When luxury goes small - Time was, when it came to luxury, the glitzier and grander, the better. But today, upscale consumers are less concerned with bling and breadth, and more concerned about getting back to basics, albeit served up in a high-quality style. That may be why the concept of tiny home vacations is taking off among high-end travelers. It can be challenging for rural areas to attract high-end travelers, particularly because it is unlikely that a five-star hotel brand will plunk down a property in the middle of a cornfield. But as containers and tiny homes seed the countryside, rural areas have the potential to reap the benefits of luxury tourism.

Survey finds nearly half of U.S. diners have tried a new restaurant because of its social media posts - A restaurant marketing agency last week announced the results of a study that examined how influential a brand's social media marketing can be when it comes to driving restaurant trial and customer loyalty. As reported by Restaurant News Resource, the survey determined that nearly half (45 percent) of U.S. diners said they've tried a restaurant for the first time because of a social media post made by the establishment itself, while 21 percent claimed posts could be a deterrent. Further, 22 percent said a restaurant's social post enticed them to return. The agency notes the results from the study demonstrated that positive restaurant-to-consumer social media engagement often leads to increased customer visits. Of respondents who actively follow and engage with restaurants on social media, 74 percent say they are more likely to visit or order food from those establishments.