Social media round-up
We’ve had snow, ice, slush and pretty much everything the elements can throw at us this week. So, before you don your snow-boots, put up your brolly or reach for the thermals, grab five minutes to read about the headlines in the online world in this week’s social media round-up by Siren Communications.
It’s not every day you see one of the most successful businessmen of our time, riding a subway, wearing a beanie hat and clutching a plastic bag….Oh, and sporting some funky glasses. But stunned commuters spotted Sergey Brin, founder of Google – and with an estimated personal fortune in excess of $20 billion – doing just that at the weekend. The internet-connected glasses Brin was wearing have been developed to transmit digital information "right in front of the eyes, projected over the physical world" – or, in simple terms, it’s a tiny camera, display screen and processor that allows the wearer to transmit video or images of what they’re seeing to others wirelessly – allowing them to see your world as you live it. Pretty amazing stuff!
Some amazing stats in this next piece that shows how travellers from Asia Pacific are far more social-media-savvy than their counterparts in the rest of the world. When it comes to seeking inspiration for a trip, over 70% of APAC travellers said they used social media to check out travel and internet reviews for at least one element of their trip.
Gary Lineker quit Twitter this week – shocking his 1.3 million followers. Although the ex-football star hasn’t given any explanation for his immediate departure, speculation is rife that he left because his son, George, who was battling leukaemia, has been the victim of Twitter abuse.
According to Skift, a New York-based travel intelligence company, travel accounts for £6.5 trillion GDP contribution a year and, with 260 million jobs made up of tourism, hospitality, transport and cruises, it’s one of the world’s largest industries (and employer). This week it launched SkiftSocial – a social media dashboard for travel brands, with rankings, comparisons and metrics for activity on Twitter and Facebook, discovering how a brand talks to its fans, users, customers, at what time and for how long.
Thomson and First Choice have introduced 24/7 online assistance via their combined social media customer service team to help consumers across different time zones. The service has been launched in reaction to an increase in people contacting them via social media channels, before, during and after their holiday.
Heavy use of Facebook and Twitter have led teenagers to lose the art of essay writing, warns a Cambridge don this week. His fears are that teenagers are becoming used to communicating in short messages, in a kind of meta-language with meta-spelling. "I rofl’d @ that," responded one teenager*.
And finally, here’s an eye watering tale from the nation’s favourite cheeky chappy. This week Jamie Oliver set a world record by slicing 10 raw chillies in 30 seconds live on YouTube. Tissues anyone?
* not really
Diane
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
TAP Air Portugal to operate 29 flights due to strike on December 11
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Air Mauritius reduces frequencies to Europe and Asia for the holiday season
Major rail disruptions around and in Berlin until early 2026