OUR Science…OUR Degrees!!!

Few months ago, we talked about degrees in Tourism. We love to convey that you can use the knowledge from Tourism Management in order to improve other economic sectors and their related Universities Degrees!
Today we bring some questions about OUR beloved degrees!
Question 1:
Is it not clear that we have to focus on manage all the trip. In create future Travel Managers?
It is the only way to overcome…OverTourism (That we, definitely, prefer to call it LackOfTouristology!!!)
Just increasing taxes, promoting alternative routes and trying to train AI algorithms to recommend them. It is NOT enough!
The most effective way of making Tourism good for the inhabitants and local enterprises (both related to Tourism OR the motivation of travel of the Tourists), it is to seduce specialized segments then, to manage all the trip and then, seduce them to go to different places, at a different time.
This is easy to do? Of course not! For that reason, Touristologists are the best minds in the best sector ever!
Question 2:
Can be an expert in Tourism, a Hotel/Cruise/Airline/Campsite/Destination… manager that proudly claim?
-    I don’t care about how and through with the Tourist arrive! My job begins when He/She enter in my Business!
Come on!
Learn from Huawei in China! My kernel (HongMeng), my device, my Operating System (HarmonyOS), my place where my customer downloads my apps (AppGallery)!!! By the way, following the path of Apple where Alan Key said to Steve Jobs “People who are really serious about software should make their own hardware." That we love to paraphrase saying: People (Travel companies) who are really serious about social media should make their own communities and build their own chain of value! As we mention here.
Successful enterprises try to build and manage their Chain of Value and … In Tourism, as well!!!
The difference? We don’t send electronics devices abroad. We try to seduce Tourists to appear here!
We are wave managers!
We are proactive not reactive!
We want to build and manage the Chain of Value!
WE ARE TOURISTOLOGISTS!!!

 

Stand Up, Touristologists!!!

Be, extraordinarily, proud of being the best minds in the best sector ever!
Persistently, look for getting experience in OUR beloved sector!

Nobody will remember the ones sitting down always finding excuses to avoid the Servuction in OUR classes. Always trying to memorize four sentences and trying (unsuccessfully) to pass the exam…
The ones, always criticizing Tourism and never providing a solution to it. The ones loving to recommend that we have to diversify from Tourism.
We have a message to them…
If you love to say (all day long…) 
“We can’t manage tourism to make it a high value-added sector. We have to diversify.” 
You’re right… 
You can’t, you don’t know how, and you don’t want to! 
If you work in Tourism and you don’t like it… diversify.
If you teach Tourism and you don’t see the future of the best sector ever… diversify. 
If you study Tourism and you don’t enjoy it… diversify. 
If you don’t know about Tourism, but strangely, you dare to give your opinion… diversify.
AND for the Touristologists…We also have a message!
Do you want to get experience in OUR beloved sector?
1) Focus on building a community of people that through a trip can improve their personal/professional life.
Do you want to know the usual suspects?
A) People that will improve their profession having international experiences (Architects, Game Developers, Sommeliers, Musicians….)
B) People that will improve their personal life taking the most of increasing the connection with other Tourists travelling with them. (Enterprises: Team building, Students: University students of different degrees. Families: Single Dad, 3-G Family, Grandparents…)
C) People travelling to overcome illness, personal problems… Blind, Deaf, after your couple left you… after being fired…
Do you want to verify that they can be profitable to you? Pass to them, the Touristology’s test!
A) They like to define themselves as… 
B) They love to be together (GROUPS)
C)  Together ON-LINE? LONG TAIL
D) They love a customized SERVUCTION 
2) Be sure, that you can build a PLATFORM that allow you to create GROUPS (or help them to help you, creating their own groups. Pro-am, remember?) and provide support from the beginning to the end of the trip. Of course, part of this support it will be to keep contact with their friends, colleagues, family… around the world. Good for them and new streams of revenues and profits for you!
3) Seduce these Tourists to go in GROUPS to places/enterprises which a low occupancy (Yield Management, remember?).
If you are able to build these… all the enterprises of the world will love to have you as an employee, partner or consultant!
How do I know this?
After 35 years working in Tourism…I am sure…a Touristology’s principle has to be carved in your minds:
All Tourism destinations, enterprises (Hotels, transport companies, enterprises related to Tourists’ motivation…) want somebody that bring Tourists to them AND avoid overtourism!

Somebody? YOU!!!!

Can a Tourist improve a country?

