Tourism businesses must offer consumer choices and experiences

The future success of individual tourism businesses depends on the choices they offer customers and ensuring each customer experience is personalised according to Digital Futurist, Chris Riddell.

Riddell, who will be a keynote speaker at ATEC’s Meeting Place event in Canberra next week, says visitors seeking tourism experiences are focused on how one business can deliver a better experience from the next.

Riddell (pictured above) explains “people are not concerned by things like your booking engines and systems, they expect these to work. What they care about is the experience around the product and how it meets their needs and expectations.

“People have more choice than ever before, and they are now expecting that choice wherever they go, so innovative businesses need to know how to deliver on that expectation.

“For tourism businesses across Australia, success depends on the choice they offer and how you can provide a better, more individual experience, that's how you differentiate yourself from the competition.

Riddell says that while the digital world is an important and relevant part of the travel experience, technology hasn't changed their desire for authentic experiences and has, in fact, spurred on a search for the new and unique.

He adds “travel is easier and cheaper than ever and people are after experiences in a way they have never demanded before, with a real desire to deeply imbed into the places they are visiting - they want to touch and feel their destination and value the face to face experiences they get along the way.

“What this means for the operator is they must offer a multitude of options, including different price points, exclusive opportunities and in-depth engagement - letting customers feel the experience in a very emotionally connected way and giving them a memory they can take home and cherish.

“Providing choice, and making sure they have as much choice as possible, has been the key to success for businesses like Uber. Tourism businesses must also focus on how they are going to offer better choice for their customers to achieve success into the future.”

ATEC's 2016 Meeting Place is being held in Canberra on 29th and 30th October.

Click here for more information on ATEC's Meeting Place event in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

14th July 2016 - STRONG TOURISM FORECAST WITH UPWARDLY REVISED GROWTH FORECASTS

5th April 2016 - CANBERRA TO HOST 2016 ATEC CONFERENCE

16th January 2016 - ASIAN TRAVELLERS SEEK NEW EXPERIENCES

2nd November 2015 - GROWTH FORECAST PUTS TOURISM AT THE FOREFRONT OF AUSTRALIAN EXPORTS 

24th November 2013 - ATEC ANNUAL MEETING TO DEFINE AUSTRALIA’S VISITORS

19th November 2010 - FORGET LEISURE: FOCUS ON THE EXPERIENCE INDUSTRY