A thought provoking article came out today by Jane Fraser about voluntourism. What grew in popularity over the last decade, has now been ‘discovered’ by some mainstream operators who are turning it into a mainstream profit driven tourism activity.  Is that what voluntourism is all about?  What happens when the purpose of travel changes? We loose site of the reason people want to engage, the motive – in this case – for giving?

I remember being down in Louisianna after Hurricane Katrina when the motor coaches were flooding into the destitute areas for tourist to ’see’ the devastation. Some declared ‘it’s a business opportunity’ to organize tours, others felt ‘it was a solution for organized visitation to an area people were coming anyway.’

It boils down to ethics to me.  What do you want you company, its actions, its reputation to stand for? I enjoyed a webinar with Colin Shaw this morning and he made a comment that stuck. “What your customers experience is a reflection your business culture.”  If you are taking ‘tourists to the cleaners’ to make a profit while they volunteer to make the world a better place, what are you doing to make that same world a better place?  I hope there is at a minimum a corporation donation to the cause!

The USTOA reported that experiences are in big demand with their operators.  Their annual 2011 survey, recently released some note worthy results for companies and destinations investing in experiential travel.

• 85% rated experiential travel as important/extremely important to their business.
• 53% plan to offer new experiential programs in 2012.
• Baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, are the largest target market for experiences, and have the ability to pay.
• World regions excelling in experiential travel, according to their members, are Europe and South America.
• Types of experiences in greatest demand include: food/wine/culinary tours, historical and educational, art and culture.

Your opportunity it to determine how you can increase the value of what you offer to meet the requirements for this demand, or align with international tour operators to extend the reach of your current market-ready experiences.

It is the most prominent tourism story in the news these days, and indeed a tragedy for all involved.  But today’s headline article “Carnival CEO Keeps Low Profile” caused me to stop and reflect over my morning coffee.  Take a read through the article and you’ll discover that CEO Mickey Arison, who grew the Carnival Corporation into an $18 billion dollar business has opted to stay out of the conversation regarding the recent  crash and submersion of the Costa Concordia.

The reason – he’s a hands off manager and prefers to delegate and allow autonomy of the various cruise lines within the Carnival Corporation. A laudable management style, and no doubt the CEO’s of  Holland America, Cunard, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, P&O Cruises, to name a ‘few’ of the companies enjoy the ability to manage these various lines and ensure distinct brand positioning for each line in the ‘Carnival family’ to attract it’s respective share of the  cruise travel market. In fact, I know most travellers don’t realize there is Carnival Cruises … and then the Carnival Corporation.

Mox nix, the real point here is when your company faces a major disaster – what do you do?  The point that struck me was if Mr. Arison speaks, he’s speaking on behalf of the entire corporation. Well yes. This is no different than if there is a tragedy in a family and ‘Uncle Jo’ speaks to the press because the parents of the missing child are focused elsewhere.  Whether your company is big or small, your reach ‘local’ or ‘international’, this experience is a wake up call for all of us in business to stop and think:

1.  Do we have a risk management plan in place?

2.  How much autonomy or support do we give our staff/affiliates/franchisees … in times of crises?

3.  What role will we play in speaking to the press?  Pros/cons

4.  How will we contribute to the solution, while taking responsibility for loss?

Why wait for a crises – make sure you have a plan in place.

Forresters Research confirms 30% of the companies they surveyed have a Chief Customer Officer in charge of the overall customer experience. How terrific is that in breaking down traditional silos and staging organizations with their internal capacities to be ready for the future … one where we know the customer has more clout then ever before!  While you may not be able to afford their research reports as small or medium tourism industry, merely thinking about the excerpts they share via press releases can be helpful.

Things to think about:

• Who is the person responsible for the ‘entire customer experience’ in your company?  An individual who can champion and understand the integration required throughout your organization?
• Does your customer experience champion get invited to the right meetings and events to ensure they can contribute optimally?
• Do you have any metrics to measure their contribution – which has a less tangible, more qualitative outcome that say the ROI on an ad campaign?
• How have you altered ‘how’ you do business to respond to the consumers interest in being engaged with your company?

Just a few to ponder.  And if you don’t have a customer experience champion in your company — don’t you think it’s about time!

A quote from Aristole to get you thinking!  As tourism operators in a highly competitive world, quality, authenticity, an excellent customer experience all help to differentiate you from the masses.  How often do you stop to really reflect on these core characteristics and how well you are doing?  Where you can improve and what this will mean to your ‘ideal guests’.

One of the challenges is we are always so busy do ‘think’ we don’t have time to stop and reflect. Like exercise and sleep however, the health of your business is dependent on this vital process.  So don’t make it a ‘new years resolution’ … make a calendar item with your staff and partners on a regular basis!

Investing in the visitor experience, means improving the guest experience and your business. You want your cake and to eat it to!  Why not – if you have a truly customer centric business (which requires changes for some) … you can have the best of both worlds.

Start with a few easy questions at your next team meeting:

• Do your visitors ‘recommend’ or ‘rave’ about you? (new paradigm)  Or are they just ’satisfied? (old paradigm).
• Can you articulate what you have done in the past six months to improve the customer experience?
• Do you have a customer experience statement to accompany your values and mission?
• Is it easy to business with you? Are your sales and marketing methods aligned with where you customer is, how they want to interact with you?
• Do you really understand your ideal guest and are you delivering on a value proposition that will make them want to come back!

