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

An expanding service

Around the globe, an ever‑increasing number of places now offer wireless internet service (wi‑fi). According to an ABI Research study, the number of wi‑fi hotspots worldwide will grow by over 25% in 2007, for a total of 179,500 of those areas so beloved by laptop owners. About 72% of them are found in North America and Europe, but the Asia‑Pacific area is showing rapid growth in that respect.

It’s not just the offer; the interest on the part of internet users is also rapidly expanding. In addition to the burgeoning number of internet subscribers there is an astonishing growth in wireless use, as people become more and more used to going online to check the internet and e‑mail.

The trend reaches accommodation

The hotel industry is well positioned to make the advantages of wireless internet available to its clientele. There are currently 46,000 wireless hotspots in various kinds of accommodation establishments. This amenity confers an obvious competitive advantage that many large hotel chains are eager to acquire. Some operators also use wireless networks for their internal communication.

Two recent surveys conducted in January 2007 by YPB&R shed some interesting light on the relative importance of wireless internet service in hotel rooms. The first survey was conducted on 304 leisure travellers, while the second focussed on the same number of business travellers. Both samplings surveyed American travellers who had travelled over 120 km from their home and spent at least one night in commercial accommodation.

Internet in the room

Clearly, the internet is becoming an essential service and, increasingly, clients expect it to be offered free of charge. Business travellers more or less demand high‑speed wireless internet access in their hotel room (Figure 1). Over 39% of business travellers surveyed said that this free service is extremely important, and 46% of leisure travellers said it was very important (see ratings in columns 4 and 5). The stated importance of this service to travellers decreases significantly as soon as there is a cost attached to it.

Since an increasing number of travellers use laptops, customers obviously prefer wireless internet service. However, both clientele segments still displayed significant levels of interest in having wired connections in their rooms (Figure 2). However, it is to be expected clients will increasingly prefer wireless access.

When questioned about the importance to them of knowing that an accommodation establishment had a public space with high‑speed internet access, almost half (49%) of the business travellers surveyed (compared to 36% of leisure travellers; see Figure 3) felt this amenity was very important as long as it was provided free of charge. Travellers who are prepared to pay for this type of service are in the minority.

As soon as a cost is attached to internet access it becomes clear just how much travellers expect to receive it for free (Figures 4 and 5). Interestingly enough, 9% of leisure travellers not only refuse to pay for high‑speed internet but would quite simply stay elsewhere where the service is provided for free. Almost one quarter (23%) of business travellers feel the same way.

The majority, or 58%, of leisure travellers have less definite opinions: although they do not necessarily want to pay for internet access they would not change establishments in order to get it for free. However, 37% of business travellers would. Regardless of the type of travel, one out of five feels that $5 a day or less is an acceptable amount to pay for this type of service. Only 2% of tourists and 7% of business people would pay $10 or more.

There is one final factor that only affects business travellers, and that is the availability of Internet access in conference rooms. Roughly 44% feel that high‑speed wireless service is very important when it is provided for free, compared to 24% who still think it is important even if there is a charge for that service.

As the number of wi‑fi hotspots grows they will become an increasingly large part of consumers’ everyday life. In fact, a number of cities are working toward turning some of their neighbourhoods into wi‑fi areas, with either paid or free access. For instance, in September 2006, Toronto’s financial district went wireless. Industry players, particularly hotel owners, need to adapt to this trend because clients are becoming ever‑more demanding in that respect.

Understanding the markets

The tourism industry is evolving in a turbulent market.

• Terrorism, natural disasters, climate change, and epidemics are destabilizing the industry, and security plays an important role.

Canada is losing ground on internationally; it must structure and reposition its tourism product and regain its market share on the world stage.

• Canada has not been in the top ten world destinations since 2004 and its market share is dwindling.
• Over the past several years, we have observed a significant decline in American clientele (Canada’s primary market) and international competition is increasing.
• New destinations are emerging, and some of them are gaining status; several destinations are investing heavily in infrastructure development and marketing.

Travellers are becoming more knowledgeable.

• Socio-demographic changes are influencing travel behaviour and products.

New business models are taking hold.

• At the turn of the present century, low-cost carriers were on the fringes of the air sector, but now they are bringing regular carriers to their knees and carving out their share of the market.
• And of course, the Internet has completely revolutionized the quest for information as well as reservation and distribution methods.

The quality of the tourism experience

Travellers are very demanding customers.

