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Sunshine

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The State Tourism Office just called about a travel writer staying with us who is doing a story on the nearby tourist attraction.
She is on assignment from the Chicago Tribune!
The State Tourism booked the reservation! YAY! (he said, they choose us because of our reviews).
We may or may not get mentioned in the article - But I'm hoping they will mention us!
 
We live in a major tourist area, and in years past you'd never get a legitimate travel writer asking for a comp (how can they do an unbiased assessment of your place if they're staying for free, right?). With social media and so many casual forums like blogs, we've seen the trend shift heavily towards these writers expecting a free stay. Our local Visitor's Bureau often sends out requests for discounted lodging, we never respond because it's almost ALWAYS a single Saturday night, but I suspect many of our area B&B's do give away free stays.
Your State Tourism Office may be willing to foot the bill, if so I would offer them a discount but if it's a legitimate travel writer they should be traveling alone (not dragging spouses and even children along, which we've seen happen with the less-than-professional "writers").
So…I didn't answer anything but I think I'm trying to say it's your call
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Your right Don D. The state is footing the bill! So we gave them a discount (to encourage them using us more frequently).
 
Donald Draper said:
We live in a major tourist area, and in years past you'd never get a legitimate travel writer asking for a comp (how can they do an unbiased assessment of your place if they're staying for free, right?). With social media and so many casual forums like blogs, we've seen the trend shift heavily towards these writers expecting a free stay. Our local Visitor's Bureau often sends out requests for discounted lodging, we never respond because it's almost ALWAYS a single Saturday night, but I suspect many of our area B&B's do give away free stays.
Your State Tourism Office may be willing to foot the bill, if so I would offer them a discount but if it's a legitimate travel writer they should be traveling alone (not dragging spouses and even children along, which we've seen happen with the less-than-professional "writers").
So…I didn't answer anything but I think I'm trying to say it's your call
regular_smile.gif
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We have comped several legitimate travel writers over the years....and they have brought spouses with them. As a result, we have been included in guide books and on-line guide books favorably reviewed. So I don't think there is a general should or should not where travel writers are concerned. And certainly the Chicago Tribune is a reputable source which may, in turn, lead to other mentions and reviews for you! Congratulations!
 
I just googled the name, and she's a big time travel writer! YAY!
 
We are lucky in that our DMO (destination management organisation) is heavily targeting travel writers with key themes is gardening and so on - but they heavily vet them, organise their stay and make sure they aren't just occasional bloggers looking for a freebe. We had a nice chap stay with us covering our conference centre staying somewhere different every night ie BB, self catering hotel etc so he could report back on the variety and budget options etc.
 
Silverspoon said:
Donald Draper said:
We live in a major tourist area, and in years past you'd never get a legitimate travel writer asking for a comp (how can they do an unbiased assessment of your place if they're staying for free, right?). With social media and so many casual forums like blogs, we've seen the trend shift heavily towards these writers expecting a free stay. Our local Visitor's Bureau often sends out requests for discounted lodging, we never respond because it's almost ALWAYS a single Saturday night, but I suspect many of our area B&B's do give away free stays.
Your State Tourism Office may be willing to foot the bill, if so I would offer them a discount but if it's a legitimate travel writer they should be traveling alone (not dragging spouses and even children along, which we've seen happen with the less-than-professional "writers").
So…I didn't answer anything but I think I'm trying to say it's your call
regular_smile.gif
.
Click to expand...
We have comped several legitimate travel writers over the years....and they have brought spouses with them. As a result, we have been included in guide books and on-line guide books favorably reviewed. So I don't think there is a general should or should not where travel writers are concerned. And certainly the Chicago Tribune is a reputable source which may, in turn, lead to other mentions and reviews for you! Congratulations!
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For me, the should/should not depends on how much they convince me of their plans, motives, and legitimacy.
Well-followed guide books, I would be interested. But everyone has a blog these days, and it is usually meaningless.
And as said above, they need to be respectful that a single night stay during peak times is not when I am so interested.
But I concur that a serious organization should be paying their way. For example, Consumer Reports buys the goods they review, they don't go around looking for freebies!
 
I have comped and I have discounted. I had a fantastic article in the Sunday Travel section of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette - above the fold. The reporter actually grew up in Shinnston - it was an article that had the phone ringing for 3 years. She told me, when I tried to comp the room, that they are not permitted to take freebies.
I have done freebies for my State Tourism when they need rooms (WV never has much money in the Tourism pot). If it is from Tourism, they are vetted. They sent a writer who was doing a book about hiking trails in the Virginias. I had to twist the arm of the inn-to-inn partner who said OK to a Thursday but was NOT giving up a Friday. That author was published, went on a promo tour and said our trail was one of her 3 favorites - in radio interviews (I heard one) and went on to do several of the revisions for Off The Beaten Path - West Virginia and not only includes us (now without the package as she knows it is no longer - she checked), but with the vignette of our very first phone conversation.
Writer: Will I be safe. I will be hiking alone. Me: This is West Virginia. IF you see anyone on the trail, they will most likely stop and ask if you need anything.
She wrote: I had been on the trail for a while when I saw a man with long hair wearing a dago-t coming toward me. I put my hand in my pocket and wrapped my fingers around my can of mace. The man stopped and asked if I had been on the trail long. I replied about an hour. He said, that is long enough to work up a thirst. Just around that bend up ahead is my house on the left. No one is home right now but the door is open, just go on in and get yourself some cold water out of the refrigerator. And then he continued on up the trail. And I remembered what Kathleen had said, "It's West Virginia, Honey."
You never know how much mileage you will get from a freebie. Most I got nothing, but I will continue hosting free-lance because - you never know......... (BUT I am not in an area everyone is flocking to for a free vacation either)
 
Good going! Hope you get a plug.
I have had good & bad experiences with travel writer requests. BUT those coming through your state tourism office should be considered researched and approved especially if the office is footing the bill.
Anyone asking for a comp in exchange for a plug should not be considered a reliable source. If they say a comp in exchange for an ad, then yes. But if their write-up is to be considered legit you should not be paying for it (room in lieu of $ either).
 
