The demand for mobile devices was at an all-time high in 2013. In 2014, Smartphones and Tablets will gain greater popularity. After all, reports suggest that mobile Internet usage will take over desktop Internet usage within a year. Even 5 years back, most of us could not think of surfing the Web via anything other than our desktop computers. However, we soon got “paralyzed” by the incessant advancements in mobile technology.Human race once took pride in sending rockets to outer space, but is now helplessly depending on mobile devices. From GRS navigation to table reservation, we can no longer think of a life that does not connect with mobile technology. Therefore, online shopping via mobile devices was just a matter of time.However, online shopping via mobile devices or mobile commerce did us more good than harm. Mobile commerce is a secure, user-friendly and time-saving way of online shopping. Almost every well-known e-commerce website created a strong mobile presence in 2013, and the ones who are lagging behind will surely catch up with them in future. If you are one of those e-commerce companies who are planning to create a strong mobile presence in 2014, here are the top mobile commerce strategies to keep in mind:#1. Bargain HuntingBargain hunting makes it easier to compare price of a product. As customers love to compare prices before making a purchase, app creators have come out with apps imbued with the power of scanning barcodes and discovering various prices at different retailers. There are also mobile websites that serve the purpose of comparing prices of a product at different stores.#2. Mobile TicketingMobile ticketing is one of the most common sights we see around us these days. And it will not slow down any time soon. What is mobile ticketing? It is the process of using a mobile device to buy tickets of an event. As a result, every service provider is aiming to make sure that its mobile customers find it easy to buy tickets via mobile devices.#3. Tangible GoodsIn earlier years, people mainly bought ring tones and games via mobile commerce. A recent survey suggests that mobile shoppers will spend around $120 billion on tangible goods in 2015. This is a great news for online retailers that sell tangible products and services.#4. Mobile MarketingWhile 20% of online retailers already have a mobile presence, a mobile commerce strategy is either in place or in the development stage for the rest 80% of online retailers. Once the process is complete, these companies must make sure that they are marketing their products properly. The idea of offering coupons and deals via emails and text messages is an effective way to start the mobile marketing campaign.#5. Mobile BankingIt was in 1999 in Europe when mobile banking came into existence. Ever since then, mobile banking is our trusted way to make transactions and check account balances. When banking is so easy and fast using mobile devices, it is the perfect time to invest in mobile banking apps. These apps had a phenomenal rise last year, and will continue doing so in future.ConclusionAs I stated it earlier, the future prospects of mobile commerce are full of promises. Online retailers who are still not a part of the “Going Mobile” phenomenon must make sure that their businesses are on the map soon. If there is any slack in efforts, business competitors will not wait and capitalize on targeting the potential customers. In short, an effective mobile commerce strategy will decide on the success of a business.

The major elements comprising the generic destination competitiveness model helps to identify the key success factors of destination marketing. Among the many approximate set of indicators used to determine destination competitiveness, local experiences is one of the key points. Elaborate empirical as well as conceptual research points out the relative strengths and weaknesses of different tourism destinations, which can then be used to study the impact of local experiences on the travelers and vice versa.The discerning travelers of today’s world love exploring unique experiences each destination has to offer and go much beyond staying in the top suite of hotels. Choosing the best dining options and spas has otherwise become passe. No online portal can take you to the hidden nuggets of the destination except the native folks. So, to match up with the millennials’ definition of travel, you need to indulge with the locals which is way beyond any packaged holiday or cookie-cutter options.Blurring the borders of traditional definition of travel
It’s important for Travel Agents to realize that selling travel is actually selling happiness. Imbuing travel goals based on interaction with local people makes travel more meaningful than ever. Authenticity, simplicity, and culture are the new watchwords driving the growth of the travel tourism sector internationally. The evolution of the whole new travel genre is based entirely on indulging in local experiences. It is not about the best luxury experience but the intrinsic local touch will definitely add magic to the holiday memory. Remember that the most valued luxury is experience.Present-day culture travelers have moved beyond the familiar environs and revel in the experience in itself. Clearly enough, tourists that like to break the mold are more interactive with local residents. This paradigm shift has not however, completely caught up with everyone yet. The focus of investments still remains on the traditional