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Social Networking and the News - Tourism Marketing http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/ News and trends about Internet marketing for news and tourism professionals. en Serendipity 1.3.1 - http://www.s9y.org/ Fri, 17 Jul 2009 04:33:05 GMT http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/templates/default/img/s9y_banner_small.png RSS: Social Networking and the News - Tourism Marketing - News and trends about Internet marketing for news and tourism professionals. http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/ 100 21 Tax controversy is opportunity for local sites http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/index.php?/archives/14-Tax-controversy-is-opportunity-for-local-sites.html Tourism Marketing http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/index.php?/archives/14-Tax-controversy-is-opportunity-for-local-sites.html#comments http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=14 0 http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=14 nospam@example.com (Jim Skillington) The news this week that Expedia and Hotwire have paid millions of dollars in claimed back hotel occupancy taxes to San Francisco may provide an opening for new marketing opportunities for regional magazines and tourism and promotion agencies (TPA).<br /><br />The San Francisco Chronicle <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/07/13/BU3S18MGEO.DTL" target="_blank">reported Tuesday</a> the two Online Tourism Agencies (OTA) paid the city $35 million following a California appeals court decision that the taxes were due. Priceline.com and Travelocity are also expected to pay taxes. The companies are expected to continue to appeal the decision. <br /><br />OTA commonly pay taxes based on the wholesale cost of the rooms. San Francisco and a growing number of other communities across the country, maintain OTA's should be paying taxes on the actual amount the consumers pay to the hotel. Even private owners of short-term housing properties are feeling the tax sting as some communities seek to broaden the interpretation of what is taxable under occupancy tax legislation.<br /><br />Similar legal wrangling in Columbus, GA, and Baltimore have led Travelocity, amongst others, to stop selling wholesale rooms in those areas and other locations around the country.<br /><br />Whether or not the OTA's ultimately prevail, as the tax dust swirls and the price advantage previously offered by the big online sites is no longer available, regional magazines and TPA's should consider displaying their listings of overnight accommodations in a more prominent manner on their own Websites. <br /><br />A new emphasis on providing the &quot;most complete list&quot; of places to stay with  coupons or special packages may provide a new marketing opportunity for the local sites. Rotating a featured a hotel, cabin or B&amp;B package on the homepage instead of simply providing a page of listings, may bring more viewers the the site and help emphasize that the local tourism Website is the authoritative place to get information about where to stay in that destination. <br /> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; display: none; opacity: 0.9; position: absolute; width: auto; z-index: 99999;" id="seolinx-tooltip"><table style="border: 0pt none ; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; border-collapse: separate; width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 0pt none ; margin: 1px; padding: 0pt; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold;" id="seolinx-table"><div style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; overflow: auto; width: auto;"><table style="border: 1px solid gray; margin: 0pt; border-collapse: separate;" id="seolinx-paramtable"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://toolbarqueries.google.com/favicon.ico" /> PR: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Google pagerank" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="0" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.google.com/favicon.ico" /> I: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Google index" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="1" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.google.com/favicon.ico" /> L: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Google links" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="2" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/favicon.ico" /> LD: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Yahoo linkdomain" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="12" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.bing.com/favicon.ico" /> I: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Bing index" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="20" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="javascript:{}" title="Sitemap.xml" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="40" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.semrush.com/favicon.ico" /> Rank: <a href="javascript:{}" title="SEMRush Rank" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="41" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.semrush.com/favicon.ico" /> Traffic: <a href="javascript:{}" title="SEMRush SE Traffic" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="42" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.semrush.com/favicon.ico" /> Price: <a href="javascript:{}" title="SEMRush SE Traffic price" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="43" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://siteanalytics.compete.com/favicon.ico" /> C: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Compete Rank" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="108" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td><td title="close" id="seolinx-tooltip-close" style="border: 0pt none ; margin: 0pt; padding: 1px; cursor: pointer; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;"><img src="chrome://seoquake/content/skin/close.gif" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <br /><a href="http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/index.php?