Oct 20, 2015

Opportunities in The Sharing Economy? Can you give an example?

As you know, I love to talk about Touristology and any potential disruptor of our beloved sector. Nowadays, the flavor of the month is ….The sharing economy. You can read my previous posts OR to watch this documentary about this topic...
Shhh! don’t tell anyone but I appear at minute 6:36 
In this post, I was (again!) arguing for keeping control of the chain of value, both from the point of view of the home owners “Doesn’t it make more sense to create a cooperative? We are talking about sharing economy, right? Let’s use the right sort of enterprise! ” and from the point of view of the tourist destination “Help this cooperative to create communicate and commercialize their products. Help them to make partnerships with your tourism enterprises (hotels, incoming travel agencies…) begin to think about how YOU can bring tourists here! We are leaders in Tourism… Time to prove it!!!” 
Later on, I wrote another post. This time focused on introducing Revenue Management to compete in the sharing economy. I made this recommendation “You have to discover new segments, even create new ones conveying to people the necessities that they have and that thanks to Tourism will be fulfilled. Then customize and aggregate a supply. Then build a chain of value…. This is a holistic/complete solution!!!”. I ended this post with the following sentence… “I repeat… Do you want to be and remain competitive? Follow the complete/holistic approach! Enjoy the benefits that modern Revenue Management can bring you…Become a Touristologists!!!”
Let’s see if now we can find some interesting segments to create communicate and commercialize successful tourism products!
In the title of this post I write down the usual question that sooner or later appear in my classes, seminars, in-company training or start-up meetings in order to define (or redefine!) their (OUR???) business model: Opportunities in The Sharing Economy? Can you give an example? This is always my answer.. Just one, Touristologists? I can give thousands! But the real questions are…
1) Are you able to understand them?
2) Do you have what it takes in order to develop them? 
3) Wouldn’t you be a copyologists, dreaming about an easy grade without proficiency in languages OR full understanding of technological schemes and internet oriented business models?
First example, imagine a couple dreaming about having kids. Do you think that going on a holyday and expending some time with a real family can help them to assess this decision. To be more prepared for this fundamental shift in their lives? Do you think that the cooperative of home owners with the help of travel agencies and the public sector can create, communicate and commercialize this kind of product? Do you think that is possible to create our own global social networking site (a kind of grandparents.com BUT focus on we-want-to-become-parents). Do you think that we can create a global specialized on-line travel agency? Do you think that we can aggregate and customize different suppliers (Psychologists, Universities courses, Dentist, Languages…) for this segment?
Can a single-parent or a couple of gays or lesbians become another segment?
What about a self-employed person willing to get international contacts? 
What about people wanting to improve their language or culinary skills?
Do you want to know the best example? For me, the most motivating one? What about my Touristologists going to a Tourism Destination, change/improve their tourism model and then professionals and students from around the world go there to see and learn…
I repeat, one example? Touristology can provide thousands! Do you have what it takes in order to develop them?

Oct 7, 2015

Leaders in Tourism?

Are we Tourism leaders because we get more tourists than anyone? What kind of crazy, boring, not sustainable, not as profitable as-it-can-be business are we playing at!?!??! 
Not sustainable? Number of tourists is increasing every year, right? Carrying capacity is the same, right?
Boring? Sure, If we are only able to mark down the price and copy what others are doing!
Crazy? Not as profitable as it can be? When we talk about minerals, species, commodities… who get most of the profit? The owners of the raw material OR the extractors, which transform the raw material and then communicate and commercialize it? Why do you think is different in Tourism?
In tourism the raw material are the tourism resources. The ones who transform them into tourism products, and then communicate and commercialize them are the winners.
The only difference in Tourism is that we don’t send the products abroad, we seduce tourists to come here!
I could go on for a month but I think I have made my point! 
but... what about if...?
We are Tourisms leaders because we have the best Touristologists, the best companies, the best startups dealing with Tourism…This is the name of the game!
We are Tourisms leaders because we always play at an international level… the world is definitely our office. This is the name of the game!
We are Tourism leaders because we are changing the way the world enjoys, manages and defines Tourism… This is the name of the game!
I LOVE TOURISTOLOGY'S GAMES!!!