Starting this month, CBS will replace five static billboards in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal with smart billboards that can send video to any Bluetooth-enabled mobile device within about 36 feet. According to the story, “CBS will use the …

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Ten NYC parks are about to be equipped with wireless Internet access (sorry Staten Island - you are the only borough not included in the initial proposal.)  This is potentially a ripe new channel to reach tourists in the city.  A …

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Ok, so we are taking this story in it’s entirety from an email we received.  There was no link to it… but it’s an interesting read.  Thanks Media Post.

Spending on online leisure travel will climb to $77.7 billion this year, marking a 20 percent increase from 2005, according to new estimates by eMarketer.

This estimated double-digit gain, though impressive, marks a moderation of growth from the last two years. In 2004, online travel spending surged 28 percent, while last year, the increase came to 24 percent, according to eMarketer.

EMarketer also forecasts that online travel will continue to grow, reaching $122.4 billion in 2009.

But, while consumers increasingly turn to the Web to book flights and rooms, many won’t do so from online travel agencies like Orbitz and Expedia, according to eMarketer. "The majority of online travel sales will take place on supplier Web sites at the expense of online travel agencies. Going forward, this gap will only widen," states the report.

Given the fact that growth will moderate, online travel distributors might need to experiment with new programs to remain competitive.

One possibility, says eMarketer, is that online travel agencies can offer visitors deals on other non-travel products. Citing data from comScore, eMarketer reported that consumers who buy travel online are more likely than other Web users to purchase event tickets and cards, greetings or gifts. "An online travel distributor might use these findings to attract advertisers or to form partnerships with e-tailers," suggests eMarketer.

With all of the hype surrounding the Las Vegas theatre market, we decided to do some research of our own on the Las Vegas market.

We came across a research study that was available for free from MRCGroup Research. Now, …

Click here to read more from the study.

What if there was an application on your computer (AOL IM-like) that alerted you of Broadway ticket news? This could be on-sale announcements, discount tickets, etc.

It potentially is more effective than email because only Broadway messages are filtered through this application.

Well, the travel industry is doing it and says it’s working well for them. We are looking into this now to see what’s possible on the Broadway front.

Here is the article:

“A NEW STUDY BY COMPETE, Inc. concludes that desktop marketing applications can drive travel sales.

The study, expected to be released today, examined Southwest Airlines’ desktop tool Ding!, launched in February and downloaded almost 1 million times as of October.

Southwest Airlines is not a Compete client and didn’t sponsor the study, said Compete Senior Associate Gregory Saks–although, he added, the Compete sales team likely has had discussions with Southwest (and other travel suppliers) about becoming a client in the future. Southwest sends promotions straight to the desktops of consumers with Ding! The study found that Ding! users are 45 percent more likely to book through Southwest than non-users.

Compete’s analysis of some of the leading loyalty programs in the lodging sector found that the travel shopping behaviors of hotel rewards program users are nearly identical to non-users. Rewards program members evaluate 5.9 supplier or agency sites, just slightly less than the 6.3 sites considered for a non-member. What’s more, some programs were found to have no effect at all.

Compete attributes the rise to the ease of comparing prices and amenities online. “Travel suppliers have traditionally turned to rewards programs to create and maintain loyalty,” Gregory Saks, senior associate at Compete, said in the report. “Yet today, with nearly every brand offering its own program, and consumers seeing less differentiation, it is clear that marketers need to look beyond just rewards to maintain strong customer relationships.”

A new study states that 54 percent of online travel shoppers start planning at an online travel site because of the one-stop shopping convenience.

The research also found that 73 percent of respondents who purchased travel online researched travel at …

Go to Google and give it a try.

- Out of the top travel websites, Expedia significantly outperforms both Orbitz and Travelocity in both unique visitors and conversion rates. Read this study. (more)

- In a study about mothers using the Internet, the vast majority of Moms surveyed, 86.6 percent, said they sign up for newsletters and promotions in order to receive coupons or special discounts. (more)

Ok, so I must say, this study surprises me.

According to a new study, laptop PC’s aren’t just for mobile workers anymore. More and more vacationers are actually using laptops while they are on their vacation to help them gather …

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The question still remains… how do we generate sales from prospects before they arrive in New York City?

We know that people use the Internet to research their travel plans. We also know that they book online.

While there is …

Click here to read the complete article on travel marketing.