Tip No. 1 for lodging operators in Cayuga County: Keep the facility's Web site updated.
In the last three to five years, the biggest change in booking lodging accommodations has been the availability for people to reserve hotels by themselves without going directly through the hotel, Anna Hlywa, director of sales for Auburn's Holiday Inn, told members of the Women in Business Network at their May meeting, which discussed tourism.
Hlywa said that hotels have to keep their sites updated, so when people use a search engine to find accommodations, the hotel's direct site comes up as the first link rather than third party sites that allow people to book hotel rooms off the lodging location's direct site.
“If you don't book directly through a hotel, you are probably paying commission to this other Web site,” Hlywa said. “They're all just trying to get you to their site.”
May's meeting focused on discussing lodging trends in Cayuga County. Employees from the Inn at the Finger Lakes in Auburn, the Holiday Inn and the Springside Inn in Fleming lead the discussion, opening it up to attendants who were event planners, bed and breakfast owners or who worked at various tourist attractions in the county.
Sue Rose, director of sales for the Inn at the Finger Lakes, said county businesses need to explore their own backyards and emphasize in their sales tactics what the county really has to offer.
“There's so much to do and see here. What we take for granted is what the traveler is craving,” Rose said. “They (travelers) don't want itineraries, they want to sleep in and relax, enjoy the lakes and scenery.”
Rose mentioned the smaller places including ice hockey rinks, raceways, historical sites, baseball and shopping as venues the county should spotlight more in tourism efforts.
In Auburn, Rose said that people are sometimes drawn away because the city isn't right on a lake.
“People passing through don't always see it,” Rose said.
All three lodging locations are working to market the county as a year-round travel destination.
Wineries are always open, shopping never stops and the county is beautiful year-round, people at the meeting said.
But Rose said that winery tourism is still developing here, unlike in California.
“In California the wineries are old and established,” Rose said. “Here they have only developed in the last 10 to 20 years.”
A lack of public access to the lakes, a lack of emphasis on historical sites and the need for an upscale venue to hold events are all ideas meeting attendants suggested as county tourism industry weaknesses.
Staff writer Kristina Martino can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kristina.martino@lee.net
Hlywa said that hotels have to keep their sites updated, so when people use a search engine to find accommodations, the hotel's direct site comes up as the first link rather than third party sites that allow people to book hotel rooms off the lodging location's direct site.
“If you don't book directly through a hotel, you are probably paying commission to this other Web site,” Hlywa said. “They're all just trying to get you to their site.”
May's meeting focused on discussing lodging trends in Cayuga County. Employees from the Inn at the Finger Lakes in Auburn, the Holiday Inn and the Springside Inn in Fleming lead the discussion, opening it up to attendants who were event planners, bed and breakfast owners or who worked at various tourist attractions in the county.
Sue Rose, director of sales for the Inn at the Finger Lakes, said county businesses need to explore their own backyards and emphasize in their sales tactics what the county really has to offer.
“There's so much to do and see here. What we take for granted is what the traveler is craving,” Rose said. “They (travelers) don't want itineraries, they want to sleep in and relax, enjoy the lakes and scenery.”
Rose mentioned the smaller places including ice hockey rinks, raceways, historical sites, baseball and shopping as venues the county should spotlight more in tourism efforts.
In Auburn, Rose said that people are sometimes drawn away because the city isn't right on a lake.
“People passing through don't always see it,” Rose said.
All three lodging locations are working to market the county as a year-round travel destination.
Wineries are always open, shopping never stops and the county is beautiful year-round, people at the meeting said.
But Rose said that winery tourism is still developing here, unlike in California.
“In California the wineries are old and established,” Rose said. “Here they have only developed in the last 10 to 20 years.”
A lack of public access to the lakes, a lack of emphasis on historical sites and the need for an upscale venue to hold events are all ideas meeting attendants suggested as county tourism industry weaknesses.
Staff writer Kristina Martino can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 238 or kristina.martino@lee.net
The Citizens' Say
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Ole Guy wrote on Jun 3, 2007 6:02 AM: