Is your property’s website built to deliver results?

You can have the prettiest, most visually pleasing website ever created, and it will fall flat on its digital face if it's not optimised properly.

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OTA Insight accelerates growth in Latin America

OTA Insight reports accelerating uptake and engagement in Latin America, an increasingly important region for the company.

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Airbnb missed hosts tied to illegal NYC hotels

Airbnb said there were more hosts associated with illegal hotels in New York City than the company told a judge last year.

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KAYAK data reveals Easter break hotspots for Brits

KAYAK.co.uk has found that popular Easter destinations Warsaw and Vienna have dropped in price by 24% compared to the same time last year.

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New York’s trendiest new hotels get cheaper - and far more expensive

After years of pushback from developers dead-set on maximizing per-room revenues, hoteliers are finding a new way to offer more bang for travelers' bucks all across Manhattan.

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Australia: How Expedia and Wotif are strangling hotels

Two out of three hotel bookings in Australia stem from OTAs. What travellers don't see, insiders claim, is the 30 per cent booking and commission fee the sites charge hoteliers.

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How France’s hotels are rethinking style and space

New brands to the market have raised the design standards to stand out from the crowd and win over a new generation of traveller looking for unique experiences.

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UK hotels ‘struggle to deliver profits’

According to the latest data tracked by HotStats, the UK hotel industry has had a rough start to 2019, with rising costs biting into profits.

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Introduction to Encrusting Corals of the Indo-Pacific

In an ongoing series identifying Indo-Pacific coral species and growth forms, we've covered types including branching and plating. Today we'll take a look at encrusting corals of the Indo-Pacific.

Corals are living animals seeking out life on the reef. Each coral is made from tiny animals called polyps, which build a hard calcium-carbonate shell around their body for protection.  These hard skeletons grow together to become the coral reef. You will notice while diving, snorkeling, or just looking at pictures of a reef, that there are many different shapes, sizes, and forms.

If you're new to coral identification in general, look at our "Coral Biology: Part I" and "Coral Biology: Part II" articles. These will help you learn the basics of coral biology, as well as some helpful terms for identification. And if you're new to Indo-Pacific coral identification, check out our "Introduction to Hard Corals of the Indo-Pacific."

Encrusting corals of the Indo-Pacific

Encrusting corals can overtake other corals, forming plates or shelves above the substrate. We would still call this an encrusting species.

The corals that divers most easily overlook are the encrusting species. These corals creep along the rocks, holding everything together like a layer of cement fusing together the substrate. It's not until you take a closer look, down to the polyp level, that you start to notice just how brilliant and intricate these corals can be.

Encrusting corals can tolerate high-flow environments much more than any other coral growth form. You can find encrusting corals in nearly every underwater habitat; however, you will find the hardier varieties dominate reef walls that are prone to swift currents.

Encrusting corals can have "thick" crusts, less than ¼ inch (.63 cm) thick, or layers thinner than one millimeter. Usually the thickest part of the coral lies in the center of the colony, with the thinnest crust at the growing edge of the coral. Layer by layer, encrusting species grow toward the light and away from predators. Many encrusting corals will also start having a plating form once they reach the edge of a rock or substrate, even if they start off as encrusting.

Up-close observation of these encrusting corals reveals tiny polyps and either short walls or rounded corallites. It's a treat to find encrusting corals with two, three or even four different colors. This lime-green Montipora with little orange polyps clung to a wall in Bunaken National Park in Sulawesi, Indonesia. 

Once you learn to recognize the signs of an encrusting coral, you can learn to identify the different genus groups and species. Here are five genera of coral you can easily identify while diving in the Indo-Pacific.

---

 Montipora

This lime-green Montipora has a beautiful color and intricate ridges, but the tiny orange polyps set it above and beyond the rest.

Montipora is one of the most abundant corals, with over 50 species in the Indo-Pacific. Montipora can be branching, encrusting, or form thin plates. Recognize this genus via the small corallites that are embedded in the surface of the coral. You'll often find them between ridges, although they lack a distinct corallite wall. This coral comes in a variety of colors and the rarest have three or more colors in the same coral. 

---

Cyphastrea

Cyphastrea corals have round corallites with separate walls. You can see spaces between the short, dome-shaped corallites.

Cyphastrea is a true encrusting coral, with only one species known to have a branching form. Recognize Cyphastrea via the round cone or tube-shaped corallites covering the surface of the colony. Importantly, notice that each corallite has its own walls with gaps or space between each new corallite. There are around 10 species of Cyphastrea. 

