http://www.onlinetravelfocus.com Connecting the online travel industry in Africa Fri, 04 Jul 2008 13:51:52 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Mozilla has set a new Guinness World Record for the largest number of software downloads in 24 hours.  More than 8 million people downloaded Firefox 3 within 24 hours of its official launch. Firefox 3 additions boost security and allow users to run websites when they are not connected to the ... http://www.onlinetravelfocus.com/2008/07/04/mozilla-claims-guinness-world-record/ In the transient harbour town that I live in, my circle of friends and enemies are constantly in and out. Sailing in Greece, fashion buying in London, Spain for a spell, Mexico for some surfing, Bali for a bit, snowboarding in Japan….aren’t they just a lucky bunch of privileged, middle-class ... http://www.onlinetravelfocus.com/2008/07/03/cape-town-syndrome/ There is a general misunderstanding amongst online travel companies and across all industries, that Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) doesn’t cost anything, doesn’t cost a lot or that it is cheaper than paid search. This is truly a myth. SEO if applied properly can massively influence the success of your business ... http://www.onlinetravelfocus.com/2008/07/03/the-myth-that-seo-is-free/ I hate the media. I hate the way they write in the tabloids, the way they sensationalise death and destruction on television, the way they... But ‘ang on: this is 2008. I’m a citizen. I’m a blogger. I’m on Facebook. I’m on the Web ... and that means I (blush) AM ... http://www.onlinetravelfocus.com/2008/07/03/i-hate-the-media-but-it%e2%80%99s-dying-and-web-2-point-oh-could-change-tourism-and-the-world/ The following stories made the top seven for this week ....  1) Tourism boards have a huge responsibility in promoting their destinations.  What are our tourist boards doing for us? 2) Following on from last weeks wrap-up, Icann the Internet regulator has relaxed restrictions on domain names.  Will there be a bun fight ... http://www.onlinetravelfocus.com/2008/07/02/7-days-7-stories-a-wrapup-of-the-week-26-june-2-july/ Starbucks has announced that it is to close 500 stores, a sure sign of the difficult economic times.  Earlier in the Week the Financial Times printed an interesting interview with the CEO of Proctor and Gamble, in which A.G. Lafley described some of the buying behaviours of customers in tough ... http://www.onlinetravelfocus.com/2008/07/02/starbucks-closes-500-stores/ Ebookers revealed that Britons would go as far as incurring personal debt in order to go on holiday, despite the current economic climate. Of the 1000 people interviewed 53% said that holidays were “absolutely necessary or important” while 12% considered it a luxury.  14% Said that they would increase overdrafts or ... http://www.onlinetravelfocus.com/2008/07/02/brits-prepared-to-incur-debt-in-order-to-have-a-break/ An evaluation conducted by Adweek found that only 5 of the 56 agencies assessed have sponsored links on Google.  This is concerning if one take into consideration that the use of paid search has become a fundamental part of brand marketing.  Adweek also found that smaller speciality shops are piggybacking ... http://www.onlinetravelfocus.com/2008/07/02/agencies-lag-behind-when-it-comes-to-paid-search/ Teens are proving to be savvy online shoppers who compare and contrast endlessly before making a purchase, and a recent survey revealed that six out of ten U.S. teens have made a purchase online. In response to the June 2008 study conducted by OTX and The Intelligence Group teens said they ... http://www.onlinetravelfocus.com/2008/07/02/savvy-online-buyers/ EUclaim, a  Dutch company specialising in helping passengers get compensation for delayed or cancelled flights says that aclose to a 1000 people are entitled to £430 every day in the UK. Most people are unaware of the EC regulation 261/2004 introduced in 2005, which gives air passengers the right to compensation ... http://www.onlinetravelfocus.com/2008/07/02/hundreds-miss-out-on-compensation-for-delayed-flights/