Touristology’s mantra: Specialized, International AND Groups!

Last time I gave a seminar for entrepreneurs willing to open tourism companies (basically, hotels and restaurants), I repeated my two favorite mantra-words to be successful as a Touristologist:

1) Specialized: You already know my bias for specialization, don’t you?

2) International: To me, it is hard to understand how it is possible that young people that grow up in a flat world still believe in local tourism as the most important one. “Jordi, what if I have enough customers with local tourism?” Proudly they claim “What if you DON’T” Touristologistly, I reply!  If the world is not your office, if you are unable to go to any place in the world detect segments and motivate them to go any place in the world, if you believe that getting the trust of the tourists and manage all things important to them before, during and after a trip is not your calling… then, you are not a Touristologist.

Luckily, for the future of our beloved sector (and for my mental health!!!) these kinds of arguments are less and less normal… Almost everybody agrees that international tourism is the way to go. So, I have my Touristologists internationally oriented AND with a clear vision that they must combine generic with specialized tourism (Do I have to mention, AGAIN, that it is better to begin with specialized?)

OK! The big ideas are unleashed! Let’s talk details (The devil is in the details. Remember?).

Wait a moment, Jordi! -I clearly heard a voice from my guts claiming to be Touristology’s voice - Have you already explain to your Touristologists the importance of GROUPS? No? You’d better do it!

“GROUPS” is another word carved into my mind. There is nothing wrong with individual tourism BUT, If you want to run a profitable business… it will be easier, powerful, endurable… if we work with groups!

I like the way that this idea is represented in this video from tripku a new start-up in our field:

Ready for another example? What about some Women Traveling Together.

Of course, you always can rely on the “classics”. Do you remember Hotels with Me that we talked about here? “For the first time, groups can collaboratively choose a hotel without having to sit in front of the same computer together”, they proudly claim!

Or Literary traveler cited here.

Managing groups gives you more bargaining power, economies of scale, more leadership and control over you chain of value… so, what are you waiting for?

Do you want to become a Touristologist? Meditate, see yourself becoming a Touristologist, act, think and feel as a Touristologist… And don’t forget the mantra-words… Specialized…. International….Groups!!!!!

Psssst … and chain of value working as a single organization? Shut up, Touristology’s voice! They already know that!