Harbour swimming

Since 2002, following major investments to clean up the water, it has been possible to swim in Copenhagen Harbour, the former site of significant industrial activity. An area of the city’s waterfront has been completely transformed and its new uses now include swimming and boating. Wooden boardwalks outline the swimming areas and a boat-shaped structure is used as a diving platform. The facilities are very popular during the summer months.

Source: R&R Associates

Breathtaking experiences

Have you ever wanted to climb up a rollercoaster…on foot? A sculpture built in the city of Duisberg, Germany, lets visitors do just that. Eleven metres high, this walkway offers visitors a unique view of the surrounding area. Located on a knoll atop an old zinc production site, the work of art is composed of steel and zinc.

Source: Inhabitat

For the past several years, visitors have been able to explore the city of Stockholm from the rooftops. Participants in this very special guided tour must don a harness and pull a safety cable along with them as they stroll above the city and take in the fabulous views while listening to commentary from a guide. Talk about a unique memorable experience!

Source: Visit Stockholm

Also in Stockholm, sightseers can ride two spherical glass gondolas to the top of the Ericsson Globe, the city’s major indoor sports and entertainment facility. In operation since 2010, SkyView offers an incredible birds-eye view of the city, a little like the funicular on the Olympic Stadium Tower in Montreal.

Source: Visit Stockholm

Urban camping

In the heart of Brooklyn, New York, the site of an old airport is set to become the largest urban campground in the United States. The National Park Service is planning to create approximately 600 campsites, making this location the ultimate in urban camping.

To satisfy the desire for outdoor urban experiences and, more importantly, offer something out of the ordinary, some hotels are inviting their guests to sleep in a tent. At Affinia Gardens in Manhattan, people staying in suites can sleep in a tent on their terrace and enjoy a s’mores-making kit (marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers). Many visitors think that camping out in the heart of downtown New York City seems like fun.

Source: USA Today Travel

A different way to discover art and history

The Arenc Grain Silo in the French port of Marseille, listed as a 20th-century heritage building, has been turned into a concert hall. While retaining the building’s original façade of half-cylinders, the renovation opened them up with large windows. The ultra-modern theatre can seat 2,000 spectators. Built in 1926, the colossal structure was saved from demolition in 1996 and protected by a heritage rating. Nicknamed the “Olympia sur mer” in reference to Paris’ famous music hall, the theatre opened in September 2011.

Source: Ministère de la Culture et de la Communication et TreeHugger

In downtown Rouen, France, a fake radar device signals pedestrians to slow down so they can appreciate the city’s urban heritage. Entitled “zone 3,” this amusing project was developed by an artist as part of the contemporary art festival, “Rouen impressionnée.” When people walk faster than 3 km/hour, the “radar” flashes to indicate that they are moving too quickly. The humorous installation is accompanied by an explanatory sign.

© AFP   Source: Cyberpresse

The idea of surprising people in their daily travels has also been taken up by another art festival. As part of Chicago’s Art on Track festival, artists invade the subway with their creations. One Saturday, a train car wound its way through the city disguised as a mobile garden, with its floor and seats covered with a thick layer of grass that invited passengers to take a seat.

Source: Inhabitat

Calling all creative cities!

The cities of Quebec are also engaged in urban creativity. Competition among destinations is fierce and the world is becoming increasingly urbanized. To make our cities stimulating places to live and attractive destinations to visit, we must encourage artists, designers, architects and other creative thinkers to contribute to their growth and development (See: La créativite au service du développement urbain compte rendu de conférence).

Sources

- Agence France-Presse. «Un radar pour inviter les piétons à ralentir…», cyberpresse.ca, november 15, 2011.

- Glow, Justin. «Floating Swimming Pool Spotted in Germany», www.gadling.com, july 17, 2007.

- Guyennon, Patrick. «Marseille: un ancien silo à grains transformé en salle de spectacle», Urbanews.fr, september 22, 2011.

- Gwiazdzinski, Luc. «Ephemeral, Festive and Event-orientedCities», présenté à l’occasion de la table ronde intitulée New Times, New UrbanTourism Destinations du séminaire Urbantourism, heritage and urbanquality in Europe à Rennes, march 2009.

- Hattam, Jennifer. «Huge New Urban Campground Planned for Brooklyn», www.treehugger.com, june 15, 2011.

- Jones, Charisse. «Hotels offer visitors a chance to snooze under the moonlight», USA TODAY, agust 1st, 2011.

- Morgan, Helen. «Germany’s Roller Coaster Walkway Thrills Visitors with Views to The Surrounding Landscape», inhabitat.com,  november 20, 2011.

- Trendwatching.com. «CityLights», Trend Report 2012, november, 2011.

- Zimmer, Lori. «Chicago Subway Train Transformed Into Lush Mobile Garden on Wheels!», inhabitat.com, september 19, 2011.

Websites

• Badeschiff

• Skyview

• Stockhlom Roof Top Hiking

• World Urbanisation Prospects:

Concept

An albergo diffuso is a type of accommodation that offers the services of a traditional hotel along with a space that is like a rented private home. One of the special features of this Italian concept is its horizontal structure, which spreads the hotel services over several buildings. For example, the guest rooms and apartments may be located on different streets in the same neighbourhood, while the reception area is located in location X, the restaurant in location Y and other services in location Z, all within a 200-metre radius.

International publications have sometimes described the concept as a hotel-village.

Source: Villa Retrosi

Another distinctive feature of the albergo diffuso is the age of the buildings that compose it. In fact, one of the goals of the concept is to repurpose abandoned buildings, houses and even monuments. The idea is not to build anything new, but to reuse.

Source: Castello di Montignano Relais & Spa

The guidelines of the albergo diffuso model respect the values of sustainable development in many respects:

• Promote local culture: one reason visitors select this type of accommodation is to enjoy an authentic local experience.
• Stimulate the local economy: the creation of an albergo diffuso encourages one or more homeowners to participate in an organization that is usually a cooperative and supports the development of small businesses working in traditional sectors like handicrafts and food preparation.
• Protect the environment: preserving existing buildings and giving them a second life helps safeguard the area’s history and limits the environmental damage that could be caused by new construction.

This type of hospitality is also reminiscent of the old European tradition of hosting tourists in homes.

An increasingly structured concept

To be able to call itself an albergo diffuso, an accommodation must meet several conditions, summarized as follows:

• The idea must be launched by local stakeholders
• Hotel services (reception, restaurant, etc.) must be provided
• There must be a sole management entity: a single entrepreneur or any other efficient form of association, with a cooperative being the most commonly used form
• There must be a minimum of seven rooms, located within 200 metres of each other and made available for a period of at least nine years
• The town or village where the albergo diffuso is located must offer a minimum of services such as a pharmacy, grocery store, etc.
• The albergo diffuso must take root in a lively, welcoming community that is open to sharing experiences with visitors

In the past few years, an association, the Associazione Nazionale Alberghi Diffusi (ADI), has been founded to help its members market themselves. At the same time, the Scuola Internazionale di Specializzazione in Albergo Diffuso, a school specializing in albergo diffuso, offers seminars, training and tools to assist property owners, management companies and local communities who are implementing this concept in their area.

