Kissimmee Vacation Rental Marketing Highway 192 Getting Help?

I read an article today about a problem that I have observed which I have been talking about for some time.  I was glad to hear that Osceola County is doing something about it.  Years  ago the highway 192 area toward the Down Town and central parts of Kissimmee were bustling with travelers and shops along that strip of highway. The area has really suffered and so are the businesses in that area that were dependent upon those tourist traveling in the area.

I have discussed this with my colleagues and co-workers to pin point what went wrong. I believe it has to do with many variables including the development of areas like The Loop and Osceola Parkway. These 2 variables I believe have played a big part in the decay of the highway 192 and Kissimmee.

People coming to Disney World in Orlando can take a bee line straight to the parks using the toll road Osceola Parkway instead of traveling down 192. I believe this toll road has taken a toll on our local economy and have caused businesses to shut down because the 192 highway was strangled by “convenient” toll road.  In the same area is the The Loop which has alot of attractions, big brand stores and restaurants. This area is continuing to grow and things will only get worse if the city of Kissimmee doesn’t take action. It looks like a ghost town in some of these areas with boarded up businesses and empty plazas.

I am glad that the City of Kissimmee is taking some action on what is a choke hold for local businesses on 192. It is hard for small businesses to simply relocate to the area of The Loop where travelers are surely visiting. That area is expensive for commercial property leasing  and is not fully developed with limited opportunities for small businesses to capitalize on.

I am hopeful that we will address these issues. The vacation rental business is a huge part of the local economy as renting vacation rentals instead of hotels is a very popular option for travelers to the Walt Disney area. This is good news for owners of vacation rentals, property management companies and small businesses in Central Florida. I have included the article from Freeline Media below.  If you have any insight that you would like to contribute please give us your feedback.

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KISSIMMEE – In an effort to more aggressively promote Central Florida’s hotels, resorts, timeshares and vacation homes, the leading tourism office in Osceola County has hired a private marketing research firm to collect data on the hospitality industry.
The Kissimmee Convention and Visitor’s Bureau has contracted with Varga Market Research Services Inc., an independent research firm based in Orlando that also provides focus groups, analytical research, and consulting work. The firm’s clientele already includes major attractions and hotels in the region, said Tania Varga-Bigosinski, the president of the firm.
“We’ve had a lot of partners here in Central Florida,” she said.
Central Florida’s hospitality and tourism industries took a hit in 2008 and 2009, as the national recession set in and consumers cut back on their discretionary spending – including on vacations.
But the industry had a much strong year in 2011, with Greater Orlando attracting more than 50 million visitors last year, breaking records.
Varga-Bigosinski said the Kissimmee CVB wants her firm to reach out to anyone in the Osceola County hospitality industry, to find out their occupancy rates, room rates, and average lengths of stay. The information compiled by her firm will be used to help market Osceola County’s tourism industry this year.
“We have worked in the lodging industry over the past 23 years,” Varga-Bigosinski said. “We’re going to be surveying Osceola County’s vacation home and timeshare industry.”
The purpose of the study, she said, isn’t to determine which timeshares or vacation homes are doing better than others. All information gathered by her firm will be kept strictly confidential, she added.
“The performance report is reported in the aggregate,” she said. “No one can see your information. That’s why we’re collecting it, so it remains anonymous.”
But it could prove crucial in the coming year in enabling Osceola County’s tourism officials to find ways to reach out to new visitors, and introduce them to the region’s theme parks and attractions – and to the places available to stay during their vacation.
“The Kissimmee CVB uses this information to do marketing research,” she said.
Kriss Titus, a member of the Kissimmee Tourism Education Association — which is working to convince the Osceola County Commission to invest more money into marketing the tourism industry — said vacation homes and timeshare owners should definitely participate in this survey.
“I think it’s great, because knowledge is power, and when you’re more knowledgeable, you can go to the people making decisions about how that money is to be spent and say ‘Look at this research we have,’ and say ‘Look at the percentage of vacation home and timeshare people participating in this study.’ When you look at that study, it will show we should be putting money into marketing of the tourism industry.”
Marketing truly is crucial, said Mark Miller, the CEO and owner of the Arabian Nights Dinner Show in Kissimmee.
“One of the things in any destination in this market is you have to have critical mass,” Miller said. “You won’t be able to afford to be in our market, because you can’t afford the marketing.
You’ve got to decide where you want to be in the market.”
Varga-Bigosinski met this morning with the members of the Central Florida Vacation Rental Managers Association, the trade group representing small business owners who manage vacation homes in Central Florida, one of the fastest growing aspects of the hospitality and lodging industry, particularly in Osceola and Polk counties. The property managers held its first monthly meeting of the year at Mystic Dunes Resort in Kissimmee.
While outlining the research that her firm will be doing, she asked the members to contact her office and participate in the survey.
“This information will be useful to you in your own marketing campaigns and advertising,” she said. “You’ll see an email or phone call from us over the next month or so about this.”
Colin Young, the outgoing president of the CFVRMA, urged his members to take part in the research.
“I would encourage everyone to provide as much information as possible,” he said. “We’re trying to drive tourism into Central Florida.”
He noted that Osceola County is also making an effort to revitalize U.S. 192, the highway that goes from the Four Corners area past Celebration into Kissimmee and St. Cloud. Once a thriving tourism corridor, this highway has fallen on hard times in recent years, particularly the section closest to Kissimmee, with a rising number of abandoned and vacant businesses along it.
U.S. 192 is also the home to some of the region’s better known vacation home properties and timeshares, Young noted, and he said the entire hospitality industry has a stake in how the corridor fares.
“There are studies for the redevelopment of (U.S.) 192 that is ongoing,” he said. “These meetings are important to our industry.”