tourism-related components.To create a layered travel experience, the hospitality industry is gradually promoting themselves as the portals for the local community. Although that might not be a necessity but local experience will definitely give a competitive advantage.Blending national culture and heritage into luxury travel tours need careful planning and is bound to enhance tourist’s experience. Getting certified from the government tourism policies which include inter-cultural education policy helps to makes the travel agents’ outset more impressive.Counter homogenization of the travel experience is the new clause of the tourism authorities. Embracing local cultural tourism will have an impressive lasting impact on travelers with like-minded outlook. Traditional vertical distribution chains among the travel providers has given way to complex value chains and thus in this increasingly competitive marketplace, providers need to seize every opportunity for competitive advantage. Collaborative advantage through local and government partnership is thus a new norm. Local culture and society has become an essential part of tourism value chain. The integrated inter-relationships between travel and other socio-economic sectors are now conceived as a ‘value network’.Promoting Local Cuisine
Sustainable tourism, which is tantamount to responsible tourism, has been a major concern in the travel industry for the past couple of years. Experiencing the local culture largely contours around the traditional gourmet industry. Trying traditional food completes the cultural experience of the place. Talking of the economic aspect, if you are eating at McDonald’s, instead of benefiting the local community, a major chunk of it leaves the local socio-economic circle. The international traveler’s gang consist majorly the Western tourists and without much doubt, the need for Western food is always higher than the local recipes.While traveling for a single night’s stay, people might think it not important enough to connect to the local traditions. However, pennies in the pocket of the local cuisine industry help to uplift the local tourism industry on a larger picture. Walking into a McDonald’s or a KFC might fill your tummy but will neither add to the local tourism sector nor enhance your experience. For instance, Vietnamese pho is now a big pull for travelers in Vietnam and when in Costa Rica, do not miss gallo pinto. Building connections with the local folks is not always the only token you get in return but you actually help to build a perception about your nationality as a whole. A country’s heritage is strongly rooted within the memories of the local people and as the old folks say, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach!Experiential travel – creating a deeper connect
The demand for ‘experiential travel’ is arguably the most significant as well as systematic trend in worldwide tourism. The term typically defines immersive, authentic, local, and more active travel trend. While some travel enthusiasts would like to argue that travel is inherently ‘experiential’ by nature and that the term is overused, the idea is to make it more mainstream. Travel consumer attitude has varied wildly when it comes to local tourism and it is its degree of definition varies widely how the overall trend is approached.On a deeper emotional and more personal level, people want to travel better at the end of the day. Growing numbers of travelers shying away from the traditional packaged travel brochure is definitely a valid evidence of how local experiences matter for the new age travelers.Going Social
Relying on technology and global networks of small and individual travel providers, travel brands are offering more connected experiences. Almost infinite online matrix of social media networks keep us connected no matter where we travel. But ironically enough these social networks are gradually isolating people in real life than helping them make closer to human connections. The online sharing portal pair travelers with the local citizen network and offer experience to travel like local.With packaged tourism losing its appeal among modern day travelers digs the question of what exactly is authentic travel. Consumer data might reveal a section of these answers but tracking social media will give an organic result. For travel brands targeting specific niches, evaluating and adapting to the changing travel behavior is much important.Tech tools
Undoubtedly, the most influential and dependable tech tool for millennials is the smartphone. Mobile phone location technology has made connection right. On niche apps, review-stuffed maps by Google etc. have made planning for set-piece events easier than ever before. The transparency of peer-to-peer accommodation and transportation services like Airbnb and BlaBlaCar add to the authenticity of the travel experiences and their reviews. The underbelly of a place can only be offered by the natives of the place and thus creates difference in the authenticity of the travel experience.Large industry players have also chosen to go down to local level. The Instagrammable ideas and images of the less explored destinations is fun in itself. With a series of themed guides and commissioned travel advice by savvy locals has found intense popularity amongst the new age travelers. The aim is for travelers to get a genuine local experience of the destination. Travel Companies can do well to follow the adage – Think global, act local!

