Nostalgia has more than one meaning

While nostalgia can refer to the sadness or melancholy experienced when far from home, the definition used for this article refers to the emotions felt about one’s sometimes romanticized childhood memories. Authors Rutherford and Shaw have studied the effect of this type of nostalgia on consumer behaviour. Their research shows that in times of uncertainty, people have a tendency to find refuge in the past. These researchers distinguish two types of nostalgia: interpersonal nostalgia and virtual nostalgia. The former involves the individual’s memories, while the latter refers to positive emotions evoked by an era, often idealized, that sometimes even predates one’s birth.

A study by YPartnership shows that vacation memories occupy an important position in our minds: 72% of adult Americans and 70% of adult Canadians surveyed think about them “often” or “very often.” To replicate their childhood holidays, parents will opt for tourist destinations that they visited when they were young or select part of their vacation, like the type of hotel or attraction, because it reminds them of their childhood. Fascinated by a particular era or simply attracted by a vintage-inspired theme, other travellers will seek out tourism products with a retro feel. Here are a few examples.

Retro camping

Located in the foothills of the French Pyrenees, Bel Repayre Airstream & Retro Trailer Park rents out 10 authentic Airstream trailers, a symbol of an era, dating from the 1940s to the 1970s. Each renovated trailer is unique and has been decorated and furnished in a particular period style. For example, the Blue Moon 1973 is dedicated to the 1960s, while the Silver Streak is a throwback to the 1950s. The park also offers campsites for travellers with their own equipment. Other than campers with tents, only owners of vintage RVs (older than 30 years) are allowed to camp. There is also a general store, a lounge where one can have a drink and listen to old vinyl records, and a diner-style restaurant.

Source: Bel Repayre Airstream & Retro Trailer Park

Retro and hip

Hotels are adopting a retro style to create hip places to be. That’s the case of Hollywood’s Vibe Hotel, a motel aimed at a young clientele. The decor uses bright colours to evoke the 1970s and the common areas are designed to encourage interaction by hosting numerous activities like poker night, BBQs and karaoke. Built in 1952, the hotel originally called the “Movie Town Hotel” has been a trendy spot since its opening, consistently maintaining its cachet over the decades and right up to the present day.

Source : Vibe Hotel

Aimed at the gay market, the Lord South Beach Hotel is one of Miami’s hottest hotels with interiors that feature the shapes and shades of the 1970s. Bright colours, bold design, and furniture and accessories inspired by this era make it fun and exciting. A bohemian vibe infuses the rooms and the lobby, which are decorated with Pop Art posters and unusual decorative items.

Source: Trend Hunter

Retro tours

Visit New Hampshire has created a retro scenic drive inspired by the 1950s and 1960s. New Hampshire’s Route 3 Retro Tour  is a 215-kilometre route along a secondary state highway that features attractions and motels typical of the era. Along the way, you can have a meal in a diner, visit one of the region’s traditional family theme parks with a Ferris wheel and haunted house, go to a drive-in, cross a covered bridge and go bowling with the family. The brochure includes a timeline of the era, highlighting some major (and minor) historical events.

 Source: New Hampshire’s Route 3 Retro Tour

Even technology is adopting a vintage look! The Instagram iPhone application , which gives photos a retro look, was named iTune’s “iPhone App of the Year” in 2011.

Source: iTunes

Reviving a brand

According to the DDB marketing agency, a successful retro brand revival must respect four key criteria:

• allow a new clientele to rediscover the product, not just those who are nostalgic for it
• project timeless consumer values, like authenticity and simplicity
• stay true, but contemporize; in other words, update the product to today’s standards
• build a community of fans using social media, which can help rally advocates and spread their interest in the brand

For more details on these measures of success, please see “Everything Old Is New Again”.

Finally, according to a Florida marketing and public relations firm specialized in luxury travel, while nostalgia marketing may have been a trend in 2011, it is likely to endure as long as the effects of the recession persist. Furthermore, public interest in transitional periods like the 1960s and 1970s is not likely to wane any time soon. Quebec’s history is full of symbols from these defining eras, so it only makes sense to take inspiration from these examples and take full advantage of this resource.

Sources:

- Davies, Amy and Gareth Beavis. “Instagram tops iTune’s Best of the Year Chart”, December 9, 2011.

- DDB. “Everything Old Is New Again – Staging Successful Retro Revivals” , The Yellow Papers Series, July 2009.

- New Hampshire Department of Resources and Economic Development, Division of Travel and Tourism Development. “New Hampshire’s Route 3 Retro Tour”, May 2011.

