When you check in to a hotel, arguably at the top of your checklist should be the cleanliness of your room.   This includes checking for bed bugs, which bite people mercilessly and then hitch a ride back to their own homes.   Unfortunately, these pests are found in the majority of hotels throughout the world.  They don’t differentiate between a 5-star hotel and a cheap, low-amenity motel.   Bed bugs are nocturnal so they’re more likely to be out and about looking for their prey   Travel experts suggest, before unpacking your bags or putting them on the bed, you turn off lights, close any shades, and use the flashlight on your phone.   Place your suitcase in the bathroom as that is the safest place for it.  Bed bugs are least likely to hide in a bathroom.   Then check under the bed and in any dark nooks and crannies of the room as bed bugs like to live in “corners and the creases” of bedclothes.   Pull back the sheets and inspect the mattress seams, particularly at the corners, for pepper-like stains or spots or even the bugs themselves. Adult bed bugs resemble flat apple seeds.   Check behind the headboard, inside couch and chair cushions, behind picture frames and around electrical sockets.   If you see anything suspect, notify management and change rooms or establishments immediately.   If you do need to change rooms, be sure that you do not move to a room adjacent and/or directly above/below the suspected infestation.  Bed bugs can easily hitchhike via housekeeping carts, luggage and even through wall sockets. If an infestation is spreading, it typically does so in the rooms closest to the origin.   Even if you determine your room is clear of any bed bugs, consider placing your suitcase in a plastic trash bag or protective cover during the duration of your trip to ensure that bed bugs cannot take up residence there before departure.   If you think you may have been infected by bed bugs, when I return home:   Inspect your suitcases before bringing them into the house.   Vacuum your suitcase thoroughly before storing it. Consider using a garment hand steamer to steam your luggage, which can kill any bed bugs or eggs that may have hitched a ride home.   Wash and dry all of your clothes - even those that have not been worn - in hot temperatures to ensure that any bed bugs that may have made it that far are not placed into your drawers/closet.   Keep clothes that must be dry-cleaned in a plastic bag and take them to the drycleaner as soon as possible.

  LGBTQ tourists are at risk of discrimination in some popular holiday destinations. A review of LGBTQ+ laws, the travel safety and crime indexes to find the safest tourist destinations.   - Malta - Chile - Luxembourg - Belgium - Sweden - New Zealand - France - Ireland - UK - Canada   Malta was named the safest destination in the world for LGBTQ+ travellers, based on its performance in several key rankings.   Gay marriage is legal in Malta and transgender people can change their gender with or without surgery.   In 2015, Malta became the first country in the world to ban sterilisation and invasive surgery on intersex people.   The country is also regarded as generally safe for travel and there’s a very low risk of tourists facing violent crime or theft.   Chile was named the world’s second-best destination for LGBTQ+ travellers and same-sex marriage is legal there.   The South American country also ranks highly on the LGBTQ+ Safety Index although it is generally considered to be less safe than Malta.   Luxembourg was the third country on the list and same-sex marriage is legal in the small European country.   Transgender people are allowed to change their legal gender without surgery in Luxembourg.   Belgium, Sweden and France also made the top 10 list and same-sex marriage is legal in all three countries.   Each of the countries are considered generally safe for LGBTQ+ tourists with low levels of violent crime.   Ireland took the eighth spot on the list while Canada and New Zealand rounded out the top 10 with the UK.   Merchant Machine, UK January 2023 conducted the study

  Travel South USA (TSUSA) is pleased to announce a new partnership with AmericanTours International (ATI) and TravelMole to drive increased domestic and international travel to the South.   ATI is North America’s leading accommodation and service provider, offering preferred rates at more than 25,000 properties. Their team of experienced buyers negotiates exclusive rates in North America’s most popular destinations, and in areas where availability is typically scarce, such as National Parks, National Seashores and smaller communities. ATI also offers discounted and commissionable rates at a broad array of specialty lodgings, including short-term stay apartments, vacation rentals, houseboats, ranches and luxury camping accommodations. More than a bed bank, ATI provides clients with the lowest rates while supporting the global agent community as a full-service tour operator.   Travel South’s new campaign will harness ATI’s proprietary DriveAmerica™ platform to drive inbound tourism to the southern states by targeting ATI’s extensive base of commercial travel partners in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and the EU. The campaign centers on new road trip itineraries that will highlight contracted hotels, restaurants, attractions and guided experiences in Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee. ATI’s flexible booking system allows travel professionals to customize a road trip from scratch, or to utilize and make desired changes to one of the many recommended DriveAmerica™ itineraries.   “We are thrilled to partner with Travel South USA,” said Nick Henchel, Chief Operating Officer of ATI. “DriveAmerica™ is our newest technology platform, a game changer that delivers inspired itineraries, door-to-door driving instructions with local attractions and activities along the route, and guaranteed hotel accommodations for an entire trip.”   “Partnering with ATI and the DriveAmerica™ platform is a wonderful opportunity to showcase and deliver bookings to the destinations, hotels, attractions, and guided experiences across the South,” said Liz Bittner, President & CEO of Travel South USA. “We know that consumers are interested in the authenticity of the South, but in the past have struggled with being able to offer a booking platform for small businesses to tap into the global travel agency marketplace. ATI’s DriveAmerica™ is a key connector for the travel trade to access flexible road trip planning with thousands of commissionable bookings available.”   Travel South’s product development team is working with ATI to secure great offers for agents to share with their customers. Over the coming months, there will be more partners, more hotel and attraction deals, and more outreach to the travel trade around the globe.   “The ROI is a win-win for our trade clients, valued customers, and destination partners,” added Bittner. “We love sharing stories that inspire visitation to the authentic South and backing them up with an e-commerce platform that empowers our tour operators and travel trade customers.”   The campaign launched on December 1, 2022, and will run throughout 2023, with a four-month media advertising campaign designed to capture bookings from December through March.   The travel trade campaign is targeting TravelMole Media Group’s 67,000 UK travel agents, tour operators, OTA, etc. subscribers and 115,000 in the USA to inform them about the Travel South USA DriveAmerica itineraries and how to sell and book them.