What do your think about this? State your opinion.

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Vacation Rental Marketing Help From Obama Travel Advertising Program

Obama Wants  To Rent Vacation Rentals for Owners And Property Managers.

Now that I have your attention with a headline like that, you will see it’s not too far from the truth! No matter your take on Obama he put the spotlight on tourism in America. Air force One touched down at the Orlando International Airport (OIA) at 11:36 am. Today President Obama was in Disney World at the Magic Kingdom in front of Cinderella’s Castle, gving a speech promoting travel and tourism in the United States of America. I’m personally excited about the travel industry getting publicity. We haven’t really been promoting travel to the U.S., but other countries have been advertising in the U.S. promoting their countries “allure” why isn’t the U.S.A. doing the same? Security?

President Obama said “I want more tourists here tomorrow” “I want America to be the top tourist destination in the World”. He did a good job of rallying up support after that statement. He has stated that he has rounded up “some of Americas most successful business leaders” to create a new national tourism strategy focused on creating jobs and travel to the U.S. President Obama says the team he has put together will see how they can make it easy for foreign tourist to get basic information about traveling to America. Obama says they will do a better job of marketing America travel and so should you. I am glad to be doing my part in marketing American travel are you? It is important for to reach other markets and get quality clients who in some cases their currencies are worth more than The U.S dollar allowing owners to maintain better rental rates.

America is a great country with unlimited benefits to offer travelers we should use our assets and what is available to us to be a more stable country. Our natural resources and entertainment options here in the U.S. are extraordinary and can give us the economic boost this country needs. President Obama today discussed programs created to help in the aid of screening frequent business travelers and “good folk” who are here for legitimate travel purposes. The program would require travelers to under go a background and screening process to help keep America safe for Citizens and Travelers.It has been difficult for citizens of many countries to gain access into the U.S.A. and visit places like Disney World, Las Vegas or New York City because of stiff regulations. I am behind safer more frequent travel to the U.S. and believe if it is approached from the right perspectives we can accomplish our goal and help America.

President Obama mentioned a few countries of specific interest; China, Brazil and India, interesting isn’t it. Our statistics support Obama’s recognition regarding China,  we have seen growth in that market as well. As for Brazil, it’s always been a strong market these type of travelers come to Orlando and to the different attractions in the United State. Brazilian traveler often travel in larger groups and spend a huge amounts of money. We have recognized Brazil to be a great target audience to attract and get visitors in vacation rentals.

India has a very fast growing economy this is why we need to approach India as a client for your vacation rentals and or travel agency. I recently had the opportunity to attend a Indian function in Kissimmee Florida. I observed that all the people I spoke with expressed an importance in supporting the Indian people and culture. In my experience of working with Investors and friends from around the world India’s culture promotes loyalty, so if you can develop a base of travelers from India you would have a loyal customer who will tell all their friends about you now think about that. Are you attracting these global audiences? If not you should be.

President Obama also mentioned that it is expected that these countries with rapidly growing economies are developing middle classes and suggest over the next four years travel from these places will double.

President Obama mentioned the importance of using technology to assist in the expansion of these efforts. You too can use technology to expand your audience and ultimately get more rentals and bookings for your vacation rental properties. You should consider developing a network and websites to attract foreigners to your vacation rentals.  If you own a villa in Orlando or a condo in Myrtle Beach you can leverage your marketing efforts to reach a specific targeted region of travelers. There are a few things that are required to create a funnel to attract these type of rental customers. If you would like to learn how to open your net, contact us for a free consultation.

The purpose of the program is for job growth, which means more competition! Is your vacation rental business ready to compete? Hold On To Your Seat!

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Key To Marketing A Vacation Rental Online Today Tips For Rental Success

Think of it as a Facebook or Twitter for vacation rentals and the travel industry. But it isn’t just about providing vacation rental marketing tips and advise on owning and managing rental properties. This vacation rental community wouldn’t be complete if you couldn’t rent vacation rentals or purchase travel. Troll Traveler offers owners of vacation rentals, property management companies, travel agents and tour operators to advertise vacation rentals free and vacation properties for rent.

