Listening to the news, reading articles, talking with … in the last years something appears over and over. It seems the “Zeitgeist” of our time!
Plenty of people talking about Tourism without neither the knowledge nor real management experience in our beloved sector. Doing criticism to Tourism. Talking about new definitions of Tourism just to show their lack of knowledge of it. Presenting problems without proposing a solution. Talking about the necessity to choose between Tourism and other sectors, showing their lack of vision of Tourism as a great generator of powerful synergies with other sectors (culture, commerce, any industry with desire to export…). For that reason, we need Touristology and Touristologists!!!
Touristology is the science that study and provide a framework aimed to show how to travel can improve /transform the professional and personal life of Tourists, while take care of culture and create richness and employment for Tourists Destinations.
Can Tourists go to a Tourism Destination/Enterprise just for relax? Of course!
But…
1) It is our Touristology’s duty to show to them how a trip can improve their personal and/or professional life.
2) It is our Touristology’s duty to be sure that Tourism Destinations get the more convenient Tourists in order to take care of their culture and heritage and get profitable and sustainable enterprises.
Everybody has the right to travel, of course! But also, Tourism Destinations and Enterprises have the right to protect their profitability, protect their singularity now and for future generations and be sure, their inhabitants enjoy the benefits of having Tourists from around the world.
In order to seduce Tourists, improve their professional and/or personal life and, at the same time , improve the profitability and sustainability of a Tourism Destination /Enterprise, we have to pay attention to an important rule in Touristology…
Yes, you can be successful focusing on Generic (or mass) Tourism where the most important thing for the Tourists is the price and where economies of scale is the driver for profitability. But usually, big intermediaries will control de chain of value and, as they need as many Tourists as possible, they will send thousands of Tourists at the same time and place. Some people define this as OverTourism. We prefer to define it as #LackOfTouristology.
- Then, you can apply specialization! Some experts will say.
But, you offer a crowed space of Tourists brought here for big intermediaries that charge big commissions getting almost all the benefits and none of the negative consequences (carrying capacity, unhappy locals, low salaries, low profits…)
What about the other way around!
First focus on Specialized Tourism where the most important thing for the Tourists is the potential transformation of their personal and/or professional life!!! And where Community building is the driver for profitability.
- Then, you can try to seduce some generic Tourists! Touristology’s voice is telling to us!
I love Touristology’s games! What about you?
We can represent this idea with this picture based on Robert Frost’s poem…
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”
- But Jordi! Why can travelling improve/transform personal and professional life of the Tourists?
- Let’s review some travel's benefits
Before, during and after a trip you can change your perspectives. You can visualize and experiment with locals and other Tourists different ways to feel/live the same situation. You can get an international vision. You can see your reality from other point of view, because you are far away from your usual environment.
Before, during and after a trip you benefit of the natural tendency of human beings to crow together in unknow places, which it is perfect to improve relationships, to create or enforce a team, to start up the foundations of a community… Then, you can use the power of this community in the Platform Economy that we are living nowadays. This community can create groups and to them you can offer customize products and services from any Enterprise and/or any Tourism Destination around the world interested in seducing an international community of specialized Tourists and locals. You can also create, communicate and commercialize international routes for your community. You can also help them to earn a living travelling the world and becoming the most intelligent sensor. IoT? Internet of Tourists!!!
Do you see? Travel can transform/improve personal and professional lives!
Lives of the Tourists
Lives of enterprises (related or not to Tourism) in the Tourism destination
Lives of the members of Specialized Communities enjoying Hybrid Experiences in any place in the world!
I love my job! I’m a Touristologist builder! Michelangelo has his Sistine Chapel Ceiling; Leonardo has his Giaconda. I have my Touristologists!
Can you feel my energy? It’s the most powerful force of the Universe. It’s the force of a dream burning inside… Touristology’s dream!!!
