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"The marriage of the Internet and the travel industry has come a long way..." This is a believable statement because in contemporary times, if you cannot find it on the internet then it must not exist. Having the internet has made it easier to plan a vacation and make reservations. There are many websites that can assist with bookings and offer the best deals for a cheaper vacation. There is no need to call the front desk and see if they are available because it is all accessible online. Technology and the computer has taken away personable agents because there is no need for them. As expressed in the article, "In 2012 for the first time, Russia booked more trips over the Internet than through a travel agent." With the advancement of technology and the ability to do things remotely, everyone can plan and reserve their vacation and not need any assistance.

Ecotourism is usually perceived as a form of alternative tourism distinguished in three ways from other forms of tourism. It emphasizes relatively undisturbed natural environments, it serves as a focus of attraction. Interaction with nature is motivated by a desire to appreciate or learn about the attraction. Most guests at ecotourism resorts aren't hard-core environmentalists, several people at Jungle Bay emphasized that they weren't "greenies," but they were impressed by the nature: the density of the rainforest and the views of Dominica's coastline, with its few swimmable beaches, ferocious surf and massive cliffs.

Nowadays, M-commerce and mobile marketing provide great opportunities in the hospitality industry. Hotels can utilize mobile commerce to hold reservations, promote hotel events, and also can increase general awareness of their rates and services. Currently, mobile technology continues to expand throughout Africa. A large amount of people use smart phones and 2G phones of low cost that allow consumers to surf online. Therefore, an increasing amount of people in Africa are using mobile technology to book reservations and make transactions. Some hotel brands aim to control this market and increase profit. For example, France base hotel group Accor has yet to enter the mobile competition in Africa and start to make a difference. Actually, there are lots of advantages to promote mobile as a channel. On the one hand, it brings lots of convenience to the customer to access all the hotel information and make a reservation wherever and whenever they are. On the other hand, it brings benefit to hoteliers too. The mobile booking process in fact saves online travel agency commissions. Guests can directly book from the hotel instead of from a third party. It can help hotels gain more profit, reduce cost and allow for easy access to hotel reservation website.

E-Marketing in the hospitality industry I found this article very informative and helpful. E-marketing could also be called Internet marketing, web marketing, online marketing and even digital marketing. In the hospitality industry, these marketing strategies are growing at a dramatic pace. Because this is making such a significantly impact behaviors by driving more revenues. The article explains the five main sections of e-marketing. 1) Search Engines Marketing * This is the largest majority of internet surfing allowing the hotel to drive targeted traffic to the company's website. 2) Sponsored Search * This type of marketing, is sponsored search corresponds to search ads through a bidding process on keywords. 3) Social Media Marketing * This allow companies to use websites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube allowing to take advantage of spreading any information or updates posted repeatedly whenever they want. It also targets a wide audience. In other words, it's the new word of mouth. 4) Mobil Advertising * This is one of the fastest growing e-marketing advertising. With almost everyone nowadays carrying a smart phone, this type of advertising could be critical to bring in new business for the hotel. 5) Email Advertising. * This is the most powerful e-marketing tool for hoteliers to use. It gives you direct revenue opportunities for past, present and future guests. Nowadays, online marketing is the most powerful advertising methods. All companies in the Tourism and Hospitality industry are competing to lead the online marketing techniques to order to shift the market to increase their online traffic and generate more revenues.

The most desired amenity is not a comfy bed, good location its actually something we can not without, fast and secure Wifi!  Studies show 94% agreed that above every other amenity they wished all hotels offer quality wifi. But not all hotels offer high quality wifi which leads to more spending to fix issues, and poor guest experience. The article mentions how to build a good wifi network from the ground up first thing is Security comes first. Creating a secure system for what your guests needs. Next, comes planning for capacity. Planning for this means plan for what applications your guest use. Then comes access point placement. Where should the network stream from that is the most effective?  Now comes listening to your guests regarding the wifi connectivity and keeping up with demand which all ties into choosing the right partner to setup your wifi connection. It is surprising that out of all the lavish amenities one would like 94% want high quality wifi. In these times without internet connection, it feels as if were in the stone age. The article talks about the importance of having high quality wifi for guests to have a great experience which we cannot stress enough of the importance. The first step of establishing a good wifi network is to do a needs analysis of your guests what type of apps will they use? If its normal email, surf the web you can build a standard network, but if its high data usage like video apps then you have to establish a higher connection. With all this having a shared network is always risky so you have to have the most secure network one can have so you don't Put your guests in cyber harm's way. An effective way for hotels to manage all this is to contract with a wifi company so they can manage, provide and upgrade as needed. So the importance of choosing a right partner that knows your guests' needs is important. Hotels rely so much on keeping up with technology from being able to check in online, manage hotel guests services, and j

