US resort launches package for movie-making vacationers

(Marriott)

A beach resort in the US is encouraging guests to show off their movie-making talents on their vacation for the chance of winning a $15,000 (€11,556) "trip of a lifetime."

The Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort has introduced a new package for budding filmmakers that includes a digital video camera on which to record their vacation.

Guests that book the $319 (€245) "Flip for Paradise" package will receive their own 4GB FlipCam, the miniature digital video camera that has experienced a boom amongst social media users looking for quick and easy-to-use recording devices.

Over their two-night stay, guests are challenged to compile a short film of their time at the resort which will be uploaded and judged by fellow travelers.

The best of the top five will then be chosen by the resort's executive team and the winner will receive a "five-night return trip to paradise including roundtrip airfare for two, penthouse suite accommodations, golf, spa, water sports and more."

Marriott is aiming to capitalize on the popularity of video trip reviews amongst media-savvy travelers, which has boomed with the growth of small video recorders, video-enabled mobile phones and sites such as YouTube.

A 2009 study by search engine giant Google found that 63 percent of travelers viewed online video when considering a trip and trusted "amateur" videos far more than professional videos uploaded by hotels or airlines.

Earlier this year, luxury brand Fairmont launched its own social media and video sharing site for travelers to share experiences of its resorts.

http://www.marcoislandmarriott.com/