• The standard tourist profile is educated, high income, experienced – and able to evaluate performance.
• Tourists want to take full advantage of, and enjoy, their downtime.
• They do not simply want to “see”; they want to participate
• They are looking for experiences, authenticity, and the unusual.
• And nowadays, welcoming this clientele requires additional knowledge, such as understanding their language and culture.

Niche products are developed concurrently with mass tourism.

• A highly competitive environment requires a constant search for new things and the need to stand out in order to satisfy a heterogeneous clientele.
• Products and services are becoming specialized – and fragmented – in a search for personalization.

The variety of products available is exploding.

• One-upmanship, excessiveness, originality, and the unusual are setting the pace for developing products.
• Types of lodging are no longer solely defined by stars and services offered. Now, you can pay according to how much you weigh, or you can sleep in a tree, hanging from a crane, or in a wine barrel. You can rent a house – or just a sofa – in a foreign destination.

The concept of experience goes far beyond the simple notion of service.

• The client experience depends on the quality of the human resources involved in delivering it, requiring not only know-how, but also personal skills: relational skills, communication skills, a willingness to serve, the ability to exceed client expectations, and the ability to work as part of a team and to understand customers’ needs.

Sustainable development is definitely on the agenda

• The integration of sustainable development concepts is becoming imperative, as much to safeguard the product as to prioritize local jobs and give human resources the importance they are due.
• A new perception of the role and responsibility of “the company in society” requires it to act as a responsible citizen.

Appreciation, promotion, and recruiting

Is it a myth, or is it a reality, that tourism occupations are not synonymous with employment stability?

• The precariousness of tourism jobs remains a problem: atypical hours, part-time positions, seasonal character, and low pay.
• Tourism seasons are slowly being extended.
• Jobs in the tourism sector are often considered to be transitional work leading to another job in another sector.
• A high employee turnover rate prevents the tourism sector from being competitive.

Labour shortages are predicted to be a problem throughout the tourism industry.

• Competition between the various sectors to attract workers will complicate tourism recruiting, and employers will have to “court” potential recruits.
• The aging population will result in massive departures due to retirement, resulting in a loss of industry expertise.
• Difficulties in recruiting qualified staff in outlying regions will increase, and the exodus of young people to major centres will further complicate the situation.
• Although considered to present a solution to the predicted labour shortage, people 55 and older are often confronted with persistent prejudices (high pay, less productive, lack of technological ability, resistant to change, etc.).
• The multi-ethnic population and people being reintegrated into the community (drop-outs, troubled youths, and people with physical or intellectual disabilities) will help enlarge the labour pool, but will require some adaptation.

New employment dynamics are taking hold.

• Harmonization of generation gaps makes it possible to reconcile different worker profiles and expectations, to use each person’s skills and avoid conflicts.
• An individual will hold several jobs throughout his or her professional life.
• Many retired people are re-entering the labour market – but they are looking for conditions adapted to their needs.

There is a lack of vision and of joint action between the various sectors, regions, and organizations.

• This lack of synergy complicates the development of permanent jobs that – for example – could be a combination of complementary summer/winter activities.

The need to support human resource management

Managers of SMEs (the majority in tourism) are caught up in the whirlwind of operations.

• Those in charge are always in reaction mode: under pressure from investors and lacking the time and tools to manage their company effectively.
• Only a few managers have mastered the hiring process (recruiting, selection).
• They tend to relegate employee integration, supervision, and support to a secondary position, even though these things are their raw material.

Skills development and manager and employee training

The complexity of changes to the company environment requires understanding and monitoring.

• Abundant and increasingly complex information, an understanding of structural changes and their impact on the industry, as well as advances in the workplace, make it hard to upgrade knowledge.
• Bridging the gap between academic training and the company’s needs requires additional employee training.
• The pace of technological development – including the Internet – means there are changing ways of doing things in all spheres of the industry.

- This text was prepared for le Conseil québécois des ressources humaines en tourisme to generate discussion during the development of its 2008-2011 strategic plan.

Decrease in on-site tourist information requests

Thanks to the internet – the primary travel information and planning source – visitors arrive at their destinations better informed. That being said, many tourists are still interested in obtaining additional information and advice during their stay, which implies that visitor centres and tourist information offices still have a role to play. However, destinations now boast a wider variety of information sources:

• increased commercial signage
• better organized tourist information signs
• increased number of display racks (for guides, brochures and flyers)
• use of podcasts by many destinations
• more hotels offering concierge services
• advent of radio stations targeting tourists directly

Another increasingly popular option is the interactive terminal. By offering visitors fast, self-guided access to information, these terminals appeal to tourists who are less inclined to speak to a representative, increase the number of points of service and extend access to information beyond the usual business hours of information centres. These terminals can already be found in Europe (the photo pictures one in Brussels) the US and even in Canada. Given this situation, what is the role of tourist information offices?