Troll Traveler is a vacation rental community like no other. Many travel communities will not allow you the freedom to advertise vacation rentals, hotels or travel options in the travel community for free would they? Troll Traveler does it has lifted the limits that other travel communities and vacation rental websites impose on users and members. Some of these vacation rental websites and communities can charge anywhere from $199 to

Vacation Rentals Community Travel Social Network For Rental Owners & Mangers

$399 per vacation rental listing. At Troll Traveler you can advertise vacation rental properties for free. There is no limit on the number of properties you can list for rent. If your a property manager you will appreciate the ability to give your rental business the most exposure as possible and increase your rentals by having more rental inventory to show online.

With Troll Traveler the advertiser or rental owner has the ability to increase the traffic to their actual listings by using some of the rental marketing tools and techniques that Troll Travelers empowers their advertisers with. On other vacation rental websites you almost have this “set it and forget it” mentality when it comes to advertising on these vacation rental websites. The best you can do in most cases is cross your fingers and hope for the best. However we here at Troll Traveler and Villa Marketers we’ve broke the mold to help owners make the most of this powerful ever-changing online word we’re all a part of.

Because Troll Traveler is a travel social network you have the ability to communicate with with everyone travelers, property managers, rental owners, real estate agents, travel agents, tour operators, personal chefs you name it we got it here on Troll Traveler! This enables you to develop a circle of affiliates and important contacts to help you grow your rental business.

One of the ways that you have the ability of driving content to your vacation rentals, property management or travel agents listings is by providing useful information to the community via blogs, articles, videos, pictures and community interaction. The more you interact in the community the more your vacation rentals and travel products will be in front of highly qualified leads and even more.

With Troll Traveler it allows vacation rental owners and property managers to think outside of the box from the traditional marketing that they may be use to. Lets face it things are changing fast on the web and it is moving in the direction of social communication and those who wait to realize this will suffer for it.

Join The Travel Social Network  Today!

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Free Real Estate Marketing For Real Estate Agents & Vacation Rental Owners Wanting To Sell Their Vacation Homes

If you’re a real estate agent or real estate company who is wanting to get free real estate marketing for yourself or agency then you’ll want to take full advantage of the free real estate marketing offered by Troll Traveler. Troll Traveler is bringing all things related to travel together in a new way.  There are many social networks or travel communities out there however there isn’t a social community designed and developed to be so dynamic as Troll Traveler is. We know that many vacation rental owners became owners by expereincing a vacation rental property first hand for themselves before buying a rental property.  Many rental owners purchased vacation homes while on vacation.  This is why Troll Traveler is welcoming real estate agents who assist investors and real estate clients with the buying and selling of vacation real estate.

It doesn’t matter if your a real estate agent in Mexico, Florida, Myrtle Beach or Australia for that matter we are opening our doors to real estate agents all over the globe. Don’t be the last to join the travel social network.

So why should you take advantage of free real estate marketing? Here’s a

FREE S A GOOD PRICE!

First is obvious, it’s free real estate advertising! When your looking to grow your your real estate business there is no such thing as too much advertising

Make important real estate connections with other real estate professionals and valuable lead sources both for buyers and sellers of vacation properties

Create a  listing for your real estate agency and realty services in our directory.  A free real estate business listing will have your website link and contact info

Post all your vacation rental properties for sale either by owner or real estate agents  for FREE with unlimited uploads for photos, videos and blog posts

Join the travel community and help real estate prospects with their buying questions and develop a presence in the community as a real estate professional

There many more benefits when you join Troll Traveler. Get your free real estate business listing today!

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Amenities That Can Improve Your Vacation Rentals Rentability

In this article we are going to look at some generic amenities that can boost the potential of your holiday home to attract many renters.

Distance from airport – this is probably the first thing

to consider when investing in a foreign country. Although I am not a big fun of properties that are right in a flight path, I still think that travelling distance is a make or break factor for some travelers. If you arrive late at night in a foreign country than driving for 2 hours to reach your final destination is not appealing to most people.

Number of airlines flying to the area and from where – another important factor that would affect the size of your target market. For example, I would love to rent to more people from my original area of Italy because I know they would really enjoy the facilities and the competitive prices of the Costa Blanca. Unfortunately, there is no direct flight from my region of Italy to that part of Spain. And I know that the thought of connecting flights or driving for four hours to Rome to catch a direct flight is not an appealing one for most families.

Road infrastructure to get to the property from the airport – again, this will affect the travelling time to reach the property and can be a decisive factor to ensure your guests start their holiday in the best possible mood.

Public transport infrastructure – some people don’t drive or don’t like the idea of travelling in a foreign country. If your property is served by good transports than this will boost your income because it will widen your appeal.

