Thankful. Grateful. Blessed.

 

[kristeldar-blog]

Branding & Marketing: Las Vegas, Nevada

November 7, 2016

            Destination branding is use to promote and market a place for specific visitors of business or leisure travellers.  Different destinations has branded themselves differently according to what their region/country/city has to offer. According to Guardian News and Media, there are two features of a city’s brand: its “assets” - attractions, climate, safety and economic prosperity. Plus its “buzz” - a combination of social media (eg. Facebook likes) and media mentions. These two are each graded out of 10. A few key roles of branding a city is through history and culture, economic values and natural landscapes.

           Las Vegas’ “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas”  slogan has been ranked as one of the most famous phrases and most recognized ad campaign in the modern tourism marketing industry. Not only does this slogan attract foreigners to Sin City, but also inspired an Usher song and the Hangover movie sequel. It started in 2003 when Las Vegas tourism department of ad agency R&R Partners held a meeting to brainstorm for a brand name. They wanted to give Las Vegas a brand that meant something more than just gambling. A year later, they finally came up with something meaningful about Las Vegas - Freedom. Las Vegas provides freedom on two levels. According to The Week, it’s the freedom to see things, do things, wear things and feel things. In short, it’s the freedom to be someone we couldn’t be at home. Secondly, it’s “the freedom from whatever we wanted to leave behind in our daily lives” (The Week, 2016). The word freedom becomes their strategy to form a connection between Las Vegas and the freedom that people desire to have. Las Vegas branding strategy has been very effective because their content is shown in many different social media channels, such as facebook, vine, youtube and tumblr. The amount of social media exposure for this city has expanded its range of people looking to visit. In addition, each channel allows different types of section of visitors to experience the destination in a different way.

“Millennials have become the new target market for Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority” (Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2016). Their highlight is to attract conventioneers, corporate meetings and international travellers as well as the millennial generation who seem to spend freely for quality entertainment.

Sources:

http://www.reviewjournal.com/business/tourism/las-vegas-marketing-gurus-target-free-spending-millennials

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2008/oct/01/city.urban.branding

[kristeldar-blog]

Skylodge Adventure Suites - Peru

October 25, 2016

Throughout the years, people have been getting busy trying to improve hotels, transportations, gadgets, mobiles and so on. One creative accommodation idea that I’ve found is none other than the Skylodge adventure suite.  

“Have you even wanted to sleep in a condor’s nest? Here is the next best thing!” (Airbnb Inc. 2016). The skylodge adventure suite offers people a once-in-a-lifetime chance to sleep within a completely transparent luxury capsule hanging 1,000 feet above the valley floor, that allows guests to appreciate a spectacular panoramic view of the magic & mystic valley of Peru. This capsule comes with a complete  double bed, a dining area and a private bathroom. Packages include breakfast and gourmet dinner with wine, transportation from Cuzco and professional bilingual guides. If you’re someone who loves adventure and is not afraid of heights, then this is the holiday for you. However, before you can settle down for the night and gaze at the stars, you’ll first have to hike up the 400 metre mountain. To those who don’t want to climb can take an alternative route and hike the trail through ziplines, soaking in the breathtaking views from the valley below. In addition, safety is insured by having the exit portal located in the upper part of the craft. The design and features of each suite provides first class service and complete comfort.

As mentioned above, this is the kind of place for someone who has no fears of height and who is a risk taker; adventurers will undoubtedly love to stay in this suite. Or if you are someone who would want to overcome your fear of heights, then by all means, this place can be a start of the journey. The physical challenge of climbing is amazing. Once accomplish, you will definitely feel like you’re on top of the world. This vacation spot is certainly worth to add into your bucket list adventure.

Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/fancy-spending-night-hanging-cliff-6076896

[kristeldar-blog]

Good for the Sector, Good for the Students. ~World Nutrition Forum~

October 16, 2016

           I recently volunteered for the World Nutrition Forum - Biomin; I signed up for a position at the Pan Pacific Hotel. My overall experience was great. My main task was to hand out a lumberjack jacket for each delegate; it was important that each member received a jacket because those jackets would act as their entrance ‘ticket’ for their themed dinner gathering. Other than distributing jackets, I was also responsible for making sure that I kept restocking the jackets and to make sure that each sizes were available so that when delegates arrived, they wouldn’t have to wait for too long. Volunteers wanted to make sure that representatives get settled in their hotel rooms as soon as possible so they could get some rest. Lastly, we set up headsets at the convention for the members to use as translation, so that it’s easier for some people to better understand what the speaker was saying.  

         This volunteer experience was not only a great accomplishment but also it contributed a great deal into my career formulation. One day, I would love to work in a hotel and to have had that one day participation somewhat gave me an insight on dealing with people coming from all over the world. To work in a hotel, a person must be hospitable, well-groomed, outgoing and have a great attitude and these were all tested into our work performance during the volunteer. (REKNOWN 2007) We got to meet different people from around the world and we got to learn their different cultural attitude, their conversation styles, body languages and so on. I observed the differences in each culture and got to understand a better approach for each person.

