I am always looking for information on how to target the luxury buyer - here are some good facts we can use. Wilna

If over 80% of around 10 million affluent customers are willing to pay over $400 for a hotel room, then understanding exactly what they are looking for and targeting accordingly really can make a difference. Little wonder then that Expedia has the spotlight on this target group.

Expedia data for its luxury audience point to some big differences compared to the Internet average, especially when it comes to purchasing:

When it comes to hotels they are looking at 4-5 star hotels and are 80% more likely to pay $400 to $499 a night.

As far as destinations are concerned:

- 70% more likely to book an international package.
- 39% more likely to book a vacation of 10 or more days.
- 58% more likely to book multi-destination trips versis a single destination and more likely to travel to Bermuda, Caribbean, Belize, Costa Rica & Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Dubai and the United Arab Emirates.

Their habits are a consideration too. Just take a look at these results:

- 32% are more likely to travel without children
- 75% are more likely to be business travelers also.
- 38% more likely to book 31 or more days in advance, 44% more likely to book 8-14 days in advance and, 24% more likely 3-7 days, 20% less than 3 days.
- 66% more likely to book a package over $2,500 to $5k.

Get the full story at EyeForTravel

I am always interested in knowing how to improve service standards and motivate staff to exceed guest expectations - here are a few tips I found helpful. Wilna 

Give feedback and coach
One of the most important things you can do to motivate your people is to give them feedback and coach them. This is where so many employers and managers fall down in dealing with their people; we are hopeless at giving feedback.

Most people want to know how they are performing in their job; they want to know if they are doing it right or how they could do it better. If you really want to motivate your people then you need to give feedback both affirming and constructive.

Affirming feedback is about giving the good news, giving people affirmations, regularly, that you are happy with what they are doing.

Constructive feedback is about letting the person know the behaviour you are not happy about, the improvements you want and when.

This is not a soft option, it’s about telling your staff when they are doing a good job and when they aren’t. Why? - Because it gets the job done, it’s good for the business and it’s easier for you. So how do you do it?

You do it when you observe behaviour that you are happy about or unhappy about. And here are some points to remember when giving feedback:

1. Do it right away. Good or bad behaviour needs to be commented on as you observe it.
2. Do it in private. Being reprimanded in front of colleagues is bad for everyone’s morale and it’s bad for business. Giving affirming feedback in public can also embarrass the employee.
3. Tell the person how you feel using ‘I’ messages. Take responsibility for your own feelings. Don’t say, ‘You’re doing really well’ or ‘You’ve got this all wrong.’ Far better to say, ‘I liked the way you handled that customer’ or ‘I would like you to handle that situation in a different way.’
4. Give the person time to absorb what you say and to respond. Get agreement on the change of behaviour you require and a timescale for improvement.
5. Thank the person and let them know that you value him or her. This can be difficult however less so if you give feedback on the behaviour rather than on the person. This is about business and is not a personal attack

Segment taken from a longer article by Alan Fairweather 

Here is a great list of social media platforms you can explore. Some known to me and some not. Have fun. Wilna 

Whether you’re accessing your social media platform from a desktop or a smartphone, it’s important to be familiar with all of them. With that in mind, below is a list of the top 52 social media platforms. They’re broken into 3 categories — social media platforms that help you network (like LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.); social media platforms that help you promote (like YouTube, blogs, etc.); and social media platforms that help you share (like Digg, Delicious, etc.). 

Read the full article with the list of  the Top 52 social media platforms here....