The Future of Travel Marketing is Visual Read more at http://www.business2community.com/marketing/the-future-of-travel-marketing-is-visual-0312691#8EmEcBA2OKG8drUG.99

Travel is a fiercely competitive industry in online marketing. With apps and websites being built everyday to aggregate the best deals for the consumer, how can you differentiate your brand? In an emerging trend, visual marketing–a more specific facet of content marketing–is becoming popular with travel and tourism brands because it shows consumers exactly what they’ll be doing when they book their trips. Visual platforms like Instagram and Pinterest are leading the industry and give you great opportunities to engage with your consumers online and paint the perfect picture of the vacation they could be enjoying.

Few Words, Big Impact

It might be a cliche, but it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words. On both Pinterest and Instagram, keep your words minimal and your visuals impactful. Quick tips: Let people visualize themselves in your photo by featuring scenery and not just people (or models!). Show people options of where they might be staying or what there is to do at the destination. Exhibit things to do for adults and kids if your destination is family friendly.

Utilize your Tags

Both Instagram and Pinterest allow for the search of hashtags and keywords. These are very important to use in your uploads for travel marketing purposes so that people can easily find the pictures you’re providing. Let’s say, for instance, that you’re a resort in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. You can use hashtags like #FTL #Florida #resort #vacation #familyfriendly #travel #beaches #FL and many more. Try searching for photos with these hashtags in advance to see how their engagement levels are and adjust your list as needed. Create your own branded hashtag (and promote it) to encourage people to come back to your page.

Make your Website Pinnable

Pinterest won’t serve your brand well if users cannot pin images from your site. There are some restrictions on pins, so you’ll need to make sure the images on your site are pinnable. Pinterest is a huge driver of referring traffic, and it will be most beneficial if people are directed straight to your travel site when they click on the image. Quick tip: If you need a fast fix and your website isn’t pinnable, you can still post the URL for more information in the comment below the image.

Host Contests and Activities to Drive Engagement

Pinterest and Instagram are great places to involve your audience. Have them submit photos of their dream vacation spot or of a recent trip they took. If you’d like to keep it specific to your brand, you can have them submit photos of the people they’d like to take on vacation with them and tell why in their comment. You can offer discounts to the participants or go all out and give away a trip. Consumers love to share their opinions, ideas and goals on these visual platforms, so catering to this trend will drive up engagement.

Get Visual Even If You’re Not on a Beach

Let’s say you’re a budget airline. You might be thinking, what can your brand Pin and Instagram? And since visual content is so powerful, the possibilities are still endless. Maybe you make Pinterest boards of Places to See for all the cities you serve. Bonus: Making the board public allows your followers to submit their own ideas and favorite places to shop, dine and visit. Another idea:Instagram photos of “behind the scenes” at your airline. Feature smiling gate agents, pilots in the cockpit, new check-in machines or new reading materials that make traveling with you more pleasant.

With the mass appeal of visual content and the onslaught of new social platforms, these are just a few ideas to create content that is both share-worthy and fun to create.

Where to go in 2013: Travel's new hot spots

Closer-to-home spots that made the grade include the Gulf Coast, which is experiencing a comeback after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and perennial "best list" favorite, San Francisco, which hosts the America's Cup competition next year.

The slim, colorful volume is compiled by editors and contributors to the popular guide book series, all of them self-proclaimed travel geeks. Categories include top countries, regions and cities, along with themed lists, ranging from best-value destinations to top spots to get tattooed.

"We look for timeliness – not just what's hot and trending now, but what's ahead," says Andy Murdock, U.S. digital editor at Lonely Planet.

For instance, Chachapoyas & Kuelap, Peru, made the cut because new roads into the isolated, archaeologically rich region are gradually being developed. Christchurch, New Zealand, with its vibrant arts scene, got a nod for its collective spirit of renewal after devastating earthquakes in 2010 and 2011. Iceland is on the list thanks to its otherworldly landscape and proximity to east coast cities.