One option: enhanced, diversified services

According to many information office administrators, visitors are now turning to them for more specific needs and services. This reality means staff must be better informed about regional products and capable of providing more specialized services. For example, visitor centres are providing information on the entire region, making hotel and restaurant reservations, and selling tickets for attractions, guided tours and local shows.

To attract more visitors, many information offices have also developed various commercial services (shops and restaurants). To preserve local flavour, some offices are focussing on shops and displays that promote and sell locally grown products as well as regional arts and crafts.

Finally, some tourist information offices are trying to become true windows on local tourism products by organizing exhibitions or holding events directly on site.

The guiding idea is that the information office becomes a “service centre”. Tourist information representatives should act as regional concierges, or super customer service agents capable of meeting a wide variety of requests, both tourism-related and not.

Examples of service centres

This approach is already in use in the US. A prime example is Philadelphia’s new $38 million multi-functional centre, the Independence Visitor Centre. There visitors can find:

• concierge and reservation service for hotels and restaurants
• information office, with a list of daily events
• ticketing for local tourist sites
• free, informative historical and orientation films
• informative, touch screen computer kiosks
• maps and brochures of parks, the city and the region
• the Pennsylvania General Store Café
• the Independence Store
• and more

For a virtual tour: www.independencevisitorcenter.com/inside.htm.

There is also the Times Square information centre in New York City that, in addition to traditional tourist services (multilingual tourist counsellors, maps, brochures, etc.), also offers:

• books, posters and other souvenirs of Times Square
• coffee, snacks and refreshments
• tickets for Broadway shows and sightseeing tours
• a post office booth
• an ATM
• free internet access (courtesy of Yahoo)
• a free digital photo sent to a friend (courtesy of Earthcam)
• free electronic postcards (courtesy of Panasonic)
• and more

Of course, having to offer such a wide variety of services puts extra pressure on the staff, who must adapt their equipment and work methods to ensure the quality of the services offered to the public. Also, it requires a major investment to be able to provide all these services. Therefore, this is not necessarily the ideal solution for all tourist information centres.

Calling all volunteers!

For many managers, just finding the staff to offer basic services is a major challenge. Unusual work schedules, seasonal fluctuations and a diverse clientele all make it difficult sometimes to recruit the necessary personnel. To meet this challenge, many destinations are training volunteers interested in welcoming visitors and sharing their passion for their part of the country. Destinations like Dallas and Vancouver are even recruiting directly on their websites.

In addition to saving money on salaries, this approach gives destinations access to a bigger bank of human resources and, more importantly, to increased community participation in welcoming visitors. Because tourists are looking for authenticity, real experiences and contact with the local culture, the presence of volunteers can help satisfy a tourist’s interest in mingling with locals.

Focus on welcoming rather than informing

If we try to define hospitality, it is often the little things that stand out – a handshake, a smile and receptiveness -rather than the service rendered. So rather than simply adopting the option of the ?super service centre,? information offices could focus instead on welcoming. Why not become an inviting, friendly place to be, that would also be frequented by locals?

Appropriately furnished and organized, these visitor centres could become drop-in centres, places where visitors and locals alike could meet for coffee, talk about what to do that day and share their experiences. Perhaps they could be places that tourists would want to visit, even if they did not need any information. After all, when they are far from home, tourists want to be thought of as friends, not strangers!

Source:
- Arseneault, Paul. “Accueil, information et interaction,” talk given at the Journées annuelles de l’accueil touristique 2006, October 26, 2006.

Families look for interesting activities and appropriate services

According to recent findings from Shell Hospitality, owner and operator of a dozen or so resort hotels in the United States and Canada, the top three decision factors in planning a family vacation are the following:
According to recent findings from Shell Hospitality, owner and operator of a dozen or so resort hotels in the United States and Canada, the top three decision factors in planning a family vacation are the following:

• Location: the destination must offer fast, easy access to a variety of family and recreational activities (amusement parks, visitor attractions, beaches, ski hills, etc.) or be located near the homes of friends and family.
• Room size: rooms must be spacious enough to allow multiple family members to relax. Families increasingly appreciate amenities like kitchenettes, video games and internet access.
• Hotel services: naturally, a pool is still the most popular attraction. However, game rooms and fitness facilities are also desirable features. Finally, when the group involves more than one family, teens want their own room; if grandparents are also part of the group, it is vital to be able to reserve neighbouring rooms.

A Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) study confirms that programs for children are very popular with families. Special children’s menus (41%) and hotel discounts for families (30%) are the most popular features, while the availability of toys and video games (22%), supervised activities (13%) and babysitting services (6%) are also well liked by families.

Although an average 60% of families take advantage of these types of services when they travel, Generation X parents are more likely to do so, with 71% of those aged 35 44 using children’s programs. This is the highest proportion among all individuals who travel with children.

Who are Generation X parents?

Generation X covers individuals born from 1965 to 1980. Even though the oldest of these are already in their 40s, many are parents of young children.

In Canada, it is estimated only 17% of Gen Xers have had a first child by the age of 25, while this percentage jumps to 29% among Baby Boomers. In 2002, four out of 10 children (40%) were born to parents aged 30 to 39, compared to 34% in 1991 and 24% in 1981.

Looking for work life balance in a race against time

For Generation X, happiness depends primarily on successfully balancing one?s personal and professional responsibilities. To this end, 80% of parents in this generation would like to spend more time with their families even though, on average, they already spend more time with their children than their parents did.

Shorter, more frequent trips

According to a Spring 2005 survey conducted by the US website thefamilytravelfiles.com, family travel is following the trend towards shorter, more frequent trips. In fact, 35% of those surveyed reported having taken two family vacations during the year, while another 35% reported having taken three or more trips. This frequency had an effect on the duration of family vacations: 75% of them were for a week or less, with 35% of all trips lasting only 2 to 5 days.

Torn between their personal needs, their desire for time with their spouse and the importance attached to family time, Generation X parents are creating a new demand for family travel. Although both leisure and business travel afford opportunities for personal relaxation and rejuvenating time for couples, they are also becoming ideal occasions to spend quality time with the children.

Family responsive vs. family friendly

Family travel was long defined as travel for children, while today it is defined as travel with children. The nuance is important for companies who must become responsive to the needs of both parents and children; traditional family friendly outfits, like theme parks and zoos, must now think about the type of experience available to parents so that visits are enjoyable for every member of the family.

At the same time, to respond to these various needs, some tourism based companies with primarily adult clientele are starting to experiment with new services to show that their facilities can offer everyone, children included, a fun vacation. Last December, Air Transat launched its Kids Club (ages 2 to 11), which provides a number of services and privileges (priority boarding, games, special meals, etc.) to make a family vacation more fun and enjoyable for everyone. Currently, children represent 6% of all Transat Holidays customers.

Resort complexes in southern destinations were among the first to develop mini club services to offer parents a family vacation experience that cleverly combines time with the children with time alone. Club Med remains a leader in this type of approach, breaking down its various children?s programs according to age: Baby Club (4 to 23 months), Petit Club (2 to 3 years), Mini Club (4 to 10 years) and the new Junior Club for teens (11 to 17 years).

Major cruise ship companies quickly adopted this model to attract families. By offering adapted facilities (family staterooms) and appropriate services (organized activities for kids, a water park, arcade, etc.), cruise ships are positioning themselves as the holiday solution that promises something for everyone. And the approach seems to be working: 525,000 of the 3.3 million passengers travelling with Carnival Cruise in 2005 were children.

In Quebec, family friendly initiatives have sprung up recently at spas, country inns and business hotels. These include activities aimed directly at children, babysitting services, supervised game areas for both younger children and older children and family suites furnished specifically for the comfort of children and parents.

In conclusion, in the era of Generation X parents, family travel is no longer defined solely by the preferences of children; parents want to have fun too!

Sources:

- “Cruises: All in the Family, Oceans of Fun for Families,” Family Travel Files Ezine [www.thefamilytravelfiles.com], September 2005.
- Désiront, André. “Partir avec les enfants,” La Presse, February 13, 2006.
- “Kids Want Goodies, Teens Want Adventure: Resort, Airlines and Cruises Cater to All Ages,” Calgary Herald, February 25, 2006.
- “Press Release Family Vacation Survey 2005,” Family Travel Files Ezine [www.thefamilytravelfiles.com], June 2005.
- “Shell Hospitality Reports Trends in Holiday and Family Travel,” Travel 2006 [www.travel2006.org], December 9, 2005.
- Vailles, Francis. “Société : Famille X (2),” La Presse, May 8, 2004.