This article summaries how tablets have made it into hotel guest rooms. It begins by discussing how tablets are an exceptional idea and it describes how unique and remarkable a hotel can be. Not only is it admirable for hotels, but it is also very convenient and easy for a guest to use. This software by Intelity is very impressive, it basically lets guests control their hotel room as well as other things such as surfing through the internet. The article points out how some people may differ and think why can't a guest just pick up the phone if they need something? They explain that guests have gone beyond the point of using a phone. For instance, if they need a valet service all they have to do is pick up the tablet and let the staff know. A key factor that the article discusses is the fact that with this tablet and software system, the possibilities are endless. In addition, it eliminates the need of waiting around for answers and gives guests information about the hotel hours, services, etc. The article explains that not only is the tablet extremely efficient, but that it also cuts down spending costs of printing numerous information. In conclusion, I agree with this article about the numerous benefits a tablet can bring to a hotel. "The iPad is the hardware, but the software will never be outdated. It's always the most recent application available, and that's important in staying competitive."

This is awesome! Last summer I stayed at Bed and Breakfast in Nantucket MA where they had an IPAD for every room. When you logged on the Safari, there was a homepage that lead to all of the activities that you could possibly do or take part in on the island. It included movies, restaurants, boat schedules, sunset times etc. This was a small Bed and Breakfast so it would be next to impossible to steal these tablets. I would worry that people would steal them. Unless somehow you could make it so you can't remove them.

I posted an article about how owner's of a restaurant used an Ipad as their menu! It is somewhat similar in the sense that both industries use this advance technology to be a main factor in their business. I am sure that you can find many applications in the Ipad to guide you to everything that you can find in the hotel you are staying. I think it is a great idea and it also cuts down spending costs of printing papers like you said!

Hotel Skypark central is lending out smart ohones at check in that do everything from open the door, tuen on and off lights and so much more in the room. Most hotels do not have technological advanes such as this so it proves quite interesting how much we can make a smart phone do

Hotel Skypark central is lending out smart ohones at check in that do everything from open the door, tuen on and off lights and so much more in the room. Most hotels do not have technological advanes such as this so it proves quite interesting how much we can make a smart phone do

The Article attached to this link reports commun issues found in hotel internet networks. The author mentions a study conducted with 38 hotels. It resulted that 33 out of the 38 hotels had flaws in their network configuration and allowed the researcher to access unauthorized information via the internet. We all understand that reliable internet connectivity is a priority for guests and business travelers; however, security is a concern that can't be neglected. Another reason to be concerned is that so many softwares and applications are stored via internet. Adding a password is a simple measure that every business should consider. Network issues cold not only hinder guests but the hotel as well.

According to the research by Cornell University, most US hotels are vulnerable to hackers. There are two main reasons contribute to the issue. One is the flaws in many hotels' network topology, making it possible for customers to lose their privacy. The other is careless employees provide access information to help hackers' breach. Ogle thought that WPA encryption, VPN and training employees are good ways to solve the problems. I think that if the computer networks of hotel are weak, the guests' password, email message or other private information will not be protected, and they will even suffer loss. So it is important for a hotel to use different measures as Ogle recommended to ensure the safety of the computer network.

this article is talking about the problem on the hotel network security. a author from the Cornell university said he tested wireless network at 38 hotels at the same time. he found that most hotels were easy to break into. moreover, as long as you use the Linux distribution BackTrack and a high-power wireless card and high-gain omnidirectional antenna, you can break into the hotel guest network and then get the password, email message and the website people are viewing. importantly, this procedure just cost 100$. this is full of loopholes. hotel manager should pay more attention on this problem. at the end of the article, the author recommend a security app called Wi-Fi Protected Access encryption. this app require the guest to enter the password if the guest wants to surf the internet.also, he recommend connecting to the internet using a Virtual Private Network (VPN), having updated anti-virus and firewall software and making sure each secured website starts with "https://" rather than "http://".

This was a quick reference article I found that compared 20 different Hospitality Property Management Software and Systems. The article quick links to all 20 and you can surf through them to see the advantages and disadvantages to your operation.

