The Blogville Project – Exploring Italy At Leisure

by Iain Mallory RSS 7 Comments
aerial view of Bologna, Italy

The most exciting event at last week’s ITB Berlin from a ‘blogger’ point of view was possibly the official announcement of the innovative Blogville Project backed by the Emilia Romagna region of Northern Italy.

Not having to be concerned about hotel costs is a huge carrot to entice any traveller to visit a destination, and as those who have joined blog trips will be aware, there is usually a hectic itinerary as the sponsors are seeking to promote Continue Reading

ITB Berlin – What’s In It For Travel Bloggers?

by Iain Mallory RSS 2 Comments
The travel trade meets the bloggers at ITB Berlin

For most travel bloggers attending the ITB travel trade fair in Berlin last week, it was their first time. So what is it like?

Well, the initial impression is that it is absolutely huge! It has a very similar format to World Travel Market (WTM) in London but it is a much bigger event. Navigating around the conference centre requires the skills of Magellan on the first day, but provided the previous evening’s complimentary party was left at a sensible Continue Reading

Hunting Treasure in Oman – Press Trip or Reality TV?

by Iain Mallory RSS 18 Comments
Al Jabal Al Akhdar or the Green Mountain in Oman

I have recently returned from the Oman Air Treasure Hunt an innovative ‘press trip’ which involved international teams from European countries in which the airline operates.

The mixed teams of four media professionals from the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy assembled in Muscat, Oman without knowing what to expect.

 

 

Big Bother

This turned out to be quite an issue. It became apparent during the initial briefing that several teams had not been informed that the Continue Reading