Dec 10, 2013

What’s up? Not so much, really!

The other day I was talking with one of my favorite Touristologists. We were talking about mobile ecosystem and how it can change our beloved sector.
She/He explained to me the wonderful features that whatsapp provides.
You have to subscribe to the service, then you can create a group (or others add you to one group) and you have free and collaborative instant communications. You can use this in a Hotel to improve the communication between employees and customers, in a trip organized for a travel agency… the opportunities are endless…Groups is one of our mantra words, remember?
It seems a good idea to me - I reply - But far away from the Cambrian explosion that, I’m sure, new technologies, new typologies of tourism and Touristology (I mean YOU, Touristologists!!!)  will bring!
And when will this Cambrian revolution be, Jordi?
I reply what I always said… when this mobile app allows that departments inside an enterprise and enterprises inside a chain of value can work as a single organization. We can review the attempt of WorldMate to do so, here! Otherwise, whatsapp is just the mobile version of a chat. Good to know, good to use BUT, definitely, not a re-evolution!
I love to talk with different generations of Touristologists. I love to see how they are so different from other generations but, at the end of the day, so similar!
To explain what pinterest is to my young Touristologists I have to say… It is like instagram. When I have to explain instagram to the-forever-young-at-heart Touristologists I have to say that it’s like pinterest!
What puzzles me is that they (both) believe that the good think is the one they are doing. The capacity to add layers of abstraction over practical things in order to get a theory is something, though fundamental, is hard to achieve.
We have to work in this Touristologist. We are the best minds working in the best sector ever. We have to see all the possibilities, create our own framework and apply it, to each situation, in a customized way. This is what Touristology is all about!!!
By the way…. at the end of our meeting the Touristologist asked me
- Do you use whatsapp Jordi?
- No, I don’t!
- How on earth is it possible that you claim to be an expert in Touristology and Web-enginnering?!?!?
- How is it possible that you claim to be a digital native? Digital natives are the ones that use AND create the tools !!!!!
So, become a real digital native, understand and know ALL the tools (not just the ones from your generation), learn to use them in order to coordinate departments and chain of value members, then create your own framework…
Then enjoy the view from Touristology’s knowledge mountain. There is always a better view from the top!!!

Dec 5, 2013

Simulating the flight of a bird the Touristologist’s way



The other day, I tweeted about Gamification and tourism. 


As you know, I strongly believe that Gamification is strongly related to Servuction ( Isn’t it, at the end of the day, Servuction a play for a special audience called the customers, as the creator of the word Servuction claims?).
The day after my tweet, an ad about a master dealing with Gamification appears in my account. Coincidence? Of course not! I follow the link and I discovered two things:
1) Twitter can be effective as a promotion tool for tourism enterprises!
2) What is now called Gamification it was called Simulation 17 years ago!
I strongly believe that life is better represented as a circle than as a line. What was Yield Management, is now Revenue Management, what it was Intelligent Systems is now big data or machine learning what was a multiplatform website (usually with XML +XSLT) is now RWD (Responsive Web Design) … Sometimes the update is worthy, sometimes it is better to stick with the old version but, in any case, it’s a must to have a holistic vision in order to have your own!
In 1996 I completed a specialization in teaching methodology. At that time, I studied what was the flavor of the month: Case Method, Team Projects and Simulation. I enjoyed this course and, as usual, I enjoy more when I put these theoretical ideas into practice with my Touristologists!
You have to remember that one of the main reasons I become a teacher is because I love to learn and then share this knowledge. If then my Touristologists earn a living using this new new thing I’m the happiest man on earth!
Ok! Let’s focus now on Twitter as a promotion tool for tourism destinations and enterprises. Shall We? I have to admit that the first time I used twitter this thought pass through my mind “This is nonsense. Just a distraction that I have to avoid in order to accomplish my goals!” So, I forget about twitter, then one day I returned and discover that a lot of bloggers, magazines, newsletters, enterprises…, which I was following through other mediums, publish first and in advance in twitter. I also realize that they reply (usually very fast) to questions make for normal people.
So, nowadays I check Twitter out every single day…And I think is worthy to consider as a medium of promotion for Tourism enterprises and destinations, Touristologists!
How does its ads systems works? Good question! Let’s provide a quick summary. Then, if you are a Touristologist, you will use Galileo’s Methodology “He was often willing to change his views in accordance with observation” and maybe you wish to share, here in OUR blog, what you are learned, with your fellow Touristologists!!!!
Is Twitter ad campaign not yet available in your country, Touristologists? Don’t worry! Soon it will be, and you will be ready! Always ahead, remember?
In a nutshell…
Click the twitter’s gear :



and select Twitter ad campaign
And follow these easy steps:
1) Choose what you want to promote:
1-1)You can promote your tweets. You have to choose which one you want to promote: The one making a special offer? The one introducing your new mobile app?...
1-2) You can promote your account.
1-3) You can promote a trending topic.
In all the cases they will label it as “Promoted”
More information here
2) Target your audience: You can use as a criteria, A) Who are they following and B) Which are its interests. In both cases, you can also use geographical location, electronic device (mobile, laptop…), gender… more information here
3) Choose the limit to the amount of money you are willing to spend. You can limit the cost of getting a new follower or any engagement activity (retweet, reply, favorite or click on your Promoted Tweets). You also can limit how much to spend in a single day.
More information here
4) Then you easily can track the results of the campaign: Here more information
You can learn more here
Simulating the flight of a bird is easy, as it is easy to start a campaign in Twitter but if you really want to fly…you’d better ask to anyone of my fellow Touristologists, they not only provide the best advice related to the new Social networking Site, micro blogging activity, the-new-new-thing… but also what is the best way to integrate them, and their actions, inside your chain of value in order to get the trust and add value to your tourists!!!!