Things like that are always welcome. We've had a few mentions but one stands way out.
Back in 2003 we received a phone call from Forbe s magazine telling my husband that they needed to verify our prices. He told me what had happened and I said "yeah right. Forbe s Magazine, my foot". I called the number back and it was indeed that.
Months later a guest sent me that magazine with an article about us. It was picked up by Frome rs bud get travel magazine and ultimately ended up on the front page of msn.com for an entire week.
We had more phone calls from all over the country for reservations but no availability for any of them. However, I think it made people come to the area and ever since and with the Pu re Mich igan campaign, this area is HOPPING.
 
Iris said:
Things like that are always welcome. We've had a few mentions but one stands way out.
Back in 2003 we received a phone call from Forbe s magazine telling my husband that they needed to verify our prices. He told me what had happened and I said "yeah right. Forbe s Magazine, my foot". I called the number back and it was indeed that.
Months later a guest sent me that magazine with an article about us. It was picked up by Frome rs bud get travel magazine and ultimately ended up on the front page of msn.com for an entire week.
We had more phone calls from all over the country for reservations but no availability for any of them. However, I think it made people come to the area and ever since and with the Pu re Mich igan campaign, this area is HOPPING..
Click to expand...
thumbs_up.gif

 
Iris said:
Things like that are always welcome. We've had a few mentions but one stands way out.
Back in 2003 we received a phone call from Forbe s magazine telling my husband that they needed to verify our prices. He told me what had happened and I said "yeah right. Forbe s Magazine, my foot". I called the number back and it was indeed that.
Months later a guest sent me that magazine with an article about us. It was picked up by Frome rs bud get travel magazine and ultimately ended up on the front page of msn.com for an entire week.
We had more phone calls from all over the country for reservations but no availability for any of them. However, I think it made people come to the area and ever since and with the Pu re Mich igan campaign, this area is HOPPING..
Click to expand...
Iris said:
We had more phone calls from all over the country for reservations but no availability for any of them. However, I think it made people come to the area and ever since and with the Pu re Mich igan campaign, this area is HOPPING.
Click to expand...
That is one of the best tourism campaigns I have ever seen. My state doesn't believe in tourism promotion. If you don't know it's here, we're not gonna tell you. Stupid.
 
Morticia said:
Iris said:
Things like that are always welcome. We've had a few mentions but one stands way out.
Back in 2003 we received a phone call from Forbe s magazine telling my husband that they needed to verify our prices. He told me what had happened and I said "yeah right. Forbe s Magazine, my foot". I called the number back and it was indeed that.
Months later a guest sent me that magazine with an article about us. It was picked up by Frome rs bud get travel magazine and ultimately ended up on the front page of msn.com for an entire week.
We had more phone calls from all over the country for reservations but no availability for any of them. However, I think it made people come to the area and ever since and with the Pu re Mich igan campaign, this area is HOPPING..
Click to expand...
Iris said:
We had more phone calls from all over the country for reservations but no availability for any of them. However, I think it made people come to the area and ever since and with the Pu re Mich igan campaign, this area is HOPPING.
Click to expand...
That is one of the best tourism campaigns I have ever seen. My state doesn't believe in tourism promotion. If you don't know it's here, we're not gonna tell you. Stupid.
.
Click to expand...
Morticia said:
Iris said:
We had more phone calls from all over the country for reservations but no availability for any of them. However, I think it made people come to the area and ever since and with the Pu re Mich igan campaign, this area is HOPPING.
Click to expand...
That is one of the best tourism campaigns I have ever seen. My state doesn't believe in tourism promotion. If you don't know it's here, we're not gonna tell you. Stupid.
Click to expand...
that is stupid. But now, that a proposal to fix our roads failed last month, they are going to cut funding for Pu re Mi
that is stupid too
 
Morticia said:
Iris said:
Things like that are always welcome. We've had a few mentions but one stands way out.
Back in 2003 we received a phone call from Forbe s magazine telling my husband that they needed to verify our prices. He told me what had happened and I said "yeah right. Forbe s Magazine, my foot". I called the number back and it was indeed that.
Months later a guest sent me that magazine with an article about us. It was picked up by Frome rs bud get travel magazine and ultimately ended up on the front page of msn.com for an entire week.
We had more phone calls from all over the country for reservations but no availability for any of them. However, I think it made people come to the area and ever since and with the Pu re Mich igan campaign, this area is HOPPING..
Click to expand...
Iris said:
We had more phone calls from all over the country for reservations but no availability for any of them. However, I think it made people come to the area and ever since and with the Pu re Mich igan campaign, this area is HOPPING.
Click to expand...
That is one of the best tourism campaigns I have ever seen. My state doesn't believe in tourism promotion. If you don't know it's here, we're not gonna tell you. Stupid.
.
Click to expand...
I have spent a fair bit of time in Maine -- similar attitude as the French. And I love both places; just don't expect easy respect.
 

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