With customer service now the cornerstone of a value-based, rather than cost-based, approach, managers of tourism-based businesses must successfully mobilize their staff to afford visitors a quality experience. Mobilizing staff can also help improve job satisfaction – and satisfied employees offer superior quality service!

Managers wishing to mobilize their employees can choose from various human resource management approaches: staff involvement, participatory management and employee empowerment are some of the most common. The Quebec tourism industry offers the following definitions – and concrete examples – of each approach:

Involvement: Rules, procedures and activities to help employees better understand the organization and its issues so they can support and contribute to the achievement of its goals.

An example of this management approach is the use of staff memos and meetings to communicate the company’s position, performance, challenges, specific objectives and action plans. By increasing employee awareness, management helps employees understand their role or function within the organization; this, in turn, helps create or strengthen their sense of usefulness and belonging.

Participation: Rules, procedures and activities used to offer employees opportunities to influence or take part in organizational decisions – at least those that affect them directly. Typical of this type of approach are staff committees, suggestion boxes, employee surveys, etc.

In Quebec, for example, the Novotel Montréal Centre has made this method part of its recruitment process. Regardless of the position to be filled, three staff levels are involved in hiring interviews:

• the head of the department involved: to verify the candidate’s technical skills
• the hotel manager: to verify the candidate’s attitude
• an employee occupying the same position (to verify the candidate’s attitude and skills)

To be hired, candidates must receive positive evaluations from all three interviewers. The goal is to ensure low staff turnover and it seems to be working: staff turnover at the Novotel Montréal Centre is only 19% compared to Montreal’s hotel industry average of 49%. Furthermore, employees have also developed a strong sense of company pride and allegiance.

Empowerment: Rules, procedures and activities used to give employees greater latitude by granting them discretionary power in their jobs so they can better achieve corporate goals. In terms of customer service, the concept of empowerment is most often employed to help resolve problems experienced by customers.

For example, at Parc Safari in Hemmingford, all employees – regardless of their position in the organization – have the power to offer guests (customers) who are dissatisfied with some aspect of their stay a free pass for a return visit to the park.

At the Hilton Lac-Leamy in Gatineau, the concept of “dream service” allows hotel employees to pamper guests with certain rewards (a free drink, for example) without having to obtain authorization from management. The approach has been so successful, it has been extended to the entire Lac-Leamy complex (hotel, casino, casino theatre and convention centre).

Satisfaction and loyalty

According to a recent study by Maritz Research, and contrary to what some in the hotel industry may believe, the pro-active approach of surpassing customer expectations is more effective at encouraging customer satisfaction and loyalty than the problem-solving approach. In fact, customers who enjoy a problem-free experience that exceeds their expectations are more likely to come back, or refer the company to a friend, than are customers who encounter a problem during their stay, even if the problem is solved more effectively than the customer expects.

Further, professors Anthony J. Zahorak and Roland T. Rust of Vanderbilt University in Nashville recently conducted a study on customer satisfaction showing that 25% to 40% of so-called “satisfied” consumers would still not return to a business where they had enjoyed an experience that was merely satisfactory.

This surprising piece of information illustrates that today’s businesses cannot survive if they simply aim for customer satisfaction. Certain well-informed and experienced market segments are curious and increasingly demanding, which means managers must now identify new ways to surprise and attract customers.

Shep Hyken, a professional speaker and author in the US, has an interesting suggestion for businesses: create “demanding customers.” By setting a high standard of service, a business helps create demanding consumers. If such customers decide to do business with a competitor, they will expect the same service quality they have become accustomed to; the higher the bar, the harder it is for consumers to find another business able to satisfy their needs and the more likely they are to remain loyal!

“It is the service we are NOT OBLIGED to give that people VALUE the most!”

- James C. Penny -

Sources:
- Conseil québécois des ressources humaines en tourisme and Tourisme Montréal. “Recherche et analyse de bonnes pratiques en ressources humaines – Destinations métropolitaines en Amérique du Nord,” April 2005.
- Hyken, Shep.” Building Customer Loyalty,” [www.hyken.com], no date.
- McGunnigle, Peter. ” Resource Guide to Employee Empowerment,” Hospitality, Leisure, Sport and Tourism Network [www.hlst.heacademy.ac.uk], no date.
- Orilio, William. “SERVICE – Boy, do customers know it!” e-hotelier [www.ehotelier.com], December 2, 2004.