Of course, Touristologists! Specially, if the people running the show are intellectual lovers of the Science of Travel!
As you know, we love to seduce Tourists around the world with a desire to improve their personal/professional life AND with a motivation to travel strongly linked to the economy of the country/Tourism Destination.
This summer (as the previous one) I really enjoyed listening to this podcast from the radio of Catalonia 

The previous year, it was an interesting example about how to be successful in ANY economy sector in ANY country. In a nutshell, “the key was the existence of small and medium size enterprises (SME) with knowledge of exportation and with presence and authority in local government”. They put Catalonia as a study case!
This year, they explain a wonderful story that make me remember how a Tourist can improve an economic sector!
The podcast was about Ethiopia has becoming leaders in Olympic Games related to medium and long-distance races.
Why do they become leaders around the world? Well, one of the reasons is that they do transhumance and to be able to arrive first is important!
BUT… then, appears another reason…In order to improve their army they ask for advice to Sweden. They send there, in 1946, the Major Onni Niskanen to serve as a military and sports instructor. To US, a specialized Tourist!!!
He detects the potential of Ethiopians people to run medium and long races. He teaches them some strategic and tactics. For instance, Interval training and stretching and recovery after exercise!
Do you see, Touristologists?
A Tourist able to improve an economic sector of the country He/She is travelling on! Tourism generating synergies with other sectors of the economy!
- BUT... Jordi this man it wasn’t a Tourists!
NO? He travels away of his local environment; he has to find places to sleep and eat. He loved to stay in contact with their friends/colleagues/family around the world? Sorry, my friend, but He was a Tourists! You can call it a traveler, an explorer of whatever you like (we don’t care about names Yield OR Revenue Management?  Deep Learning OR Intelligent Systems?…) We don’t care about names! We care about having a holistic vision in order to have your own one!). Anyway, you have to admit that in order to visualize and implement effective Travel Management you need a member of the Science of Travel…Touristologists!!!!
We can go to any place in the world, detect what economic sector can make the most of an internationalization process. Then, we can go around the world and detect segments which his/her travel's motivation is strongly connected!
This is OUR job! We are Touristologists!!!
In this case, Onni Niskanen help the Ethiopian runners to conquer Olympic Games!
Can Tourism help other sector of your economy? Can Tourism generate synergies? Of course! What about this group of Tourists travelling from around the world that appear in Catalonia in order to practice the knowledge of Catalonia language, that they are getting in their local universities?

I love to work in Tourism! 

I love to proof that is a high add value sector! 

I love to create the best minds in the best sector ever!!!

My greatest defect?

Sometimes, dealing with job interviews (long time ago), chasing money providers for my enterprise’s dreams ( I still can hear it!), I have faced this question… 
-What is your greatest defect?
Well, this is an easy question, to me! 
By far, to clearly and broadly visualize all the circumstances and possible consequences. Then, to focus on the worsts and not stopping thinking about it! To develop the skills to stop my mind and avoid mental fatigue if has been the challenge of my entire life! Luckily, improving more and more!
BUT…
As our intellectual friend Ferrater I Mora would love to say… a bad thing can be a good one, as well!
I am able to visualize the new, new thingS, focus on the most important ones… try to achieve real experiences practicing it AND, finally, share it with the future of Tourism (I am talking about YOU, Touristologists!!!!)
The goal? Trying to change forever the way We define, enjoy and manage the Tourism sector and… improve other sectors of the economy related to Servuction and Yield Management!!!.
So, here I am focus on cutting bad thoughts and enjoying focusing on thinking about the future of OUR beloved sector!

Some examples?
What about the evolution from PMS (Property Management Systems) to CVMS (Chain of Value  Management System) In order to be able to manage ALL the trip!
What about DNFT using Blockchain in order to customize ALL the products/services for the owner of the token even in Real-Time (depending on who is with the Tourists Here/Now and the mood that He/She experience Here/Now)
What about AI improving our tools (software… applications… Agentic AI…)
What about breaking Space/Time prison!!!
…
Do you want to be a member of OUR community? Just remember, this is NOT my blog. It is the blog of the ones who fell in love with Touristology!!!
And, strongly, believe that Touristology is a Science!!!

 

STOP!

Some kind of news appears over and over. Just a couple of examples. Recently, it was Revo Hospitality. At the end of 2025, it was Sonder. Some managers love to let the communication and commercialization into the hands of other companies. They focus on growth gearing huge amount of money. What happens when some problem appears (That, believe me Touristologists…They will appear!!)? The end of the bubble! We need a different approach focused on profit and cash!
I said once, I say again Stop focusing on the service…Focus on the Segment!!!
Focus on segments where you (or them, Pro-Am remember?) can create GROUPS.
Then, send these groups to other enterprises that have occupancy problems (Yield Management, remember)?
Sonder is a good example of the consequences of focusing on the service and not in the segment! 
Sonder was a StartUp founded in 2014 aiming to provide the flexibility of Airbnb with the reliability of hotels brands which manage their hotels. It growths becoming a company with 180 hotels and 9,400 rooms…until  it had gone bankrupt.
The Business Model focused on service was to offer the freedom of apartments with the service of a Hotel (we study something similar with Bemate, Remember?). 
Another important point was to offer a seamless mobile experience …all at your fingertips!
All seems good until 2024 where some problems began to appear and looking for being more profitable, they make a deal with Marriot International. All good UNTIL you have to integrate the Technological scheme of an SartUp with the legacy system in the hotel industry (always two hands, Remember?)
“the failure highlights the challenges of integrating with legacy systems in the hotel industry, where technology and operations must align seamlessly to deliver value.”!

I tried to summarize OUR ideas with this Tweet! 

