Discounts for hotel selfies

Social media gives women the reassurance to travel solo and confidence to do so according to new research from Booking.com. The Solo Travel Report revealed that more than half (58 per cent) of U.S. female solo travellers surveyed said that using social media during a trip made them feel safer. Connected solo female travellers now have more control over their travel experience thanks to online access, or mobile apps that provide travel planning information on the weather, local news, transport, banking and accommodation. Furthermore, social media sites and mobile apps can be used to find like-minded travellers when companionship is needed. In light of their findings, Booking.com has launched an ad that targets women that want to travel alone – check it out here.

If you thought the selfie was on its way out, you were wrong; with the rise of social currency, hoteliers are tapping into the trend with a number of selfie-driven promotions. Discounted rates are being offered to travellers if they snap a photo of themselves in and around the hotel and remember to tag the establishment in their photos. Selfie fan or foe, travel brands are getting in tune with social media behaviour, so best lookout for an offer which suites you.

Yahoo have recently re-launched Yahoo Travel and have adopted a digital magazine style in a bid to inspire readers with aspirational images, sponsored content and video. Often landing in the top 10 travel sites globally, traffic wise, it has been a bit neglected over the last few years. The revamp shouldn’t really come as a surprise given Yahoo, after all said and done, is a media company. With simplified booking functionality, it’s the start of a new era for Yahoo and the developments are only likely to strengthen their position as a leader in online travel research and booking space.

This week saw the launch of the .London domain, reinforcing the city as a digital leader. While .co.uk will surely remain, early adopters of the new domain include Fortnum & Mason, West Ham United FC and the Evening Standard. London follows New York and Berlin in adopting their own domain extensions and will help the Capital’s businesses in creating their ‘London’ identity online with this form of digital branding.

B.J Novak, famous for his role in Saving Mr. Banks and the Office has suggested this week that social media platforms are making us all better writers. Status updates contain so much fear and hope and worry and fakery and inadvertent honesty and style, and attempts to not try too hard which he believes is developing the ‘social media generation’s’ writing style.

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