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Article : World Chocolate Wonderland theme park opens in Beijing.

In yesterday's news on 4hoteliers.com website, a highlight on the new theme park in Beijing was made. Actually, this theme park - opened on the 29th January, 2010 - is based on chocolate, candies and wonderland theme.

As it is the first chocolate theme park in China, I find this article interesting because Chinese can discover the history of chocolate and the way to make it. Besides, it is not only for Chinese but also for tourists from all over the world.

Moreover, people can even find famous buildings made in chocolate like the Great Wall. We can also learn and try to make chocolate as well as chocolate architectural things. And for people who are not so fond of chocolate, there are still other halls: World's Candy Hall, Sweet Experience Hall, Wonderland Theme Hall... We can find other outdoor activities too.

As I love chocolate and as I am very greedy, I would love to go to this World Chocolate Wonderland! I have the feeling that I might not be the only one...

Just an advice: be careful not to eat too much chocolate and candies or you could be sick!!! ;)

http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_nshw.php?mwi=6949

Article : Guests want to know hotels' rate rules, says Cornell study.

In this article of the 22nd January from www.hotelmarketing.com, a Cornell study proves that guests are more willing to accept hotels' rate changes if they understand why and how.

Actually, these two questions are relevant because people always need or prefer to understand the operation of everything we do. Thus, the fact that guests want to know why prices of rooms could vary, especially during this crisis situation, and how do hoteliers positioned the range of rates is normal. If I place myself on the customer's side, I will try to understand these points in order to be sure that I don't be fooled by companies.

Even hoteliers know this point, this article re-points out this major factor and that's why this article is very significant to hoteliers to remind them the guests' thoughts.

http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/guests_want_to_know_hotels_rate_rules_says_cornell_study/

Aggregator Travel Sites Analysis

Please find below the presentation on Meta-search engines.

Aggregator_Travel_Sites_Analysis

Sources:

http://www.quantcast.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A45450-2004Nov12.html

http://www.mobissimo.com

http://supersearch.travelzoo.com

Article : Why Google has played the China situation brilliantly.

On the 14th January, this article is very interesting and relevant to China Media situation. Well, the truth is that China censors so much news and information, whether it is on Internet or on paper, TV...

As a French with Chinese origins person, I exactly know what they are selecting and forbidding to publish or removing if it is already published because the government doesn't like it. It also blocks some websites so the Chinese population can't have access anymore, for example Facebook is now "forbidden" in the country.

In fact, I totally agree with this article and Google, as a search giant engine of the world, took the right decision few years ago to suit with the Chinese government on the censorship agreement in order to enter in the Chinese market, which represents now one of the major markets that is still growing.

Today, Google's decision to threat China publicly is a very smart strategy. Besides, we all hope this act will make China react correctly and as the author pointed out, it "forces" the Chinese government to change.

This will be an important good start for the Chinese population and media.

Nevertheless, to resolve this delicate situation, the two parties need to negotiate cleverly and they are actually constrained to reach a compromise. Of course, there will be no real winner as Google can't truly left the Chinese market (it will loose too much money), and the Chinese government won't drop all the censorship, but only reduce it. To conclude, I will say that this is a very interesting situation and I am curious to know the final agreement...

http://www.hotelmarketing.com/index.php/content/article/why_google_has_played_the_china_situation_brilliantly/

On Twitter and in the Workplace, It's Power to the Connectors - Harvard Business Review

I find this article and point of view very interesting. In fact, I think that nowadays, people need to be competent in their work (of course) but they have to be more and more sociable. I agree that networking became one of the contemporary career success tools. Nevertheless, we can’t forget that the most important remains still our competencies for our work.

Naturally, skills asked today have changed from past requirements, for example, employers asked maybe more for self-involvement and today it is more a team working capacity. Communication is one of the most important tools that every companies want now, thus it explains also the relevance of social and professional networking.

In fact, we are already working on those skills in school, for example when we work in groups. Even when we get out and meet new people in a party of other places, we “create” networks.

As I pointed out before, people need to know how to apply their connector skills in their work. When their superior gives them a formal assignment, they have to use their competencies but also their networks (if it is needed – and it is most of the time nowadays) in order to achieve the project and goal they were asked to.

I think that the sentence “She who has the best network wins” might be true; however, we have to keep in mind that real competencies are still major factors of a career success. Indeed, if someone is very good in communication and in creating new networks; if he/she has only this tool, he/she will stop at a certain level of his/her success. Moreover, people are becoming more and more connected with all these blogs and social websites so in some ways, we are already all connectors. That is why companies will began to ask for more than good networkers.

http://blogs.harvardbusiness.org/kanter/2009/11/power-to-the-connectors.html

Article : Bloggers Worldwide Unite in Support of Free WiFi in Hotels.

One of the latest articles on www.4hoteliers.com shows the importance and danger of internet for hoteliers nowadays. Indeed, bloggers began to write posts on hotels, especially on the WiFi subject. As many hotels still charge the access of WiFi on their guests’ bill, customers finally decide to react using internet as their main tool. Of course, I understand their opinion as I think that hoteliers should reconsider this cost, now that internet becomes one of the most important tool in people lives. Besides, we all use internet and we know that it doesn’t worth its price in hotels charges, particularly when you are professionals, companies offer monthly packages for internet and telephone at a very good low price. I think that is the main reason that customers don’t want to pay for WiFi anymore and they will truly prefer to stay in a Free WiFi Hotel than one with too expensive internet costs.

http://www.4hoteliers.com/4hots_fshw.php?mwi=4742