---

Favia

Favia corals have a separate corallite which looks like domes or tubes. You can usually see small gaps or spaces between them.

Favia are a diverse group of corals that can be encrusting especially when they are small, becoming massive domes or boulders as they grow. Common Favia colors are green, yellow and brown, but can also feature a mix of colors like orange, blue, and red. Identify a Favia coral by noting that it has distinct corallite walls. 

---

Favites

These corals have shared walls and angular or polygonal-shaped corallites.

Favites is a lookalike coral that one can easily confuse with the Favia genus. With a little practice, you can tell these two apart by looking at the corallite. The Favites coral features fused corallite walls. This can be easier to see at night one the tissue is retracted and feeding tentacles are out. Favites coral walls are also more polygonal and unevenly shaped compared to the rounded, smooth Favia corallites. 

---

Pachyseris

Pachyseris corals have a scribble-like appearance and can be encrusting, plating, or even branching.

Pachyseris has narrow ridges a few millimeters above the surface of the colony. The ridges can be long and narrow or short and contorted. There are five species of this coral, which can be plating, encrusting or branching. This coral lacks corallite structures and instead features septa-costea, which run perpendicular to the narrow ridges.

 

 

 

The post Introduction to Encrusting Corals of the Indo-Pacific appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

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Introduction to Encrusting Corals of the Indo-Pacific

In an ongoing series identifying Indo-Pacific coral species and growth forms, we’ve covered types including branching and plating. Today we’ll take a look at encrusting corals of the Indo-Pacific.

Corals are living animals seeking out life on the reef. Each coral is made from tiny animals called polyps, which build a hard calcium-carbonate shell around their body for protection.  These hard skeletons grow together to become the coral reef. You will notice while diving, snorkeling, or just looking at pictures of a reef, that there are many different shapes, sizes, and forms.

If you’re new to coral identification in general, look at our “Coral Biology: Part I” and “Coral Biology: Part II” articles. These will help you learn the basics of coral biology, as well as some helpful terms for identification. And if you’re new to Indo-Pacific coral identification, check out our “Introduction to Hard Corals of the Indo-Pacific.”

Encrusting corals of the Indo-Pacific

Encrusting corals can overtake other corals, forming plates or shelves above the substrate. We would still call this an encrusting species.

The corals that divers most easily overlook are the encrusting species. These corals creep along the rocks, holding everything together like a layer of cement fusing together the substrate. It’s not until you take a closer look, down to the polyp level, that you start to notice just how brilliant and intricate these corals can be.

Encrusting corals can tolerate high-flow environments much more than any other coral growth form. You can find encrusting corals in nearly every underwater habitat; however, you will find the hardier varieties dominate reef walls that are prone to swift currents.

Encrusting corals can have “thick” crusts, less than ¼ inch (.63 cm) thick, or layers thinner than one millimeter. Usually the thickest part of the coral lies in the center of the colony, with the thinnest crust at the growing edge of the coral. Layer by layer, encrusting species grow toward the light and away from predators. Many encrusting corals will also start having a plating form once they reach the edge of a rock or substrate, even if they start off as encrusting.

Up-close observation of these encrusting corals reveals tiny polyps and either short walls or rounded corallites. It’s a treat to find encrusting corals with two, three or even four different colors. This lime-green Montipora with little orange polyps clung to a wall in Bunaken National Park in Sulawesi, Indonesia. 

Once you learn to recognize the signs of an encrusting coral, you can learn to identify the different genus groups and species. Here are five genera of coral you can easily identify while diving in the Indo-Pacific.

---

 Montipora

This lime-green Montipora has a beautiful color and intricate ridges, but the tiny orange polyps set it above and beyond the rest.

Montipora is one of the most abundant corals, with over 50 species in the Indo-Pacific. Montipora can be branching, encrusting, or form thin plates. Recognize this genus via the small corallites that are embedded in the surface of the coral. You’ll often find them between ridges, although they lack a distinct corallite wall. This coral comes in a variety of colors and the rarest have three or more colors in the same coral. 

---

Cyphastrea

Cyphastrea corals have round corallites with separate walls. You can see spaces between the short, dome-shaped corallites.

Cyphastrea is a true encrusting coral, with only one species known to have a branching form. Recognize Cyphastrea via the round cone or tube-shaped corallites covering the surface of the colony. Importantly, notice that each corallite has its own walls with gaps or space between each new corallite. There are around 10 species of Cyphastrea. 

