Welcome to Schumann Consulting Services!
Today, so many people talk about the growing industry of tourism and the importance of offering the right products and services to visitors.But do tourism decision-makers really understand what factors make for a successful tourism destination? If one has been a tourist before, does that make him/her an expert on tourism? To understand the deep motivations and desires of the tourist, we believe it takes a lot more than taking a few domestic or overseas trips. That is why Schumann Consulting Services is here to serve as your partner in the tourism industry.
Tourism Today and Tomorrow The tourism industry is highly competitive in today's global marketplace. Destinations, and most businesses in these destinations, are no longer in a seller's market. The sustainable development of a destination and its businesses depend a lot more than on lower prices and satisfactory services.
In 2004 international tourism receipts reached a new record of 622 billion US dollars as expressed in absolute figures. According to the 2005 edition of the WTO World Tourism Barometer, worldwide tourism earnings grew by an extraordinary 10.3%, a rate practically equal to that of international tourist arrivals, which increased by 107% in 2003. Preliminary data from 2005 indicates that an all-time record of 808 million international tourist arrivals worldwide was achieved (UNWTO World Tourism Barometer, January 2006).
Tourism, both domestic and international, will continue to grow despite the security concerns and other factors. With populations aging (and retiring from employment) in major source markets, more leisure time available for workers in developing and developed nations, and a greater awareness of the world through recent globalization movements, we are seeing a greater interest from people from all corners of the world who are highly motivated to travel. The increasing frequency of business travel is also fanning the flame of growth in domestic and international tourism.
The tourism industry has a great number of individuals and businesses participating in the offering of products and services to travelers. Leaders of organizations involved in the tourism industry need to assess where they are and what they can be doing better to improve their operations. Some questions for the leaders include:
- Is your organization adequately prepared to welcome tourists?
- Are the products and services that you offer appropriate for tourists from your key source markets?
- Are you aware of the current trends in your source markets that may affect leisure and consumption habits?
- Most importantly, are you properly prepared for the future of the tourism industry in your environment?
Consider the following:
Business gurus Hamel and Prahalad suggest that in order for businesses to remain competitive, leaders need to continuously reflect on this question...Am I more of a maintenance engineer keeping today's business humming along, or an architect imagining tomorrow's businesses?Gary Hamel and C.K. Prahalad in Competing for the Future (1994)
For a travel market's sustainability as a preferred destination, leaders in the business of tourism must compete with destinations worldwide. They must continuously reflect upon this question--Are we attempting to sustain the past, relying on previous years' visitor statistics and outdated visitor profiles, or are we creating a new future for tourism in our destination market?
Fred R. Schumann (2005)
Tourism planning and development horizons must by necessity take an increasingly longer look into the future, and the magnitude of today's development decisions and their associated investments infers they will have impacts well beyond the lifetimes of those making the decisions. Is your organization investing enough time and effort to ensure that those plans are appropriate?
The Need for Training
Your competition is working hard to get their fair share of revenue resulting from the traveling public. Most of the travelers from the mature markets are not going to be won over simply by lower costs. Travelers are increasingly searching for value for money--in other words, they will not mind paying more for products and services if they believe they are receiving value for whatever cost they pay. Are your managers and staff members aware of how to best deliver what your source markets are seeking in products and services when they travel?
Count on us as your Information Source
Choose Schumann Consulting Services as your business partner to gather the latest information about your source market so that you can better serve the needs of your customers.
For inquiries, please send an email message to Fred R. Schumann at fred.schumann@schumannconsult.com.
Schumann Consulting Services
P.O. Box 5307
Hagatna, Guam 96932