A time of exceptional challenge - and opportunity - for tourism It is likely that this is the most challenging time the global travel and tourism industry has faced. But times of crisis can also be times of incredible opportunity and also be a crucible for innovation. Finding the right innovation requires a deep understanding of where the pain points are. We'd like to know your pain points So MyTravelResearch.com and The B Hive are trying to understand how local government, Regional and Local Tourism Associations/DMOS are navigating the … [Read more...]
Our International Toilet Tourism Awards – Now Open
When it comes to toilets, you just have to time it right. That's why we have new timings for our International Toilet Tourism Awards (ITTA). Now in their 3rd year, the awards celebrate the world’s best destination toilets by recognising their role in attracting visitors and providing vital economic support to communities. Previous winners have included Dunnies with a Difference from Queensland, Australia and the James Bond Loo in Piz Gloria, Switzerland. New dates, new partner The new date is timed to celebrate the Awards’ Partnership with … [Read more...]
‘The Ladies’ Excuse Me’: one of #toilettourism’s biggest challenges
Over the years of looking at the phenomenon that is #toilettourism, one of the questions that perennially arises is the issue of why queues for the womens' toilets are so much longer than mens'. Every time we do research on events, this topic comes up. So we were delighted to be asked by ABC Radio in Adelaide to talk about the subject. Clearly there are other people out there who are passionate about it as the piece was triggered by an article written by Lisel O’Dwyer, Senior Lecturer in the School of Social and Policy Studies at Flinders … [Read more...]
Paris Syndrome vs. Nashville Syndrome in tourism
Paris Syndrome: Sometimes we need to be careful what we wish for When I conducted a long-term brand tracking studies in both the airline industry and for destinations and destination marketing, I noticed that the Japanese consistently rated everything to do with France very positively. For many Japanese people France, and particularly Paris, form an ideal of a destination – representing civilisation, beauty and culture. But when Japanese people visit Paris, some suffer a severe disappointment. Real-life Paris is grittier and … [Read more...]
Defending and building your destination’s budget.
Using the Aces Up your Sleeve In the first quarter of 2017, the New Zealand government announced that it was increasing Tourism New Zealand’s funding. But this was a rare event in funding for Destination Marketing Organisations (DMOs) – globally it seems that budgets for promoting and supporting tourism are under pressure. Differing political realities have meant that many US states are facing dramatic budget cuts. There is even talk that Brand USA may be scrapped whilst in the UK a long term focus on austerity has seen the Visit Britain’s … [Read more...]
Is your tourism business ready for a seismic shift in demographics?
Pick your metaphor: Demographic tsunami or seismic shift . Whatever you choose, the largest shifts in demographics we may ever have seen are coming to your key markets. The overlap between demographics and generations that govern most marketing assumptions (e.g. that Millennials are Youth travellers) are changing. Whatever demographics you target, be it Baby Boomers, Millennials, Gen Z or Chinas 90s kids, you need to understand what is about to happen. To help you understand the implications, MyTravelResearch.com has worked with PATA to … [Read more...]
Developing and managing dark tourism
Late last year I spent a few days in Medellin (Colombia). For many people, the name Medellin will be associated with the ultra-violent rule of the cocaine cartel chief Pablo Escobar. In fact, over the last 20 years, Medellin has undergone a remarkable and heartwarming transformation. But that link to Escobar remains through the emergence of tours to key sites associated with him - dark tourism. What is Dark Tourism? The tour is one of a growing body of experiences. Dark tourism is defined as any travel associated with death, suffering, … [Read more...]
Learn from Tourism Australia Social Media Guru – Jesse Desjardins
Jesse Desjardins is the Global Manager, Social & Content, Tourism Australia. He has also been identified as one of the world's top 10 Destination Marketers. Jesse has just completed a thesis that is a must-read for any aspiring or seasoned destination marketer. It takes us through lessons learned from the iconic shrimp on the barbie campaign advertisement which was part of the Wonders Down Under campaign in the 1980s by the then, Australian Tourist Commission. In his thesis, Jesse shows us how it wasn't just all about "Hoges'. We … [Read more...]
How Indian Tourism Can Be Increasingly Incredible
No longer a slumbering giant, Incredible India is thoughtfully attracting varied tourism markets with an increasingly sophisticated marketing strategy. But there’s always room for more ‘incredibleness’ What are the drivers of increasing tourism to India? I’m feeling guilty. Since returning from Australia Business Week in India in mid-January I've written a lot about how Australia can profit from the source market opportunity that India represents. But I didn’t join the trade mission for that reason. Our purpose was to extend the … [Read more...]