Madagascar ranks No. 10 in Lonely Planet's top countries for 2013. (Democratic reforms are making it more welcoming. Go before everyone else does, the authors advise.)

The remaining nine in descending order:

9. Dominican Republic – More flights are going to the island and a number of new resorts are opening in 2013.

8. Turkey – Look beyond Istanbul and the coastal resorts and take advantage of new low-fare airlines to see points beyond.

7. Iceland -- Its lunar-like setting captivates visitors.

6. Solomon Islands – A low-key Pacific getaway where homestays and eco-resorts trump mass-market franchises and luxury hotels.

5. Slovakia – Skiing at spruced-up resorts is just one of the high-altitude activities in this country, which turns 20 in 2013.

4. Ecuador – Its railway, devastated in the 1990s by flooding, is set to be back up and running in 2013, making it easier to explore the Andean nation.

3. South Korea – 2013 brings three international sporting events to the country, whose capital, Seoul, is bursting with high-level energy.

2. Montenegro – Go for its rugged interior with a growing number of hiking and biking trails, or stick to the coast, site of new, high-profile developments.

1. Sri Lanka – After a 26-year civil war that ended in 2009 and a devastating tsunami in 2004, this South Asia country has bounced back and is one of the best-value destinations around.

Spookiest Towns to Visit This Halloween

Manufactured thrills, whether they come via Hollywood effects or an excellent guide on a ghost tour, offer an eerily excellent way to get into the spirit of the fall season. But for more serious chills, there's something unshakably haunting about a place that's inherently scary. Here, our picks for places perfect for a visit (even year-round).

Salem, Massachusetts

The location most often associated with the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, one of the most macabre events in American history, Salem is synonymous with spooky. During that reign of hysteria, 19 women were accused of witchcraft and hanged, and another five died in jail. Salem offers tours and events year-round that touch on the infamous trials, but October brings a slew of Halloween-themed events and festivals to town. Among them are a series of ghost stories at the Witch House, the home of the judge of the Salem witch trials, and a dramatic performance of the trials at the House of the Seven Gables, a colonial mansion. In addition, the Hawthorne Hotel hosts a rocking costume party on Oct. 27 and, on Oct. 28, a Salem witch-themed dinner in honor of the dead, with the meal served in silence.

Elizabethtown, New Mexico

Named after the daughter of its founder, this all-but-abandoned former town tucked into the northeastern corner of the state boasted more than 7,000 residents at its height of its Gold Rush prosperity in 1870. But the excitement was tempered by the reign of Charles Kennedy, described as New Mexico's first serial killer, who may have killed up to 14 weary travelers after luring them in with the promise of food and accommodations at his inn. The woes of "E-Town," as it was known, continued with the collapse of the mining industry, and, in 1903, a fire. Today, all that's left is a small museum, a general store, some ruins of buildings, and a cemetery, all morose reminders of bygone eras.

Sleepy Hollow, New York

Author Washington Irving forever etched this small town into timeless folklore with his short story The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, the tale of lanky school master Ichabod Crane and his terrifying encounter with the Headless Horseman on a dark stretch of road one fateful night. Though Irving's story was originally published in 1820, the legend still resonates today, with activities and storytelling events throughout October guaranteed to send tingles down the spine. Fall, with chilly temperatures and pumpkins on every doorstep, sets a deliciously spooky scene for a visit. And if you're headed home late at night and happen to hear the sound of hooves, you might want to pick up your step.

New Orleans, Louisiana

Pirate lore, a deeply ingrained voodoo culture, countless tales about its ghosts and spirits—New Orleans' eerie energy is palpable. Visitors who are passionate about the paranormal can take their pick of ghost tours, cemetery walks, and haunted pub crawls, as well as bed down at one of the city's haunted hotels. Three must-do stops: the Voodoo Museum, which provides a fascinating look at New Orleans voodoo culture; St. Louis Cemetery #1, a crumbling necropolis where voodoo queen Marie Laveau is buried (and whose spirit is believed to haunt the place); and Lafitte's Blacksmith Shop Bar, which dates back to around 1772, claims to be the oldest continuously operating bar in America, and boasts plenty of spirits of all kinds.