The article reports that the great majority of hotel guests desire to have state of the art innovation for their convenience, such as casting and voice interface technology. The type of innovation stems largely from guests being able to use their laptops or phones on the TV, while also access hotel services such as restaurant hours and possibly food services from the same interface. They assert. however that it is important for hoteliers to know how guests may be able to keep their identity hidden from potential practices such as "integration with the platform that may use this data for remarketing", integrate a system that can understand an manage foreign accents. It also brings up concerns of how to measure return on investment, showing a increase in revenue and that it is possible to update the interactions with guests once the technology is deployed.

In regards to Module 2: Post a hospitality/tourism network, telecommunications, or green related article, I chose to post about a green related article and found an awesome article of "Eight Ways Hotels Are Helping To Protect The Environment." In honor of the past April 22's Earth Day, the article displayed the examples for some of the hotels in the United States that were committed to aid in preserving the environment for the hoteliers and guests alike to keep sustainability strong for the respective hospitality companies as well as travelers who are striving to travel with eco-friendly options. Located in Oahu, Hawaii, the Turtle Bay Resort is home to an on-property horse stable, tennis and golf courses, a 15 mile hiking/mountain biking trails, many health conscious classes such as fitness, wellness, and even a surf school. With its advantageous beach location, water adventures such as eco-kayaking, snorkeling, and swimming enable guests to view many of the natural resources, mammals, and endangered species that visit along the shores of the resort. With all of the above activities, it is crucial for this resort to take especially good care of the natural resources that benefit the resort by attracting guests. With that being said, the resort team members initiate beach cleanups every month for about 5 miles of the beach's shoreline. As well, back in 2009, the resort developed a Green Committee to plan and map out methods to reduce the resort's carbon footprint. Some examples of this was adding solar roof panels, convert 70% of the resort's lighting to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs, initiated recycling for the entire resort, and changed cups utilized at the F&B outlets to environmental friendly options. Located in Leesburg, Virginia, The National Conference Center's food and beverage program partnered with local Virginia Farms to source their food from local farmers to enhance the consumer's yearning for the farm-to-table cuisine. For Earth Day, the company i

This article highlights the major shifts in the way hotels conducted business as a result of a technological advance. The first was the rise of Property Management Systems, followed after by the use of Web and OTAs. More recently, hotels have also had to pay attention to their "E-Reputation", and a result, the article predicts that customer relationship management tools will be used to enhance the client experience.

This article is talking about wireless internet becomes more and more important in the hotel industry. They provide some of the key considerations for the hoteliers that help the hotel to ensure they can meet the demands of their customers. There's a big demand for wireless access to hotels. Every customer would like to choose a hotel with a Wi-Fi service. Wireless become very necessary in the hospitality industry. The best wireless service that can help the hotel create the loyalty customers. Wi-Fi has become a standard amenity, therefore, the hotel has to find affordable and non-disruptive solutions to meet customers wants and needs. Currently, customers would like to use the smart phone and their computer to watch videos rather than watch TV. They are not just sending email and web surfing anymore. There have a strong needs of the best internet from the hotels. The articles showed us couple challenge of wireless in the hotel. First of all, weak cellular signal strength. In many hotels, for guests, it's not always can find the signal of their cell phone, especially in urban area. The customers can't have a good voice communication with others. Maybe because the location of that room in the corner and there have something will disturb the signals or building construction that will interrupt the signal as well. The solution of the cellular signal strength is "Make provision for both voice and data signals to be amplified." To installing that equipment that always needs the hotel to run a new cable in order to provide the good signals for the guest used. The second challenge for the hotels is "Cellular Network Capacity Issue". Since cellular companies continue selling the device for many years without expanding their network to meet their demand. For example, AT&T is the first company that realized this issues when there are sell iPhone and another cellular. Thus, it's very important that each device support connection to the internet by use Wi-Fi withou

The focus of this article is to point out why restaurants are targets for cyber attacks, what information hackers are looking to obtain and to identify what steps can be taken to protect consumer information. Hackers target a restaurant's POS system for the large amount of bank data it may record as well as any online banking occuring in the restaurant. The personal information from employees as well as any app or website utilized by guests, is prone to cyber attacks. The most important solutions rely on conducting background checks on employees and making sure that they are trained on what to look for. Restaurants can also put practices in place that involve using unique employee numbers, keeping computers out of guests' view, and using vendors with a stellar reputation.

PCI compliance, what is it, how to make sure you are compliant, why do we care?