Scam Reservation Enquiries to Tourism Businesses

It's an all too common problem these days: many of us received unwanted emails from people we've never heard of, whether it's a dodgy pharmecutical message or a plea for money from an unfortunate individual from half way round the world.

We're growing ever wise to such scams and thankfully, most of our email boxes are armed with junk mail filters and spam boxes. Indeed, if something does slip through to the inbox most of us will simply hit 'delete' and forget about it. However sometimes the crooks need to be pretty clever to avoid arousing our suspicions - see this one from Wendy Breeds at Old Mill House B&B, Maltby le Marsh.

Good Morning folks in Lincoln,

Just wanted to chat about the increasing number of scam reservation emails we are picking up.  We have had odd curious emails all the while we have been in business, just over two years now.  We tend to ignore them but were not certain of their purpose until today.  We picked up one this morning and I gave it more thought than usual.  I gave it more consideration because a couple of  months back, our son advertised his motor bike at on-line auction and he became involved in a scam whereby, the purchaser, from abroad of course, sent more money than was necessary, paid by bank draft on an Eire bank in Euros.  Of course before the draft could be cleared, the purchaser was requesting the excess to be returned.  Quite farcical but we observed the whole process with common sense and no money changed hands. We heard no more from the potential purchaser.

This affair has naturally sat in the back of my mind and when an email turned up this morning, the penny actually dropped.  The request is usually for three or more double rooms, for seven or more nights...which could be a substantial amount.  (The email is pasted to the bottom of this.)  I can imagine that the procedure would be that upon the request for a deposit, they would pay up front, then before the payment clears, request a refund.  The payment would then bounce and I would be out of pocket.

The reservation request often has a nice little story wrapped up in it, such as they are a bible study group from Central America, or they will be travelling with a linguist etc.

It didn’t take two minutes to find the following website www.tourismnortheast.co.uk/.../watch-out-for-this-email-scam-says-ne-accommodation-provider-a721
 And my suspicions were confirmed!

Sadly for tourism, I am reluctant to take bookings by email from abroad, and always decline a deposit when I do.  As yet, I have taken no bogus bookings.  I would also feel sad for any small business that falls for a scam, easy to do now that it is the low season and businesses would appreciate the income.

I have not heard of or been warned by any source of this fraud activity and thought it might be wise to circulate some sort of info in the email circular you distribute on a regular basis.

Hope you can give this matter your attention and bring it to the attention of other businesses,

Regards
Wendy Breeds
Old Mill House

So, if you receive anything like this that you think other tourism businesses should be aware of, let us know. CL

To Tweet or Not to Tweet...

One of my to-do's this week is compiling a newsletter on the latest developments from the digital news desk. Aside from the cold cup of coffee, Nutri-Grain bar (for elevensies) and various notes to self, there's lots of exciting stuff to talk about from my corner of the room.

I've just been sketching out the headlines for my newsletter, as I often do. One particular point relating to Social Media - and why we should all be embracing it's popularity - got me thinking... what if my readership don't have the foggiest what I'm on about? What if they need a bit more persuasion on the merits of the social media whirlwind? I know it took me a while to appreciate the value of these websites, setting aside my pre-conceptions of it being a pointless fad for teenagers. And if you think that FaceTube is another social media channel I think you'll benefit from some detail on the subject.

So, allow me to enlighten you a little more.

Twitter is just one example of an effective social media channel.There are others out there that produce results of a similar nature, but Twitter is the most popular, most talked about social media site of the moment - in the period Feb 2008 to Feb 2009, the number of visitors to the site grew by over 1000%. Not to mention the fact that every high-profile man and his dog are using it - Barack Obama, Jonathan Ross, and Richard Branson to name a few.

Here at LT we began using Twitter a few months ago. So far, it's been nothing but a hugely positive experience. Not only are we able to keep up to speed with our competitors, our industry partners, suppliers and visitors but we can quickly and easily post updates on what we're doing too. We've talked about everything from award-winning donkeys to the Lincolnshire sausage petition - and it's a great way to flag up articles posted on our blogs.

Part of the purpose of using Twitter as a business is related to crucial online brand-building. Your brand is essential, it's what sets you apart from the crowd, right? Your company logo, your ethos, your way of doing things - all of these attributes make up your identity as a business, and without a brand...well to coin a phrase from an esteemed colleague, it's a bit like forgetting to put the bacon in the breakfast.