Consumer and personal debt is, perhaps, the number one problem facing most American families today. The reasons behind the tremendous surge in debt have been related to emerging socio-economic patterns suggesting that we’ve become a nation obsessed with lifestyles and consumerism.America has always been a nation of consumers and the American people have always enjoyed one of the highest standards of living in the world. Something else has contributed to this national crisis.What has changed in the last several decades is that we have developed very sophisticated technology to acquire debt. Debt acquisition is as close as your cell phone or personal computer and can be accomplished in a matter of seconds.However, we have been slow in developing such sophisticated systems to manage that debt at the consumer level. We have been the victims of a technological gap between debt acquisition and debt reduction.If you do not manage your debt, it will manage you. Or more precisely, your creditors will manage your debt for you and they will, of course, manage it in a way that is most favorable to them, not necessarily you.At the consumer level, we tend to keep our debts separated, divided, and isolated in separate accounts, making it impractical, until recently, to strategically manage that debt.Automated debt management systems have been in use by banks, insurance companies, and other institutions as needed to maintain cash reserve requirements but, until recently, have not been available at the consumer level due to the cost of developing and supporting these specialized cash flow management systems.Many people in other parts of the world have had access to various debt reduction systems. In this country, however, it is a relatively new opportunity to systematically manage our personal and consumer debt. We now have access to affordable technology to manage our debt rather than allowing it to manage us.First, let me explain what a modern debt management system is not.It is not a set of instructions or a “How To…” book available from a variety of well intentioned sources which simply overstate the obvious; instructing us to “stop spending so much money”, or “cut up our credit cards”. It is not a “makeover” system which painfully rearranges our daily spending patterns.It is not a static spreadsheet or plan for debt reduction which does not consider our day to day personal financial circumstances.It does not involve the refinancing of existing debt or consolidating smaller short term debts into larger long term debts. It is not a self administered or pre-calculated repayment acceleration plan. It does not involve negotiating with your creditors or any means of debt reduction which avoids the repayment of legitimate debt on a dollar-for-dollar basis.Just like the bank model, modern debt management systems are integrated with your daily and monthly financial transactions. They are dynamic. Modern debt management systems have the ability to analyze and manage all of your debt, including your mortgage debt, side by side in a single environment and make strategic adjustments based on your daily or monthly cash flow.A modern debt management system is programmed for liquidity. Liquidity is to debt what water is to fire. If you have an abundance of liquidity, you could be out of debt in very short order. On the other hand, if you have a shortage of liquidity, it could take decades to get out of debt.A modern debt management system focuses on ways to harness current liquidity and seeks to fully develop your potential future liquidity. It utilizes that liquidity to systematically eliminate debt. It can develop multiple sources of liquidity and utilize that liquidity as leverage against debt.Because of the importance of liquidity, modern and effective debt management and debt reduction systems are fully integrated with your current monthly income and expense cash flows. That is not to say that increasing your income and/or reducing your expenses is a requisite. A good debt management system takes advantage of existing cash flow, not necessarily changing it.A modern debt management system is relatively painless to follow and does not require significant changes to your established spending patterns. It can be set to aggressively pay down debt, to maintain a certain level of debt but reduce the carrying cost, or fund a retirement or college savings plan.Today’s sophisticated, versatile, and effective debt management systems are not inexpensive. However, in terms of future interest savings, they can make up the cost of the system in the first few months of use and, over time, produce interest savings in excess of the total amount of current and future debt.An inexpensive or do-it-yourself system is probably not a good alternative. While you might be able to redirect some liquidity and do some good, you would not be able to recreate the integrated mathematical algorithms which drive a more sophisticated system producing the best possible results.Any current financial plan worth its’ weight in paper should address both sides of the balance sheet and include a modern debt management system.