Belchite, Spain

Located in Spain's Zaragoza province, Belchite was the site of a bloody battle in the Spanish Civil War from 1936-1939. The town was heavily bombarded and eventually abandoned, and today it still stands as it was on its surrender Sept. 1, 1937 as a ghostly reminder of the war. Belchite attracts thousands of curious visitors who can freely explore its abandoned streets and bombed-out buildings, though explorers should be wary of falling stones and unstable structures.

Bodie, California

California is littered with boom-and-bust ghost towns from the Gold Rush, but Bodie, about 75 miles southeast of Lake Tahoe, stands out because it's so well-preserved. In 1876, gold was discovered nearby, and miners and a bevy of related businesses flooded the town. Just three years later, Bodie's population had exploded to about 10,000, spanning a couple of banks, newspapers, a red light district and, of course, a jail. But by the start of the 20th century, the town's fortune started to decline along with the gold, and by the 1940s, it was all but abandoned. Today, Bodie stands as a National Historic Landmark, retaining its Wild-West aura without a tacky tourist vibe. Some 100 structures still stand today, and the cemetery, with its time-worn headstones, is especially haunting.

Savannah, Georgia

Swathed in Spanish moss and steeped in history, this enchanting Southern belle is often described as the most haunted city in America, and deservedly so. The novel-turned-movie Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, a historical fiction about Savannah's quirky characters and their dark deeds, sparked an unprecedented boom in tourism, but the city's uniquely spooky vibe remains intact. Entire plazas are built on former graveyards, which many say contributes to a spiritual energy that thrums through the city. Ghost tours and haunted history walks offer excellent background on Savannah's spooky past, but a stroll through any of its picturesque squares or graveyards—don't miss Bonaventure Cemetery, on the banks of the Savannah River—is an easy way to slip into this city's spookier side.

Photo Credits: The House of the Seven Gables: The House of the Seven Gables; Elizabethtown Store: Elizabethtown Store by Jimmy Emerson Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License; Sleepy Hollow Cemetery: SleepyHollow Cemetery; Bourbon Street New Orleans: Denis Jr. Tangney | iStockphoto.com; Belchite, Spain: Karsol | Dreamstime.com; Bodie, California: Fernley | Dreamstime.com; Park and fountain in Savannah, Georgia: Lroberg | Dreamstime.com

Surfing Europe – Impressions from the GoPro

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf” – Jon Kabat-Zinn

When I first started surfing about three years ago I knew that this new hobby was here to stay. In the years that followed I began choosing travel destinations mainly base don wave power and water temperature and grew to know some of the best surf spots around the world. During my recent surf trip I realised once again how amazing Europe is: we have so much culture, such incredible history and a stunning variety of waves and gorgeous beaches.

This summer my friends and I decided to hit the road for 7 weeks to cruise down the French and Spanish coast with one big goal in mind: we wanted to ride the best waves out there. Oh boy and we did! To capture our fun surf sessions we brought along a GoPro camera, which can be attached to the surfboard and record all those unique moments spent out in the ocean (for more information about the GoPro also check the previous article here). Here are a couple of impressions from our surf adventures in Spain ( San Vicente de la Barquera) and Frannce (Moliets et Maa) – enjoy!

Read more: http://www.travelettes.net/surfing-europe-impressions-from-the-gopro/

How to choose and use a backpack

For everyone who enjoys some backpacking every now and then, check out this infographic by backpack provider REI explaining all you need to know about weight distribution when packing ( I never know whether the heavy stuff goes on top or in the bottom), the right size of backpack to buy as well as some essentials you ought to bring with you. Personally I disagree with leaving your blow-dryer at home (nothing like a good blow-dry when you’re on the road) but other than that, there are some pretty good tips here. Enjoy.

