One of the hallmarks of good business planning is knowing who your customer base will be. For example, those who manufacture and sell golf clubs are under no illusions about who their customer base is – it will be sporting stores and retail brands, as well as golfers who wish to buy from the source. As such, they know what advertising points to target, who to sponsor in the sporting field, and how to take feedback into account.
However, sometimes a customer base can be both specific and diverse at the same time. Appealing to travellers and tourism with hospitality, for instance, can walk this fine line. Tourists have very particular needs, but they also come from all areas of the world, and as such have different priorities and interests.
For this reason, running a tourism-first business can seem daunting to begin with, especially because you need to make the most of your seasonal cycles. With the following advice, you will be able to secure a worthwhile outcome:
Understand Your Tourist Market And Cater To It
Not all tourist markets are alike. Some may stay at your hotel or visit your cafe due to visiting a very popular landmark in the local area, and in some cases leaning into that with merchandising or theming can be helpful – provided you have the rights or depending on if the rights are publicly accessible. You may also decide to implement handy guides, such as crafting maps to the local area, running events like treasure hunts for children to learn more about the local area, or even developing your business so that those travelers are most likely to come to your doors – for instance, an extreme sports store would work well in an area known for its surfing worldwide.
Developing Accessibility In All You Do
Accessibility is the name of the game for tourists, who may be coming from any corner of Earth. Of course, it is unlikely that you need to speak all languages, and usually the dominant one in your culture is enough, but having some phrase books, some translations on items like menus in your accommodation, or standard timekeeping formats like the 24-hour clock can be helpful. Moreover, you might have your website rendered in multiple languages so you can appeal to a wider base.
Convenience Is King
The more convenience you can offer, the better. That might be as simple as integrating this new point of sale system to easily allow customers or clients to come in and use your brand, then leave being charged the right amount securely. A good booking form or autonomous account management can go a long way, and even implementing self-checkout machines will go a long way in shortening time communicating back and forth, standardizing the experience for everyone. Apps are also a great idea to focus on and invest in, as we have seen many hotels offer check-in and check-out services through that platform before now. Whatever you select, consider if the service increases or decreases comfort and convenience – you will get a good picture of how tourists might respond to it.
With this advice, you are sure to run a better, more convenient, more accessible tourism-first business.