Examples

The tiny medieval village of Smerillo is a centre of poetry that hosts the festival Le Parole della Montagna (“the words of the mountain”). Since 1998, the local authorities have been inviting certain homeowners to renovate their properties so they could be part of an albergo diffuso. Despite its population of 400, Smerillo can accommodate 60 visitors.

Source: Smerillo Albergo Diffuso

Le grotte della civita is an unusual example of the albergo diffuso concept; the 18 rooms are located in hillside caves! The goal of this albergo diffuso was to conserve Matera, a historic Apennine village in central southern Italy, and preserve its local heritage.

Source: Le grotte della civita

An exportable concept

The albergo diffuso model may be copied in other countries by adapting it to the host region. Moreover, the Business Innovation Centre of the Lazio Region, BIC Lazio, and the ADI offer technical assistance to the various countries that would like to implement this approach.

Will the albergo diffuso concept make its way to Quebec? It would be one way to revitalize certain villages affected by the rural exodus, repurpose some of the buildings from our religious heritage or even develop a network of accommodations in Quebec’s Far North.

—————————————

Comment – Giacomo Del Chiappa

Albergo diffuso represents a particular type of hospitality which help to achieve a sustainable tourism development (economic, environmental and sociocultural) of area that usually are abandoned. Indeed, albergo diffuso is usually considers as a way to recover the competitiveness of rural area which are interested by progressive flows of people leaving the rural area (emigrating) attracted from the more sparkling urban area. By this way, albergo diffuso is consider as a way to achieve a sustainable tourism development, creating job opportunities for local people, recovering the builindings, allowing to preserve and exploit the local authenticity and identity thus having the possibility to satisfy the needs of those travelers, the so called responsible tourists, (even more numerous) that travel looking for the possibility to be in touch with local authenticity, identity and culture in its various espressions (food, wine, cooking style, handcraft, etc) . Several examples could be done. One of this is Santo Stefano Sessanio located in the “Gran Sasso” national park in Abruzzo region. There everything is done to preserve local authenticity: research was done to understand how the old house were built, rooms has wool mattresses made as in the past and embroidered sheets accordingly the local traditions. Acccording with Kihgreln, the architect who developed this albergo diffuso, today the real estate in the village has been tripled.

Giacomo Del Chiappa – Assistant Professor in Marketing, Faculty of Economics, University of Sassari

Giacomo Del Chiappa received a Ph.D in “Marketing and Business Administration” at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Milan-Bicocca. He was Visiting Scholar at the University of Melbourne (Australia). He is Assistant Professor in Marketing at the University of Sassari, Faculty of Economics. He teaches in the areas of “Tourism Management and Marketing” and “Destination Management” for the Degree in Tourism Marketing and Management, based in Olbia (Sardinia). He is a member of the editorial board of the journal “Tourism Analysis” and referee for international journals. His research topics are related to destination governance and branding, convention site selection criteria and meeting industry and, finally, consumer behavior in tourism. In this latter field his studies are concentrated on responsible tourism, on web 2.0 in the hospitality sector and, finally, on community-based tourism. Fields of expertise: Destination governance and branding Convention site selection criteria and meeting industry Consumer behavior Organization Web site

Sources:

• Giordano Dichter, Giancarlo Dall’Ara. “Albergo diffuso – Developing tourism through innovation and tradition.”

• Marinela Dropulic, Aleksandra Krajnovic, Pavlo Ruzic. “Albergo diffuso hotels – A solution to sustainable development of tourism,” March 2008.

• M. Droli, S.I.S.A.D®. (International School Specializing in the Albergo Diffuso). “The albergo diffuso in Italy – The strengths of Friuli Venezia Giulia and innovative proposals,” March 22, 2007.

• Michèle Prévost, “L’hôtel diffus – Un concept d’hébergement rural qui se développe en Italie.” Espaces 295, September 2011.

Websites:

• Associazione Nazionale Alberghi Diffusi

• Bic Lazio

• Scuola Internazionale di Specializzazione in Albergo Diffuso

Sports and outdoor activities

Resorts now propose numerous alternatives to traditional downhill skiing. Valfréjus, a resort in the Savoie region of the French Alps, offers courses in speed riding, an activity that combines skiing and paragliding. Equipped with a type of small paragliding sail, skiers can jump and fly several metres above the snowy slope.

Source: Ataka Speedriding

The Smugglers’ Notch ski resort in Vermont offers airboarding to thrill seekers. Wearing a helmet and lying flat on their stomachs on an inflated sled, airboarders must learn to use their body weight to steer headfirst down the slope. In fact, a short instructional clinic is mandatory for first timers. The practice of this sport is outlawed in many resorts, because of the risk of collision with skiers and snowboarders. Other resorts allow it only in specially marked areas.

Airboarding. Source:  Smugglers Notch Vermont

Snowscooting is another sport that is becoming more popular in Quebec ski areas. Similar to a snow bike without a seat, a snowscoot is a two-piece snowboard, held together with a frame. Snowscooters use the handle bars to steer down the hill.

Snowscooting. Source: Canoë

 Although better known in Europe, ski joring, which combines skiing and horseback riding, is also practised in Quebec, notably at the Ferme L’Auteuilloise in Laval. Skiers, wearing downhill boots and skis, are pulled by a horse in this form of “equestrian skiing.”

 Ski joring. Source: Le Grand Club

In Switzerland, the floodlit Preda-Bergün toboggan run is a winding six-kilometre toboggan run connecting the villages of Preda and Bergün. Tobogganers take the train to reach the top of the run.

Source: MySwitzerland.com

Taxi skiing (sometimes called adapted or seated skiing) enables non-skiers and those with reduced mobility, such as those who used to ski but no longer can, to hit the slopes and enjoy the alpine scenery while comfortably seated in a ski-chair guided from behind by an instructor. Taxi skiing is offered at Mont Blanc in the Savoie region of France. The short video below illustrates the concept in action.

Events and locales celebrating winter

Innovative urban events such as Igloofest, the Montreal High Lights Festival and the many activities organized by the Québec Winter Carnival help create a festive atmosphere that gives winter destinations a competitive advantage.

Some orchards invite visitors to pick apples in the winter, for the production of ice cider, making it into a family-oriented activity a little like the U-pick system popular in the fall. For example, for a few weekends in January, the Vergers Lafrance in the Lower Laurentian town of Saint-Joseph-du-Lac offer cross-country ski trails, toboggan runs and special activities to members of the public who help harvest the apples.

In Switzerland, the Portes du Soleil ski area, which includes 12 different resorts, will host the second edition of the Festival des concerts sauvages, which has been renamed the Rock the Pistes Festival. During this event, French pop singers perform on temporary stages built right on the ski slopes. The exact time and location of these free shows are texted to festival-goers, the day before.

Source: Freeride Co

Christmas fairs have gradually become a tradition and a major event for many Quebec municipalities. They showcase regional products, provide a boost to the surrounding area, and create an enchanting ambiance that attracts locals as well as tourists.

Source: Marché de Noël et des traditions de Longueuil

Any discussion of winter in Quebec must, of course, include Quebec City’s Ice Hotel, which is rebuilt every year and is always very popular. This year, Montreal is following suit with an ambitious plan for a Snow Village on Ile Sainte-Hélène. In addition to an ice hotel, the village will feature an ice chapel, heated glass igloo, meeting rooms and a restaurant.