---

Favia

Favia corals have a separate corallite which looks like domes or tubes. You can usually see small gaps or spaces between them.

Favia are a diverse group of corals that can be encrusting especially when they are small, becoming massive domes or boulders as they grow. Common Favia colors are green, yellow and brown, but can also feature a mix of colors like orange, blue, and red. Identify a Favia coral by noting that it has distinct corallite walls. 

---

Favites

These corals have shared walls and angular or polygonal-shaped corallites.

Favites is a lookalike coral that one can easily confuse with the Favia genus. With a little practice, you can tell these two apart by looking at the corallite. The Favites coral features fused corallite walls. This can be easier to see at night one the tissue is retracted and feeding tentacles are out. Favites coral walls are also more polygonal and unevenly shaped compared to the rounded, smooth Favia corallites. 

---

Pachyseris

Pachyseris corals have a scribble-like appearance and can be encrusting, plating, or even branching.

Pachyseris has narrow ridges a few millimeters above the surface of the colony. The ridges can be long and narrow or short and contorted. There are five species of this coral, which can be plating, encrusting or branching. This coral lacks corallite structures and instead features septa-costea, which run perpendicular to the narrow ridges.

 

 

 

The post Introduction to Encrusting Corals of the Indo-Pacific appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

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Brothers Islands Reopens to Dive Boats

The Brothers Islands, a premier Egypt diving destination, have re-opened after a 3.5 month closure which followed four non-fatal shark-bite incidents involving oceanic whitetip sharks. Authorities hope the closure has returned the sharks to their normal behaviors and away from congregating around dive boats.

What caused the shark bites?

Authorities believe a number of factors caused the the sharks' changing behavior:

• Deliberate and accidental feeding of sharks in the area
• Illegal fishing activities nearby
• A lack of understanding of how to interact safely with sharks

Changed rules

In a statement released by the Chamber of Diving and Water sports (CDWS) on March 15th, a new list of rules was issued for all liveaboard diving operators:

'All dive operations CDWS members must abide the provisions mentioned in the Governor decree as follows:

1. Boats may not stay overnight in the Brother Islands. The implementation of diving activities will be only from 6AM till 4PM, after which all boats should leave.

 

2. The daily maximum capacity of boats on the Brothers Islands are 18; 12 boats for Big Brother and six for the Small Brother. This is only during the time mentioned in item No. 1.

 

3. For safari boats to apply for a sailing permit to visit Brothers Islands, first they must get a coordination record with CDWS through this link. They must be able to present it to the coast-guard office of the Red Sea governorate.

 

4. It is totally forbidden to dump any organic waste in the area of Brothers Islands. It should be dumped in open water by a sufficient distance for at least five nautical miles.

The new rules address shark-feeding at the islands. Although it is already illegal to dump organic waste here, authorities hope the new rules will further prevent boats from dumping waste like kitchen leftovers.

By removing food from the water, the sharks are more likely to maintain relaxed behaviors, rather than focusing on potential food sources.

The concerns around safe shark diving have also been tackled. CDWS required all liveaboard operators and dive guides to undergo a shark-awareness course to improve their understanding.

Further updates will be provided if and when they become available.

This article was written by divers and writers at LiveAboard.com

The post Brothers Islands Reopens to Dive Boats appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

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Brothers Islands Reopens to Dive Boats

The Brothers Islands, a premier Egypt diving destination, have re-opened after a 3.5 month closure which followed four non-fatal shark-bite incidents involving oceanic whitetip sharks. Authorities hope the closure has returned the sharks to their normal behaviors and away from congregating around dive boats.

What caused the shark bites?

Authorities believe a number of factors caused the the sharks’ changing behavior:

• Deliberate and accidental feeding of sharks in the area
• Illegal fishing activities nearby
• A lack of understanding of how to interact safely with sharks

Changed rules

In a statement released by the Chamber of Diving and Water sports (CDWS) on March 15th, a new list of rules was issued for all liveaboard diving operators:

‘All dive operations CDWS members must abide the provisions mentioned in the Governor decree as follows:

1. Boats may not stay overnight in the Brother Islands. The implementation of diving activities will be only from 6AM till 4PM, after which all boats should leave.

 

2. The daily maximum capacity of boats on the Brothers Islands are 18; 12 boats for Big Brother and six for the Small Brother. This is only during the time mentioned in item No. 1.

 

3. For safari boats to apply for a sailing permit to visit Brothers Islands, first they must get a coordination record with CDWS through this link. They must be able to present it to the coast-guard office of the Red Sea governorate.