Like eco-tourism, learning tourism and the concept of experience, the notion of authenticity is open to many interpretations, depending on whether one is a tourist or a tour operator developing a marketing strategy.

The theory

Authenticity refers to an original experience that is true to reality. Its meaning becomes clearer when one thinks of its opposites: falseness and imitation. In tourism, authenticity refers to:

• Wanting to experience a different way of life
• A manifestation of the identity of a people or a group of people
• Customs and traditions: examples of how a destination differs from one’s own; a window onto its culture, heritage, history and identity
• The opposite of globalization and its resulting standardization: today, beaches, palm trees and hotels look pretty much the same the world over
• The discovery of places in a country that remain untouched by modernism and still maintain traditional methods and ways of life
• Travel with added value and quality of experience

In addition, authenticity quite “naturally” fits with the current trend to sustainable tourism. The search for authenticity reflects the needs of urban tourists from industrial countries; when these people travel, they seek something outside their daily lives, something innovative and different, an escape. They want to experience new things and enjoy the sensation of being where things are real and original. They want to be able to say “I was there.” For example, even though Japanese travellers can easily find clothing in Tokyo made by a top Parisian couturier, buying the same clothing in Paris where the couturier’s shop is located is a completely different experience.

Authenticity can be measured in terms of the tourist’s own values. It occurs when travellers return home feeling they have truly experienced a change in scenery, gained a better understanding of the country visited and its development, or connected in some way with the local population.

The practice

The authentic nature of a destination is a tremendous resource. One does not need the pyramids of Egypt; every community has a unique history and culture. It is simply a matter of highlighting these elements for the benefit of tourists. For example:

• Organized tours that include a visit to a sugar bush or some ice fishing
• A simple forest hike becomes something more when led by a Native guide
• An evening of storytellers recounting local tales and legends
• Economuseums showcasing traditional craft trades and expertise
• Aboriginal tourism with its cultural performances, cuisine and crafts
• Fall colours and fine meals prepared with regional produce and products
• Souvenirs created by local artisans who are available to the public
• Observing snow geese in migration, or whale watching
• Travellers stepping off the beaten path to discover a community festival and mingle with locals

The grey areas

Writing in the magazine Espaces, Viviane Hamon, a consultant and lecturer at the Institut Universitaire Professionnalisé (IUP) Métiers de la montagne in France, gives the example of the lavender harvest in a Provençal village. Although production is mechanized and propane gas has replaced straw during the distilling of the product, the image tourists have is of people in traditional garb cutting lavender with a sickle. Therefore, during the Fête de la lavande (Lavender Festival), locals dress up and take out an antique copper still and carts to sell their products. The authenticity sought by tourists disregards economic activity and even the natural cycle of the seasons; tourists want to see active distilleries in November, when all the real ones have already ceased production. Can we protest such practices and complain of false representation?

A similar question arises when it comes to souvenirs. The fact is, artisans often adapt their wares to suit the preferences of tourists. Is this a normal process or should this be seen as a threat to product authenticity?

The creation of a tourism product that presents an artificial world or reproduces the attractions of other destinations is the opposite of authenticity. Why, then, are Walt Disney World and Las Vegas so popular? Why are certain destinations, like Dubai, becoming so overstated and excessive? These fabricated worlds are examples of another current trend. Who is legitimately entitled to define the authenticity of a product? Tour operators put together travel products according to demand and this strategy simply echoes the advertising messages that meet the expectations of tourists.

During his speech at the first Tourism Summit in 1999 in Chamonix, Étienne Pauchant, at that time a marketing and development manager at IPK International, succinctly summarized the importance of authenticity in sustainable tourism: “Authenticity is synonymous with tourism that is done well.”

Sources:
- Etienne, Pauchant. “La part de l’authenticité dans le tourisme durable,” First Tourism Summit, Chamonix, December 1999.
- Hamon, Viviane. “Authenticité, tourisme durable et marketing,” Espaces 228, July-August 2005, p. 42-56.

Hoping for a magic solution

Most participants who attend conferences, conventions and workshops are hoping to discover the next big trend that will magically solve all their problems. All too often, they are presented with information they already know: growth in short-term trips and nearby destinations, rapid urbanization, extending the tourism season, strong competition among destinations, etc. Is there anything to be learned here?

How about combining trends?