Adjusting prices along with the temperature

Some businesses are making winter weather conditions part of their marketing strategy. For example, the Mt. Bachelor ski resort in Oregon has implemented a sliding price scale that varies according to precipitation, wind, visibility, temperature and number of lifts in service. A non-holiday lift ticket ranges in price from $53 to $73, depending on the weather forecast. The price is set the day before and then posted on the resort’s Website and in social media.

Take advantage of winter

A Quebec winter lasts four to six months, more than 200 cm of snow falls, and average January temperatures often dip below -10°C. We can either suffer the consequences, hibernating until the return of warm weather, or we can tackle it head on, promoting winter culture and making it a powerful brand of our tourism industry.

Sources:

- Bissonnet, Jacques et Francine Plourde. «Montréal aura son hôtel de glace», Radio-Canada.ca, 27 septembre 2011.

- Demers, Alain. «Initiation au snowscoot à Sutton», Canoe.ca, 15 février 2011.

- Folie-Boivin, Émilie. «Un jardin de givre», Le Devoir.com, 8 janvier 2010.

- Laflamme, Isabelle. «Plus c’est froid, moins c’est cher», Canoe.com, 10 janvier 2011.

Websites:

- Ataka Speedriding

- Rock the Pistes festival

- Hôtel de Glace

- La Ferme L’Auteuilloise

- The Atlas of Canada

- Les vergers Lafrance

- Marché de Noël et des traditions de Longueuil

- Mt. Bachelor

- MySwitzerland.com

- Savoie Mont Blanc

- Smugglers’ Notch

A bold design, (literally) anchored in the community

Installed in a former ferryboat, Bota Bota is moored at the Quays of the Old Port of Montréal; this floating spa offers a unique experience of well-being in an environment that is both urban and maritime. Sid Lee Architecture won a Design gold at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity for this new attraction in Old Montreal.

Source: Bota Bota

The Stonewater Cove luxury resort in the heart of Mark Twain National Forest welcomes clients to its Treehouse Spa. The individual elevated treatment rooms feature nearly a full window wall and offer relaxation and massage in harmony with nature.

Source: Discover Spas

Increasingly health-oriented

Many spas have moved more towards health and wellness, and the trend is likely to continue. According to Amy McDonald , a spa development consultant, a growing number of clients are seeking healthy lifestyles and looking for something more spiritually oriented.

Among the establishments offering more advanced health care is Sanctuary Spa in Arizona, which recently gave all of its therapists special training so they could provide therapeutic massages to cancer patients. In addition, the London Syon Park spa in the Waldorf Astoria has joined forces with a plastic surgeon to develop advanced non-surgical rejuvenating treatments.

Though such products do not usually appeal to the majority of spa clients, they do help the establishment stand out from its competitors, which can be very profitable.

Pioneers in environmental practices

If an establishment is going to be a true oasis of well-being, to be credible, it must adopt environmentally-friendly practices. Many spas follow this guideline and some stand out with their innovations. Located in a UNESCO reserve in Malaysia, The Andaman resort only uses 100% certified organic products and treatments in its spa. The primary challenge of using green treatments is their effectiveness; it is therefore important to take the time to test them properly.

Architecture can also be a part of how a spa innovates when it comes to the environment. For example, the Spa Mont Saint-Hilaire in Montérégie uses a geothermal heating and cooling system. A spa’s outdoor heated pools consume a great deal of energy, particularly during the winter. Green and renewable, geothermal power enables the Spa Mont Saint-Hilaire to meet nearly all of its energy needs: heat and cool a 7,500 sq. ft. building, melt the snow on its paths and maintain the temperature of its pools. Although this technology requires considerable start-up costs, it then provides substantial savings on energy costs.

On par with a tourist destination

Located in a UNESCO biosphere reserve, the Spreewald Therme (Spree Forest Thermal Bath) in Germany is a health resort that uses mineral water from more than 1,300 metres below the ground, composed of salts and minerals similar to those found in the Dead Sea. Since the discovery of this hot spring, the destination has quickly attracted more visitors who go to the new spas, hotels and resorts that have sprung up to offer body treatments. A theme-based itinerary called the kurortroute (spa route, in English) and a bike path wind through the community. A top attraction for the region, the Spreewald Therme is a certified spa destination with a modern complex of nine pools fed by spring water. With temperatures that vary between 18°C and 38°C, these pools cover 772 m2.

Source: The New York Times

China, which is a booming tourist destination, is developing a hot spring resort, the Liaoning Wulong International Hot Spring Town. The overall cost of the project is estimated at US$1.5 billion . The developers hope it will become another international hot spring destination like Evian in France.

Historic charm and ancient traditions

The city of Bath in the United Kingdom has been associated with hydrotherapy since the Roman Empire and was also very popular during the Georgian era. The English Heritage organization recently confirmed a grant that will help create one of the country’s first genuine spa hotels in over 100 years in the city of Buxton . This development will enable the city to restore a gem of architectural and cultural heritage. Also in the UK, a luxury spa has opened in Ellenborough Park, a 16th-century estate in the Cotswolds region.

Spas inspired by ancient cultures are very popular. The last decade has seen a proliferation of Asian-influenced establishments in the Zen style. Now spas are inspired by Native American traditions, offering rituals based on ancient remedies and treatments tied to the earth. In the Marriott hotels of Dubai and Qatar, Saray spas offer a journey through the history and culture of the Middle East. In Quebec, the Auberge du Lac-Taureau offers a Native American spa package.

Alternative treatments and high luxury

A spa in Madrid, CosquilleArte, has developed the art of tickling. Rather than titillating guests or making them laugh, this gentle treatment engages the body and the mind.

Aromatherapy is also an innovative trend. The NoMi Spa at the Park Hyatt Chicago offers a complete sensory experience, during which specialists create a personalized mixture of essential oils that are integrated into every step of the treatment.

As for the height of luxury, the new Six Senses Spa at Hotel Missoni Kuwait offers a variety of treatments and activities in a sumptuous décor.

Source: Luxe Magazine

The spa industry has long defined itself as part of a healthy lifestyle rather than a frivolous indulgence, and now it is focussing on authenticity, prevention and design.

Sources:

- Bagel Storck, Ann. “Next-Generation Spas,” Hotels, June 2011.

- Bradley, Kimberly. “Hot Water Below Brings Pleasures Above in Germany,” The New York Times, August 26, 2010.

- Discover Spas. “New Spa Treehouses to Premier at Stonewater Cove Resort on the Shores of Beautiful Table Rock Lake Memorial Day Weekend,” February 3, 2011.

- Gayot.com. “The Current Spa & Salon – Native American Rituals in Washington State”, June 2010.

- Gayot.com. “CosquilleArte, the World’s First Tickle Spa, Debuts in Madrid”, July 2011.

- HMM Editorial Staff. “Top Ten luxury spa openings in 2011”, Hospitality World Network, August 10, 2011.

- Lafrance, Annie. “Des spas urbains dépaysants à Montréal,” Le Soleil, July 28, 2011.

- Luxe-Magazine.com. “Six Senses Spa opens at Hotel Missoni Kuwait”, May 2011.

