Three months and counting… that’s all the time you have left to grab your data from your Facebook Analytics account! Facebook is eliminating this tool!

Yikes! This announcement from Facebook comes as a surprise to most marketers. More surprisingly, there is no solid reasoning or explanation from Facebook. What’s the fix? Tune in to the video for more details and work-arounds. Read the rest of this entry »

Lindblad Expeditions made an announcement recently that company founder Sven-Olof Lindblad is stepping down from his role as CEO. To anyone who has observed Sven Lindblad for decades and seen his single-minded dedication to his work, the announcement may have been disorienting. Could Sven Lindblad actually be retiring?

The thought crossed my mind, but upon thinking about it, it was just inconceivable that Sven would be backing away from the work to which he has devoted his life. It is not hyperbole to say that, for Sven Lindblad, his work is not merely a job or a livelihood, or even just a business enterprise, it really is a mission. Read the rest of this entry »

The Centers for Disease Control is pondering an offer from the Norwegian Cruise Line that may avoid months of haggling. If the CDC accepts the deal, the other two members of “Big Three,” Carnival and Royal Caribbean, will likely go along; lest they lose the rights to sail this summer from American ports. Norwegian Cruise Line’s offer to CDC Is:

Permit Norwegian Cruise Line to begin cruises on all of our ships by the Fourth of July, and we will require that everyone on board (including crew members and children) be fully vaccinated two weeks before each cruise begins.

Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings (NCLH) consists of three cruise lines. The only one that usually sails from American ports—making their health and safety provisions fall under the Center for Disease Control’s authority—is the Norwegian Cruise Line. It features large resort ships that cater to American families. Read the rest of this entry »

For advisors looking to cash in on group travel as the world prepares to reopen, the impact COVID has on groups is multiplying the complexity of organizing and selling these trips.

Some travel advisors are asking themselves if they should require vaccinations for all group guests, even when traveling to a destination that doesn’t require it. If they do, that could hurt sales with prospects who say they have no intention of getting vaccinated—about one in five Americans according to the latest polls.

If advisors don’t require vaccines, might the prospect of being in close contact with group members who aren’t vaccinated dampen interest for travelers who are? Read the rest of this entry »

As a marketing specialist who has made his living sharing ideas, experiences, proven systems and “mistakes to avoid” since 1984, there are a couple of messages I feel stronger about than others.

The subject of today’s article sits right up there near the top. There is no magic bean, potion, solution, or remedy when it comes to growing and sustaining a business in today’s competitive environment. That is not to say that you can’t adopt a few best practices as your own. And there are a number of activities you can pursue that will silently sabotage your current progress. Read the rest of this entry »

Every day, make sure you clean that litter box. No, I am not talking literally (unless yours needs to be cleaned…then go do it), but figuratively speaking, cleaning the litter box will help you get more stuff done.

What the heck am I talking about? Read the rest of this entry »

Seabourn is developing plans to restart Seabourn operations in the Mediterranean together with the Government of Greece with a series of sailings operating round-trip out of Athens beginning July 3, 2021.

Seabourn Ovation will operate a series of 7-day cruises exploring the Greek Isles. The voyages are scheduled to open for booking on April 12. Guests will also be able to book longer 14-day voyages, which combine individual 7-day voyages with a variety of different ports on Read the rest of this entry »

The jobs report from the US Department of Labor on Good Friday was a great Easter present, with job growth way outpacing projections, pointing to a resurrection of the economy. Dow Jones was expecting 675,000 new jobs. But we got 916,000, the largest number since last August. Unemployment dropped to 6 percent, down from 14.7 percent in April 2020.

Not surprisingly, the gains were led by the same sector of the economy that took the biggest hit from COVID: the hospitality industry.

According to CNBC, “Leisure and hospitality, a sector critical to restoring the jobs market to its former strength, showed the strongest gains for the month with 280,000 new hires. Bars and restaurants added 176,000, while arts, entertainment and recreation contributed 64,000 to the total.” Read the rest of this entry »

Passengers are tired of seeing ads and press releases that praise airline ventilation systems for being so effective. Ventilation systems won’t help if there are infected persons, who aren’t showing symptoms, on the flight along with others who are unvaccinated and untested. All will be at risk if they share armrests, bathrooms, access the same luggage compartments, and eat and drink unmasked. Also, no one knows how long vaccinated fliers will be protected, especially against new virus strains. That’s why the CDC urges fliers not to fly until they’re vaccinated, and has started to mention booster shots. There is evidence that clients agree with this advice. Read the rest of this entry »

As the world slowly reopens, travelers are finally turning inspiration into action. They are looking at the travel dreams they’ve kept locked down with them inside their homes the last year, and they are setting them free with family, friends and total strangers.