Ok, so we've established that Twitter a) helps you nosy at what other people are doing - which we all love and enjoy, lets face it b) allows you to update others on what you're doing c) is a solid online platform for brand-building.

So why Twitter? Surely it's just a faddy gimmick that will fade into nothing come 2012? Perhaps. But right now it's hot property. It's free to use, and setting up your business on Twitter takes all of about five minutes. You can even place a background on your page with your logo/pictures on - keep pushing that brand wherever you can.

Using Twitter takes a bit of practice, but won't steal hours of your day away from you like a needy relative. In fact, about ten minutes of your day is all you need to spare to keep your profile of updates and news fresh, plus catch up on what everyone else has to say, if you like. And of course you can take it a bit further if you have more time - post links to pictures, things that you like, things from your local area, things you've seen other people post...it goes on and on.

From a tourism business point of view a really important benefit of having a Twitter profile is that you'll gradually accumulate a population of 'followers'. These might be other tourism businesses, people who've visited you and people like us.

Now there's no reason to give it a whirl either (even if you just trial it, there's nothing to lose, right?) - Visit England's new Social Media Wizard tool will get you up and running in no time, perfect for anyone who might be a bit overwhelmed by any jargon or technology struggles. CL

Useful links

Visit England's Social Media Wizard tool:
www.eewizard.co.uk

Loads of advice if you're new to Twitter:
www.twitip.com/13-twitter-tips-and-tutorials-for-beginners

Visit Lincolnshire's Twitter Page:
www.twitter.com/visitlincolnshr

Get down to Mablethorpe to see some Bathing Beauties

Do you want to see Lincolnshire’s Bathing Beauties…?

Are you curious what they look like…?

Well, wonder no more, just head down to Mablethorpe's Beach on 18 – 20 September and see Lincolnshire glorious Bathing Beauties Beach Huts for yourself.

The three day Bathing Beauties festival is the only beach hut festival in the UK and Europe’s longest linear event. They were born out of a designs competition to’re-imagine the beach hut for the 21st century'.

Designs include a giant gin and tonic complete with straw and another called Jabba the Hut.
And for beach hut lovers a new one will be revealed at the festival. www.bathingbeauties.org.uk. CG

Lincolnshire Day celebrations - it's not all about the sausage!

Lincolnshire Day will celebrate everything Lincolnshire throughout October 2009.

We want businesses to get involved and celebrate our county. Your support can be as big or as small as you want.

Cafés and restaurants are serving dedicated Lincolnshire menus where all the ingredients are grown in the county – even down to the sugar in the coffee!

Tastes of Lincolnshire is running a food fair with House of Fraser on Lincoln High Street and local attractions are throwing their doors open for free.

Smaller businesses can ask their staff to wear yellow for the day in honor of the county’s Yellow Belly historical roots, or fly the Lincolnshire Flag. What you do is entirely up to you – we just want to inspire you to join us and your business peers to celebrate Lincolnshire Day.

Lincolnshire Day is being supported by BBC Radio Lincolnshire, Lincolnshire County Council, Tastes of Lincolnshire, The Coop, Lincolnshire Life Magazine and the Lincolnshire Echo.

Businesses that support the day will be included in press and PR and could be featured in the local, regional and national media. – so let us know what you have planned by emailing you event and support to lincolnshireday@lincolnshiretourism.com.

For more information click onto www.lincolnshireday.co.uk.

A special discount is being offered by Lincolnshire Life Magazine for any business who wants to buy Lincolnshire flags and buntings, please contact Josie 01522 527127. CG

It's a Twitter Revolution…

It would seem everyone is on Twitter these days: celebs, sports stars – even the US president.

Tweeting? Bird behavior, you say. If you happen to be clued up about Twitter, you might assume it’s a teenage trend - the newest and coolest way to impress their friends, perhaps?

In fact twittering, tweeting, tweet-posting – whatever you prefer to call it - is a fun, fast and effective way to communicate. And yes… even the lesser-spotted, greying-feathered population are joining the revolution.

Here at Lincolnshire Tourism, we’ve embraced its popularity to keep holiday makers, tourism industry professionals and local people up to date with our news.

Plus it allows us to keep in touch with people from all over the world, which is invaluable – we’ve got followers in Canada, Latvia and Australia.

