TODAY: Phuket sees hotel cancellations after ferry disaster, Google Hotel Ads joins Google Ads and The Evolution of Travelling - From Leisure to Luxury.

Phuket sees hotel cancellations after ferry disaster
Tuesday, 17th July 2018

So far, 7,300 Phuket hotel room bookings for July and August have been cancelled by Chinese tourists, while tourism industry seeks tough measures to protect reputation after boat tragedy.

Industry insiders say the numbers are likely to increase as more hotels report their booking status. Chinese account for as many as 3 million tourists in Phuket per year, while on average some 10 million Chinese tourists visit Thailand every year >>

Emirates pioneers web virtual reality technology
17 Jul 2018 : Emirates has introduced 3D seat models on their website, becoming the first airline to introduce web virtual reality (VR) technology on its digital platform >>

IHG signs InterContinental Colombo
17 Jul 2018 : InterContinental Hotels Group has signed a management agreement with Pearl Grand Tower Hotel Limited, to bring back the InterContinental brand to the Sri Lankan capital, due to open in 2019, InterContinental® Colombo will feature 307 rooms >>

Rotana inaugurates additional Global Sales Offices
17 Jul 2018 : Rotana has announced the inauguration of three new Global Sales Offices in Paris, Milan and Amsterdam in line with its expansion plans >>

Google Hotel Ads joins Google Ads
17 Jul 2018 : In 2010, Google started showing hotel information in a more useful way with sponsored hotel prices in Google Maps and since then, the company expanded Google Hotel ads to more than 150 countries on Google >>

HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE

The Evolution of Travelling - From Leisure to Luxury
Tuesday, 17th July 2018

World outbound travel is booming and the luxury travel sector, in particular, has embarked on a paramount transformation fueled by changing consumer preferences that will have far-reaching ripple effects in the years to come.

While luxury travel only accounts for 7% of all international trips, it encompasses nearly one-fifth of global travel spending due to its high prices >>

Take The Minimalist Approach
It is said that it takes seven seconds to make a good first impression. The moment that you encounter with a stranger, it is those seven seconds in which you determine whether they are likable, trustworthy or someone to be avoided completely and the same method applies to your hotel’s website >>

From Tech Dependent to Tech Savvy: How Hotels Can Get Ahead of the Curve
Patrick Fisher of Thomson Reuters notes that, 'As technologies become more and more pervasive across industries and functions, companies as varied as Goldman Sachs, Exxon, GE, Citi, and Walmart are all becoming technology companies as well'. Hotels may not be peddling technology, but they are profiting off of their ability to offer guests innovative technology solutions as well as their ability to use technology to do better business >>