure travel company does around US$1,000,000 a year and his very profitable.

Attention John and current and future travel professionals:
What additional travel business, marketing, E-marketing, social media, sales, operations, management, PR or strategic planning would you like to know more about?

Please post your most pressing questions or concerns here:
http://www.travelbusinesssuccess.com/ask-tourism-tim-warren-your-travel-and-hospitality-business-marketing-and-career-questions/

Thank in advance John for “Liking” Tweeting and and Sharing this site, videos and audios with everyone you know in the tourism business. We are all in this together.

Few things brings me greater pleasure than providing solid tourism marketing advice, then seeing travel professionals like you Lucy, take action and get profitable results!

Good on you. And when you add the Tripadvisor badge in a high visible, near the upper part of your webpage, you will convert even more shoppers into buyers. I prefer the badge that shows a rating or two.

Keep on asking happy clients for positive reviews, get more high rankings and soon you will be a top rated tour operator in Granada!

Actively pursuing positive reviews and ratings in tripadvisor, AND Yelp.com and Google Places is what I call ” Tourism Marketing 2.0 Plus©” This process will increase your prospect inquiries, sales conversion, your search engine ranking and your profits big time!

Keep up the good work Lucy and thanks so much for sharing your thoughts, sharing my site with other travel professionals and “Liking” and commenting in Facebook.

See I practice ” Tourism Marketing 2.0 Plus©” too

If you want to get more traffic to your website, then convert these website visitors into clients, listen, watch and read everything on http://www.travelbusinesssuccess.com

Not trying to brag, but there’s over 60 hours worth of solid tourism business and travel marketing advice to help you start, grow and prosper in the travel business.

Best, Tourism Tim

Now work on getting your client to positively and regularly make their comments about your Go Granada tours!

Getting our best clients recommending us, “Liking” on Facebook, giving reviews on Yelp, and providing audio and video testimonials you can post on your site – all will help you convert more prospects into sales and $$$.

Check out the Tourism Marketing TV episode I did using audio and videos. It’s easy, fun and you’ll sell more tourism guaranteed!

http://www.travelbusinesssuccess.com/how-to-sell-more-travel-with-testimonials-tourism-marketing-tv/

The simple online system I use is http://www.audioacrobatnow.com

Keep me posted on your success. Thanks for sharing my site and videos, “Liking” them in Facebook and tweeting it too.

Thank you so much for the compliments on my site. Glad you have found it useful.

I have 2 initial recommendations for you to start and grow your tourism business.

#1: Targeting prospects interested in Sri Lanka travel is the easy part of tourism marketing. ( more later on this)

You can have all the website traffic in the world, but if your website does not communicate what you specialize in, where you go and why they should consider traveling with you — And you have about 10 seconds to do this– these web visitors are gone. Usually forever…

Your website must sell. Here’s an article on how to make your website sell. And here’s my step by step course designed to help all your travel marketing convert more travel shoppers into travel BUYERS

Granted I am a bit biased on my course. If you like my free travel business advice, you will love my course.

Listen to what many other travel professionals have to say about my tourism marketing course.

#2: Driving Targeted Prospects:
Nothing is better than Google Pay per Click advertising – WHEN YOU DO IT CORRECT. Warning. Most do not know how to advertise travel using Google Adwords. Here’s a free tele-seminar I did with Google Adwords Guru Perry Marshall.

Perry also has a free 5-day mini course on Google Adwords I highly recommend.

Don’t spend a dime on advertising your Sri Lanka tours until you help your travel website sell and you learn how to do pay per click advertising right.

Keep me posted on your success, Tourism Tim
PS Thanks for Sharing, Tweeting and “Liking” my weekly video postings

it helps to be married to a top executive coach specializing in entrepreneurial leadership, business communication and a focus on helping women be better business leaders and enhance their careers.

Check out here great online radio show, Women’s Leadership Success

Did you see the recent Tourism Marketing TV on using audioacrobat for online testimonials featuring your company?

Keep me posted of your challenges, successes and topics you would like to see covered.

To your success, Tourism Tim

john Adebayo

LOVED the interview, yes, I would be interested in seeing any others you might produce, and yes I liked this format. As a side note I could hear Sabrina better then I could you.

Keep up the great work and thanks to both of you for your tips as per usual they really do work!

Laura Howard
Beyond Touring Inc.
Meaningful BELIZE Travel

Being successful in travel sales is first about being totally in service to both visitors and travel professionals you work with.

#1: Access a travelers needs and desire
#2: Listen and make good recomendations based on the travelrs needs
#3 Only recomend and work wih suppliers committed to the same levels of service and excellence
#4 Get written, audio and video testimonails from clients and associates that refelct your committment to service
#5 Build a website that refelct your committment to service ( by using testimonials from happy clients)

Then you will be better able to market your information and travel services to the world.