Airlines and hotels are betting big on American consumers' unquenched thirst for domestic travel in 2023:

• Despite decades-high inflation, rising gas prices, and a feared resurgence of pandemic variants, etc…  intent to travel is still unwavering as 92% of American travelers indicate plans to travel in the next six months! [Longwoods International October American Travel Sentiment consumer survey]
• "While we're not naive to what's going on with the Fed here and with central banks in other parts of the world in trying to tame inflation by slowing economies, we do think…different than some other industries for a period of time that is going to benefit us, not just in the fourth quarter, but into next year…the consumers are shifting from spending on things to experiences” said Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO. [October 26 call with investment analysts]

Now is the time to prepare your domestic US b2b marketing for the peak booking search, in the first quarter of 2023.  TravelMole is offering none US-based companies a limited special offer of US$ 4,950 to reach 115,000 US travel trade subscribers (i.e. travel agents, tour operators, etc.) who generate 600,000 page views each month at TravelMole.com. You can expect this level of US market exposure, engagement, and ROI:         Click the above image to see the full sample report.   Click here to view the full US distribution and demographics. These detailed ads and content reporting will assist you to measure your marketing KPIs.  It consists of a combination of digital and content promotions, the most effective to generate leads and promote your brand and voice of authority.  It includes:

• 6 x Partner Edition dedicated eBlast to 120,000 US travel agent subscribers
• 6 wks US Website banner (receives 600,000 average page views/mo)
• 6 wks daily US Newsletter banner (great lead generator)
• 6 months Global Partner Zone Content Hub (examples Visit Florida, Outrigger Hotels, ATI), including up to 12 of the following posts published on the website and published in the daily newsletter and Travel Agent update newsletter:
  • Announcement or press release
  • Advertorial Expert Hub blogs advertorial
  • Special offers
  • Agent Training
  • Webinar on-demand
  • eBrochures

We recognize you might be short on resources, no worries, costs include content posting support. View this video to learn about our market reach and see the TravelMole digital and content marketing platform works. Please share with your B2B marketing, PR and content team. This offer is only available for a limited time, so please contact Geoff Ceasar for further details and/or an online meeting with our team.

Airlines and hotels are betting big on American consumers' unquenched thirst for domestic travel in 2023:

• Despite decades-high inflation, rising gas prices, and a feared resurgence of pandemic variants, etc…  intent to travel is still unwavering as 92% of American travelers indicate plans to travel in the next six months! [Longwoods International October American Travel Sentiment consumer survey]
• "While we're not naive to what's going on with the Fed here and with central banks in other parts of the world in trying to tame inflation by slowing economies, we do think…different than some other industries for a period of time that is going to benefit us, not just in the fourth quarter, but into next year…the consumers are shifting from spending on things to experiences” said Christopher Nassetta, president and CEO. [October 26 call with investment analysts]

Now is the time to prepare your domestic US b2b marketing for the peak booking search, in the first quarter of 2023.  TravelMole is offering none US-based companies a limited special offer of US$ 5,950 to reach 115,000 US travel trade subscribers (i.e. travel agents, tour operators, etc.) who generate 600,000 page views each month at TravelMole.com. You can expect this level of US market exposure, engagement, and ROI:         Click the above image to see the full sample report.   Click here to view the full US distribution and demographics. These detailed ads and content reporting will assist you to measure your marketing KPIs.  It consists of a combination of digital and content promotions, the most effective to generate leads and promote your brand and voice of authority.  It includes:

• 6 x Partner Edition dedicated eBlast to 120,000 US travel agent subscribers
• 6 wks US Website banner (receives 600,000 average page views/mo)
• 6 wks daily US Newsletter banner (great lead generator)
• 6 months Global Partner Zone Content Hub (examples Visit Florida, Outrigger Hotels, ATI), including up to 12 of the following posts published on the website and published in the daily newsletter and Travel Agent update newsletter:
  • Announcement or press release
  • Advertorial Expert Hub blogs advertorial
  • Special offers
  • Agent Training
  • Webinar on-demand
  • eBrochures

We recognize you might be short on resources, no worries, costs include content posting support. View this video to learn about our market reach and see the TravelMole digital and content marketing platform works. Please share with your B2B marketing, PR and content team. This offer is only available for a limited time, so please contact Geoff Ceasar for further details and/or an online meeting with our team.