- Pijak, Jana. “Rocking Retro Resorts”, Trendhunter.com, November 3, 2011.

- Rutherford, Jana and Eric H. Shaw. “What Was Old Is New Again: The History of Nostalgia as a Buying Motive in Consumption Behavior”, CHARM 2011 Proceedings, May 2011.

- Savino, Charlotte. “America’s Best Retro Escapes”, Travel + Leisure, April 2009.

- Schwartzberg, Neala. “Why we vacation: It’s the memories says new survey”, examiner.com, September 23, 2010.

Websites:

- BelRepayre Airstream & Retro Trailer Park

- Instagram

- Lord South Beach Hotel

- Vibe Hotel

This trend is closely associated with another, dubbed “Work hard, play hard.” In fact, Benchmark notes that a bigger slice of meeting and convention budgets is being allocated to leisure and team building events. Though companies are still demanding more from their employees, they are also recognizing the need to balance this with fun activities like a round of golf, a spa visit, or even a cooking class. Microsoft, Westin, KLM, eBay and many other corporations are sending their employees to the kitchen.

A simple recipe for cooperation

Team building sessions can take a variety of forms, but they are often associated with physical activities, sometimes extreme in nature, that are not necessarily suitable for all employees. Golf, rafting, treasure hunts and role-playing are just some of the ways in which employees can accomplish something together outside the workplace. Unlike golf, which is appeals primarily to golfers, and rafting, which is too extreme for some people, cooking lessons are a simple, relatively inexpensive and highly accessible way to get people together. Furthermore, culinary activities focus more on cooperation than other, more competitive, activities do.

Delicious benefits

Like any organization, a cooking class follows a system: to succeed, participants must set deadlines, use limited resources, make decisions and cooperate. In the kitchen, individuals assigned different roles are put into groups to create a product, in this case, a meal. Participants share responsibilities and learn to appreciate the individual skills of each team member as they work towards a common goal: grilled lamb, sautéed mushrooms or a rich chocolate sauce!

Events can be customized to meet the goals and budget of each specific group. Another very popular option is to have the experience include an opportunity to work with a renowned chef.

Cooking is an enjoyable activity that everyone is capable of doing. In fact, one’s prowess in the kitchen is in no way related to one’s tasks in the workplace; roles are sometimes reversed, stereotypes fall by the wayside and a new group dynamic can emerge. Since the kitchen is a familiar environment and food is a universal language, people who cook together can become closer in a way that endures beyond the team building exercise itself.

The secret to success: Planning and consistency

• To be successful, a team building activity begins long before the session itself, which must be well planned. Ideally, a team of employees should be formed to organize the event.
• For maximum effect, the activity should be consistent with the company’s overall organization. In other words, its corporate culture, values and internal practices should underscore the team concept on an ongoing basis.
• Participation will be greater if the team building activity is organized around a business goal that all employees can contribute to.
• To take full advantage of the potential of team building, organizers must set real work goals, determine how the learning will be integrated into the workplace and decide what type of follow-up will be done, all before the activity even takes place. Doing so will lead to better planning.

A poorly planned team building activity can lead to negative consequences. This can happen if the event does not complement the company’s usual work environment. For example, if the company normally rewards individual efforts, an activity to build team spirit will likely have no impact and even strike employees as a waste of time. Similarly, if an event lacks follow-up or is not related to concrete, consistent actions in the workplace, it could well damage employee confidence, motivation and productivity.

Some examples

• CEO Chef is first and foremost a team building company. Following a short introduction and some safety tips, participants form teams and name a leader. Then the workshop leader presents the “culinary challenge.” Teams must prepare the food according to the instructions (which are often far from complete). The goal is team work, creativity and trusting others. After the cooking, the workshop leader leads a discussion about the lessons learned. CEO Chef comes to the convention or meeting site and brings all the equipment needed for the team building activity.
• Along the same lines, Recipe for Success has a very diverse menu: sushi, chili, chocolate, ice cream, and even ice sculptures! Other outfits are Hands on Gourmet and Parties that Cook.

Source: Hands On Gourmet

• Other companies like Gourmet Retreats in California and Tall Order in Vancouver specialize in a variety of culinary experiences, with team building being just one of their activities.
• The Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas is currently building an enormous kitchen that will be used exclusively for classes and demonstrations as well as team building activities.
• The Institut du tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec (ITHQ) and the Académies Culinaire de Québec and de Montréal offer cooking classes to private groups and open their facilities to companies who wish to hold team building events.
• The Québec Resorts and Country Inns network offers culinary team building as one of the indoor activities available at its establishments.
• Montreal outfit La Cuisine de Lili Margot is a place where guests help make their own meal with the help of a chef. It is also available for team building activities.

