Expanding Distribution
Getting our video in front of as many potential viewers as possible is of paramount importance for our business. The quality of what we produce has allowed us to take our video and syndicated it beyond the Web and we’re pleased to be creating a Video on Demand platform with Charter Communications, one of the largest cable companies in the United States. They join our existing efforts that have us in roughly 30 million homes where our video can be seen on the biggest monitor in the house – the living room television.
As we all know the only constant with the Internet is change. And one aspect of the Internet that continues to see rapid and often disruptive change is with video delivery. Cable operators are grappling with the fact that the programming they once monopolized is being distributed, for free, on the Internet. We’ll be seeing more and more big screen TV’s hooked directly to the Internet, enabling companies to bring their programming direct to consumers. These efforts are a threat to the traditional cable model with both viewers abandoning the set-top provided content, and advertisers who may bolt for the more measurable on-line environment. The push back from cable is seen in their recent negotiations with programmers, as they no longer want to pay premiums, especially if they lose control of where the audience can view it.
Voyage and our type of HD, interest specific programming is a part of the solution. We don’t require cable to pay for the content; we create value around it together. As our cable partners roll out interactive functionality like click-to-call and telescoping, viewers end up with an interactive experience that was once exclusive to the web. With “retail” TV we don’t just show viewers beautiful places, we take them there as well. –John Pasmore
Breaking Deals starting December 11th
Just in!
Our best last minute deal is to the all-inclusive RIU Paradise Island in the Bahamas. Travel before 12/23 and receive a free upgrade and a $25 spa credit! The RIU has a great beachfront location and is within walking distance of the casinos and shops on Paradise Island, Nassau’s premier resort area. Prices start at $559 with air from Miami, and there are plenty of airfare connections from other major cities such as New York, Philadephia, Atlanta and Charlotte for an additional fee.
Winter Week in the Sun
The St. Kitts Marriott has a great winter deal: Stay 7 nights and pay for only 4–the 5th, 6th and 7th nights are free! Packages start from $1310 per person from New York. St. Kitts is one of the lesser-known Caribbean islands and has maintained an island feel that has evaded the commercialization of so many islands. From the green hills and peaks of the island to the stunning beaches, this is a great new discovery for the Caribbean traveler!
Breaking Deals starting December 4th
Our best deal this week is a 40% Off Sale in Aruba at the Renaissance Aruba Resort & Casino for winter travel. The Renaissance is the only hotel in Aruba that features a private island beach, Renaissance Island. A private water taxi picks you up in the main lobby of the hotel and takes you out to the island that features a family section and an adults-only beach. There is also a restaurant with beach bar, outdoor spa services, fitness area and a wildlife preserve where pink flamingoes wander along the water’s edge. The main hotel is located right in the center of Oranjestad so there are many restaurants, bars, and shopping boutiques all within walking distance–saving a lot on taxi fare. The 40% off sale is valid for travel Jan – April 2010.
What are you doing for the Super Bowl this year? We’ve found a great warm place to enjoy the Big Game on the beach in Barbados: Almond Beach Village is offering special 50% off savings for the weekend of Feb. 4-8, 2010. Not only is it fun to be in sun for the game, but the resort is all-inclusive: Meals, drinks and activities are included in the room price! Almond Beach Village has also invited former NFL stars so the weekend should be amazing with special events and activities. Barbados has a new daily Jet Blue flight from JFK as well as lots of connections on American Airlines, Delta and US Airways. Space is limited so book soon to save 50%.
Finally, we love the cool, classic charm of Bermuda which is only a 2-hour flight from New York, Boston or Atlanta. Winter is actually value season here, with mild temperatures that are perfect for golf, tennis or zipping around on a rented scooter to inspect the numerous pink sand beaches (Keep to the left, please–it’s still a British island!) Where to stay: The Fairmont Southampton offers a 4th night free now through March 21. The resort’s signature Willow Stream Spa is one of the finest in the Caribbean and features a glass-enclosed swimming pool and sundeck with panoramic views of the island and ocean.
–Kevin Matier, Commercial Director
Notes From Production: Shooting Our New Retail Show!
Now that our New York City cycle has launched, our next exciting project is already in the pipeline! This week we shot the pilot for our new Weekly Travel Video Deals show. The production, commercial and editing departments have been working very hard for the past few weeks to create a show that will highlight the must-see travel deals around the world. Itching to get away? Watch for vacation ideas that range from a day at the beach with pink flamingos at the Renaissance Hotel in Aruba to a night at the famous Egyptian-themed Luxor hotel in Vegas. The choices are truly endless! We know staring at videos of white sandy beaches all week has made us want to hop on a plane to sip Caribbean cocktails in the sun and the travel deals make it so tempting. But alas, back to work so we can bring the deals to you. Be sure to watch!
Travel Video: The Next Big Thing
Earlier this week I had the opportunity of presenting at the Phocuswright ’09 Conference in Orlando as part of the Travel Innovation Summit. Nearly 1,000 people attend this conference every year geared towards the leaders of the travel industry – a great opportunity to showcase the amazing things the team is doing here at Voyage.tv, to get the word out.
Sometimes, though it’s better to have a third-party state your case for you, and in this case we were fortunate to have Google and YouTube present video as “The Next Big Thing” for the travel industry. While most of us know that video — and in particular online video – is mainstream, it still remains somewhat futuristic for an industry used to data entry (think keywords and destinations entered into text boxes) as the place for travel discovery to begin.
At Voyage.tv we think video is a disruptive technology that will revolutionize the way travel discovery happens. Think about it, wouldn’t you rather let your interests guide you to a fantastic place, viewing bite-sized segments about a destination rather than hunting and pecking around the web for ideas?
That was part of the gist of our message, and the Google/YouTube presentation underscored and truly validated our approach to the marketplace and what we’re about. Their studies show that a majority of all travelers – some 56% — view video before making travel purchase decisions. This is an amazing statistic considering how few sites have actually embraced the medium, and it shows that we are indeed creating something that our viewers appreciate.
That’s a quick update for now – we’ll post the video of my presentation so you can follow along and understand better how we are out to make the travel discovery process more exciting, engaging and enjoyable than ever before. Now enough reading, go check out some of The World’s Best Travel Programs on Voyage.tv! – Tedd Evers, Chief Revenue Officer
There’s Still Time To Save $250 On Any 5-Night Booking To The Caribbean!
Our Caribbean Luxury For Less 5 Night packages are still on sale at voyage.tv, which means there’s still time to save $250 with our FALL250 promo code! To highlight a couple of especially attractive packages:
5 nights at the ALL-INCLUSIVE Iberostar Punta Cana is $639 with air from NYC!
A 5-Night Escape to Renaissance Curacao for $939 with airfare from NYC!
but these packages are just as great from anywhere in the country! Just enter your home city and book away!
And the best part is, they all qualify for an additional $250 savings of our list price, and you can travel from now through May 2010!
Be sure to enter FALL250 in the promo code box at checkout.
View & Book now on voyage.tv before the deals sell out!
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