Years of research by organizations like MMGY and Destination Analysts shows that most consumers spend the initial phases of their travel purchase journey speaking to trusted members of their personal network.

They’re looking for ideas: “Where did you guys go in 2019 again?”

They’re looking for validation: “What were the beaches like at that all-inclusive in Cancun?”

They’re narrowing down their options: “Tuscany and Venice, or Rome and Capri?” Read the rest of this entry »

I am the proud owner of a new bike.  My old bike, a bargain basement no-brand, was shot.  Recently I started researching a new bike in anticipation of my purchase.  The choices were overwhelming.  Not only was a “good” bike much more expensive than the one I purchased eight years ago, but the technologies had changed considerably.

So I did what you might expect. I began visiting bike shops and I hit the internet to read reviews and research.   There are four dedicated bike-shops in Tallahassee all selling competing brands with little or no overlap in inventory.  Read the rest of this entry »

I was reminded of these three words while watching a TV show a few months back. It hit a chord with me, and I decided to adopt it as my new “phrase that pays.” Stay with me as I explain the significance behind these words.

I will tell you one thing right from the start. These words and the associated “belief” that come with them have nothing to do with hoping, wishing, dreaming, and any inherent optimism you might possess. The mere utterance of these three words will do little to make your “dream” a reality.

In my case, I repeat these three words to myself when I am feeling tired, frustrated or Read the rest of this entry »

Face it, we’re an impatient breed of animal. I ordered some note pads this morning on Amazon and to be honest, I am a little ticked I need to wait until tomorrow for the delivery. And had Amazon pushed me to Saturday or Monday, I probably would have stopped by my local Office Depot to pick up a pack over the weekend.  Because of the delay, I likely would have lost interest in the purchase.

The same goes for email. Read the rest of this entry »

“We opened at 5 am and the bookings were coming in fast and furious,” says Royal Caribbean Group chairman and CEO Richard Fain, referring to the response to the vaccine-required cruises that Royal Caribbean and Celebrity are offering from Bermuda, St. Maarten and the Bahamas in June and July.

In short, Royal Caribbean isn’t waiting for those free test cruises it was promising customers, in order to meet the CDC protocols for reopening (though see below for more on that). This summer, travel advisors and their customers seem happy to get a vaccine and wear a mask—and pay their own way while they do it Read the rest of this entry »

We love it when we’re right (and wish it were more often). In last week’s post, we suggested that additional cruise restarts would be announced before the end of the month. And no sooner than those words were released into the digital sphere that we got word that Royal Caribbean would be sailing from Bermuda. This is a first for Royal Caribbean. By home-porting outside the United States, big ship cruise companies are finding ways to circumvent—or outright avoid—CDC requirements that are attempting to stall cruising’s restart. Crystal, Celebrity and Royal Caribbean had already announced cruises from home ports in the Bahamas and St. Maarten. Bermuda is the newest twist, and we think it’s a good one. Read the rest of this entry »

If you’re looking for the ultimate travel-less, see-more UK destination, look no further than the Cotswolds. An area with Stratford upon Avon to the north, Bath to the southwest, and accessed through Oxford with a one-hour drive from London Heathrow; it’s the perfect place to park your jetlag for a few days, putting you in great shape for early starts and late finishes when you get to London.

Read the rest of this entry »

As we see the dissemination of anti-COVID vaccines into the population at a rate of millions of doses per day, and the relevant numbers are trending in positive directions, it seems appropriate to take a moment to thank the scientific community for producing these wonder drugs with unprecedented speed and effectiveness.

The vaccines are changing the world. Just as COVID-19 transformed the world drastically, the anti-COVID vaccines are changing it again. Not back to what it was, but to something new.

As we gradually recover our mobility as a nation, some aspects of our previous life will resume. In essence: life will begin again. The previous “normal” is not in the cards. But I’m pretty happy about the one that is taking shape. Read the rest of this entry »