28 Jul 16 Traits of a Successful Tourism Operator
We asked several of our contributors to come up with common characteristic of a successful tourism operator, have look at what you think you achieve and others that you can try to do better. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses so know your personal strengths, and find others to assist develop those things you aren’t skilled at.
Well Organised
• Organized, with active systems & processes and supervises staff and suppliers– when tourism operators have appropriate systems and processes in place then the best possible experience is handed down to the customer. Without these systems and processes the customer can often be impacted through unprofessional service levels, lower revenues and no option to reinvest. Having a good systems and processes plan will allow tourism operators to grow their businesses rather than be stagnant or head in a backwards direction. Looks & Plans for Opportunities
• Those tourism operators who look or plan for and address every opportunity are the ones who do really well. These people are also more likely to be the ones who have taken the time to prepare a marketing plan and to update this annually.
• There is a so much information available now online and in other formats from research to newsletters and valuable articles. Many operators are too busy working in their businesses, and any thought of taking an hour or two out to plan of consider a response is all too often pushed to one side and forgotten.
Great Networker
• Operators who are well networked seem to do better than those who ‘go it alone’. There’s much to be learned from others—operators who experience problems can often find the answer in talking to other tourism operators. Those people that have strong connections to their local RTO are generally more successful.
A Friendly Local
• A successful tourism operator has to be a friendly local. Make a concerted effort to say hello to your local businesses, stay in contact, build healthy relationships and learn about their businesses i.e. local activities if you’re an accommodation, and vice versa. In particular what do these businesses offer that has a wow factor for your own target market? This will fuel a reciprocal word of mouth, which in turn will help to promote what’s great about your region, motivating visitors to experience the best of what’s available—it will pay dividends when those visitors return home with well-rounded experiences to share.
Capacity to Grasp New Technologies
• Many tourism operators fail to embrace new technologies when they become available, and this is when lot of times the statistics speak for themselves. Keeping up to date with new technologies allows for lower costs, improved sales, resulting in better profits. In most cases, embracing new technologies allows tourism operators greater market exposure for little time & cost investment.
Seek Help
• Ask for help, don’t be shy. New England is dotted with small to medium tourism operators spread throughout the country, which has created the need for consultants who are pecialized in the many facets of making a tourism business succeed, so don’t be shy! There are now tourism consultants throughout New England who’ll help your business with management, training, marketing, websites … Ideally you won’t rush in, you’ll do your homework, check their website for results and referrals, get a recommendation, test them on a small project.
Open-Minded
• Successful tourism operators are open-minded to changing ways consumers source information, are flexible to online ways of doing business e.g. embracing social media and seeking new opportunities to reach audiences. They are also open minded to other cultures and interested in other places being respectful of their customs.
Commitment to Customer Service
• There’s a lot on this lovely blog site about this but that’s. A successful tourism operator will truly appreciate making the experience as good as it can be for their customers/guests. This goes beyond a smile at the front desk. It starts with the tone of marketing material and online listings, continues with making enquiring/booking/paying as easy as possible, really hits its straps when the guest arrives and carries on all the way through to post-stay communications and following up on suggestions/problems. Too often a tourism operator will focus on the stay itself and undo all their good work in that area by neglecting everything else. Be attentive, responsive, and even proactive to customer needs.
Friendly, Enthusiastic, Welcoming Personality
• This is very much a customer focused trait and you will be rewarded in so many ways. Time and time again we see the most popular tourism operators in terms of travel reviews being those that have created a welcoming and friendly environment for their customers.
Knowledgeable
• This kind of goes without saying, but we’ll say it anyway– be knowledgeable about your tourism product, show this is your area of expertise and you’re a professional. Sharing your knowledge of not just what you offer but also about your local area and region provides added value to your customers.
Determination to Try Something New
• Don’t be afraid of change. A trap for tourism operators is to get stuck in the old school models of wholesale rates, listing directories, etc. This just isn’t an option for any operator that wants to succeed now. You need to open your eyes wide, look at all opportunities, be receptive to trying new stuff and seeing if it works. None of this means you have to stick with it if it doesn’t work, but innovation and iteration are vital. , if you’re afraid of change it can really hamstring your business.
Good Communicator
• This is certainly necessary– you must be able to engage with your customers for a more meaningful experience and is needed for good interpretation. It’s also essential for directing and managing your employees so they too can provide the kind of experience to your customers that you desire.
Creativity
• Do something different that will create a different outcome, don’t try to be ‘prescriptive’ but allow creativity in business planning process, it can deliver innovation and new ideas to lead them in a positive direction.
Have Core Values But Seek Improvement
• Stay true to core values but seek constant feedback from your customers (invaluable for improving your tourism product offer and service experiences).
Conscious of the environment
• Be aware of the effect your tourism product has on the environment and locals, look for ways to minimize any negative impact, this will be rewarded with a positive reputation and brand.
Never Give Up
• Never give up when it gets difficult, find knowledge or ask someone else you respect in tourism for business advice and listen.
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