Open World in Destination Drive
SEPTEMBER 6, 2006. Open World is extending its destination marketing expertise to highly informative, content rich city guides designed to drive incremental business to its hotel clients.
The recently launched city guide features the Madeira Islands located 350 miles off the coast of Morocco -- a popular European leisure travel destination, famed worldwide for its Madeira wine, perfect climate, striking scenery, embroidery artisans, and New Years' Eve celebrations with a spectacular fireworks show. The 'Madeira Destination Guide' (www.madeirahotelsdirect.com) offers online users the best places to eat, shop, sleep and play in the Madeira Islands. Detailed information on the destination's attractions focus on the outdoor beauty of the paradise isles: ecotourism, golf, spa, wind surfing, big game fishing, as well as recurring events including Madeira Wine Festival, Columbus Festival, Flower Festival, Mardi Gras Carnival, Artmar Festival, and the Tour of Madeira in the FIVA World Rally.
Walking and mountain hiking are also big draws to the islands, especially for those who are relieved to get off the beaten track and away from mass tourism destinations.
Partnering with Resort Bookings, a comprehensive resort reservations and marketing company, the guide boosts direct distribution for a wide selection of Madeira hotels ranging from historic, boutique to upscale. The online booking facility provides independent travellers and returning visitors with a new channel to make their own travel arrangements to a destination traditionally dominated by tour operators.
"It is an established fact, rather than a fad, that many travellers turn to the Internet and rely on search engines for destination research and price comparisons when planning vacations. Our concept for the city guides offers invaluable insight into the local attributes of a destination that appeal to the lifestyle of the travelling audience," said Mark Wong, Executive Vice President, Open World.
"We have successfully complemented hotel brand strategies in the online distribution space through our affiliate travel programme. These destination guides are but one of the brand-friendly initiatives that keep Open World ahead of the game," Wong continued.
The Open World affiliate travel network, serving more than 30,000 chain and independent hotels and over 60 brands, attracts over 24 million visitors a year to its portals - World Executive (www.worldexecutive.com), World Airport Guides (www.worldairportguides.com), and Luxury Travel (www.luxurytravel.com).
Employing a staff of 154 in 11 offices worldwide including London, Paris, Chicago, Atlanta, Bath, San Jose, Colombo, Frankfurt, Singapore, Shanghai, and Tegucigalpa, Open World (www.openworld.org) is a truly global company that offers full service online creative, marketing and e-commerce solutions for some of the world's leading hotels.
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