- Perreault-Labelle, Anick. “La géothermie est aussi rentable pour les petits projets,” Les Affaires, April 23, 2011.

- Spa Opportunities. “English Heritage grant for Buxton spa hotel”, July 8, 2011.

- Spa Opportunities. “Spa opens at historic estate”, June 15, 2011.

- Tendance Hôtellerie, “Projet de plus d’un milliard d’euros en Chine pour concurrencer les plus grandes références du thermalisme”, August 17, 2011.

- Turenne, M. “Sid Lee : La créativité absolue fait recette,” Les Affaires, July 9, 2011.

With an eye to financial and environmental concerns, tourism providers are vying with one another to develop inventive products and services to meet an increasingly diverse demand. This article discusses some of the trends and best practices adopted by mountain resorts as they redefine themselves.

A broad range of recreational activities

Summer activities are more and more popular with mountain resort clients. (Please see: La tentation quatre-saisons des stations de ski). One-quarter of the resorts surveyed by SAM reported that summer operations accounted for at least 20% of their annual revenue. Mountain biking is currently the most popular summer attraction on offer (61%) (see: Le vélo de montagne représente-t-il un potentiel touristique sous-exploité?), after business meetings (64%) and weddings (81%).

In the next two years, the resorts surveyed plan to focus more on family-oriented activities rather than traditional activities like tennis and golf (see Figure 1). A little less than half of the destinations surveyed are planning to add ziplines (42%), and nearly one-quarter plan to build alpine coasters (23%) or a ropes course (22%).

Climbing walls and bungee jumping are becoming more popular, as are skate parks, water parks and mini golf. In fact, the Massif du Sud area in the Chaudière-Appalaches region now calls itself a “four-season adventure sports outfitter.”

 New customer segments

Many resorts rent out their facilities for business and festive events. The Banff Centre, located in the heart of Banff National Park, now courts the meetings, incentives, conventions and events (MICE) market. Some resorts, like Crystal Mountain in the northwest United States and Mont Sainte-Anne in Québec, actively target the destination wedding segment during the summer and rent out the facilities located on their summits.

Source: Crystalmountainresort.com

Package deals: An ideal solution

Increasingly, resorts are turning to package deals. Packages help make a destination attractive to new visitors, increase business during the off season and draw regional clientele who are interested in shorter stays. In addition, packages fulfil the varied needs of multi-generational travellers and non-skiers.

Relaxing getaways

Spas have become synonymous with the mountain resort experience. Health and wellness are now part of resort marketing and can even provide the raison d’être for a get-together, such as this year’s Wanderlust yoga festival held at Squaw Valley USA, California.

Source: First Track

Some resorts are improving their culinary offerings, sourcing food from a variety of providers and focussing on regional products. Last winter, the Samoëns ski resort in the French Alps organized its first Winemakers’ Week. Winemakers from various regions in France set up kiosks and presented workshops to introduce tourists to their wines. In Québec, Mont Saint-Sauveur recently began a major renovation of its bar and restaurant to offer patrons a wide variety of healthy foods and ensure that the bistro is the area’s trendiest restaurant.

Online marketing, mobile apps and new technology

Web marketing is now one of the most vital promotional channels available and some resorts are using it to great advantage. Wild Mountain in Minnesota posted a deal on LivingSocial, a group purchasing site, offering a discount package of lift tickets and equipment rental. The goal was to attract a new clientele of novice skiers.

Source: Livingsocial

Snowbird in Utah, one of the first resorts to develop its own app, has implemented a social media strategy by including a community page on its site where visitors can share content.

Source: SnowBird

Brighton Resort in Utah has installed two automatic cameras on one run to photograph skiers and snowboarders, who can then download their performances on the resort’s Facebook page.

Vail Resorts has created EpicMix, an application for either mobile or online use that enables clients of its five ski resorts to share their stats on their social networks. The information provided is extensive and includes rate of descent, skier and snowboarder ranking, weather and real-time location of contacts. Last winter, 100,000 people activated an EpicMix account and 40% downloaded the mobile app.

Source: Epicmix

New technology has also had an enormous impact on resort operations. At the beginning of the 2011-2012 winter season, Mont Saint-Sauveur and Mont Avila will be installing a radio-frequency identification (RFID) system on their lifts to detect skiers’ cards so they don’t have to show them, just like the system already in place at Le Massif in Charlevoix.

A wide variety of lodging options

A great number of privately owned mountain resort rentals are available online. In Québec and British Columbia, such properties represent approximately 60% of the ads listed on HomeAway. These rentals help increase a destination’s potential customer base and many resort managers feel this type of accommodation complements rental condos and hotel rooms.

However, such rentals have not slowed the real estate developments of groups like Intrawest, Boyne Resorts, Aspen Skiing and Vail Resort. Furthermore, many people are buying second homes located at the base of ski mountains. Finally, resorts are also developing new projects. At Le Massif in Charlevoix, the La Ferme hotel complex will open for business in the spring of 2012, and Mont Sainte-Anne is planning to build a new four-season resort in the next few years.

Source: Le Massif de Charlevoix

Sustainable development as a key element of restructuring

The Whistler resort community has developed a long-term plan, entitled Whistler 2020. It defines various priorities and strategies for achieving the sustainable development of the resort and uses indicators to monitor its progress on its Website.

Source: Whistler 2020

The Quebec Golf Course Owners Association (ATGQ) launched a sustainable development initiative this summer with the creation of the ParTROIS program. This measure helps golf clubs take steps towards eco-sustainable certification.

The National Ski Areas Association in the United States recently added a new component to Sustainable Slopes, its environmental charter for ski areas. Called the Climate Challenge, this friendly competition aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. With the help of experts, the employees of the eight resorts participating in the voluntary program took action to fight climate change.

Clientele looking for new experiences, threats of global warming, technological advances and the popularity of social media: the industry does not lack for challenges. However, it is these very issues that have led ski resorts to develop innovative ways of maintaining their attractiveness, and the recent projects launched in Québec hold the promise of a bright future for mountain destinations.

Sources:

- Bast, Morgan. “EpicMix gets nearly 100,000 activations in first season”, buzz.snow.com, April 22, 2011.

- Bergeron, Patricia. «Réaménagement à la base de la montagne- Mont Saint Sauveur se peaufine», carnetduski.com, 13 juillet 2011.

- Kahl, Rick. “Condos on the Cheap,” Ski Area Management, Vol. 50, No. 2, March 2011, p. 54.

- Morrison, Alastair M. “International Trends in Mountain Tourism, Marketing and Development,” Belle Tourism Consulting, 2010.

- Rufo, Samantha, Ken Castle, and Katie Bailey. “Best/Worst Marketing 2010-2011,” Ski Area Management, Vol. 50, No. 3, May 2011, p. 41-45.

- Ski Area Management. “Sustainable Slopes Report Highlights Resorts’ Green Efforts” saminfo.com, July 8, 2011.

- Ski Area Management. “Summer in the Mountains,” Vol. 50, No. 3, May 2011, p. 46-47.

- Urban Land Institute. “Ten Resorts Trends”, www.uli.org, consulted July 13, 2011.

- Watson, Tom. “Brighton offers freestylers an ancillary stoke,” National Ski Areas Association, Vol. 19, No. 3, July 2011.