I recommend this score card and check list to help you better plan, improve and succeed:
Guidelines for a Successful Tourism Business- Check List & Score Card

This online assessment is a great free tool I recommend for ALL current and future Travel pros to help them see where they are strong, weak, where and how they can improve their skills to be a success in tourism.

To your success, Tourism Tim

Myanmar tourism faces the same challenges as many tourism destinations in the world. Travelers Concern about Safety & Security.

How to promote and attract new visitors when the prospective travel and/or media perception (could be false or true) or current reality, is that the environment may be unsafe is a challenge.

Good news. I have some suggestions and an article I recommend below.

Having great tourism products and services are foundation. But they mean little if travelers are afraid to show up. Positively influencing the public perception of how safe or secure your destination is, is the job of ALL tourism stakeholders in your region.

Here’s an article I wrote on how tourism destinations, travel agents, tour operators and lodging, can and should communicate to the global travel prospect so that they feel more safe and secure, call and make bookings.

Let me know what you think about the article and how your Myanmar tourism professionals respond?

Safety and security ( natural or man made) is something that impacts all of us at some time.

Also check out the recent Tourism Marketing TV video I did on this topic and read all the great comments/ suggestion we got from fellow travel professionals on that page.

To your success, Tourism Tim

I think converting inquiries into sales ( money), no matter if it’s a call center, website, trade show booth, etc., is the biggest opportunity gap among travel professionals worldwide!

Everybody is so focused on generating leads, website ranking. etc, that they over where the real money is made, when a sales conversion happens via a human interaction, usually be phone.

Phone Travel Sales Success for Tourism Professionals
I do have some specific phone inquiry / sales role playing, coaching and training recording series I did with some tour operators. One had the same problem you do, low phone conversions on inquiries. The other rocked at converting phone leads. So I interviewed the high converting travel pro and got him to share his strategies and successes tips to help other travel professionals in phone sales conversions.

All is marketing is focused on “getting them on the phone so he can convert them”.

It is really good phone sales stuff because it’s real case studies, roll playing with different type of prospects ( some more warm than others…) followed up by coaching on how to turn:
Strangers into friends, and friends into customers” over the phone.

I never released it because I got too busy consulting clients But I know it would help people. Maybe this is just the motivation I need to get it out there…

I would be glad to offers some free consultation with you to better understand your specific travel agent environment, the challenges and explore if what I have, or can create for you would fit your needs.

Please email me at TimSells4U@comcast.net if this is something you want to explore.

To your success and increase travel agent call center conversions, Tourism Tim

Tripadvisor does not offer listing to travel agents yet … This will probably change. Stay tuned.

But I as a travel consultant, I would reference tripadvisor to assess your existing or potential products or destination you sell to make sure they have high ratings and good recommendations.

I can assure that your client are looking at tripadvisor listing on things you recommend before they make a booking with you.

Local Sites for Travel Agents

For travel agents, excellent online resources to list your services, get recommendations and help your ranking include Google Places, Yelp.com and others.

I will be covering them soon with tips you can use to help grow your travel agent business.

Thanks Anna for sharing my videos and website with associates and “Liking” my postings and making comments in Facebook.

To your success, Tourism Tim

I would be happy to know more tips on how online travel agencies can use TripAdvisor.

Thanks again and best regards,

Anna

Doing these tourism marketing videos gives me an opportunity to learn new technologies, use video as a travel marketing consulting tool and create a tourism marketing channel on YouTube.

Saludos, Tourism Tim

Better to learn from and help each other, diversify your product, created win/win relations, create a strong internet presences and build a website that sells, as a part of normal tourism business and marketing. This is what allowed my brother and me to actually grow our eco-tourism lodge after 9/11 and increase sales during the recent recession.

You can do. I am glad to help as I can with my videos, articles and just connecting our tourism community.

To your success, Tourism Tim

Working with and getting help from both non profits and for profits is good business all the time. And during a crisis, even more important.

Thanks Tony!

Everyone needs recreation and stress relief, especially after dealing with a disaster. Offering quick getaways for locals is great.

THis is really something we as tourism professionals should be doing always. Tourism and tourism marketing is all about relationships, in good times and bad.

SHould be on New Zealand Tourism boards site too. Just checked and there’s nothing mentioned about the earthquake and how they are helping potential visitors.

Your point Laura on “unstated fear” is spot on. All prospective visitors, no matter if it’s Christchurch, Thailand, or New York, always have some sort of unstated fears, reservations or uncertainty about their travel choice they are considering. THese fears inhibits or disable converting prospect into new sales or arrivals.

