You can read about the launch and the circle conference here.

We, at Open Brolly, had the opportunity to discuss our model for a sustainable and quality Tourism product using our work with MovieSite and Social Media.

We have had several speaking engagements and are currently planning our Cannes presence. One of the key areas this spring will be to spell out that film tourism need not be difficult to implement. To plan and co-ordinate is a different matter

One area we have been mentioning to clients over the last year is that they need to think about mobile internet access to information. People want to do things as easily as possible and the uptake on using mobile phones for email and getting information is huge; how many Blackberries do you see on the bus and train? I am pleased to see we are in good company Sir Tim Webbers has recently said this is the way ahead. The good thing about the mobile web is that if you have planned your web presence and services well it should not be too difficult to add this service.

In 2009 we expect mobile offerings in our screen agency, tourism and social media offerings.

The key areas we have sought to understand are there:

1. Film-induced tourism
2. Regional collaboration
3. Co-production
4. Demonstrating value
5. Marketing of agencies and offices.

By definition, film tourism is likely to be delivered through a portal and so I’ve been doing a lot of desktop research recently on tourism portals. It has led me to understand the value of Destination Management Organisations (DMOs). DMOs are essentially formed by tourism businesses in an area (sometimes with public sector support) whereas, all too often, a portal is setup from the top down.

It is impossible to stimulate the involvement and commitment of front-line tourism businesses from the top. The best approach is to give them the means to work towards a common goal. Even in the unlikely event a central portal raises world awareness it cannot sustain dealing with it. The market always wins in the long run; unless it makes sense for tourism businesses to get involved it is not sustainable from the centre. My example of how not to do it is www.visiteurope.com!

My message is borne of experience from when we first set up web sites and Intranets over thirteen years ago. You have to empower those involved to help create something worthwhile. Otherwise, it eventually runs out of steam.

Does anyone know of any web sites / portals in that category?

We have been working on developing a film tourism business model that will work for our clients and ourselves. Its slow progress working out the up and downs of options but we think we are getting there.

If any project is to be sustainable it must be of such a benefit to its target audience that the audience puts time or money into it. This is a clear warning to agencies not to believe they can do such a good job someone else will take it over when the money runs out. It has to make sense to tourism businesses from the start. This leaves two options:

1. Your film tourism idea is so unique that businesses will willing support it through cash or time, in which case why are you doing it?
2. A low cost , low resource way of leveraging film office and agency information in such a way as to not impose a burden but allow the tourism businesses do the work.

I underline my point. No matter how great a web site is it will fail if it does not have money or people to keep it that way. I believe it is possible to combine the information that film offices hold with the latest web technologies to be seen as an important partner but not having to do all the work.

This involves tourism-friendly accommodation through to post release/broadcast tourism. We see it as a combination of technology and people skills. We will record the project as it now progresses. Its underway!

http://tinyurl.com/3hsbgt.

Do you use TripAdvisor?

This addresses a concern among some Google Maps users that their mapping – particularly in rural areas – was inadequate as it simply left large white spaces. Now there is some sense of the geography of an area, albeit not at the technical level found in Ordnance Survey maps.

The data is available to all our European clients by clicking the “Terrain” button on the Google Map generated by the database. We would welcome discussion as to whether this should be the default, rather than the road map.

In related news, Google Maps for mobile phones can now show your current location with some degree of accuracy, even on phones which don’t have GPS built in. It uses the distance from mobile phone masts and is accurate enough to help those who may be completely lost! Early in the new year we will be delivering location information to Google Maps Mobile, enabling those on the road to easily find recommended locations, accommodation or facilities and get directions from their current location. Please contact us to discuss how this may be of benefit.