How will this influence how you develop and innovate future product, market outreach and business operations?

18 April 2013
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imageGert Nieuwboer, CEO of SNP Natuurreizen


Tablets and smartphones are the new platforms used by this generation; forget about brochures and trade shows.

“Completely, it becomes necessary to ‘think out of the box’, to really understand the needs of the modern adventure traveler and to innovate and reform our products to his demands. Technology will play a leading part in this. Tablets and smartphones are the new platforms used by this generation; forget about brochures and trade shows. It will also be necessary to start creating inspirational networks between outgoing tour operators and incoming agents, based on trust, quality and shared values: cooperation instead of plain competition!”

imageJorge Pérez of Tierra del Volcan


“I think is important to think globally and act locally. You have to see the big picture on market trends, not only the trends in tourism. And you have to develop products that meet all the new trends. On the other hand is important that outbound companies do not look their land operators only as service providers or the land operator as distribution channels. It’s important to realize that they are your clients and you should try to create a great bond with this type of client. We have to see each other as allies, and not like the middle man that I have the chance to get rid off, because of new market trends. It’s important to create a win-win model where we can join efforts to have a happy traveller, and profitable business for everyone.”

imageAlexandra Greenwood, Head of Sales of HF Holidays Ltd.


“As the ‘middle man’ we’re making sure that we work very closely and ethically with our local suppliers and we’re making sure that our guests have the opportunity to really sample the local culture and meet and support local enterprise.”

imageMaria Elena Price, Co-Owner of ExperiencePlus! Bicycle Tours


“We definitely see both sides of the picture here and I think it makes us realize the importance of defining roles and relationships for whichever partnership or business model(s) we pursue.  This trend has probably led us to consider new models of development. We recognize that we don’t have the local knowledge to create and provide in-depth experiences for all the places we want to bicycle,  so in the end we’ll look for partners that can help us create the perfect tour. However, those partners, even when they sell direct, likely will not compete with us because they are selling a completely different product. Most importantly though, we think transparency and honesty is important in any business relationship. With the democratization of information on the internet, consumers know a lot and are entitled to understand what it is they are buying from all parties involved.”
imageRobin Weber Pollak, President of JOURNEYS International


“One of the advantages of working with an outbound operator is that we remember interests and preferences from one trip to another. We are drawing much more heavily on data to inform our product development and outreach, making sure we use past interactions to best inform future offerings and recommendations.”

imageJames Thornton, Managing Director of Intrepid Travel


“Intrepid will continue to develop local operations through PEAK and constantly offer new and exciting product to our target market. As we also have local sales & marketing offices around the world we are well situated to reach out to our target market and to adapt to their communication methods. Intrepid is well setup for the future.”

imageJimena Barrera, AMERICAS Division Manager of Condor Travel


“At this time and for some years now, Condor Travel has had a Project Management team that is focused on being one step ahead of these changes. At this stage we are building an xml connection system that will connect the most up to date information that we collect from our suppliers to our tour operator partners in an instant. This we believe, will ensure that our international experts are able to provide faster solutions to potential travelers through their own sales networks.”

imageDan Austin, Director of Austin-Lehman Adventures


“We will always look to utilize in Country Ground Operators we do not compete with.”

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