How to choose and use a backpack

Laughter and reduced backpack help 71-year-old Knox woman complete AT thru-hike

Barbara Allen is back home in Knoxville, but her biological clock is still on the Appalachian Trail. She wakes up at 5 a.m., and by 7 p.m., she's ready for bed. She'd like to finish her online trail journal, but she can't sit still that long."I feel a need to keep moving," Allen said recently. "I have this constant urge to get up and walk."

On March 5 Allen set out from Springer Mountain, Ga., to hike all 2,180 miles of the Appalachian Trail, the world's longest continuous footpath. Six months and approximately 5 million footsteps later, she reached the trail's northern terminus atop Mount Katahdin, in central Maine. The date was Sept. 6. The weather was gorgeous, and Allen didn't cry.

"I thought I'd be emotional, but I wasn't, which is very unusual for me," she said. "I was just so relieved to have made it."

Allen is 71 years old. In all likelihood, that makes her the oldest person from Knoxville to thru-hike the A.T.

A retired public health worker, Allen didn't take up backpacking until she was 40 years old. One of her inspirations was News Sentinel columnist Carson Brewer, who wrote extensively about Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After taking a noncredit course in backpacking from the University of Tennessee, she embarked on numerous hiking trips, both home and abroad.

Allen had just returned from backpacking in Chile and Argentina a year ago when she realized the time was right to tackle the A.T.

"My conclusion was it was time to get out there and do something rather than sit around and be bored," Allen said. "So I closed my house, picked up my backpack, and started down the trail."

Initially, Allen's pack weighed 30 pounds. To lighten her load, she got rid of her cook stove and began eating peanut butter, cheese, and foods that could be re-hydrated in cold water. In Damascus, Va., she switched from leather Gore-Tex hiking boots to lightweight trail shoes. Her knees held up the whole time, and she never had a single blister.

"Ounces add up to pounds," Allen said. "I used to carry 45 to 50 pounds for a weeklong backpacking trip. Now, I carry half that."

Allen especially enjoyed the flow of humanity along the A.T. For six months she was immersed in a culture in which every thru-hiker had a trail name. She remembers Yosemite, Skunk Ape, Rhino, and especially Machete Mitch, who carried only a machete and a video camera in his determination to live off the land.

"He didn't last long," Allen said.

Allen's trail name was Mamaw B ( "I was everyone's grandma along the trail," she said.). Her closest hiking companion was a 54-year-old woman from Tampa, Fla., whose trail name was Rainbow, and often they were accompanied by a 23-year-old woman from California named Nutter Butter.

Why would a young lady choose two older women as hiking companions? Allen said it was partly because she and Rainbow kept a strong pace, but more importantly, they had fun.

"There were times when we couldn't hike because of all the laughing," she said. "We had the most ridiculous conversations. We solved the world's problems."

Rainbow and Allen (aka Mamaw B) started hiking together at Chestnut Knob, in Virginia. Two hundred miles from the finish, Rainbow began to feel pain in her groin that she attributed to some minor falls she'd had earlier. After hiking another 160 miles into Maine, she fell again. This time, she couldn't continue. Just 42 heartbreaking miles from the finish, Rainbow had to quit. When she arrived home, X-rays revealed two pelvic fractures.

The Appalachian Trail Conference estimates that this year 2,500 thru-hikers started from Springer Mountain hiking the A.T. northbound, while 330 thru-hikers set out southbound from Mount Katahdin. A record 1,016 northbounders (including Allen) signed in at Harpers Ferry, W. Va., the trail's unofficial halfway point. Last year the completion rate for thru-hikers was nearly 30 percent. Also, Allen's time of six months was about average since most people take anywhere from five to seven months to finish the A.T.

