I still strongly believe!

Groucho Marx was one of the greatest comedians on earth. You can enjoy his sense of humor together with a little bit of Touristology  here or here BUT on this occasion I can’t agree with you Mr. Marx when you said “Those are my principles, and if you don't like them... well, I have others.”  When I am talking about Touristology I still strongly believe…

1) It’s not worth/possible to create, communicate and commercialize Specialized tourism through chains of value of mass tourism and the other way around. Who will try to sell a 20 year old whisky through a fast food company? OR a basic wine through a high “cuisine” restaurant?

2) Tourist destinations and companies must begin their strategic orientation with first specialized then generic tourism. Once specialized Tourism is working you have an organization, a team of people experts in identification of tourist’s needs and motivations, in customization of the supply, in everything necessary to bring tourist from there to here. In a nutshell, they are experts in 1,2,3, theory.

3) Tourism destination and enterprises focus on International markets (Are you still only playing with local markets? Hello! Wake up, the world is flat, remember?) have to set up their own chain of value both for specialized and mass tourism. They also must try to get as much control of this chain of value as possible.

4) If you want to be serious about SnS (Social Networking Sites) for specialized tourism you have to develop your own one.

 

5) If you want to be serious about mobile apps you have to offer services which include the 3 C’s (content, commerce and community) related to all chain of value in order to provide support for the customer from the beginning to the end of the trip (I’m working in a case on point about this topic!)

But overall, I still strongly believe that Touristology will be a science in XXI century AND Touristologists will be first class professionals with great opportunities, salaries/profits and respect!

How to know if you get a thread or an opportunity?

I know this one… It’s up to YOU!

Are you ready to avoid the thread? Can you cover your weak points? Then it isn’t a thread anymore!

Are you ready to make the most of an opportunity? Can you sharp up your strong points? Then the sky is the limit!

Let’s see a case in point. Do you know super-marmite?

I meet with this project through startupweekend.org  they say..

“Startup Weekends are weekend-long, hands-on experiences where entrepreneurs and aspiring entrepreneurs can find out if startup ideas are viable.  On average, half of Startup Weekend’s attendees have technical backgrounds, the other half have business backgrounds”

ummmm… half technical and half business? Does it ring the bell the two hands posted to you?

Supermarmite is one example of social entrepreneurship. You want a profit? Of course, but the most important thing is to dynamize local communities, sharing values and culture!

Get curious? Check this video out.
Or this one...

So, what do you think? super-marmite is a thread or an opportunity for local restaurants?

Is it your competitor? OR Can it be a member of your chain of value? Are there any chances to become Supermarmite a customer?

If you have a restaurant nearby are you able to use the chain of value, web 2.0 and e-marketing to seduce your customer?

Can you use Strategic Triangle to make up your mind?

By the way… maybe this website can be useful in your analysis www.eatwithalocal.com 

Can you use web 2.0 business model scheme to classify it?

At the end of the day super-marmite is also a good example of Location Based Services (LBS) Can you provide a technological scheme?

Do you have the knowledge both in business model and technological architecture to create something similar?

Remember Seneca “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”

Are you ready to compete? Let Touristology help you! Then when you will become successful returns here and share your knowledge, contacts, and attitudes. In this way...

You will help us to make Touristology a better SCIENCE!

Two hands: Business Model and Technological Scheme

This post is especially dedicated to my Touristologists learning the subject which combine Touristology and Web-Engineering. I like to begin the class with this picture from Escher..

You are unable to understand this picture if you don’t realize that it’s compulsory to increase your perspective. It’s not a hand drawing a hand which at the same time is drawing the first one! This is not possible! This picture only makes sense if you imagine the artist dealing, understanding, controlling… the two hands.

It’s exactly the same when you want to improve the main processes in a tourism company or destination using the new technologies internet oriented.

One hand represents the Business Model. The other hand represents the technological scheme.

This year I make a promise to them “You will learn how to create, or at least how to deal with a team which will create, the best mobile application for the tourism sector”

As Bruce Lee said “A goal is not always meant to be reached, it often serves simply as something to aim at”

Some of my Touristologists are eager to learn any subject related to math or programming. Others get scared because it means more hours of study and they have to challenge the silly idea that Touristologist are not good in sciences. BUT we are not here to learn easy things. We are here to learn whatever it takes to achieve our goals: To become the best professionals in the tourism field!!!

First hand: The Business Model:

Let’s see a few examples where the business models it will be incomplete as I only describe basic functionalities… Do you dare/want to finish them?

1) Augmented Reality Cinema. This is still a “wannabe” application, maybe some people can argue if this is or not augmented reality but this is, definitely, a good idea to create a route based upon a film or a book!

2) Hotels by Travel Time. This is another interesting  app coming from Google

As you can see you search for a tourism resource and it will appear the nearest hotels using as a criteria, time to go from the hotel to the tourism resources (you can specify if you will travel on foot, by public transport…)

Second hand: The Technological Scheme:

What about the technology to develop it? The other day I have the opportunity to talk with one of my Touristologist that nowadays is an entrepreneur. He has created a company mixing Touristology and Web-Engineering focus on Location Based Services (LBS).

Jordi- He said to me – I have everything under control!

Perfect- Proudly I reply! Are you using native applications or mobile web apps?

Which is the difference? – He calmly reply

ummm… everything under control?

For starters, you can create native applications using the specific SDK that each vendor provides (Apple, Android, RIM = Blackberry; Microsoft = Nokia...) This approach means full access of API and sensors and a better performance BUT (always a but) you have to customize your app to each device.

Other approach is to create mobile apps taking the most of HTML5, CCS3 and JavaScript (usually Jquery).

Thanks to frameworks like phonegap you have partial access to APIs and sensors.  One important handicap is that, at this moment, you can use single touch events BUT not multi touch events. What this problem is disappearing very fast.

Nowadays, it doesn’t appear a clear winner so as usual you have to see the all pictures and be ready for all the possible scenarios

Have I already said to you that there are plenty of opportunities in Touristology? Are you sure you can allow yourself to forget about the technological hand?

Come On! If not you, who? If not now, when?