Source: Tall Order

Take the plunge!

With its positive outcomes, accessibility and user-friendliness, culinary team building seems to be making a name for itself. Participants gain a better understanding of their team’s strengths and challenges, as well as insight into how to manage its dynamic. And, of course, the highlight is the delicious group meal that follows.

The phenomenon has even reached Quebec. However, while there are some exciting initiatives, it is not clear that the supply is ready to meet the demand of meeting and convention organizers. There is definitely room for an organization to develop such activities for conventioneers and business travellers in Quebec. Of course, though hotel owners cannot simply become group leaders of team building activities overnight, they can certainly open the doors of their kitchens and develop such events in partnership with specialized companies, organizational psychologists or other professionals.

Perhaps the idea should simmer for a while…

Sources:
- Healthfield, Susan M., “Keys to Team Building Success,” About.com: Human Resources.
- HotelOnline. “Benchmark Hospitality’s Top Meeting Trends for 2007,” March 6, 2007.
- Vallerand, Nathalie. “Drôle de team building!” Affaires Plus, December 2007.

Websites:
- www.recipeforsuccess.com
- www.handsongourmet.com
- www.partiesthatcook.com
- www.tallorder.ca/retreat-programs
- www.desmondgv.com/conference/team_cook
- www.academieculinaire.com
- www.reunionschampetres.com
- www.lilimargot.com

A desire for nature and a simpler time

According to French sociologist Jean-Didier Urbain, the desire for nature is one of the primary “needs” generated by city life; the yearning for a natural environment is a reaction to an everyday life of streets and pavement. Furthermore, this phenomenon is likely to increase: it is estimated that by the year 2015, over half the world’s population will be living in cities, especially in the West. For tourism professionals, this nascent trend offers incredible potential.

For his part, sociologist Michel Maffesoli highlights the emergence of a “post-modern paradox”: the prevailing search for luxury, combined with a desire to return to the past. In other words, a desire to get back to the basics. Therefore, those who develop products cleverly combining luxury and nature seem destined for success.

Nature tourism

Defined by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) as a “form of tourism in which the main motivation of the tourist is the observation and appreciation of nature”, nature tourism responds to the desire for nature by organizing access to exceptional natural environments. To complete the nature tourism experience, the tourism industry has had to develop accommodation solutions that provide a level of comfort to meet customer needs without “de-naturing” the natural environment of the host location. The creation of ecolodges is part of this trend.

Luxury meets nature

Having picked up on this trend – and not wanting to miss out on this market segment – the luxury hotel trade has drawn its inspiration from the tent, a type of lodging traditionally associated with the great outdoors. To attract urban travellers, luxury establishments are designing innovative accommodations that recreate the spirit of adventure so often associated with camping.

First Four Seasons camping site

To help travellers slake their thirst for direct contact with nature, the latest resort from the prestigious Four Seasons hotel chain offers 15 tent accommodations in the Golden Triangle of Northern Thailand. Each spacious tent features a unique décor, zippered doors and windows, a large bed, recycled teak floor, oversized copper bathtub, outdoor shower, high-speed internet access, a safe, and more. A “first” for the hotel group, this pilot project will be used as a benchmark for developing new camps in the future.

Interest on every continent

In 2005, the luxury Resort at Paws Up in Montana added “Tent City” to its product line, offering the American plan (all meals) for US$595 per night. Each tent includes a comfortable bed (fine linen and feather duvet) and artwork on the walls, while the nearby spa provides outdoor massages on the banks of the Blackfoot River, with essential oils from the surrounding region. The concept has been so successful that 6 tents and a new spa will be added in 2006.

In Australia, the Voyages Hotels and Resorts group, which manages 23 luxury resorts, opened Longitude 131°, a 5-star wilderness camp, on July 1, 2004. Located in the heart of a national park, this site -affiliated with the Small Luxury Hotels of the

World group, offers 15 elegant tents mounted on pilings, equipped with air conditioning and satellite television.

Not surprisingly, similar camps can also be found in Dubai (where the Al Maha Desert Resort is located in a 225 square km desert wildlife preserve) and in the Tunisian Sahara, a national park in Namibia as well as some natural sites in Bolivia.

