HSMAI's Resort Marketing Special Interest Group 'Best Practices Initiative'

Came across some cool data from the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International about Internet Marketing and Social Media. Some findings include:

• 2008 online marketing budgets were much more effective in comparison to 2005. In 2008, revenue generated for every $1 spent was $23, compared to $18 in 2005.

• Resorts increased spending online from an average of 10 percent of the marketing budgets in 2005 to 25 percent in 2008.

• One-third of the resorts surveyed received revenue in direct proportion to their spending or better. So, if they spent 20 percent of their marketing budget on online activities, they earned 20 percent or better of their total room revenue through electronic channels.

This is good news for online and social media buys as it relates to hotels and resorts this coming year, especially with marketing budgets shrinking and properties looking to online buys to supplement their print and tv losses.

HSMAI will look at the topic more closely at their Ninth Annual Resort Conference from May 3 - 5, 2009, at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

-Greg