She saw seven black bears along the way, most of them in Virginia's Shenandoah National Park. The northern New England section of the A.T. was especially hard because it came at the end and had the worst rocks. Allen said the toughest section for her was the Mahoosuc Notch, a mile-long, boulder-choked gap through the Mahoosuc Range of western Maine.

By the end of the hike she had lost 35 pounds. Her blood pressure dropped from 169/83 to 126/70, and her heart rate went from 70 to 50 beats-per-minute. To her delight, she discovered she could climb 4,000 feet without having to rest.

Unlike many of the younger thru-hikes, Allen never got in a hurry. The most she hiked in one day was 25 miles, but 20 miles was the norm. She stayed on schedule, but was never in such a rush that she wouldn't stop to enjoy a trailside pond in Maine, or a scenic overlook in North Carolina.

The trail towns brought Allen some of her best memories. She left the A.T. every three to five days to resupply, and in towns like Waynseboro, Va., and Hanover, N.H., she encountered a veritable band of trail angels ready to spread their trail magic.

Like the lady in the beauty salon in Duncannon, Pa., who gave thru-hikers $5 haircuts.

"Before the hike I was getting a little cynical about society, but I found a lot of good people out there," Allen said.

Misplaced Luggage is no longer a problem

OVER 30 MILLION BAGS ARE MISPLACED EVERY YEAR DURING INTERNATIONAL AND DOMESTIC FLIGHTS. 3,000 BAGS EVERY HOUR OF EVERY DAY!

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It also a fects 42 million passengers annually and is the second most important factor in having a pleasant trip. An indemnity may relieve your wallet. But recovering your belongings will for sure comfort your spirit.

Whether it is about work documents, a much-needed medication or souvenirs or presents for your family, it is great to have your luggage back. Your bag is not at the conveyor belt? Just call, e-mail or SMS us. Simple and reliable.

LUGLOC DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH ANY AVIONIC SYSTEM

The state-of-the-art GSM technology designed by our investigators give the LugLoc system the unique ability to act within minutes in any airport in the world to locate any protected item. Put your LugLoc inside the bag you are checking-in and the system will locate it in any airport around the world.

The most ubiquitous LUGgage LOCation system: Thick clouds? Piled in a thick-walled warehouse? Unlike the GPS, this is no problem for LugLoc! State-of-the-art technology to track your luggage in

Website for more information: www.LugLoc.com

Charlie: The guy with the backpack

Senior Airman Charles Sothikhoun at Kunsan Air Base.

KUNSAN AIR BASE, South Korea (AFNS) -- Charlie, the guy with the backpack, is something of a local figure.

He roams the Kunsan Air Base nightlife scene with his survival-kit backpack, prepared to help however he can, whether it's assisting a fellow Airman home or "super gluing" a girl's broken heel.

Parched? He has water. Bug bitten? He has bug spray and itch cream. Injured? He has bandages in his first aid kit. He's ready for any situation, typical or far-fetched -- rope, a signal mirror, Midol, roach spray, Gorilla Glue and much more.

A quiet and unassuming guy, Senior Airman Charles Sothikhoun, 8th Maintenance Squadron nondestructive inspector, is hesitant to take credit for his good deeds. When asked whether he once dug through a sandpit for eight hours to help a stranger find his wedding band, he responded, "Oh, that? It was only six hours."

Although "Charlie," as he's known around the Wolf Pack, wouldn't talk about all the ways he has helped people, there was an outpouring of witnesses willing to vouch for this ultimate wingman.

"Charlie is everyone's best friend here, whether they realize it or not," said Senior Airman Justin Ogburn, 8th MXS precision-guided munitions crew chief. "It's almost like he has a sixth sense for someone in need. I don't know how many times I have needed him for bug spray, and he just shows up out of nowhere.

"I had a bike wreck a few weeks ago and posted about it on Facebook," Ogburn continued. "Charlie came and found me after work to see if I needed first aid. He is always concerned for his fellow Airmen, and that is what makes Charlie the greatest wingman ever."

