Volume I | Issue no. 1
In this premiere issue of The Wanderlust Report, we will begin to tackle the broad topic of what consumers want from their travel and destination brands.
And so we begin...
It seems like every day that goes by there’s another study reporting travel and tourism trends. Room bookings, flight reservations, search activity, and the like are being measured and reported ad infinitum. The effects of the recession, higher gas prices, the reduction in airline flights, increases in ticket prices, and many other factors are well documented and much ado in the press. There is no shortage of data out there. But where are the insights that can give you a competitive advantage in good times and bad?
Over the course of the last two decades, we have explored many dimensions of travel and tourism marketing: destination purchase drivers, consumer perceptions and expectations, the competitive environment and how it impacts consumer choice, the growing influence of the internet as a medium, and the power of brand advocacy.
What we we have learned is that it’s important to identify, understand and pay close attention to the patterns that hold true regardless of weekly changes in economic climate, consumer sentiment, gas prices and the like. We can monitor the broader trends: specifically changes in where consumers are looking for travel and destination information, and how they are making travel decisions. We can make sure we keep top of mind and control the things we can control. And we can respond to the things we can’t control in a manner that is intelligent, proactive and keeps us on-strategy.
I think the challenge becomes if these aggregates/distribution sites actually pull in hte $2,000 trips. It is much easier (as I am sure you know) to pull in partners with trips/offerings less than $1,200 as you will likely book these on-line, or more likely than a $2,000+ trip. Most of the 3000+ folks I've taken on trips over the years want to speak directly with the provider prior to booking in this price range.
Thanks for the great info on your site!
warmly,
Kathy Dragon
You are right about the let down in the TravelMuse experience. It clearly exposes today's limits of technology when it comes to providing solutions that start with the research and planning phases of the travel process. Sooner or later every site taking that correct approach ends up in the same dead end of having to provide a limited selection. I'm sure the TravelMuse folks and others like Tripbase are trying very hard to improve their technology to make the steps following the inspiration based search a better one.
Your example shows how much tougher it is to realize that than to sell a simple commodity airline seat as Southwest can do it based on being known as the lowest price provider by just about anyone in America. They can do that with relatively simple technology that has been around for decades. Same is true for JetBlue.
Component sales are easy by now, complex trips starting at the point of inspiration remain a very big challenge. Someone will come up with a solution, when it happens remains to be seen. I for one, welcome the efforts of the travel 2.0 trip planning sites. At least they make an effort to do more than just push the latest lowest price deal leading the industry to a dead end.
I'd sugget going back to the NY Times for inspiration stories and ads, on and off line
It's 'ad infinitum', not 'on infinitum'...
I couldn't agree more with the basic premise -- price is the refuge of the ignorant seller and buyer, so we're seeing a lot of ignorance displayed in the marketplace. It takes courage and strategic vision to stay away from the price conversation, and to tell a compelling story that inspires destination travel.
Thanks for the catch, Rich. In these days of social media, we try to avoid using the word "ad" wherever we can. Sometimes, we avoid it too much.