That’s why I am such a big advocate of using testimonials from happy clients to address these doubts and fears so you can increase sales and profits.

Creative marketing, business building and “giving back”all at the same time.

Every tourism professional should be giving back in some way to their community, staff or have some cause they support. We are all in the global adventure together.

One of the non-profits organizations I support is Kiva.org They provide micro-loans and mentoring to start up and small business in 3rd world countries. I focus on helping women owned businesses and tourism.

We book hotels for every one now, for volunteers busness people and some courageous tourists as well

Additionally we have diversified our self by offering tours outside Pakistan like Sri Lanka Dubai & Europe.

We have also launched a fundraising campaign for the Christchurch Earthquake Appeal under the banner… the ABC’s of Fundraising for the CEA…. Aussies for Kiwis… Brits for Kiwis….Canucks for Kiwis… you can find the info and links on our front page… tell the world not to forget about this beautiful city… cheers.

Not sure if this is appropriate for their business but we have managed to grow well by changing the focus of our business during the downturn and the earthquake from the inbound to the domestic market. I guess it is possible that there is a large domestic market in and around Christchurch that would like a break from the city and who can’t or prefer not to drive themselves such as mature travellers(seniors). Just a thought. Cheers Miles

also, maybe there is a way you can tie your product in with relief efforts. people can book your tour and at the same time help with relief efforts.

Our friendly team will meet you at the airport and whisk you away to the countryside in our comfortable 4X4. You will be staying…..

Gives the impression that they will not be in the earthquake affected area at all.

Try and link in to their programs by offering side escapes to those volunteers helping out and donate a portion of the proceeds to relief efforts. It will serve a dual purpose of both allowing visitors to decompress and see the countryside while they are helping as well as being a source of funding for the relief efforts.

Take care,
Marcelo

It is a excellent example on how they survived, then thrived after 9/11 and SARS by becoming more of tourism business leader.

She recommends having a emergency plan in place, a team dedicated to customer service, diversified niche markets, and strong marketing.

IN fact during the recent recession, as competitors re-trenched and scaled back on marketing, she doubled down and is plowing 50% of profits into her travel business marketing and IT.

This is a very smart move because the economy will recover and she will radically strengthen her tourism marketing position while her competitors fall further back.

We are all in this together. Keep your ideas, questions and needs coming so we can work on helping out.

I think those are very innovative ideas. I hope you do it. Please let me know if you or anyone takes you up on that offer.

Keep the great ideas coming and thanks for watching and “liking” Tourism Marketing TV”.

Best, Tourism Tim

I sincerely appreciate that you are bringing a story like this to light, and asking others in your travel network to respond. I live in Mississippi, and although we weren’t in the area when the hurricane hit, the Gulf Coast was wiped out by Hurricane Katrina. It was devastating, to say the least. And now there is flooding that is going to hurt lots of families and businesses.

One way to respond might be to document, with video, interviews, pictures and text, the many human interest stories that are a result of this emergency.

That documentation could turn into a web site (with lots of advertising for the local businesses), drawing attention to the area’s people and needs. It could also, if well done, turn into a downloadable photojournalist book that could be sold for years to come.

I would contact the travel editors and small business editors of major newspapers in the USA and ask for coverage of what you are doing. But, before doing that, you need to have a web site in place, so that when folks visit they find something.

Maybe choose one or two key small business projects to support through all of this effort, and publicize that. Show pictures of who will be supported, and how that support will be used.

http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/hurrican-katrina-help/

That was one idea I saw.

I would also seek to create a wikipedia page on the earthquake, and if there is already a page on wikipedia, I think they should create a web site, images, info, etc., and get their link added to the wikipedia page. It would get traffic and exposure to their site and cause.

There is probably an entire small business travel niche for responding to and recovering from natural disasters waiting to be developed from their experience.

If they contact me, I will be glad to put an entire page up on my site about their travel business, and they can write and share whatever they want, and I will link back to them. It is a start.

Regards,
Ray Harbaugh

Thanks!

Great questions I want to research with my Internet Marketing gurus to see what they recommend. I do know that article ( and video (submission software can be a real time saver and can radically magnify your tourism marketing.

What type of “road blocks” are you encountering?

Stand by and I’ll get back to you with an update on article marketing and submission software.

Keep your questions and comments coming.

Best, Tourism TIm
PS Sorry for your country’s recent loss from the earthquake ;-(

Keep them coming.

Best, Tourism Tim
PS Please share my video and website links with fellow tourism professionals. Everybody wins.

