destination as product

8/2/2019 Destination as Product

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What customers want areproducts, communications, and

marketing

campaigns that dazzle thesenses, touch their hearts, andstimulate their minds.



The Marketing Concept

The purpose of business issatisfied customers

The purpose of business is todeliver value



If we recognize a tourist destination as a platform fromwhich many different experiential products can bedelivered, the tactics associated with managing physicaland nonphysical product lines may be appropriately

applied. One of the key elements of the development of amarketing strategy for any type of product is thedevelopment of the product strategy. This may also be truefor tourist destinations. It is widely acknowledged that thechoice of product line offerings or product mix and theirsubsequent management has widespread influence on themarketing performance of organizations). A common

practice is the creation of groups of related products inproduct lines). This practice is common to producers ofboth physical and non-physical products offered toconsumers as well as business customers. Thus, one ofthe major determinants of a firm’s long term success is thecare with which its management is able to build andmaintain the firm’s product mix in accordance with the

overall marketing strategy and the needs, wants anddesires of its buyers. This may also be true for thedevelopment of tourist destinations, which capitalize on thelocal natural and cultural assets to create experientialproducts designed to appeal to important target markettravelers.



The London School of Business published reports that “akey innovation in today’s business is experience. In today’senvironment of ever more sophisticated consumers – thosewho deliver memorable customer experiences consistentlycreate superior value and competitive advantage."

The World Tourism Organization (WTO) reports, “there is ashift from active holidays to holidays as an experience. Thepoint is to achieve a complete participative experience thatprovides new knowledge and authentic experiences.”

The Travel Industry Association (TIA) reports that thetraveler’s desire to experience history and culture is stronger than ever and that “Most agree that trips where they canlearn something new are more memorable to them.”

The Youth Tourism Consortium of Canada (YTCC) reports,

“almost all independent youth travelers are experience-driven. They want to explore different cultures, increase theirknowledge and experience excitement. They tend to planflexible itineraries around informal, active and participatoryactivities.”



A visitor experience is something that ispersonally encountered, lived through,and affects you.

It may involve observation orparticipation.

It may be active or passive, planned or

opportunistic, personal or shared.



We have seen a change in what the visitor

is looking for. It is becoming a more

interactive experience that people want –

it’s not just seeing a monument or visiting a

cave or a temple – its get down, get dirty

and get involved. … We’ve had groups get

off the bus and try to wash clothes with the

washer men [in India] and that gives them a feeling of what it must be like to do this

everyday. Rather than watch from a

distance, that’s the level of involvement

people are looking that creates an experience. It’s the sights, the sounds, the

smells, and the entire package.



One specific type of experience that is very much in demand is hands on

experiences. For example we specialize in garden tours, and we’re being asked,

very much more than we were ever

asked for things like … “Can you go out

to the markets and buy flowers and have us learn to arrange them? Could we please go to someone’s garden and

actually work in the garden?” Those arethe types of things that we’re being

asked. (Tour Operator)



Tourism product not only include salientattributes of the regional tourism offering, butalso management of destination offering overtheir life cycles, managing the developmentof new tourism products and developingappropriate product strategy.



Tourism Product Development

Tourism--thepractice of traveling

for pleasure; thebusiness ofproviding tours andservices fortourists.




Recreation--“refreshment of one’s mind or body

after labor through diverting activity; play.”

To “recreate” is to

“impart fresh life

to; refresh

mentally orphysically; to take

recreation.”




Tourism products are a combination oftwo components:

ACTIVITYSETTING




SETTINGS...

Natural EnvironmentsBuilt Environments




BUILT ENVIRONMENTS...

• Theme parks• Resorts

• Casinos

• Cruise ships




NATURALENVIRONMENTS...

Lands and

Natural

resources, it is

these resourcesthat attract most

of our visitors




When you have atourism product thatis dependent on a

unique, high qualitynatural environmentor setting, thehighest priority

and concern is to maintain the high quality of thatnatural environment, since without that you haveno product.

destination as product

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