Do I have to say again that we have to define and try to seduce specialized segments defined by Chip Conley’s pyramid, Butterfly Strategy and Long Tail?
Do I have to say again that we have to control the chain of value (YES, copyologists…different Tourists…different chain of value!!!)?
Do I have to say again that you have to learn to code?
We need a new kind of Managers/Leaders! People able to visualize and implement new ways of increasing profitability for Tourism enterprises from INSIDE Tourism’s Business Models!!! 
People? Touristologists!!!
 

First People then, Technology!

As WE always say in OUR seminars, consultancy projects, Start-up meetings… Start with the transformation you will provide to the Tourists, their members of their International Community around the world and Inhabitants of the Tourists Destination (OR DestinationS, if we are dealing with an International Route) NOT with the Technology!
I love to present here in OUR blog some examples of OUR Touristologists changing the way we define, enjoy and manage OUR beloved sector. Today, I will provide an example hoping that YOU will improve it!
Travala is a very interesting enterprise based on Singapore (The world is OUR office, Touristologists!!!). They are crypto travel platform and, recently, they are promoting a MCP (Model Context Protocol). I am sure you remember, MCP allows different departments and enterprises to work as a single and intelligent systems (Which it sounds very Touristologistly to US!)

BUT…

For the moment, they do not offer the incredible features that WE love to practice in OUR classes when WE mix together Blockchain and AI

 

BUT…

They are thinking about do so in the future

“The company said it plans to expand the protocol beyond hotels to other travel products, including flights, and expects its Travala (AVA) loyalty token to support future Travel MCP use cases.”

Definitely, they need the best minds in the best sector ever!

We are NOT Technology sellers! We don’t visualize and implement the new technology or the fancier one. We prefer to use the right one!

We are NOT followers! We can use other people technology and ALSO we can create OUR own one!

We are Touristologists!!!

 

Writing Code…Applying Touristology!!!

I love to find similarities in the way WE visualize/implement New Technologies and how we manage our beloved sector.
In the previous post, I highlight the importance of going back to basics both in Coding and in Tourism!
Previously, we did the same talking about Artificial Intelligence and Tourism!
Every time that I get my hands dirty with code…The same ideas appear in my mind! Even on Sundays, Holydays, even with another mindset. I begin to find connections between Coding and OUR beloved Science. Damn it, I’m a Touristologist and….very proud of being one (I hope that you have the same feeling!!!)

In Coding…Learn to create your own Macros, Frameworks, AI models, MPC client and servers!
In Touristology… Learn to create your own chain of values and visualize and implement your Operations and Processes inside them!
-BUT…Jordi…Can we use other people Macros/Frameworks / AI models /MPC Servers? Can we use other people chain of value and Operations and Processes?
Of course, you can Touristologists!!! 
BUT… be sure, that you can write your own code! Otherwise, you won’t be practicing Vibe coding…you will develop a Dependency for coding!!!
I admire Miguel de Unamuno BUT I, strongly, believe that we have to invent! We have to code! We have to build and manage all the Chain of Value, especially for Specialized Segments ( Yes copyologists…different Tourists…different chain of value).        We have to provide support to the Tourists (and the members of their international community around the world) from the beginning to the end of the trip!

Be sure, that you can seduce your own Tourists! Otherwise, you don’t set up a sustainable and profitable enterprise/ Tourism Destination. You just create an enterprise that will depends on other people Tourists!!!
People love to choose just one option. Luckily, we have Ferrater I Mora in OUR Touristology’s framework. We don’t just choose one option, neither in Coding nor in Tourism. Generic Tourism OR Specialized one? BOTH (but, you know that we have a little bias for the specialized).
OOP (Object-Oriented Programming OR Functional Programming? Some people love to choose! But, for instance, Rust (and nowadays most of the languages…Java, Swift, C++…) love to combine OOP and Functional ideas. Classes with variables and methods to Traits (in Rust) Or Delegates (in Swift) or Interfaces (In Java). 
Talking about Rust… The first time, I learnt about Macros (Able to generate additional code at compile time that add additional features, for instance, allowing Structs to deal with JSON in WebServices) I just use them. BUT…when I went deeply (You know how much WE love to go deeper!!!) I see another interesting example. You have to use THEIR Macros IN THEIR WAY. Nothing wrong with that BUT… be sure, you can create your own MACROS!!! Your knowledge, your skills, your attitude will provide to choose the best option!
In the same way, in Tourism! You can use intermediaries and big Social Networking Sites (SnS), the new infomediary… to seduce generic Tourism. How will you use them? IN THEIR WAY! The way that provides profitability to the ones that build them!
They care about the sustainability in your Tourism Destination? About the happiness of the inhabitants? Of course! But in a second level (maybe third…fourth…) 
It is much better to build your own platform to sell anything (related to the trip or the motivation of the trip) to the community of specialized Tourists from the beginning to the end of the trip.
In this way, you not only will get Tourists loyalty. You also can create GROUPS and improve the business of local enterprise when they need to sell (Yield Management, remember?), you can also create International Routes… You can also…
Show to the world that Tourism can be Profitable and Sustainable BUT only if it is managed by Touristologists!!!