The myth of the adventurer

Amused by the behaviour of city-dwellers wanting to re-experience the past while incorporating the comforts of the city, Jean-Didier Urbain notes that large tourism-based businesses are justified in using the terms “camp” and “camping”, because they are referring to the consumer fantasy of being an adventurer. That being said, hoteliers nonetheless seem to have successfully created a promising new market niche by cleverly combining the desire for nature with a taste for luxury.

Sources:
- Hamam, Nadia. “Palais de toile sous les étoiles,” Madame Figaro [www.madamefigaro.fr], February 14, 2006.
- Maffesoli, Michel. ?Un désir de retour à l’archaïque,? Madame Figaro [www.madamefigaro.fr], February 14, 2006.

Dream big but think small

When you’re playing with the big boys, creating a niche is the best way to eliminate direct competition. At a time when clients are demanding increasingly personalized services, the niche meets a previously overlooked or neglected consumer need, such as focusing on the specific requirements of a certain group.

Rather than focusing on price, the best strategy for small and medium-sized businesses that want to develop a market niche is to narrow their business focus, since niche customers prefer to deal with companies that have specialized expertise.

Listen for the sound of opportunity knocking

Niche ideas are not shouted from the rooftops. To find them, you need to know how to listen to people, understand their problems, pick up on casual remarks and analyze lifestyles.

After a staff member overheard a group of expectant mothers nostalgically recalling their vacations, Woodside Hotels and Resorts (that operates 5 luxury California hotels) developed the “babymoon.” This product is aimed at couples who want a trip or weekend away to help them relax and reconnect before baby arrives. Socio-demographic data prove the relevance of this new niche: couples are waiting longer before starting a family and, because they usually have two incomes, are fairly prosperous and used to spending money on themselves.

Leave your competition in the dust

Simply put, the way to stand out in a highly competitive market is to develop a different approach. To do so, you need to venture off the beaten track and explore new horizons. Here are some strategies to help you carve out a niche for yourself:

• Create a specialized product within an existing product market;
• Adapt your product to target another market segment (expectant mothers, for example);
• Discover a promising product and invest in it;
• Examine what works in other businesses or industries and see if you can adapt those strategies to your product;
• Add elements the competition doesn’t have, or create new combinations of elements that either improve your product or produce a new one;
• Find ways to personalize your product;
• Look for an area in which you can beat out the competition: safety, speed, quality, ease, convenience, (opening hours), etc.

Venture off the beaten track

Striking out on your own can mean improving the product or service itself, the way it is distributed, managed or advertised, and so on. Here’s what some enterprising travel industry players are doing:

• After analyzing consumer behaviour and changes in luxury travel, some tour operators have come up with stylish, unique concepts: 4-wheel-drive your way through Chile with breakfast in front of a geyser, travel through India like a Maharaja, stay in a beach bungalow on stilts and stroll among the seabirds, have a bottle of champagne delivered to your home when you reserve and a fresh bouquet of flowers awaiting your return.
• Other operators are exploring more unusual leisure activities: driving around a track at the wheel of a Formula 1 racing car, taking part in a modeling shoot or riding in a hot air balloon. The French company MagicDay packages its products as original gift ideas.
• When tourism authorities at Fairbanks, Alaska decided to capitalize on the Northern Lights, they negotiated with the Japanese government to attract Japan Airlines flights to the city’s airport.
• Disney Theme Parks have always revolved around storytelling, with employees as the actors, visitors the audience and the park as the stage. Artistic directors and stage managers work out the overall theme and individual roles.
• In an attempt to revive tradition, the historic city of Kyoto, Japan is providing free access to public transit and museums to anyone wearing traditional Japanese dress. Foreign tourists are invited to learn how to put on a kimono.
• The slow travel movement, an offshoot of the slow food movement, is based on the idea that tourists can discover a region and its customs at their own pace by renting an apartment or villa.

So, why not try something a little offbeat? After all, remember all the things people find they can do with duct tape!

Sources:
- AFP. “Métro et musées de Kyoto gratuits pour les porteurs de kimono,” 8 mars 2005.
- CCT. “Le tourisme auroral a le vent dans les voiles,”mars 2005.
- Chanial, Jean-Pierre. “Tour-opérateurs de charme”, Le Figaro, 8 décembre 2004.
- Fralic, Shelley. “Babymoons: the final fling,” National Post, 31 juillet 2004.
- Hanzal, Al. “Niche Your Way to Profits,” [www.ecomhelp.com].
- Primm, Roy. “How To Create A Niche – And Grow Rich!,” [www.ecomhelp.com].
- Primm, Roy. “The 14 Commandments Of Creating A ‘Wealth Pulling’ Niche!,” [www.ecomhelp.com].