With summer in the air, I was marvelling at how social media contracts distance. But physically getting away is important too.

One good thing that Ryanair did was to make access to cheap travel a reality, partially by using their website booking engine, instead of agents, and thus cutting costs beyond all recognition. But there’ll always be a travel agency business, and people will always need guidance when it comes to going to visit far off places. Is there a role for twitter in this new environment? Social media?

On www.TweetNI.com I spotted TravelshakeSocialMedia.ie which provides social media solutions and consultancy to the travel and tourism industry in Ireland and around the world.

“Whether you are a hotel, B&B, tour operator, activity provider, tourist attraction or a tourist board, we can offer you a package and service to suit your needs and size. Our products target the main social networking sites including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.”

Now that’s clever! Digital advertising people know that the ease with getting a direct reference which the social media space offers has seriously impacted on the power and value of traditional and web advertising. If those in the travel and tourism business are to get the best from the web they, in turn, will need guidance to get the best from social media, the home of person to person reference.

A business person can do all of these things for free if they have the knowledge and the time. But, typically what happens is that they start with enthusiasm but the job is not done well or never finished at all.

This is a shame, because it is affordable, even in tough times, and it can create huge savings and benefits, even for a small business.

Travelshakesocialmedia.ie seems to have a package for everyone from the total newbie to the experienced social media marketer.

And, with the first smell of summer in the air, digital social media marketing is something all those in the travel and tourism industry need to consider. But it takes time to work.

If social advertisers hope to be found in the coming months, they need to take action now.

Emmet Kelly owns Monitrack Internet Research