/archives/14-Tax-controversy-is-opportunity-for-local-sites.html#extended">Continue reading "Tax controversy is opportunity for local sites"</a> Fri, 17 Jul 2009 00:33:05 -0400 http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/index.php?/archives/14-guid.html Swine flu and your Website http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/index.php?/archives/12-Swine-flu-and-your-Website.html Tourism Marketing http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/index.php?/archives/12-Swine-flu-and-your-Website.html#comments http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/wfwcomment.php?cid=12 0 http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/rss.php?version=2.0&type=comments&cid=12 nospam@example.com (Jim Skillington) Health officials opine that the (swine) H1N1 flu may return as a major threat this fall. <br /><br />In anticipation of that, the <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/swine-flu/5827796/Foreign-schools-cancel-British-trips-due-to-swine-flu.html" target="_blank">Telegraph</a> reported this morning that British school tours were being canceled. This comes on the heels of school closures in the U.S. last spring due to fears of the illness.<br /><br />One of the ways destinations and related businesses can prepare for the potential of a new impact from the flu is to add information on their Website about steps they take every day to insure germs are not spread such as placing bottles of hand antiseptic out for the public and their staff to use. Downplay the &quot;scary flu&quot; stuff -- the copy needs to suggest this is just one of the ways to do business with the public. <br /><br /><br /> <div style="border: 1px solid rgb(0, 0, 0); margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; display: none; opacity: 0.9; position: absolute; width: auto; z-index: 99999;" id="seolinx-tooltip"><table style="border: 0pt none ; margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; border-collapse: separate; width: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 0pt none ; margin: 1px; padding: 0pt; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 11px; font-weight: bold;" id="seolinx-table"><div style="margin: 0pt; padding: 0pt; overflow: auto; width: auto;"><table style="border: 1px solid gray; margin: 0pt; border-collapse: separate;" id="seolinx-paramtable"><tbody><tr><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://toolbarqueries.google.com/favicon.ico" /> PR: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Google pagerank" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="0" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.google.com/favicon.ico" /> I: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Google index" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="1" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.google.com/favicon.ico" /> L: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Google links" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="2" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com/favicon.ico" /> LD: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Yahoo linkdomain" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="12" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.bing.com/favicon.ico" /> I: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Bing index" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="20" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="javascript:{}" title="Sitemap.xml" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="40" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.semrush.com/favicon.ico" /> Rank: <a href="javascript:{}" title="SEMRush Rank" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="41" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.semrush.com/favicon.ico" /> Traffic: <a href="javascript:{}" title="SEMRush SE Traffic" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="42" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://www.semrush.com/favicon.ico" /> Price: <a href="javascript:{}" title="SEMRush SE Traffic price" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="43" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid gray; padding: 2px; background: rgb(240, 240, 240) none repeat scroll 0% 0%; -moz-background-clip: -moz-initial; -moz-background-origin: -moz-initial; -moz-background-inline-policy: -moz-initial; color: darkgreen; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; white-space: nowrap;"><img width="12" height="12" style="vertical-align: middle;" src="http://siteanalytics.compete.com/favicon.ico" /> C: <a href="javascript:{}" title="Compete Rank" seolinx-type="param" seolinx-param-index="108" style="color: blue; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: 7pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">wait...</a></td></tr></tbody></table></div></td><td title="close" id="seolinx-tooltip-close" style="border: 0pt none ; margin: 0pt; padding: 1px; cursor: pointer; vertical-align: middle; width: auto;"><img src="chrome://seoquake/content/skin/close.gif" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div> <br /><a href="http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/index.php?/archives/12-Swine-flu-and-your-Website.html#extended">Continue reading "Swine flu and your Website"</a> Wed, 15 Jul 2009 10:42:06 -0400 http://www.newvillagemedia.com/blog/index.php?/archives/12-guid.html