- Wine Tourism in France. “L’oenotourisme, nouveau sport d’hiver”, winetourisminfrance.com, December 29, 2010.

- World Tourism Organization. “UNWTO congress to debate the future of snow and mountain tourism” www2.unwto.org, March 31, 2011.

See also:

Les activités hors saison pour les centres de villégiature: tendances et nouveautés

La tentation quatre-saisons des stations de ski

Taxi drivers interact with many tourists on a daily basis and sometimes even constitute the first human contact a visitor has on arriving at his or her destination. This realization of the importance of their role has brought significant change to the global tourism industry. Whether on land or water, the mission of so-called “tourist taxis” sometimes goes beyond merely transporting their clients from point A to point B to focus on the overall visitor experience.

Québec taxis: a highly-regulated industry

In Québec, the number of taxi owner permits is restricted. According to the Montreal Economic Institute, in 2010 there were 84 taxis in Sherbrooke, 629 in Québec City and 4,445 on the island of Montreal. When they have a fare, drivers may not travel outside the zone for which they have a permit. These regulations are designed to protect the consumer and ensure quality service.

Montréal-Trudeau International Airport is the taxis’ most coveted client. To avoid disputes, it was decided in 2009 that a draw would be held for the right to purchase the 297 permits for this destination. The greater profit from trips and high volume of business and tourist clientele explain the popularity of this location.

A different kind of taxi service

Tourist taxis are different from other types of taxis in that they focus on the visitors’ experience and helping them discover a given destination. Often, the drivers will either have some relevant training or work closely with the destination’s Tourism Board. These companies usually offer a range of tours, as well as some customized ones.

In Québec City, for example, TaxiCoop Québec offers six tours of the city ranging in length from two to six hours.

1. Québec City, its life and history
2. Montmorency Falls and Orléans Island
3. Québec City and Montmorency Falls tour
4. Religious sites and surrounding area of Québec City
5. Québec City adventure tour
6. Québec City, its life and history (includes a cruise)

These tours, which can also be customized, are conducted by drivers who are certified as tourist guides by Merici College. The hourly rate for a group of 4 people is $65.

There are several reasons to use a tourist taxi, such as:

• Flight layovers often take up precious travelling time. Rather than spending tedious hours at an airport, some travellers would rather use that time to see as many sights as possible without necessarily renting a car. The solution? Hire a taxi. In Singapore, Taxi Tourist Guides are targeting those travelers, offering their captive clientele guided city tours that leave from Changi Airport and last a minimum of three hours. These guides have been certified by the Tourism Board and the Singapore Taxi Academy. The three-month long theoretical and practical training teaches drivers the main tourist attractions, some history, guiding techniques and client relations.

• Driving a car when on a wine tasting tour is problematic and possibly dangerous. Several French Tourism Boards have recruited taxi companies in order to resolve this problem. In the Bordeaux region, for instance, visitors can take a guided taxi tour of the region’s great wineries.

Boat taxis

In many cities, bodies of water have at least some impact on transportation. This fact has inspired some communities to provide water-based transportation. Water taxis bring visitors to otherwise inaccessible locations, enable them to avoid long detours and offer a pleasant boating experience. They can be found in a few major cities around the world as well as in some nature parks. We have provided three examples:

• Rowes Wharf Water Transport, a Boston company that operates a water taxi service, offers transportation to many of the city’s major attractions and has exclusive rights to a few destinations, such as the New England Aquarium and Logan International Airport.

Source : Rowes Wharf Water Transport

• At New Zealand’s Abel Tasman National Park, water taxis play an important role in getting people around. Since the park has no roads, visitors travel along the coastline either on foot or by kayak. A water taxi is an excellent alternative for exploring the shores, visiting seal colonies on neighbouring islands and making sure the travelers get back to dry land.

Source: Marahau Water Taxi

• For the past five years, Québec’s own Excursions Maritimes has been providing a water taxi service in the capital region for visitors and residents alike. The company offers a number of different tours and packages from predetermined boarding points such the Quai des cageux on Champlain Boulevard, the Port de Québec Marina and île d’Orléans.

Source: Excursions Maritimes Québec

The company also offers more customized services. For example, passengers can ask to be dropped off at a certain point in the tour and be picked up at the same place a few hours later. In order to offer a wider range of services, the company has developed partnerships with other players in the local tourism industry.

The importance of quality service and innovation

The value of tourist taxis is based on the training of driver-guides, the flexibility and relevance of the services they offer, and how those services mesh with the existing tourism product. Although the taxi industry is highly regulated in Québec, whether they operate in the city or in outlying areas, taxi owner permit holders are free to implement this innovative business model.

Sources:

- Conseil canadien des ressources humaines en tourisme. «Normes de compétence nationales».

- Institut économique de Montréal. «Industrie du taxi: en route vers une réforme», août 2010.

Websites:

- Excursions Maritimes Québec

- Bordeaux Tourism Board

- Abel Tasman National Park

- Rowes Wharf Water Transport

- Singapore Taxi Academy

- TaxiCoop Québec

- City on the Move

 The influence of images on the choice of destination

Travel and photography have long been intertwined. Photographs seem to concretize experiences and allow them to be shared. But with the Internet, the notion of “sharing” has taken on a new dimension. We used to show our photo albums to friends and family or hold a slide show on our return from a trip. Now the presentation of travel pictures has moved from the private to the public domain, and often in close to real time, with instant messaging, online photo albums, blogs and social networks.

Travel photos shared with friends on Facebook can be very persuasive. According to Skyscanner, a flight comparison site, more than half (52%) of Facebook members say that photos uploaded by friends inspire them to book a holiday in the same location. As noted by Sam Baldwin of Skyscanner, viewing our friends’ travel photos on Facebook plants a seed in the mind and gives us travel ideas.

A study by HRS.com and eResult on hotel selection criteria reveals that photographs have the greatest influence on 78% of respondents, after online client reviews (67%) and star ratings (59%).

Matching images to customer segments

At the ITB Berlin Congress in March 2011, Markgraf and Scheffer presented the results of their marketing communication study and showed how they applied their findings to images in advertising brochures. Working on the assumption that up to 95% of our decisions are subconscious—arising from our personality, values, needs and desires— they concluded that a tourism ad aimed at the family should emphasize harmony and the interaction between family members, and depict a place where family members are happy in one another’s company. The images below, for this type of market, show the evolution of the visual imagery.

Source : Neuromarketing at REWE Touristik

The following illustration shows the same exercise for a different market: financially comfortable couples 40 and older without children, in search of an aesthetically sophisticated, quality establishment.

Source : Neuromarketing at REWE Touristik

Using images to advantage

Tourism Australia created a map of the country from photos or “experiences” of travellers in Australia. This approach encourages Internet browsers to plan their visit inspired by the photos and comments of Australian travellers (click on the link below the image for a better grasp of the concept).

Source : Tourism Australia

The Room 77 website does for hotel rooms what Google Street View does for streets: it allows users to locate a specific hotel room (upstairs, near an elevator, etc.) and to get a glimpse of the view it offers with a photo or image. To date, Room 77 has mapped approximately 460,000 hotel rooms in the United States, London and Vancouver. The database is also available as a mobile app.

