Interested to discuss the guide books.
Which are your favourites and why?
There is one book which is almost impossible to find!I have the book but I am trying to speak to the editorial/admin team......not finding it easy.
A friend of mine in UK has found it hard to buy the book.However if it was distributed and sold in the correct manner it would be good.It is called secretes and is published by Hatchette...sounds easy....but is not.
The AA guide......The Michelin...?????
Why no replies?
Not in any books (actually am in one Petit Futé but didn't pay for it). Advertising is through the net and tourist office. Books have generally been expensive advertising but very few clients seem to use them. Each person must decide the market they are aiming for and advertise accordingly. French customers used to like things on paper, but internet advertising has changed dramatically in the last 5 years. Year one - no internet enquiries from the French all telephone or even a couple of letters. Now even quite elderly French people enquire through the net, though they will often call to confirm.
You pay your money, you make your choices - depends on what you are aiming for.
The AA buy all their French data from GDF.
The French (down here anyway) are tight so why pay for a book when you can get the info free on the internet.
In many cases the client gets their info from a guide which has on line facility as well as in published form.
Most of the people I know who use Alistar Sawdays guide are very successful.
I guesse.....you pay your money. Depends if you want to be busy or moan about lack of bookings.
One of my neighbours has clients from March untill October.....keeping her busy...happily busy[not full untill June....but pretty busy in May]
It does depend on your emplacement. etc
In the days when I had to travel a lot on business, I always used the Good Hotel Guide, because entries were only from customers who had experience of the places and had recommended them. Personally - from a customer's perspective only - I never trust a guide an owner pays to be in!
jon wrote: Why no replies?
Probably because the forum was very, very difficult to access for much of yesterday.
For whats its worth many people seem to read 'Trip Advisor' before they go anywhere or book anything http://www.tripadvisor.com/
But in the current climate will they all come from outside the Euro zone. Travel rates today vary from between 1.20 to 1.22 Euros to the pound with a prediction that it will only get better by a couple of cents come June, July and August. Some who booked last year may decide it's cheaper to loose the deposit. The prices of packaged holidays does not seem to have changed and all of a sudden those 'all inclusive' ones look good value for money. Mind you it's a good time for Euro Land people to visit the UK and USA (as well as a few other countries).
That was garbage so I have re-written it - It's also effecting people like Ryanair for instance. Typically a flight from London to Carcassonne on a one weeks return flying Saturday to Saturday in mid August would cost £200+ each way. At present you can get them for £69.99 each way. You don't normally get cheap flights for these dates whatever time of year you book unless it's the day before and the plane is empty.
If you are in the very high end market then it may not be a problem. If people can afford to spend four or five grand on a weeks stay it won't make much of a difference to them.
Russethouse wrote: For whats its worth many people seem to read 'Trip Advisor' before they go anywhere or book anything http://www.tripadvisor.com/
Actually we use them as well and on our last trip to Spain used their recommended hotels and have to say they were exactly like the descriptions people had given. An excellent unbiased website. You can get listed with them, it costs nothing but you have to make sure you are exactly what you say you are as you have no control over what people write about you. It also has loads of information to print out (free of charge) and the stuff we printed for Madrid was excellent and really enhanced our stay there.
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