 

4. It is totally forbidden to dump any organic waste in the area of Brothers Islands. It should be dumped in open water by a sufficient distance for at least five nautical miles.

The new rules address shark-feeding at the islands. Although it is already illegal to dump organic waste here, authorities hope the new rules will further prevent boats from dumping waste like kitchen leftovers.

By removing food from the water, the sharks are more likely to maintain relaxed behaviors, rather than focusing on potential food sources.

The concerns around safe shark diving have also been tackled. CDWS required all liveaboard operators and dive guides to undergo a shark-awareness course to improve their understanding.

Further updates will be provided if and when they become available.

This article was written by divers and writers at LiveAboard.com

The post Brothers Islands Reopens to Dive Boats appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

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How to find and convey your hotel’s brand voice through marketing copy

Using words that strike a chord with your audience can encourage potential visitors to book directly on your website instead of heading out to the generically-worded OTA booking engines.

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World’s first robot hotel loses love for robots

The world's first robot hotel has ditched half its 243 android staff - as they do not work as well as humans.

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The top 5 things you need to know now in hotel digital marketing: March edition

This month, the latest digital innovations include Google algorithm updates, new e-commerce and influencer features on Instagram, and video rolling out to Google responsive display ads.

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Expedia cooks up culinary-centric content hub with Puglia, Italy

Expedia Group Media Solutions and the Puglia Tourism Board launched "Puglia Travel Flavors," an Expedia subsite that uses authentic culinary content to attract U.S.- and U.K.-based travelers to the region.

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Why hoteliers should jump on the personalization bandwagon

While technology plays a critical role on the facilitation side, the primary push for personalization is coming directly from consumers.

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American Express GBT’s big integration continues apace

As corporate travel giants work to refine and improve their technology stacks, travel managers and travelers alike will be empowered with new tools and suggestions.

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Five interlinked megatrends in travel & tourism

With people of all generations opting for personal enrichment and experiences over material goods, it's no surprise the the travel industry is both booming and shifting.

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Travel apps have much room for improvement

Many travel industry apps are falling short of user expectations, according to J.D. Power's inaugural U.S. Travel App Satisfaction Study.

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A little family holiday down in Charleston, South Carolina

Growing up in the South in rural Virginia, my childhood memories are full of school field trips to historic plantations, playing in the leaves from big oak trees and summer thunderstorms that shake the house.

The older I get, I often find my thoughts drifting back to when I was a child, remembering the smells and sounds of being outside, of family holidays to the beach, of playing in the park with my mom. I find myself even dreaming about the first house I grew up in.

Now that I live a world away in New Zealand, where the environment is decidedly different than Virginia, there is something primal within me that yearns for those memories.

When I found out that I would be speaking at SXSW this year in Austin with Condé Nast Traveler, I knew I wanted to make time to see my mom over on the East Coast. But I don’t know about you guys, whenever I go home now to my family’s house, sleeping in my childhood twin bed, I slip straight back into childish behavior.

I mean, I’m 30 for christ’s sake and I find myself yelling at my mom about my laundry!

If anything it’s stressful. Going home is hard.

This time around, instead of the regular old pattern of flying to Dulles (my least favorite airport on earth) and slipping into old habits and teenage routines, I convinced my mom and stepdad to join me on a little adventure in the South – a family getaway to Charleston, South Carolina!

I originally wanted to go to Savannah, but by the time we went to book it, everything was booked out and what was left was crazy expensive! Who knew?

So instead we decided to stay in Charleston, which ended up being perfect.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been down that way. Once of my first flights I ever took was to visit my dad when he was working in South Carolina, and we used to occasionally rent a beach house at the Outer Banks or Virginia Beach.

But for the most part, my travels in my youth was limited around Virginia.

By the time I got to high school, all I could do was dream about escaping the South, which I did fleeing to university up in New England and then overseas to Spain. Ever since I was little I dreamed about seeing the world.

And now, 70 countries later, I yearn for the summer hum of the South of my childhood. Ironic, I know.

My parents rarely travel, though I surprised them with a trip to Ireland a few years ago, but with the quick and easy flight down to Charleston made it much easier for them.

And let me say, March in South Carolina was just glorious. The perfect temperature every day, with the flowers blooming and the soft sea breeze blowing in the wind made for the ideal setting.

Now I just need to find Rhett Butler. Any tips?

Since this was a real and proper vacation, and I wasn’t working, I decided to travel light and fast with my new Olympus OM-D E-M1 Mark II camera (a mouthful, I know). A high-end mirrorless camera, it weighs significantly less than my old Canon kit, and is durable and compact.