We all know about the rapid growth of urban populations. By 2015, more than half of the world’s population will be city-dwellers; by 2020, close to 90% of Canadians will be living in the country’s 25 greater metropolitan areas.

“Urbanization” means a large number of tired, stressed-out people, many of whom are desperate to escape to the country and enjoy nature. Rapidly increasing urbanization, combined with the growing trend towards short-term stays, could well be the magic solution we have all been hoping to find.

First seduce, then pounce

Rural areas are blessed with a natural resource that can meet the physical and mental needs of city-dwellers year-round. How can these stressed-out individuals resist the invitation to relax, slow down, drink in the fresh air, escape the rat-race, reconnect, enjoy interacting with others, savour a sense of well-being… these all constitute persuasive arguments for companies eager to attract this kind of clientele.

Some Club Med brochures have been designed with this principle in mind. The first two or three pages flaunt the country’s charms and highlight its most seductive aspects. The contact information for the relevant Club Med offices is printed on the final page, to capitalize immediately on the customer’s decision to purchase.

Seductive marketing

Your “seduction campaign” will be even more effective if, in addition to highlighting your region’s assets, you segment the information based on the lifestyles of your prospective clientele. For example, the marketing strategy developed by the CDT (Comité départemental du tourisme or Regional tourism committee) of Orne, France focuses on the “sheer pleasure” of its weekend getaways:

Experience a weekend of Sheer Pleasure in the Orne region of Normandy, France.

• If you love golf or riding, click the Great Outdoors icon
• If you prefer setting your own pace, click the Relaxation icon
• If you’d rather laze in the sun, click the Beach Bum icon
• If you’re the get-back-to-nature type, click the Country Style icon

The Aube region in Champagne, France is marketing itself as “Aube, the place you’ve been longing for”. A number of French tourism organizations have used the slogan “Go ahead; indulge yourself” to emphasize the pleasure factor of their weekend getaways, resorts and other tourism products. And, the phrase “No artificial colours or additives” is the perfect endorsement for a region’s natural charms!

Perhaps reading these examples has inspired you to develop a strategy that relies less on enumerating the various activities on offer, and more on seducing the potential consumer with your region’s unique appeal.

Sources:
- Dany, Carole. “Enjeux et pratiques de désaisonnalisation dans les territoires ruraux,” Agence de communication Cadran Solaire, colloque Imatourisme 2004, Moliets – Landes, France, 5 octobre 2004.
- Laliberté, Michèle. “Boule de cristal, que nous prédis-tu?,” Réseau de veille en tourisme, 31 mai 2004.

Why make things simple when you can make them complicated?  Such a rhetorical question summarizes the obfuscation created by tourism authorities, intergovernmental organizations, travel companies and trade associations in their discombobulated initiatives to classify hotels. Many European countries categorize hotels using a system of one to five stars. However, that’s just the beginning.  The French government awards a maximum of four stars but has an alternative category called “four-star luxe” and another, termed “HT”. In Dubai, a major destination for European vacationers, there is a seven-star hotel. Spanish lodging establishments are graded using a star scale with additional qualifiers such as “R”, “H” and “Hs”. A modest Madrid hostel, for example, could have a rating of “** R Hs”. European hotel classification is a jumbled litter of incomprehensible stars, diamonds, letters and numbers.

While hospitality industry has long resisted Brussels’ initiatives to harmonize hotel categorization in the name of consumer protection, national tourism authorities are also losing the battle to standardize hotel ratings. Devolution and decentralization have resulted in classification standards becoming increasingly diverse rather than more uniform. In Spain, each of the seventeen regional authorities has its own approach to grading lodging facilities.  Italy has an obligatory five-level scheme administered by the Ministry of Tourism but permits local authorities to add supplementary requirements.  The four regions of the United Kingdom – England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland – each maintain their own classification criteria.  In a seamless Europe where holidaymakers can travel from Finland to Portugal without ever stopping at a border and use a single currency along the way, the lack of coherence in hotel classification is an embarrassment to the tourism industry. 

Faced with resistance and a lack of governmental coordination, the World Tourism Organization and International Hotel & Restaurant Association have abandoned efforts to standardize hotel classification.  Where governments and official organizations have failed, the private sector is filling the void.  When Europeans speak of “Relais & Chateaux”, they are not necessarily referring to the limited number of member hotels that belong to the marketing network.  The name has become a generic adjective to describe any lodging establishment with personalized service, luxurious appointments and extraordinary cuisine. Just as the Mobil and AAA guides have become the preeminent hotel rating authorities in North America, Michelin is considered the bible for travelers in France and throughout much of Europe. If national tourism authorities and intergovernmental organizations are unable to forge a consensus on hotel classification, they should step aside and let the private sector do it.
 