My experiences with my tourism business in New Zealand:
Big designer was charging me $175 per hour to make changes (format, not content) and charging over $100 per month for hosting their CMS.
Decided this was way too much so went out, learnt about open source, got a designer to make a WordPress template and this is now my site with the regular blog posts helping with my Search Engine rankings, hosting very cheap and I can get any designer in the world to work on it.
My site is: HikingGuys.co.nz

Big web designers and small tourism businesses are not a match made in heaven!

I have been following your site for a few months now, I have a couple of tourism businesses in New Zealand. Article marketing has been something I have been trying for a while now but always seem to hit road blocks. A couple of questions:
1. What would the top 5 directories be, in your opinion?
2. Have you ever used article submission software, would you recommend this?

Thanks

Travel Business Success is dedicated to assisting travel pro’s like you increase prospects, sales and revenues. It is not a forum to promote your tours yet.

At a later time we may create a forum to help connect travel suppliers like you with travel agents so everbody wins. Would you and others be interested in this?

If you have a travel business, marketing, e-marketing, sales, operations, or management question or comment that would help you and other travel pro’s, please ask it here and I will answer it.

To your success, Tourism Tim
PS Here’s a great article to help you and travel agents connect and sell more travel: http://www.adventurebizsuccess.com/agents.php

I don’t believe in begging for money. I believe in providing value, fun and inspiration. If and when someone is ready to take it to another level, I am glad to help. And it is sad when travel professionals struggle because they aren’t willing to invest in their education and professional development.

To your success, Tourism Tim
PS I think direct mail is an overlooked tourism marketing resource. http://www.travelmarketingwithcards.com

Online article publishing rocks for tourism marketing.

Creating content can be easy too. You can re-purpose existing newsletter content, or speak, record and transcribe your content and even record phone interviews with a friend on your topic and have it transcribed. This makes creating articles easy.

Keep me posted on your progress in article marketing.

To your success, Tourism Tim
PS Keep your requests coming
PPS Love it if you make some comments on youTube below the videos too.

THANK YOU

BOB

Online booking engines come in many shapes, sizes and costs. Some have large upfront fees, some with smaller upfront fees but with larger transactional fees. If you are doing a large volume yet, this is the way to go.

Much has changed and improved in booking engines. I need to revisit this topic and report on it in the future so I can you and others accurate info.

I have recommend Adventure Engine.com for my adventure travel related tour operators and travel agents in the past. I have some podcast audio interviews with Amber Hayes founder of Adventure Engine that will help you determine good elements to look for in a system.

Thanks for listening, watching and keep your great questions coming.

With gratitude, Tourism Tim

I like tourism marketing that you can duplicate fast and easy.

I am looking for and online booking engine that is not to complicated for the traveler and not to expensive for us. can you suggest something that might work for my clients?

Thanks so much,

Maryella

Any alternatives online listing directories you can recommend to Non US travel service providers would be great. I will be doing a review on Vayable.com and some other global travel directories in the near future.

Please let us know what we can do to make Thumbtack even better.

But until it does, you do need to
emphasize in all your marketing communication

what you are doing to help insure to the best of your ability, what you are doing to protect the safety and security of your clients. Communicate in your website, and via videos and articles your recommendation on:
- which tourist attractions are safer and which to avoid
- what your company and tour operators do to help insure safety
- Enhance safety by providing body guards if necessary
- Be the expert: provide regular updates on how to travel safely to Yemen
- Get your clients to share testimonials on specifically their safety and security while on your trips you recommended.

I am sure there are safer regions in Yemen more than others, right? Make sure you are communicating this to your past and future clients.

Mexico for the last 5 years is undergoing a drug war with 10′s of 1000′s of people being murdered. 90% of this drug war is focused on the border regions. Mexico has focused their tourism marketing on the many other regions of Mexico and inspite of the many murders, tourism is strong in non border regions.

Follow Mexico tourism’s lead, be the expert on Yemen tourism safety and secrutiry and show your clients the parts of Yemen that are safer.

May peace, prosperity and political stability be with you.

Earning top organic ranking is long term farming project that involves work not only key words, but on inbound links, updating new content, adding videos, press releases with links pointed at yoru site and more. And of course it all relative to the ranking of your top competitions ranking too.

That why I highly recommend you also augment your Organic Search engine marketing with paid per click (PPC) advertising in Google – ONLY if You Do It Correctly. My teacher and mentor in this is Google Adwords expert Perry Marshall who has a paid course and a FREE 5-day mini-course you can get here http://gold.adwordssystem.com/
Both are excellent. Do not spend any money on PPC until you check out Perry’s course. It will save you a lot of money and make you a ton of new bookings.

If you have a question on travel business, marketing, tourism sales or career, please ask it here.