Traveling with the Olympus completely changed how I photographed. Instead of becoming a chore of pulling out a massive camera, I found myself taking a lot more shots than I might have in the past, with the speed and ease that comes with carrying such a light kit.

I also love shooting with a live screen that’s also a touch screen, it really helps me frame and set up my shots with ease, and with an incredible scale of focal points, I’m hooked.

And honestly? It made it feel much more like a holiday than work, which it was!

So here is a random smattering of shots all taken with my Olympus of Charleston with my parents. We relaxed. We ate a lot. We went for walks. And we enjoyed being in a beautiful place together.

As my parents get older, I feel tremendously guilty about living so far away from them, and want to make the most of our time together when we can. This was a really special trip for me, and I feel so lucky to be able to travel with them.

Ok, I’m gonna stop now before I choke up. Here are my highlights from Charleston peppered in with some very random travel tips. Enjoy!

Have you been to Charleston before? Do you ever travel with your parents? Spill!

Go for a walk around South of Broad and pick out your future house

Ok, downtown Charleston is ridiculously charming. Full of old world grandeur and enormous mansions with carriage houses, colorful shutters and beautiful ivy galore, I quickly fell in love with this area.

South of Broad is located south of Broad Street, at the southernmost tip of the peninsula, and was my favorite spot to wander around with my mom.

We unashamedly peeked inside people’s gardens and marveled at the decadent houses. How I wish I could buy her one!

Pick your favorite porch or front door

The South does many things well, like manners and sweet tea, but something else they truly excel at are epic porches and beautiful front doors.

After all, there is nothing quite so southern like sitting out on a front porch swing late in the afternoon spinning yarns with old friends.

Eat all the seafood

Since Charleston is on the water, it’s no surprise that the seafood is to die for. Of course there are plenty of other dining options, but I made a point to eat as much seafood as possible while we were there.

The best shrimp and grits (a southern most do!) we had was at Fleet Landing, and we stumbled upon Mason’s Lobster for my New England lobster roll fix while wandering near the famous markets.

I tried twice to get a spot at 167 Raw for a meal, and both times the wait was over 2 hours long! What the fuck! I both hate it and love it in equal measure, I’ll be back for you.

But by far our best seafood meal was The Ordinary.

Actually, just eat everything

I was super surprised to hear that Charleston is a massive foodie scene, and amount of amazing foodie experiences there are to die for!

I was also equally annoyed to learn that for some of the best spots you have to make a reservation months in advance. We couldn’t even get in at some of the more well-known spots like Husk or Fig. Oh well, they missed out on us.

Luckily we stayed right next to a delightful cafe and lunch spot called Millers All Day which we frequented several times. Their fried chicken biscuit blew me away!

Prepare if you plan a trip to Charleston, book your dinners in advance!

Meander through White Point Garden

Right next to the water, this place is so cute. My mom and I loved it!

Take your mom for a walk in the French Quarter

More old charming houses and delightful cobblestone streets. And lots of cute shopping.

We didn’t ride in a horse and carriage because we all felt a bit sad for those horses.

Channel your inner Instagrammer at Rainbow Row

Man, I do love a pastel house!

Stay somewhere perfectly southern and charming

We only planned our trip to Charleston a month or so in advance, and being St. Patricks’s weekend many of the hotels were booked out.

Normally I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to choosing accommodation, but this time I relented my vice grip and let my parents chose.

We ended up staying in the carriage houses at the John Rutledge House Inn, and it was so cute and charming. In a beautiful old historic house, it was exactly the kind of place you picture for this city. My parents loved it, and I did too. Especially with breakfast outside and afternoon tea and evening drinks! And the location was divine!

Go on a little trip to Patriots Point

My stepdad served in the military long before he met my momma, and spent a bit of time stationed down in Charleston, and we were all keen to head out to Patriots Point, a naval museum.

Here you can walk onto the USS Yorktown, an aircraft carrier and take in some of the many exhibits.

Even I was frothing at the historic WWII planes.

Walk beneath the Spanish Moss at Boone Hall Plantation

And finally, what I was really dying to see on this trip was the plantations with the hanging moss. You know the ones: the old oak trees and big colonial houses (built on the backs of slaves).

It was hard to pick one to visit, but we settled on the iconic Boone Hall, which you might recognize from starring in many a movie and show, like the Notebook and Days of our Lives.

I really loved my time in the South with my family, and I know we’ll go back again soon!

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