Bug spray is one of the most requested items from Charlie's arsenal, but he's also prepared for any situation that might arise -- rubber gloves, flashlights, umbrellas, beef jerky, a sewing kit and much, much more. And, if a comrade's blues uniform ever needs spiffing up on a Monday, he carries a lint brush and shoe polish as well.

So what leads him to voluntarily carry around his 20- to 30-pound backpack on a daily basis? Was there some event that sparked the creation of his store of random, yet useful, supplies? Does he feel like a superhero helping so many people?

Getting Charlie to divulge these details took some coercing.

"I'm not a vigilante who has a specific reason I decided to start doing this," said Charlie. "I just do what I believe is right. People are trying to have a good time, and I want to make sure no one gets in trouble or is forgotten or left alone. I do it to the best of my ability.

"I do it every night because there is always someone else working, too," he added. "Cops, civil engineers, the air traffic controllers, flightline workers, officers ... they are all working."

Although a quiet person, he's not shy about approaching any situation to make sure everyone is alright.

"Charlie once stopped to make sure I was okay walking home with the group I was with," said Senior Airman Kelli Brown, previously with the 8th MXS but now stationed in England. "I'm a girl and a mechanic, so most of my friends are men. It was very sweet of him to make sure it was the right circumstance.

"He is such a truly caring, responsible and kind person. I don't know how he is always so prepared, no matter what situation you're in, but it's a blessing," Brown added. "We should all aim to be better wingmen like Charlie. This would be a much better Air Force if we took half as good of care of everyone as he has his Kunsan family."

Charlie's efforts have been recognized at all levels, from the wing commander when he earned Kunsan AB's "Pride of the Pack," to group commanders at softball games and, most importantly, all the Airmen he helps.

"He personifies the wingman concept," said Chief Master Sgt. Todd Boyle, 8th MXS superintendent. "At a base like Kunsan, it's reassuring to know someone like him is looking out for friends and families. He's given me bug repellent at the Loring Club before, and I've seen him give someone medicated ointment for their rash. He's not in it for the recognition ... he really cares about the Wolf Pack."

There were many accounts of his kindness: providing Neosporin and Band-aids, helping a friend spackle up holes in his dorm room wall, countless times he handed out water bottles.

"I have no doubt Charlie would give you the shirt off of his back in a blinding blizzard," said Staff Sgt. Alfonso Vigil, 8th MXS. "Scratch that ... he wouldn't have to. I'm sure that bag of his has an emergency blanket and hand warmers in it."

Quinze & Milan + Eastpak = Backpack Couch

THAT´S RIGHT, A BACKPACK/COUCH.

This is the $2,060 Eastpak Sofa. It's a little sofa made out of backpack fabric that has a bunch of pockets for all your stuff. Like so many other things, I half want it and half think it's stupidest thing ever made. I would like it more if all the compartments were detachable though.  Hit the jump for a couple more shots including what the couch looks like IN BLACK. That's right, color options!

Sick of losing things in between the seat cushions? As much a giant mutant backpack as a piece of multi-functional living room furniture, this design concept blends the best storage elements of a travel pack with the comfort of a conventional love seat. Biggest backpack or smallest sofa in the world? A bit of both.

Unsurprisingly, this produce is a piece of collaborative design between a backpack company (EastPack) and a furniture design firm (Quinze & Milan). It is upholstered in strongly-colored, heavy-duty fabric with zippers, handles, straps and everything else you would expect from your standard vacation gear. Inverting the hidden multi-functionality of your typical hide-a-bed or futon design, everything this sofa has to offer is right out in the open.

For those who love the nature-loving aesthetics of high-end eco-gear, these shapes, styles and textures will look and feel comfortably familiar. Better yet, they have neat niches of all sorts in which to store your favorite books, magazines, computers, remotes and other household gadgets. For sectional sofa fans, there is also going to be a side chair to sit in – one that will fit snugly next to your super-sized hybrid backpack/couch.