Best, Tourism Tim

I recommend http://www.worldlingo.com/microsoft/email_translator.html for free translation.

International travel helps circulate currency and create sustainable income in globally. Plus it helps different culture have an appreciation for each other and understandin our diversity.

I do remember you and your cool tours in Galway, Ireland.

So glad you continue to grow your travel business and my tourism marketing suggestions and website marketing guidance have been helpful. Yes please send me a link when you get your new one posted. Be sure to move your top Trip Advisor ranking to the top of your page because it is VERY INFLUENTAIL in travel consumer decision making.

To laser target your best American prospects, I highly recommend Google Adwords. But before you spend any money you need to get some training becasue you can spend $1000′s with little to show if you don’t do Google Adwords right. My Google Adwords mentor for travel advertising is Perry Marshall. Check out his free 5-day course on Google Adwords http://gold.adwordssystem.com/ You’ll be glad you did.

To your success, Tourism TIm

Thank you

Michael Faherty

Congrats on your cool Segway biz. I like your marketing angle and I do have some thoughts below.

Be sure to check out my new online tourism marketing training videos I have started at YouTube:

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/adventuretim

Same focus on helping you succeed, but shorter and with hands on, step by step guidance.

PLease check it out, make some some comments and “Like” the videos. I’d really appreciate it.

Here’s some quick comments and I tore cartilage in my shoulder and at the moment, I am on some strong pain meds so bare with me…

How to Market Local Regional Day Trip Adventures

1: Tap are the concierges in the area. Donuts are OK, but a demo ride would rock. In the travel industry it is called a FAM ( familiarization trip). I would do a few with your the concierges first you are getting to know. Find out when they get off, and have one waiting there for a fun sample trip with you as guide. Back at the hotel, by them a drink, connect and leave them some NICE discount passes for his friends and family so he /she can look like a star.

Aslo find out if the regional concierges / or hotels have a regional associate or get together? If they do, once you have connected with a dozen or so, see about providing a Boston Glider trial at one of their event, Maybe a fun contest with prizes?

DO you pay referral commissions to concierges or any other reginal tourism stakeholder? Can be a nice incentive too.

A strong network of reginal tourism stakeholder could be a non stop flow of referred guests and profits.

Let me know how that goes.

Keep on listening, watching and look for announcments in my newsletter. I am going to be doing alot more fun and profitable tourism marketing webinars starting this year.

To your success, TOurism TIm
PS Don’t forget about ” Trip Advisor”. Set up a free account and actively encourage your clients to make postive comments – assuming your customer service ROCKS!

First off thank you for your podcast. I am new to this industry and it has been a real help to me. I have gotten a lot of good ideas and it has certainly helped me to realize new channels that i can pursue. I have just started my new job as Marketing Manager of a Segway tourism company in Boston. The business is booming but there is tremendous room for growth.

One of the resources I really want to tap are the concierges in the area. Little things have been done in the past (like dropping of dunkin donuts cards etc) but honestly i think the efforts have been more insulting that anything else. I really want to develop a relationship with the concierges so it doesnt feel like a take take take relationship…if that makes sense.

So, do you have any ideas how i can introduce myself to them and start a good working relationship with them? I was thinking about just stopping in and introducing myself and who i work with and then stopping back in a few times a week to get a feel for their likes and dislikes and then maybe bring them a delicious snack etc every once in a while.

Please let me know your thoughts when you have a sec. Thanks very much for your time.

Joe

PS: i heard on a podcast that you are into cycling and were looking to spend some money on a new ride. In my previous job I worked for Independent Fabrication (ifbikes.com) who makes beautiful custom frames for enthusiastic cyclist. let me know if you have any questions that i could help with.

Risala

Please reply back with the best possibilities for better business.

Thanks and Regards,

Chinmay Bagchi
Phone – +91 08272 200595

I am form Tanzania tour operator and tour guide owned tour company offer reliable Travel and Mountain Trekking Plc! Hope you are pretty well there. We are pleased to introduce ourselves, we are one of the indoor travel and trek agents in the tourism industry, which is located in the heart of Arusha [Tanzania] with a commitment of best travel /trek service provider. Further to this, we are equipped with the latest technical support and platform .We would like to associate with individual tour leader /travel agent/adventure clubs /adventure travel company for future benefits for both of us . If you have any clients who is looking for exciting and adventure holidays in Tanzania for the future . We would be pleased to help you and provide you our services with a reasonable price. If you are sending group or individual traveler toTanzania then we are your perfect choice. We can provide you with an affordable and competitive agency rates and we believe in quality service and budget holidays for your individual to large size group .

I definitely wish to have it run on ground and on net as well as prosper to an encouraging level.

thanks

It’s not your fault. I bet your expertise is in running tours, being a guide or working with local operators to provide your guiding and support services. Am I correct?

