Is Tourism OUR oil?

The other day, I was learning about Nigeria one of the most powerful countries in Africa. Nowadays they try to create start-ups based on new technologies, they try to educate its population in coding skills… Perfect! 

  

I also learned that they had oil… BUT the enterprises which extract, refine and distribute it are big corporations. So, they have the oil (and all the possible side effects: Pollution, etc) and others get the profit. Well, except for a few local people that allow this and they are also very rich! 

BUT… Jordi it is not this blog about Touristology? 

Calm down, Touristologists! I am the king of metaphors, remember?  For some countries, Tourism is OUR oil! We have to decide if we want to play Nigerian model OR to play the game as other countries (You-know-the-ones) which extract, refine and distribute their own oil! If you manage your Tourism resources, if you select your own segments, if you create tourism packages to satisfy their necessities that will be better satisfied during a trip, if you communicate and commercialize these packages… then you will have YOUR own Tourists. To them you can propose international routes, to them you can sell other Tourism destinations!!! 

Then, we would be a Tourism destination leader!!! 

On the other hand, if you don’t that… the big share of the profits will be for other enterprises which will get the trust and will manage THEIR Tourists… AND local population will get the bad side of the coin…. Carrying capacity!!! Gentrification...! 

Of course, few local people also will get profit and maybe for this reason they don’t see the necessity to propose a stimulating alternative for everybody OR maybe it is because a lack of Touristology’s vision! 

Do you want to play Tourism? Play it in the right way… Touristology’s way! Create, communicate and commercialize your own packages. You will get less side effects, more profits, higher salaries and happier citizens. 

I love Touristology’s games!!!