Source : Room 77

Websites can display 360° panoramas, geotag them, and provide a links to related sites (a destination, for example). Certain restrictions apply, depending on the portal. The 360 Cities website, with one of the Web’s largest collections of panoramic photos, is directly linked to Google Earth.

Parc national des Grands-Jardins on 360cities.net via Google Earth.

Show what you have to offer…but just that

Technology offers endless possibilities. But visitors who have been burned by doctored and misleading images exert a strong influence on sites like TripAdvisor and other review portals. The following examples appeared in the Business Insider blog. Click on the link to view various publicity images juxtaposed with the harsher reality.

Source: Oyster dans Business Insider

Cover all the key sites

Finally, according to a survey conducted for the review site TripAdvisor, 92% of respondents are more likely to book an accommodation when there is a detailed description that includes photographs. Hotels have a vested interest in displaying their own information and images on TripAdvisor, in the section reserved for them, as well as on sites like Google Addresses and Facebook, and, of course, their own site.

Sources:

- Blodget, Kelsey et Jennifer Garfinkel. «Here’s Why You Should Never Trust The Photos Hotels Post Online», Oyster dans Businessinsider.com, 3 mars 2011.

- Craig, Daniel Edward. «How to optimize Your TripAdvisor Listing», ehotelier.com, 25 mai 2011.

- Guerrier-Buisine, Vanessa. «Selon le portail de réservations HRS, les photos ont plus d’impact que le «bouche à oreille» lors de la sélection d’hôtels», Tendancehotellerie.fr, 4 mars 2011.

- Koumelis, Theodore. «“Facebook factor” inspires 52% to book a Holiday, reports Skyscanner», traveldailynews.com, 25 février 2011.

- Lo, Iris Sheungting, Bob McKercher, Ada Lo, Catherine Cheung et Rob Law. «Tourism and online photography», Tourism Management, vol. 32, no 4, juin 2010, p. 725-731.

- Markgraf, Ingo et David Scheffer. «Trends and Innovations in Marketing Communication and Advertising», Congrès ITB Berlin, 9 mars 2011.

Sites Internet:

- 360cities.net

- Google Earth

- Room 77

- Tourism Australia

- TripAdvisor

According to World Tourism Organization (WTO) estimates, the number of international tourist arrivals reached 940 million in 2010, or a 39% increase over 2000. Seen over the longer term, growth has been exponential; only 25 million tourists travelled in 1950.

Since the WTO compiles national statistics, methodologies may vary. For this reason, results must be interpreted with caution. In addition, results for the year 2010 were estimated based on partial data.

Top-ranked destinations

Not only has the ranking of destinations changed dramatically over the years, the sheer number of countries visited by tourists has increased tremendously. Here are some interesting observations about the number of international arrivals at the most popular destinations (Table 1):

• The top 5 countries in the ranking accounted for 71% of all arrivals in 1950, and only 31% in 2010.
• The “Other” category, which represents the next ten destinations in the ranking, accounted for only 3% of arrivals in 1950, but rose to 34% in 1990 and 44% in 2010!
• Canada’s ranking dropped from 2nd in 1970 to 8th in 2000, and finally to 15th in 2010.
• China is not only a very active outbound market; it has also become an extremely popular destination.
• Malaysia, Turkey and Hong Kong have made major inroads into the tourism market.
• The tourism sector has been demonstrating its resilience for over 60 years.

The top six destinations have remained been more or less the same since the year 2000. France enjoys a comfortable lead and China – which outranked Spain in 2010 – is now closing in on the United States. Canada has not been one of the top ten destinations since 2004.

Graphs 1 and 2 illustrate, respectively, the top 20 destinations by international tourist arrivals and by international tourism receipts. The two rankings differ somewhat. In terms of tourism receipts, the United States is in the top position, well ahead of second-ranked Spain, which also outranks France. While some countries occupy similar rankings in both graphs, others appear in one and are completely absent from the other. Countries that rank in the top 20 of arrivals but not in receipts are the Russian Federation (27th), Poland (30th), Ukraine (50th), Greece (21st) and Egypt (22nd). Conversely, some countries have high tourism receipts for a relatively lower number of visitors: the Netherlands (21st), Switzerland (28th), Japan (29th), Australia (41st) and India (42nd).

In fact, not all countries have benefitted from the overall growth in international tourist arrivals. Graph 3 illustratesthe change in arrivals for various countries. While some have more than doubled the number of arrivals, others, like Canada (-18%) and Poland (-28%), have recorded major decreases.

Where do most travellers come from?

Europe is currently the top source market for tourists, generating 55% of all international tourists, followed by Asia and the Pacific (20%) and the Americas (16%) (Table 2). Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East and Africa recorded the strongest average annual growth rate for the period covered. The majority of international visitors, approximately four out of five, travel within their own region. However, it would appear that the number of trips from one region to another has increasedat a faster rate than the number of intraregional trips. Industrialized countries remain the primary source markets of international tourists. However, with the increase in disposable income, many emerging economies have experienced higher growth rates in the past few years.

The data in Table 3about tourist-generating countries is expressed in terms of international tourism expenditures, as published by the WTO, not in terms of number of trips. Total spending grew from US$478 billion in 2000 toUS$678 billion in 2005and to US$850 billion in 2009, for an overall increase of 78%. In 2009, source markets saw their international tourism expenditures fall 10% compared to 2008, due to the economic crisis and the H1N1 flu. In 2000, only 10 countries recorded international tourism expenditures of at least US$10 billion, while 23 countries did so in 2009.

The top three spots have been occupied by Germany, the United States and the United Kingdom since 2000, with France, Italy and Japan following close behind.The explosive growth of the Chinese travel industryhas pushed it into the top five even though its population has only just begun to travel. Chinabegan signing agreements in 1999 to permit leisure travel to various countries, but Canada has only very recently obtained the status of an authorized destination (June 2010). The Chinese still travel a lot within their own country, but the proportion of domestic trips to those outside the country has risen from 71 to 1 in 2000 to 38 to 1 in 2009.

Japan is the only country in the ranking below to have reduced its international tourism expenditures. Hard-hit by economic woes and fuel prices, the population has lost some confidence and travels less than before.

The Russian Federation, Saudi Arabia, Belgium, Australia, Singapore, Norway and Brazil more than doubled their spending during this period.

In short, the tourism market is constantly changing and welcoming more participants so it is easy to get lost in the crowd. The good news? The number of tourists from various regions around the world is growing constantly. We live in an age where physical distances are less intimidating than before and where tourists are choosing to travel just about everywhere. We must design our tourismstrategies to reflect a broader geographic perspective and not be afraid to compete with top-ranked destinations.

Sources:

- World Tourism Organization. “World Tourism Barometer, Interim Update April 2011.”

- World Tourism Organization. “Tourism Highlights, 2009 Edition.”

In the last decade, the Internet has reshaped the way people plan for and consume tourist products and services. More recently, the most significant development in Internet applications has been in the area of user-generated content (UGC) and peer-to-peer applications, the so-called Web 2.0.

Research is shedding light on the significant influence that UGC and Travel 2.0 applications have on generating the idea of travelling, both during the real planning process and even after travel decisions have been taken. Recommendations of friends and colleagues are less important to business travellers than they are to leisure travellers (McCarthy, Stock and Verma, 2010).  Sometimes UGC also induces tourists to alter their decisions after obtaining further information online.

