Monthly Archives: June 2015

Link Friday: The 2015 Fourth of July Edition

Posted on Thursday, June 25, 2015 by Kate

Independence Day is just around the corner and it’s shaping up to be a busy one for travelers.

According to AAA, car travel is expected to be up 0.7% from last year and the highest since 2007, pre-recession.
It’s a little late to book a getaway requiring air travel for the Fourth now, but keep these spots in mind for next year – they’re places that are more affordable during Independence Day.
How about these 10 fun facts about the Fourth of July? Bet you didn’t know Americans eat 155 million hot dogs on this one day alone!
People love to go all out for the Fourth, but sometimes, it doesn’t end well. Enjoy these Fourth of July fails.

Link Friday: The Tourism Websites Edition

Posted on Thursday, June 18, 2015 by Kate

By now you know that a well-functioning, responsive, beautifully designed website is essential to your business. This is especially true for those of us promoting travel destinations. Let’s take a peek at some tourism websites sure to inspire you.

The Virunga National Park’s (in Africa) new website is gorgeous. It takes full advantage of well-lit, engaging photos, it’s easy to navigate and it puts visitor reviews front and center. Reviews are the big thing right now, so if you’ve got ‘em, use ‘em.
Less is more for Tennessee. Copy light and photo heavy, this website is images of one fun thing after another.
Travel Belize’s site literally unfolds as you scroll, revealing exciting adventures and leaving you wondering what will come next.
Using video as a website background can be super effective at selling a destination, when it’s done right. Australia’s landing page takes you on video adventures throughout the country, from dawn to dusk, before transitioning into a useful navigational tool that breaks the country into different regions to explore. Instead of continuing to scroll, you’ll be stopped in your tracks and end up watching the whole video, which equals more time on site per visit for them.

Link Friday: The Cuban Travel Edition

Posted on Friday, June 12, 2015 by Kate

For decades, U.S. citizens have been banned from traveling directly to Cuba and spending their tourism dollars there, but that’s all changing.

Technically, the ban is still in place, but there’s been almost no enforcement of it since Obama took office. Once the announcement was made to officially back off, visits jumped 36% in just a few months.
That said, there are a few things you should know about Cuba before you travel there. Like the lack of ATMS, Wi-Fi, air conditioning and sometimes even the essentials. Oh and bring a paper map.
Here’s a handy guide to how much you’ll be spending once you’re on the ground.
Check out this hip itinerary of the best things to see and do in Havana.

Link Friday: European Travel

Posted on Thursday, June 4, 2015 by Kate

Summer travel is expected to reach record levels this year. And as it turns out, European travel is the most affordable it’s been in years as well.

That’s because the euro is falling fast against the dollar. And the U.S. economy is doing better than Europe’s. All this translates into a better deal for travelers.
Better deals mean bigger crowds though, so visitors need to plan ahead – buy your tickets in advance whenever possible, prepare for lines and consider visiting some more obscure attractions.
The cost, of course, depends in part on where you leave the U.S. from. And that price can vary by hundreds of dollars, even when you’re talking all major departure cities.
Word is Istanbul is the cheapest European place to visit this summer, but Romania and Poland are top contenders too. Check out this chart for the average costs of a week-long trip to different cities in Europe.

Pilch & Barnet

Leaders in Destination Marketing