 

Leaving the Beaten Path Behind

Discover the “Paris des Parisiens” and the soul of its neighbourhoods, immerse yourself in the city’s history and culture, eat traditional dishes with a family, take a guided tour led by residents of the area, visit local hangouts, join in a community event, stay with local people, and so on. What better way to accommodate visitors looking for this kind of interaction?

Beyond the scope of organized tours and classic itineraries, an alternative range of travel options is springing up to cater to small groups and independent travellers seeking uncommon experiences and contact with the locals. Not missing a beat, Paris has incorporated these alternative services into its tourism diversification strategy.

Neighbourhood Pride

Services such as Meet the Danes, Like-a-Local, Global Greeters, Fédération Stattreisen and Belleville insolite are cropping up all over the place. Their role is to connect travellers with local residents who act as tour guides. The formula varies; some services are free and some charge a fee, some operate with the help of volunteers and some offer a more personalized service. For instance, Meet the Danes gives tourists the opportunity to share a traditional meal with a Danish family in a friendly and welcoming setting. The organization finds host families of similar age and interests.

Meals, lodging and outings are all part of the unique experience offered by Like-a-Local, an organization which operates in The Netherlands, Belgium, Portugal, Spain and Sweden. Be it shopping in Stockholm, discovering the old and new faces of Lisbon, checking out the nightlife in Oporto, sampling “pinchos & tapas” in Madrid or staying on a houseboat in Amsterdam, there’s something to appeal to every traveller.

Under the banner of Global Greeters, services in Toronto, Fairbanks (Alaska), Melbourne and Adelaide (Australia), Buenos Aires (Argentina), New York, Houston, and Chicago make a visit to their city memorable with a free tour-guide service staffed by volunteers. Speaking different languages, and of all ages and backgrounds, they proudly show off their city while providing visitors with a wealth of “insider” information.

In Germany, the organization Fédération Stattreisen (loosely meaning “travelling differently”) adheres to the practices of sustainable development and low-impact tourism, and standards are very strict. Comprising 19 associations in 23 German cities as well as Brussels and Bern, their tours focus on exploring a city and its neighbourhoods while avoiding the usual tourist traps. They combine encounters with local residents with an in-depth look at the city’s history, politics and people. Quirky or little-known aspects of the destination are also covered.

In Paris, Belleville insolite is doing some groundbreaking work in the art of community-supported tourism with an approach that differs radically from the traditional tour blueprint. Young guides, mostly students on the verge of entering the professional world, take visitors to see the attractions of this vibrant and cosmopolitan Paris neighbourhood. Several other initiatives have also been developed, including some that target new residents, seniors and the unemployed.

Trading Places

Along with saving the traveller money, home-exchange is another way of fulfilling a visitor’s desire for authenticity. Living in a house in a foreign country, buying from local merchants, adapting to the local rhythm of life, meeting local residents and seeking neighbourly advice are all experiences the make tourists feel they are soaking up the local culture.

The Internet has given the home-exchange phenomenon a real boost. The HomeLink International website has 13,500 members in 69 countries, while HomeExchange.com boasts 9,000 members in 85 countries.

Going Local

Introducing visitors to the local culture begins with a chocolate from the local confectionary placed on a guest’s pillow, with furnishings that reflect the national culture, with a B&B operator who invites the visitors to join the family for dinner, with a party that gets the visitor up and dancing, with a tour of undiscovered areas, with a car rally that involves tourists discovering new places, with shopping locally and chatting to residents…

In essence, local community participation enhances a visitor’s experience while reducing the stresses high-volume tourism can cause.

Sources:
- Gaboury, Louise. “Des résidants font découvrir leur ville aux touristes,” La Presse, April 8, 2006.
- Holm, Olaf. “De Paris à Berlin, de Bruxelles à New York – Visiter autrement les villes du monde,” Cahier Espace. No. 78, July 2003, p. 134-143.
- Springwise. “Cultural Exchange for a Day.” Springwise Newsletter, May 2, 2006.
On the Web:
www.meetthedanes.dk
www.like-a-local.com
www.adelaidegreeters.asn.au
www.homelink.org
www.homeexchange.com
www.trocmaison.com
www.echangedemaison.com