Running a tour company and marketing and selling travel is an entirely different skill set.

In order to sell your tours ( and this applies to all travel and hospitality professionals around the world), YOU MUST THINK LIKE YOUR PROSPECTS. WHAT QUESTIONS, CONCERNS AND NEEDS DO THEY HAVE WHEN CONSIDERING A TOUR OPERATOR CHOICE?

Although your safari website looks nice, it lacks what I call the “Big 3″ of marketing travel.

Your prospective clients need to know 3 things about your company when they visit your travel website ( or look at any of your travel marketing brochures, ads, tradeshow booths, etc.), and they need to know it in less then 20 seconds, or they are gone forever.

1: SOMEONE WENT BEFORE THEM. (Meaning you are an experienced operator and didn’t start operating last week). Your website doesn’t show me anything immediately that you and your team have much expertise in Tanzania safaris.

2: THEY HAD A GOOD TIME. ( meaning you run fun quality experiences that will provide a lifetime of fond memories.)

3: NOBODY DIED. ( Meaning your clients safety and security is your #1 priority)

Do not underestimate they critical importance of convincing your prospects immediately that you are a good choice and worthy of staying longer on your website, e-mailing or calling you.

If you have website log reports, I bet the vast majority of your website visitors, spend less then 1 minute on your site.

For a specific article on: How to Create a Travel Website That SELLS., go to http://www.adventurebizsuccess.com/business_articles_tourism_websites.php

I also recommend you check out my step by step guide, Tourism Marketing Success, specifically designed to help you turn your travel shoppers into travel buyers:
http://www.adventurebizsuccess.com/tourismmarketingbook.php

Your travel website also needs Search engine marketing to get better ranking and traffic in Google. I recommend for starts if you can get the domain with the following words in it: Tanzania-Safari-Travel.com

Since you are a specialist in Tanzania travel and safaris, and not competing in Africa travel in general, being more specialized in your web marketing and offering will help you on your journey to get higher ranking.

I am going to start doing some travel video website reviews and recommendation for customers of my guide, Tourism Marketing Success. If this is something you are interested in, drop me an e-mail.

To your success, “Tourism Tim”

I have decided to found Smart African Travel after being retrenched from my previous work, due to the global finacial crisis of the last two years.I am still not getting clients and I was wondering if you can offer me any advise on what to do.I a came across your name in 2007 when I was seaching something related to travel on google.

I am based in Arusha Tanzania, East Africa.

Looking forward to hearing from you.

Best Regards,
Alpha

I understand. It can be tough getting people to learn about your destination.

Good news. Lake Victoria in Tanzania is known about. now we just got the get more people using your tour services. I highly recommend you start publishing free articles online. It’s easy and it is free.

I have a free 3 part tourism marketing secrets course, including a whole section on how to write and distribute travel articles you can get sign up for at: http://www.adventurebizsuccess.com

Keep me posted of your success.

it is highly requested that im the admin manager of Times Travel uk….i want the marketing strategies with the reference of growth nd increasing the sale of company….i want to earn the profit at maximum level…so anybody can suggest me any proper way then im available to you for merging.

thanks.
Admin Manager,
Muhammad Sharafat Javaid.
0300-8041920,0334-4191991

I love reading your articles very much.

you once said “if you can’t have the best web do not have one” that is why i do not have.

Getting the best web designer/host has been a challege to me in Nairobi.

I need your personal intevention on the issue
regards

sam ngugi

Have been following your teaching/couching on the internet for 2 years now and it has really helped. Just wondering, having got some good ranking like when you type adventures on google(when here in kenya) we come on top yet little biz is coming. Maybe our site has a problem or what do i need to do?
Advice

Thanks & Regards

Ashish kUmar Dubey

TOurism staff satisfaction and synergy with management is problably one of the biggest unspoken challenges on opportunities for travel and hospitality professionals.

I would get your staff involved in co-creating with you a poll that they be required to fill out. Make it confidential. THe more you can engage your staff in the problems and solutions, the better the staff will be engaged in meeting your needs and theirs. I recommend the book by Hotelier Chip Conley: Peak: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo from Maslow.

Question on customer expectations. I generally say that 95% of the time if a guest has a unrealstic expectation, it’s our fault for not clarify clearly what they can expects –AND what they shouldn’t expect. And unhappy customers are an opportunity to learn about your guests, make them feel special and improve your communications.

The other 5% of the time, no mater what we do, we will usually run into customers that are just unrealistic or pain in the asses. THey just walk around unhappy. Dis-engaging them can be the best thing you can do.