Like managing your career – you need to manage the visitor experience!

Welcome to January and the long list of great things to happen, trends taking off and things to think about! Its exciting and frustrating.  I just read a google alert on 2012 tourism trends and of the 20 listed there, few were connected to any quoted research, some were interesting, and still others seemed like ‘chatter’.  I am a big fan of research and reflection, but at the end of the day, your ability to develop and deliver relevant travel and meaningful guest experiences depends on how well you know your ideal guests!

Here’s a time effective affordable approach you can take with your staff!

1.  Gather the demographic info you have so you have the basics.

2.  Layer on the geographic information you have so you know where they are coming from (helps direct your marketing efforts)

3.  Make sure you understand their socialgraphics – where they are finding out about you online, what guests are saying about you online! LISTEN with your eyes! (Yup, that’s a new one!)

4.  Write down everything out how your guest feel, their attitudes, behaviors … what gets them jazzed, who do they like to talk to, experiences that they rave about!

5.  Write down the benefits they are seeking when they choose your company or destination over another. If you don’t know – then ask them!  We’ve moved into a computer screen world, why not make some time on a regular basis this year to talk to your guests … but with a purpose!

The more you can learn about your guests, the better you can design travel, package it up and sell it at a price that makes sense for that customer. Gone are the days of one price fits all … imagine if we did that with our shoes!  Ouch … don’t do that with your business! Remember that phrase … Rules are meant to be broken. Well I’d advocate, business models are meant to evolve, pricing strategies must be reviewed, and knowing your customer and their changing needs in a competitive market place should be a top priority!

All the best in 2012 and we want to hear about you success stories!  What worked and why!  We’ll toot your horn and  sing your praise!

Wondering what to give that special person in your life who has everything? Rather than buy more ’stuff’ they may not need, you may want to give them a travel experience that will create  lifetime memories!

• It’s just as thoughtful,
• Tourism businesses will work with you to allow up to a year to ‘redeem’ a guest experience (or be willing to negotiate),
• You can add the element of surprise, but the mere gift itself, but also working with the owner/operator to customize a few special things ‘just for you’,
• You are still supporting the economy,
• You can go with them!
• You can create a fun, personalized ‘gift message’ on your computer that doesn’t cost money, just involves creativity – and it touching to the person who receives it that you took the time, and
• Nothing ends up in a landfill (like wrapping, boxes) or polluting the air (mass transportation of gifts).

So if you are looking for a great gift idea today, or in the new year – this may be your solution!

And on that note we will sign off for the holidays from the Tourism Cafe!  Thanks to all our readers for joining us this year, and we are looking forward to some exciting evolutions in 2012 as we launch the new company website and new product lines for the business!  You’ll be the first to know.  But for now – it’s time to focus on family, friends, and the beauty of the holiday season.

From the Signing the Messaiah at the Avonlee Mall, the Philharmonic Choir of the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra in St. John’s Newfoundland to the Bay Centre in Victoria BC, flash mob choirs are sharing their voices in the malls to shoppers out seeking the ideal gift.

A new idea, no but one worthy of spreading yes. Over 6 million people have seen the 2009  Antwerp Central train station flash choir mob video where Julie Andrews and hundreds of people shared a dance version of ‘Doe a deer a female deer’ in the train station. The response was wonderful!

What do these random acts of culture offer the mall visitor that is just like crafting a great tourism experience:

• the element of surprise
• good quality
• opportunity to engage
• a taste of culture from the local area
• happy memories

And then there comes the ‘distraction’ from the joy we must be careful of with experiences. This year’s flash mob in Victoria was all over the news. As I wasn’t in the Bay Centre when hundreds of choir singers appeared I sought out the video link through the newspaper only to find corporate advertising prior to reaching the music. This seriously detracted from my experience and made me search ‘further’ for a ‘real video’ from a consumer who didn’t need to put advertising in front of the key message prior to sharing. My how our behaviors have changed on the consumer side.  Are you thinking about this with your business?

The lesson here is  in harmonizing the environment – what memory do you want to leave your guests when you provide an experience? The less clutter with distraction (e.g. in the case advertising) the better!  Granted, the newspaper is not in the experience business they sell ads to pay for newspapers, but it is interesting the visceral reaction from ‘enjoying’ many flash mobs as they come along – to immediately clicking away from the ones that have advertising required before enjoying the music.  Is there anything you business is doing that is negatively changing the experience for your customers?  Something to think about!

So enjoy one more holidays ‘flash mob’ with a little “Joy to the World” from Richmond Mall in Nelson NZ!

Travel Manitoba is now accepting applications from Manitoba tourism based businesses for the Jan 16-19th. This new Cutting Edge program was designed from the successful Edge of the Wedge Experiential Travel Training offered by GMIST – and now in partnership with GMIST to extend the reach in Canada. Building on the core components, this provincial version has been modified to align with the provincial tourism strategy and investments in experiential travel.  The first program, offered in rural Manitoba outside of Riding Mountain National Park was a success and now it heads to the city!