Bill and Britney, a couple in their 20s, decide to take their first vacation together. Britney opens her laptop and starts searching while Bill takes to his tablet to see what he can find.

Every hotel and hotel brand now realizes that an important goal is not only to be a base for exploring the destination in which they're located, but to really be the guest's guide to the area - in any way possible. The reasons are many: associating the property with the destination; creating a stronger relationship with the guest; and building up the destination so people will travel there and perhaps stay at the hotel.

By now, just about everyone has read about Apple Pay and how this time things will be different - people will actually have the ability to easily use their phones to pay for products and services everywhere, and the masses will finally embrace "plastic-free" (or "frictionless") transactions. I agree with those who think Apple Pay will be a game-changer - because of the security it provides, the partnerships with major banks and credit cards, and the scale only Apple can offer.

Social media is one of the strongest ways for brands to convey their identity and maintain close communication with consumers. The advent of social allows companies in any industry to have a unified, direct line of contact with fans 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. As such, social provides a crucial opportunity for brands to differentiate themselves and show their fans why their story is valuable - one worth caring about.

Marriott focuses further on developing great content and memorable stories .

Mobile is awesome and it is the future, but we seem to have a lot of mixed messages on mobile. Here are some thoughts and stats on the mysteries and misconceptions of mobile.

Remember when all you needed was a cool lunchbox and a No. 2 pencil to be ready for the new school year? Those were the days!

The hotel business used to be about location, location, location. Now it's about data, data, data. Unlike location, however, data alone might not ensure success. A strategy has to go along with it. That's the position of Michael Wilson, senior director of product strategy for Webtrends, a 20-year-old company that was early in the data game "You won't be collecting the right data if you don't have a strategy for using that data," said Wilson. "Once you have a strategy, you can use the data to optimize customer experiences. If you don't have the expertise to use data correctly then …

In the past year, I've written about the importance of Social, Mobile, and even wearables, and the role they're all playing in travel marketing today. I haven't spent much time discussing email, however - the foundation of any digital strategy that continues to deliver year after year, despite being declared dead more often than disco. Every time the bloom falls off the promise of a new, "sexier" channel or strategy, email is still there - innovating, driving tremendous revenue, and proving again and again that a smart email program can deliver results like no other.

Maybe the travel industry should take a new tact that embraces work.