How do families plan their vacations?

NEWSFEED

April 13, 2017

Family Travel Search Trends - How do families plan their vacations?

By Carolyn Murphy of Revinate

Today's families are busy and stressed, and longing to get away. According to AAA, more than one third of American families are planning to take a trip in the next year.

We already know that search engines are THE starting point for travelers during the inspiration phase of the booking cycle. But, the following data from Bing Ads , based on both unpaid and paid US Microsoft Bing search data for June 2015 through June 2016, may also be helpful for you to consider as general information about consumers and how they search. By understanding who is searching for you and when to target them, you can optimize your PPC ad choices, general online presence, and email marketing strategies.

According to the report, searches related to family travel jump in April, especially on mobile phones. Desktop and tablet searches also increase in the spring, though they reach their peak in the early summer. Cost-per-click (CPC) rates on search ads related to family travel are highest in March; clickthrough rates are highest in June.

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What Does a Rising Interest Rate Environment Mean for

Hotel Owners?

By Stephen Gaylor, brought to you by www.hotel-online.com

On Wednesday, March 15, 2017, the headline from the Economy section of the New York Times boldly announced that the "Fed Raises Interest Rates for Third Time Since Financial Crisis." This is the second time in three months that the Federal Reserve has raised rates, yet only the third time in the past decade.

For those who do not deal with interest rates on a daily basis, it is important to note that the rate hikes which have recently taken place do not have a direct impact on the type of debt utilized to finance real estate, however, they do provide us with a glimpse of the future. Rates are going up, and they are likely to go up in a sustained, and extended manner.

What does this mean for hotel owners and developers? First, it means that the cost of debt is going to increase. By how much, we don't know, but it will go up. It will mean that you, as a borrower, or the buyer of your property, as borrower, will have to pay more to borrow money.

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IT'S SPRING: KEEP THE SKIS OUT UNTIL SUMMER IN CALIFORNIA/NEVADA

As snow continues to fall, Ski California lists many resorts with extended seasons

Spring is here, so plan for the last day of the winter season - or prepare for many more months of skiing and snowboarding in California and Nevada. Many of Ski California's 29 member resorts have announced extended seasons thanks to record snowfall and excellent conditions.

Some resorts with several feet of base, such as Mammoth Mountain and Squaw Valley| Alpine Meadows, plan to stay open for skiing until at least July 4. "An epic snow year means California will see skiers and riders from all around the world getting

in their last runs well past spring at multiple resorts," said Michael Reitzell, President of the California Ski Industry Association (Ski

California). "The conditions have been amazing and all resorts have enjoyed a long season."

Easy links to all resort websites are found at http://skicalifornia.org/member-resorts/ .

CLIA says: Good skiing is good for the California economy; it attracts visitors from all over the world to spend their money here!