It’s relatively early days - you could say we are still in our ‘tweeting infancy’ – but our experience so far tells us it’s a great way to communicate.

So if you want to follow our business tweets click onto www.twitter.com/lincstourism or see what we are saying to potential holiday makers at www.twitter.com/visitlincolnshr. CG

Move over Hollywood – Lincolnshire is now Film Friendly

Lincolnshire has joined the red carpet A-list stars by gaining official ‘Film Friendly’ status.

Could this mean (sharp intake of breath) we’ll be bumping into Brad Pitt on Lincoln’s Steep Hill, sharing the Cleethorpes Land Train with George Clooney or asking Jennifer Aniston if she has 20p for the car park in Stamford...?

And the answer is – maybe!

But more importantly, Lincolnshire being film friendly gives reassurance to directors and scouts that when they film in Lincolnshire they will get a certain level of service, help and advice – which is music to their ears.

The knock on effect of Lincolnshire’s film friendly status could potentially mean more movies are made here; which would have a fantastic effect in the local economy, especially tourism, as people love to visit their favorite film locations.

Remember The Da Vinci Code and The Young Victoria at Lincolnshire Cathedral? Pride and Prejudice at Burghley House? Or Atonement starring Keira Knightley and Elizabeth: The Golden Age, with Cate Blanchet. All of them helped shine the spotlight on Lincolnshire.

If you want to know more see the press release www.lincolnshiretourism.com/media-room/press-release/2009.

We’ll let you know when Steven Spielberg is on the phone...CG

Latest Job Opportunties at Lincolnshire Tourism

We're expanding our team a little more this month with the recruitment of two new posts...the search is on for an Aviation Development Officer and a Learning Outreach Officer. So what on earth does that involve, you might ask?

As part of a budget received by the Heritage Lottery Fund we're flying ahead - pun intended - with our campaign to raise awareness of Lincolnshire's aviation heritage, and the many fantastic aviation sites the county has on offer. These two roles will be vital to the successful delivery of this campaign, working closely with key sites and partners to plant our aviation history firmly on the map.

The closing date is 14th Sept 09, so if you think this might be up your street (or indeed someone you know) check out full details of the posts and how to apply at www.lincolnshiretourism.com CL

Coast Magazine loves Lincolnshire...

I arrived at my desk this morning to see the latest copy of Coast Magazine – and turned straight to the four page spread dedicated to Lincolnshire’s Festival of Bathing Beauties, which takes place every September in Mablethorpe (18th-20th).

The festival is totally unique, and celebrates traditional seaside fun (something Lincolnshire is very good at!) with a quirky design twist. The article in Coast Magazine focuses on the design concepts of each artist when they sketched out the initial plans for their bespoke hut.

We love getting national coverage like this for Lincolnshire – it’s one of many ways we use to sing about what a great place it is to visit. If you want to know more about Bathing Beauties or attend the festival have a look on www.bathingbeauties.org.uk or pick up a copy of Coast Magazine! CG

Get the edge on Quality

I've just been passed a glossy mag by our Quality Manager, Sarah Gravelle: no, not the latest issue of Vogue (although we do talk shoes on a regular basis) but VisitEngland's summer edition of Quality Edge. Having had a good thumb-through with my morning coffee, I can see why Sarah raves about this magazine each time it arrives on her desk.

Firstly, there's a range of 'hot topic' articles - such as how to widen your appeal to an overseas audience, embracing the era of the credit card transaction and - for us nosey types - 'a Day in the Life'; this edition spotlights a four-star hostel in the Lake District. Amongst the undeniably useful selection of practical advice you'll find a generous offering of tips and ideas too.

Quality Edge is a bit of a no-brainer: free business advice, industry insight and oodles of handy hints... It easy to get hold of - you can read the Summer 2009 issue and download any back issues, all free of charge at http://www.tourismtrade.org.uk/quality/QualityEdge . Once you've taken a look, do let us know what you think. CL

Latest press coverage: The Times

Last month our media team were approached by respected walking guru and journalist, Christopher Somerville. After providing Christopher with some routes and ideas it seems our ever persuasive approach did the trick - with an article in last weekends copy of The Times worth c. £25k in press coverage.

Happily for us whilst many of Christopher's friends have 'little love' for our fair county, it seems he was mesmerised by our 'undiscovered walking country'. Jolly good stuff we think.

Read the full article...

• http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/walks/article6681379.ece