I’d love to see your website and what you are offering upscale clients. And here’s a few proven strategies to get not only upmarket clients, but more clients in general.

1: Let your clients do your selling for you online 24/7 with audio and video testimonials. Word of mouth always will be the best form of advertising. I use and recommend http://www.audioacrobatnow.com ( free 30day trial offer at this link)

If you use video in your testimonial and the guest looks and sounds upscale and is sitting in an incredible setting, then upmarket prospects will resonate with it.

I also recommend getting your clientele to use upmarket review sites and magazines like Travel and Leisure, Conde Naste, etc. to give you positive reviews.

I have one associate who gave every guest a free subscription to Travel and Leisure magazine, then asked the guests to vote for his tour operation as a top operator. They won and now have a flood of upscale clientele…

2:Provide EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE and exceptional experiences that astonish your guest with more than they expected. See recommendation #1. Get them to give you a testimonial and refer a friend.

What is your core travel marketing issue or need that was not met from my ebook “Tourism marketing Success?”

I called and left you a message on Monday Feb. 8th so I can help you.

Sometimes I think the title of this e-book is too broad and maybe you have bigger expectations on this e-book than I can cover in a $49 guide. It is designed to help travel professionals with what I think is one of the top challenges and opportunities for travel professionals today: Sales conversions, especially on your website. All the traffic in the world does not mean diddley Squat if it does not yield solid inquiries, sales and arrivals.

Thank you for your tips on how to increase markert sales.Your website is really informative,I had gained a lot to improve on my business as a starter,really it helped me a lot

Thank yuo once more

I have enjoyed every bit of your informative briefs that you have over a period endevoured to send. It should be a taxing exercise always, but thanks for your dedication.

My question is, After doing a research and finding out ones failures in the business ad staff, how does one balance that within the operational capabilities, especially where the corrective measures are so unsustainable?

Similarly, how do you balance unjustified customer expectations and the realisitic business environment?

I eargerly await your response

Kind regards,

WASWA WAFULA

When you are ready to create awareness for your tour operation website, drive traffic and convert them into sales, then our articles, course and tele-seminars will help you succeed

karma

Thank you in advance.

Karma has led trips to all of the destinations listed on this web site while building a solid reputation with his clients for good service, good humor, flexibility and safety. See Testimonials. He has established relationships with the finest hotels, restaurants, transportation and camping suppliers. And he has a team of highly qualified people just waiting to make your trip to Bhutan the best of your life.www.go2bhutan.com

Most people focus on getting traffic to their travel website.

The more important — and profitable aspect of Internet travel marketing, is converting that visitor into a prospect and sale.

What your website says – or more importantly, what your customers are saying about you with text, audio and video testimonials, is one of the best ways to increase your inquiries, sales and reveneues from your website.

My book, Tourism Marketing Success is all about how to do just that, turn website visitors into increased sales.

CLick on the book cover on the right to be taken to in the info and purchase page.

Thanks, TIm Warren
PS Notice all the use of written and audio testimonials

Contact: 907.350.3710
info@trekalaska.com

Trek Alaska
PO Box 771862
Eagle River, AK 99577

So here we are, smack in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, miles and miles from anywhere. We stand on the shores of the Kotsina River and watch the silt-loaded current rumble past like a runaway freight train on a downhill grade.

I had scouted out this spot last night as the best place to make a crossing, but I can see that my crew is looking a bit skeptical, and more than a little nervous. There are lots of anxious looks and questions like “uuuuh… this is safe, right?”

“Yeah no sweat, this will be fun. I’ve done lots worse than this!” I reply as I think to myself “I hope.”

This is going to be a wet one with water at mid-thigh and splashing higher. So we strip down to our skivvies and put the boots back on. When everyone is ready to go we take our positions in the group formation and shuffle over to the edge of the current.

It looks cold – really cold. It is after all, being fed by meltwater from a glacier just a few miles away. Okay, don’t let em think about it too much, let’s do it.

“Okay guys remember, communication is important but screaming “oh my god it’s freezing is not useful communication, okay? Okay. One last thing, be aggressive, don’t be timid”

And I let rip the loudest, howlingest growl I can muster. They all join in.

We’re ready. Moving slowly we edge into the water.

“Oh my god it’s freeing” I scream.

But everyone is too busy trying to get good footing on the rocks and catch their breath to appreciate my attempts at humor.

We reach the main channel of the current. Whoa. It’s getting pretty aggressive. Hang on tight folks.

“Wait, wait. Oh god, oh boy. wait” – gasps from the team.

“Hang on guys, be tough, be strong, be strong! We can do this!”

The current is getting really powerful and the water is hitting mid to upper thigh level… on the tall people.