        In the beginning, I was a bit nervous because I didn’t know what to expect and how the volunteer was going to turn out. However, I got to meet two other volunteer students from Eton and we all got along; we worked as a team and helped each other out when needed. My involvement in this volunteer work was a great achievement.

[kristeldar-blog]

Understanding Culture & Diversity.

October 2, 2016

       The United States is a diverse country; throughout history, this country “has had influxes of immigration”. (Global Portal for Diplomats, 2016). Although the United States is home to many immigrants, it still portrays its own code of ethical behaviour.

          First of all, for ‘meet and greet’, Americans generally has informal greetings. This does not intentionally show disrespect but rather a form of belief that everyone is equal. In addition, saying “See you later” is usually just an expression; people still say this phrase even if they don’t plan on seeing each other again. As for body language, some Americans are known as ‘back slappers’, meaning they give each other a light slap to the back to show friendship. Also, Americans smile a lot even to strangers and they like to have their smiles returned. Furthermore, for corporate culture, in America, negotiations may seem rushed because to them ‘time is money’ and they may not think that building a relationship with a possible business partners is necessary.

           There are many differences between the American culture and my own - the Filipino culture. One major difference between these two cultures is time. As mentioned earlier, for Americans, ‘time is money’, not only for business but also for any other type of events. While Americans value time, Filipino’s have what is called ‘the Filipino time’, in other words ‘always late’. Filipino’s are usually always late to ANY events, whether it’s a casual dinner at a friend’s house or to wedding/birthday celebrations. Second, the party scene. When Americans throw a party, food is normally not a big deal. Finger foods and some chips are enough for Americans. However, liquor is mainly present at a typical American party. On the other hand, Filipinos have to have a variety of food on the table. Food is very important in the Filipino culture. Guests don’t have to bring anything, it’s the host of the party who prepares the meals. Lastly, an American student may use the teacher’s first name to address him/her. On the other hand, Filipino students will have to address the person formally. For example, saying  ‘Miss/Ma’am’ or Mister/Sir’.

        Americans are very hard working people. Although, one might argue they work a little too hard; they only get at least 2 weeks of vacation with pay. Moreover, American’s are amazingly creative, but also afraid of change. They bring so much to the world in terms of idea, technologies etc… and yet they are stuck in their ways.

Sources:

http://www.commisceo-global.com/country-guides/phillippines-guide

https://www.quora.com/What-are-major-and-defining-characteristics-of-Americans

[kristeldar-blog]

Natural Geographical Features

        The Dead Sea is located between Israel and Jordan and about 15 miles east of Jerusalem. Technically speaking, the Dead Sea is not an actual sea but rather a salt water lake. This geographical feature was formed at least 2 million years ago and because the rainfall in the area is very low and the temperature is extremely high, all the water that flows into the Dead Sea is lost by evaporation. Although, it surprisingly kept the purity of its ancient waters up to this day.

        The Dead Sea contains many various fascinating facts. First of all, it is the lowest point of the Earth’s surface. “Its basin lies 1,300 feet (400m) below sea level, making it the lowest body of water in the world.” (Encyclopedia, Britannica Kids 2016). The amount of concentration of saline in the water is said to be a cure for many health conditions. Therefore, resorts and medical facilities gather around by the edge of the sea. In addition, the Dead Sea is the second saltiest body of water in the world.

       The Dead Sea has become a popular tourist attractions from around the world. As mentioned earlier, this body of water contains such high content of minerals and salt that people from all over the world would come here for healing purposes. Not only that this place is the centre of health and well-being, it also carries its long history. With this attraction having some activities to offer such as golf courses, resorts/spas for recuperation and just for its natural beauty really caught my interest in this place.

       Because the Dead Sea contains such high mineral content, marine life is impossible, but the minerals it carries makes up for the healing process that attracts visitors all around the globe. In the Dead Sea, there is no such thing as floating, your body floats on its own without a ‘noodle’ when you’re position at a right angle. Therefore, the Dead Sea pretty much offers a natural resourceful healing treatment and a fun floating activity.

[kristeldar-blog]

Take A Plunge. Travel Solo.

Solo travel may not be a new trend today, however what’s new is that more and more people are interested in traveling alone - those people who are more interested in traveling solo are the younger generations. The reason being is simply because it’s more affordable and accessible than it was in the past.

There are a lot of benefits for traveling solo. First of all, it is much easier to plan a trip for one than it is for two or more people; the only thing you have to worry about is your own needs. Secondly, you are more likely to meet new people, both locals and tourists while you travel alone. This means you get to learn about people of diverse cultures, backgrounds and religions and share experiences together. Lastly, an alone time with yourself away from home is a good way to find your own self confidence and independence . This is a good time to challenge yourself with new abilities, accomplishments and experiences.

Solo travel interests me a lot; I have always wanted to travel ever since I was young. Although with that in mind, I’ve always fantasized my trips with friends. and/or families. However, with solo travel booming in the tourism and hospitality industries today, it somewhat gave me a different outlook about my future travel plans.

There are many advantages of traveling alone; with it being affordable and accessible, you get a lot of opportunities to explore the world; you get to expand your knowledge on different places, cultures, religion etc. Solo travel is the best way to find inner peace and to learn self-awareness.