If you’ve been wondering why I haven’t posted anything for a while, it’s because a) I’ve been super busy with Rezgo and 2) I haven’t had anything positive to say about the tour and activity sector for a while.  Since the release of the PhoCusWright report last year, that we helped sponsor, I’ve seen so many new tour and activity start-ups pop up.  But none of them have really impressed me much.  Some of...

My seven year old daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 (Juvenile) Diabetes in December of 2009.  Since that time I feel like we’ve learned so much about diet, blood sugar management, endocrinology, and auto-immune disorders.  Mostly, I feel like I’ve been given a wake up call, a reminder about what is truly important in life and where I should be focusing my attention.  Up until my daughter was diagnosed, I had been volunteering...

I’ve had the privilege of serving on the Board of Directors of several organizations over the past ten years.  I’ve learned a lot during that time including conflict resolution, running effective meetings, and the importance of the role that Board members play.  I should add that I have never nominated myself for a Board position, I have always been asked to join and, perhaps out of some sense of obligation, felt compelled to help...

Travel and tourism businesses have it difficult, they are often strapped for time and resources to really have effective marketing online. While there are several different factors to consider when you are marketing online (SEO, E-mail, Social media Usability etc..) this article is focusing on using a relatively easy one; Advertise on Facebook. Originally posted on Philipcaines.com Background: Facebook is now fighting for the #1 spot against...

This guest post is written by Graham Robertson who currently works as an operations Team Leader for a global online travel company and devotes an obsessive amount of time to following current travel news and trends.  You can follow Graham at his blog, Project Wander, or via Twitter at @Grayum_Ian. Its hard to go online these days without seeing someone talking about social media, or more specifically, how it can transform the way we do...

Come and join the Savvy Operator on Facebook and let’s keep the conversation going.  If you have suggestions, recommendations, or just want to ask a question about tourism on-line marketing, then post it on the Savvy Operator Facebook page. I know it’s new, but with your help and engagement, we can get this party started.  Fan the Savvy Operator and keep...

Prerequisites: Securing your on-line booking website is critical to the safety of your transactions and your customer data.  Whether you are planning to create your own booking form or you are going to use a web-based tour operator reservation system, you need to know what to look for to protect your business from potential security and credit card theft, and the hefty fines which may result. Estimated Time for Completion: 10 min reading...