We’re almost through the deepest channel but the crowd is getting edgy and it’s time to break out the big guns.

“RRRRRAAAAAAAAA” I roar and they all roar with me.

Moments later we scramble out of the water – wet and numb.

Rick gives me a big hug and says “Thank you, thank you” through chattering teeth.

This is true adventure, not an artificial, pre-packaged experience. A nine day trek through untracked Alaskan wilderness – no trails, no porters, no huts, no one to rely upon but ourselves.

In the course of that time the group will meet the challenges of rugged glacier crossings, steep climbs up high passes, serious bushwhacking, route finding and of course difficult stream crossings. By the end they will know what it means to encounter some of the last great wilderness on the planet – on its own terms.

But for now we have to get some dry clothes on try to warm up.

We had a wonderful and very well organized time in Cambodia. Everyone is still talking non-stop about our visit to Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. Angkor Wat is amazing place we ever visit. It is un-credible object that emerges in the middle of forest with a huge and high archeological building which astonishes us and we can not tell how it was built. We were touched deeply by its beautiful sculptures/art work. Along our visit, your tour guide told us very interest and scaring stories after stories that carved on the sand-stone wall of Angkor Thom temple. More interested is during visiting to flooding village, a group of children were playing on the water by sitting on small plastic containers and skillfully propelling around with small piece of wood. Each children own small boat or small plastic container for traveling to school built on water. Your people is very friendly and humble esp. children who are sell souvenir stuff; they can speak very good English, Japanese and even they don’t know how to write it. We cannot thank you enough for your excellent organization skills and dear friendship you shared with us while we were there. Thank you, thank you, thank you to ALL AMARITA TEAM.

Love your book! I’m a travel journalist in Charleston South Carolina. My two fav recent adventures are:
**Swimming with wild beluga whales in Hudson Bay Canada!!
**Kayaking with a pod of wild orca killer whales off
Vancouver Island!!
Would you like my 400 word first person descriptions
of these life-changing wildlife encouters?
Yours in Wanderlust, Sharon Spence Lieb

Category 32 and 33

Suggested Titles:

- Experience an Aussie Outback Adventure
- Experience one of the most remote places on earth
- Travel through untouched wilderness in the Australia outback

Submission

In the remote East Kimberley region of Western Australia is a unique wilderness retreat so deliciously isolated you won’t find it on any map.

Perched on a cliff top over looking the Timor Sea is Faraway Bay, The Bush Camp, an intimate escape that feels like the edge of forever.

On offer is a rare Kimberley wilderness encounter, remarkable beauty, isolation and history – all set in a remote slice of outback Australia.

The Kimberley region is one of the last true wilderness areas on earth. Here, in Australia’s heartland, it is still possible to walk where no one has been before.

This 420,000 square kilometre tract of ancient red-rock landscape is three times the size of England – and mostly uninhabited.

Worn away over thousands of years by the torrential rains of the wet season, the sandstone ranges have formed beautiful gorges, permanent waterholes and stunning waterfalls.

Amidst it all is Faraway Bay, only accessible by air and boat.

Catering for a maximum for 12 guests at a time, all eight secluded cabins have spectacular views of Faraway Bay.

Meals are served in the open air ‘Eagle Lodge’, perfect for lounging, dining and daydreaming.

There’s a myriad of natural attractions on offer including untouched ancient rock art sites including the mysterious ‘Bradshaws’ dating back 22,000 years.

Daytime activities are as strenuous or leisurely as guests’ needs dictate.

There are rock pools and waterfalls to visit; secret fishing spots to discover on board the 13 metre cruiser Diamond Lass; crocodiles and dingoes to spot.

While the wildlife is prolific, the neighbours are not. With a maximum of twelve guests at any time privacy is ensured.

History

Pioneering hosts Bruce and Robyn Ellison discovered the stunning site in 1986 while on an outback driving adventure. They made their way 660km by four-wheel drive along rough dirt tracks after hearing about the area’s incredible fishing and views.

Six years later, the Ellisons were granted a lease over an area of virgin bush and in 1997 their plans were realised with the opening of Faraway Bay, The Bush Camp.

In early 2005 the camp was devastated by Cyclone Ingrid’s 280km per hour winds. With true bush determination and overwhelming volunteer support from passionate past guests and Kununurra residents, labouring in over 40° Celsius degree heat, the camp was rebuilt in just a month and opened improved and refreshed.

Throughout its 11 year history the property has been applauded through multiple prestigious state and national awards.

http://www.farawaybay.com.au

Ph + 61 8 9169 1214

Media Contact:

Sue Papadoulis
Bliss Communications
E: sue@blisscommunications.com.au
Ph + 61 (0)417 181477