Leisure activities – these are often top of the list and can be very important to attracte specific niches. However, they must not be the only factor to consider, which is what often happens. For example, some of the most frequently discussed attractions for holiday home investments are golf courses. It is true that if you have a property on a golf resort you can certainly charge more but you can only do that to golfers. In addition, these properties are certainly more expensive to run. So, often an independent property that is within 20 minutes drive from a golf course can be more profitable as it can appeal to a wider audience. Likewise, the proximity to other leisure centers like theme parks can be a boosting factor. However, if these activities are only open for the summer than they will only boost your summer bookings. So again, you should always look at these factors when considering an investment but how much of a boost they provide it really depends on the type of investment you want to make and the number of properties available around them. The same can be said for proximity to the beach. A front line property will surely command higher premium in high season, but for winter bookings is not necessarily attractive. Likewise, the proximity of a vacation property to a skiing station is very appealing for winter bookings, but it would be pretty irrelevant for summer ones.
Proximity to lakes and natural parks – these are particularly boosting factors for inland properties. Not everyone wants a beach holiday but a flat in the middle of nowhere is not necessarily appealing to them. So, if there are spots of natural beauty they can certainly be an attractive factor for some clients and boost income from these type of target market.

Shopping and leisure activities – even though they are in self-catering premises, most people on holiday want to be able to go out in the evening for a nice walk and a nice meal. So, the proximities to restaurants, and leisurely premises can surely be a rental boosting factor.

Proximity to Spa facilities – this is one of my favorites because not only it can boost rental income but it also offers an efficient way to “repackage” your holiday home for low season bookings.

This is certainly not a finite list and if your property doesn’t have all of these amenities nearby it doesn’t mean it is a bad investment. The main message here is that you should identify your ideal target market, based on what the location of your property offers. You won’t be able to appeal to anyone, so don’t try!

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www.Istaybooked.com is Now Villa Marketers. Villa Marketers is a leader in vacation property marketing. Working with property owners to create custom solutions, iStayBooked.com was designed to help property owners stand out in the market place with custom content driven websites and next generation marketing strategies to reach future guests directly. www.Istaybooked.com has been acquired by Villa Marketers, If your not with using us your missing out. Get your home listed in the network!

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Villa Marketers help home owners advertise their vacation rentals online reducing the work involved for them and greatly increasing rental bookings results.  If you need help getting your vacation rental marketing on track

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Let us handle the hard work!

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Advertise Your Vacation Rental On Troll Traveler

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Istaybooked.com is Now Villa Marketers. Villa Marketers is a leader in vacation property marketing. Working with property owners to create custom solutions, iStayBooked.com was designed to help property owners stand out in the market place with custom content driven websites and next generation marketing strategies to reach future guests directly.

Villa Marketers is compiling some of the most useful resources for vacation rental property owners. The site www.Istaybooked.com is just one of the many sites and resources Villa Marketers has been putting together positioning themselves as the leader in vacation rental marketing for villa owners and property mangement companies.

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Villa Marketers has birthed Troll Traveler www.trolltraveler.com This website was designed to create a platform for everyone related to the travel industry to interact, share ideas, news and developments. Troll Traveler is currently offering free travel agency advertising opportunities. A travel agency business listing in the Troll Traveler website will allow travel agents and agencies to create an advert for their travel business, the best part about this is that it is currently free for those who join Troll Traveler during our beta launch. A listing on Troll Traveler will allow you to upload a logo for travel agencies and or a personal profile picture of a travel agent. You also have the ability to add a website link to your travel website, this is a very valuable tool to help you get more exposure on the web. You can use Troll Traveler to create opportunities for your travel business by making connections with other travel agents and travel professionals.

Many travel agents make connections with other travel service providers and create partnerships to enhance their products and services on Troll Traveler, by adding services of other tour operators or travel agents and offering those to services to their clients as well. For example if you sell cruise vacations you might want to make connections on Troll Traveler in destinations your travelers will be visiting and offer them excursions, transportation or entertainment and reap both monetary benefits and the benefit of offering your travelers a full travel service from your travel business.

You can also add photos and videos of certain accommodations  such as cruise ships, hotels, vacation rentals, and travel destinations that you as a travel agent offer your travelers.  By adding this type of  information to your travel agency listing you allow your directory listing to be found by more travelers who are interested in what you are posting and or discussing.

You can also build trust in your potential customer by adding reviews about your travel agency right within the your travel agency profile on Troll Traveler. Reviews have been proven to improve your customers trust in your products and services, so start using reviews when advertising your travel agency or travel services.

This free travel advertising is offered to anyone who has a product or travel related service that would be of interest to travelers. Your travel agent listing has all your informations, blogs, videos, pictures and more available for your customers to easlily view from one place, it’s like a free mini website for your travel business.

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