Some empirical data

eMarketer (2007) reports that, among tourists who use peer reviews to help them make their hotel bookings, the percentage of infrequent and frequent leisure travellers who changed their booking based on reviews posted online by other consumers is 25% and 33%, respectively. An empirical investigation on a sample of 823 Italian tourist (Del Chiappa, 2011a) confirmed this figure with respondents reporting that, after having read reviews and comments posted online, they changed their hotel accommodation sometimes (64.8%), almost always (12%) or always (0.5%). In particular, Del Chiappa (2011a) found gender differences in this likelihood, with female respondents doing so (“always” or “almost always”) more frequently (14.8%) than male respondents (9.4%). Another study on a sample of 1,448 Italian tourists reported that 31.56% of respondents had changed the accommodation suggested by a traditional travel agency based upon UGC (Del Chiappa, 2011b).

Credibility and trustworthiness of UGC: Perceptions of American tourists

On the whole, UGC sources are considered more credible and trustworthy than market-provided information and, consequently, are more likely to direct and influence tourist choices. For marketing strategies to be effective, it is therefore crucial to know to what extent tourists consider the different types of Travel 2.0 applications to be trustworthy and whether these applications do in fact exert different influences over the way tourists perceive company image and make their decisions.

Interestingly, recent research has started to analyze the credibility and trustworthiness that tourists confer upon different Travel 2.0 applications, which helps clarify the extent to which they affect tourists’ attitudes and purchasing decisions.

A survey carried out on a sample of 1,900 of American tourists who usually buy tourist services over the Internet underlines the different influences that different Web 2.0 applications have on tourist behaviour (PhoCusWright, 2009). In decreasing order, these are: reviews on OTAs (50%), traveller-generated photography/virtual tours (43%), online travel reviews from travel experts (41%), professional photography/virtual tours (39%) traveller review websites (33%), professional online travel video (29%), traveller-generated online travel video (28%), travel blogs (22%), social networks/people you know (22%), social network/people you do not know (15%) and travel-related podcasts (13%).

Another study (Yoo, Lee, Gretzel, & Fesenmaier, 2009) of a sample of 1,170 American tourists indicates that UGC is most credible when posted on: official tourism bureau websites (41.2%), travel agency websites (36.8%), third-party websites such as TripAdvisor (33.5%), travel company sites (31.2%), personal blogs (18.1%), personal websites (16.1%), social networking sites (13.2%) and photo and video sharing sites such as YouTube (10.7%). To sum up, the aforementioned research underlines that tourists’ choices are influenced more by reviews and comments on online travel agencies (OTAs) than those on tourism-related social networks.

Credibility and trustworthiness of UGC: Perceptions of Italian tourists

Similar findings to those of the aforementioned research have recently been found in Italy. Based on an analysis of 823 questionnaires, the study shows that, for both female and male respondents, OTAs are considered the most trustworthy and therefore exert the most influence on company image and tourist choices. In order of importance, OTAs are followed by: tourism-related blogs, tourism-related social networks, video sharing, photo sharing, forums on the company’s website, non-tourism-related social networks and microblogging (Del Chiappa, 2011a). On the whole, the aforementioned study partially confirms the findings of prior research carried out in the United States by Yoo, Lee, Gretzel and Fesenmaier (2009),  where  OTAs were found to be the most credible Travel 2.0 applications, while non-tourism-related social networks were found to be the least trustworthy. Nevertheless, photo and video sharing sites were found to be less credible in the United States than in Italy.

Moreover, in the same study, respondents reported that they consider comments and reviews posted online to be more trustworthy when there is the same proportion of positive and negative comments (51.2%), or when there are fewer of the latter than the former (39.9%).

Managerial implications and suggestions

On the whole, the findings of the aforementioned research support the marketing and communication strategies of hospitality marketers who have to develop, monitor and manage their corporate brands in a practically infinite virtual domain. Indeed, the research suggests that, in terms of marketing and communication activities, hospitality marketers should split their time and financial resources differently between different Travel 2.0 applications, and pay attention to other differences such as the gender and age of their customers. In particular, hospitality managers should pay attention to UGC posted on OTAs as several studies highlight the great impact, the so-called “billboard effect,” these applications have on the hotel business and the fact that consumer decision-making frequently really starts by looking at these sites, both abroad (Anderson, 2011) and in Italy too (Del Chiappa, 2011c).

References:

Anderson, C. (2011). “Search, OTAs, and Online Booking: An Expanded Analysis of the Billboard Effect,” Cornell Hospitality Report, 11 (8).

Del Chiappa, G. (2011a). “Trustworthiness of Travel 2.0 applications and their influence on tourists’ behaviour: An empirical investigation in Italy,” in R. Law, M. Fuchis and F. Ricci (Eds.), Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2011. Vienna, Austria: Springer.

Del Chiappa, G. (2011b). Disintermediation of hotel reservations: the perception of different groups of Italian online buyers, in proceedings of TTRA Europe and AFM Conference 2011 “Creativity and innovation in tourism.” Archamps: April 11-13.

eMarketer (2007). Niche Sites Invigorate Online Travel. Accessed online April 11, 2007, at http://www.eMarketer.com.

McCarthy, L., Stock, D. & Verma, R. (2010). “How Travelers Use Online and Social Media Channels to Make Hotel-choice Decisions,” Cornell Hospitality Report, 10 (18).

PhoCusWright. (2009). Consumer Travel Report.

Yoo, K.H., Lee, Y.,  Gretzel U. & Fesenmaier D.R. (2009). “Trust in Travel-Related Consumer Generated Media,” in W. Höpken, U. Gretzel and R. Law (Eds.), Information and Communication Technologies in Tourism 2009, 49-59. Vienna, Austria: Springer.

Giacomo Del Chiappa – Assistant Professor in Marketing, Faculty of Economics, University of Sassari

Giacomo Del Chiappa received a Ph.D in “Marketing and Business Administration” at the Faculty of Economics of the University of Milan-Bicocca. He was Visiting Scholar at the University of Melbourne (Australia). He is Assistant Professor in Marketing at the University of Sassari, Faculty of Economics. He teaches in the areas of “Tourism Management and Marketing” and “Destination Management” for the Degree in Tourism Marketing and Management, based in Olbia (Sardinia). He is a member of the editorial board of the journal “Tourism Analysis” and referee for international journals. His research topics are related to destination governance and branding, convention site selection criteria and meeting industry and, finally, consumer behavior in tourism. In this latter field his studies are concentrated on responsible tourism, on web 2.0 in the hospitality sector and, finally, on community-based tourism.   Fields of expertise: Destination governance and branding Convention site selection criteria and meeting industry Consumer behavior Organization Web site

Thematic tourist routes abound in Quebec and around the world; there are routes to discover vineyards, cider, flowers, whales, heritage, history, the farming community, the arts and the St. Lawrence. Visitors can explore them on their own, guided and informed by a GPS, an MP3 player or a smart phone; the number of formats available is on the rise. Technology is enhancing the appeal of this type of tourist product, offering a wealth of possibilities in addition to meeting the needs of autonomous yet demanding tourists who seek experiences related to their personal interests. Welcome to a “tour” of some innovating and inspiring initiatives, as well as some of the factors behind their success. Happy trails!

What exactly is a tourist route?

A tourist route follows an itinerary featuring various sites of interest to tourists. The term “tourist circuit” is most often associated with a loop, while a “route” usually has different starting and ending points. However, these terms are not limited exclusively to these definitions. Routes vary widely in length, content and mode of transport (e.g., on foot, by bike, car or coach). Some are comprised of attractions aimed at the general public, while others group together sites of interest to a niche market.

In urban, near-urban and rural environments, tourist routes and circuits are an ideal vehicle for systematically developing and marketing a carefully planned tourism product. A means for local stakeholders to work together, routes also give regions, which are sometimes off the beaten path, an opportunity to differentiate themselves and attract new visitors. At the same time, travellers enjoy being presented with a number of clearly identified activities along the way that correspond to their interests.

A comprehensive, planned and systematic strategy

Tourism Queensland, in Australia, offers a perfect example of good management practice. This organization developed a strategy to plan the development of tourist routes within its territory and guide tourism-based businesses in the steps to follow. In the case of Queensland, we are talking about self-guided drive routes. The organization has made its guide available online: Developing & Marketing Tourism Drive Routes. Written for all stakeholders involved in planning a tourist route, this document discusses the possible benefits of a tourist route, but also mentions what it cannot do:

• single-handedly solve all the problems facing a region’s tourism industry
• provide a substitute for low-quality tourism products
• easily promote a region
• be developed quickly and inexpensively

According to Tourism Queensland, the partners involved in a thematic tourist route must make a commitment and, although they can be used to represent a large number of products, a single bad experience can ruin the reputation of all the participants along the route. After explaining how tourist routes work and listing the pitfalls to avoid, the guide provides a flow chart of the entire process, listing all the steps involved and the organizations to consult at each stage. By taking the reins, Tourism Queensland is helping ensure that its tourist routes are developed systematically and are of high quality.

Effective marketing relies on technology

A route’s use of effective marketing technology is increasingly a factor in its success. Well-equipped visitors–and there are more and more of them–want to be self-sufficient and appreciate being given the means to do so. At the very least, a route must have a Website with dynamic mapping and the option of printing the map. Many destinations now provide MP3 audio guides for download. Now, however, mobile technology is becoming indispensable, thanks to the myriad possibilities it offers. Several destinations have developed mobile applications or created Websites that enable users to view the route directly on their smart phone or GPS, locate businesses through augmented reality or even access a wealth of information simply by scanning 2D barcodes (Flashcode).

For more information on these technological tools, please see:

Le Web mobile, choisir sa présence et sa stratégie marketing

GPS et tourisme: Suivez la direction!

La réalité augmentée au service de l’expérience client

La démocratisation des audioguides: l’ère du numérique

Les «mutations génétiques» du code-barres traditionnel ouvrent des horizons au tourisme

Some eloquent examples

The Route des vins de Bordeaux en Graves et Sauternes Website suggests itineraries that encompass a number of wine-themed regional attractions. Simple and easy to use, the site features a dynamic map illustrating the location of the selected itinerary’s attractions, or visitors can use the map to plan their very own route. Local tourism bureaus also rent out multimedia GPS units to visitors, who can then follow a route at their own pace, receive alerts when they get close to a site of interest and view nearby restaurants. They can also create their own route by selecting the types of sites that interest them. A personalized, self-guided tour enabled by technology—now that’s a 21^st-century tourism product!

Source: Bordeaux-graves-sauternes.com

Tarn Tourisme, another French organization, offers a free iPhone application that presents seven tourist circuits for exploring the region by car. Travellers follow a map identifying the attractions or a list of steps displayed on their cell phone screen and get information from the videos, audio commentary and photos provided by the application. Certain stages of the route feature a family quiz. This is an excellent way to motivate children when sightseeing, for the teams with the best results of the week win prizes! For more details, view the Tarn Tourism video (in French) that introduces the mobile application.

Source : Tourisme-tarn.com

Strength in numbers

To improve and better coordinate the promotion of tourism in their regions, five Wallon provinces in Belgium have developed several initiatives, including Tourisme GPS, a collection of more than 170 multimedia GPS tourist circuits downloadable from the Website. Visitors input their preferences, such as mode of transport, geographic area or starting city, use key words or select a route from a list of favourites.

Source: Tourismegps.be

Factors of success

Taken from various studies on the topic (see the sources listed at the end of this article), the prerequisites below are key elements for the development of a successful tourist route or circuit. Stakeholders must have:

• a well-established high-quality resource to provide a focus or theme
• familiarity with the target clientele
• cooperation among the stakeholders involved
• a clear, shared vision the image to project
• a sufficient number of businesses and attractions
• high-quality tourism products
• a consistent level of quality from one supplier to another
• quality controls
• a common time schedule
• effective signage
• complementary tourism services and infrastructure (toilet facilities, regional tourist information, accommodations, restaurants, etc.)
• a dedicated resource to provide a framework for the member businesses
• a publicist
• high-quality promotional tools with attractive visuals
• creative use of technology

The situation in Quebec

Tourisme Québec lists some 46 thematic tourist routes and circuits, while the Association de l’agrotourisme et du tourisme gourmand (formerly the Fédération des Agricotours du Québec) proposes forty or so on its site under the heading “Québec Routes and Circuits for Food Lovers.” There are also a number of local initiatives that enhance what Quebec has to offer tourists.

It would appear that this type of tourist experience is particularly attractive to non-Quebeckers. In fact, visitor statistics from the Bonjour Québec.com site show that markets outside Québec have a greater tendency to opt for this type of product. Approximately one-third of site visitors overall are from outside the province, but this number climbs to nearly 60% when the topic is specifically tourist routes and circuits.

Quebec could actually take some inspiration from the Tourism Queensland initiative. For example, a comprehensive, planned strategy would give businesses wishing to develop a tourist route or circuit a procedure to follow. Such a strategy could also be used to organize a destination’s different themed attractions into separate centres of tourism, leading to more effective marketing on the global marketplace. Technological tools, shared strategies, unique routes—let your imaginations run wild!

Sources:

- Berki, Mónika and Janos Csapó. “Existing and future tourism potential and the geographical basis of thematic routes in south Transdanubia, Hungary,” University of Pécs, Faculty of Sciences, Institute of Geography, Department of Tourism, 2007.

- Lourens, Marlien. “Route tourism: a roadmap for successful destinations and local economic development,” Development Southern Africa, Vol. 24, No. 3, September 2007.

- Rob Tonge & Associates, Queensland Heritage Trails Network, Queensland Government and Tourism Queensland. “Developing & Marketing Tourism Drive Routes”, June 2004.

- Rogerson, Christian. “Tourism Routes as Vehicles for Local Economic Development in South Africa: The Example of the Magaliesberg Meander,” Urban Forum, Vol. 18, No. 2, Springer Science and Business Media B.V., 2007.

- Zins Beauchesne and Associés. Agrotourisme : Diagnostic sectoriel/plan de développement et de commercialisation – Rapport d’analyse de la situation et diagnostic sectoriel, June 2006.

Websites:

- Route des vins de Bordeaux en Graves et Sauternes

- Terroir et Saveurs.com

- Tourisme GPS

- Tourisme Tarn