Film Tourism & Travel Motivation

A new global survey comes to confirm that encouraging film shooting in a destination proves to be a very efficient driver for attracting new visitors!

According to the global benchmarking survey TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index, last year around 40 millions international tourists chose their destination mostly because they saw a film shot in the country.

The survey also reports that regions and cities can widely benefit from this driver for attracting first time visitors, young travellers and city breakers in particular.

In average and depending on the destination and market, 1 to 10 visitors of 100 would choose a destination mostly thanks to movies. Moreover BRIC markets tend to be especially sensitive to this channel. The analysis extracted from the global TRAVELSAT Competitive Index Survey is based on 25.000+ representative international travellers (leisure, MICE and VFR).

Commenting on the results, CEO Olivier Henry-Biabaud adds: “Supporting film shooting in a destination can offer higher ROI than traditional communication campaigns and may offer an indirect yet efficient promotional media for destinations as part of their marketing mix. DMOs have therefore all interest in tightening their relationship with the cinema industry if they wish to rival better vs international competition”.

As for destination marketing, the latest example comes from India where the government has launched a tourism campaign aiming to take maximum advantage of the worldwide popularity of “Life of Pi“, which has been partly shot in the beautiful locales of Puducherry and Munnar in Kerala.

The “Land of Pi” campaign will be launched across all media, including print, online, electronic and outdoor, to promote Puducherry and Munnar as tourist destinations in the country.The Tourism Ministry has already announced special National Tourism Awards for Ang Lee, Director, and Yann Martel, author of the book “Life of Pi”, for promoting India through the film.Recognising the importance of cinema as a powerful tool for development and promotion of various tourist destinations, the ministry has undertaken several initiatives for promoting film tourism through films shot in India.

As per the campaign plan, “Land of Pi” posters will be displayed worldwide through India tourism offices overseas. They will also organise road shows to promote Indian destinations in China and Taiwan, where the film has been very well received. T-shirts and caps branding the two destinations of Pi will also distributed as per the massive campaign. Luxury buses plying between Chennai and Puducherry and Kochi and Munnar will be branded with “Land of Pi” creatives; Special “Land of Pi” tours and walking trails will be organised for tourists visiting Puducherry and Munnar. Also, short films on the tourist attractions in Puducherry and Munnar which have been depicted in the film have been created and being put on Youtube and other social media networks.

Source: India Today

abouTourism is the exclusive representative of TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index in SE Europe/Eastern Med Destinations. For more information you may contact us at: info@abouTourism.com or  (+30) 210 8941610.

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BRIC Visitors & Shopping – Global Competitive Survey

BRIC markets are teased by all destinations especially because they are seen as active shoppers. But is it a fact or a cliché?

New global competitive survey results report that BRIC tourists are actually shopping 30% more than average.

Based on its reference global benchmarking survey TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index, TCI Research confirms that over 25% of BRIC tourists mention shopping as main purpose of visit: it is twice as much as for other markets!

The survey also reports that more than 7  out of 10 BRIC visitors regularly shop during their stay, which is also 30% more vs average visitors.

Analyzing destinations’ brand experience however, countries and cities may need to extend shops’ opening days and hours if they wish to fully meet their expectations and emerge from competition:

Commenting on the results, TCI Research CEO Olivier Henry-Biabaud adds: “BRIC tourists are not only the fastest growing outbound markets: they also represent valuable visitors in terms of economic impact for destinations who will be able to attract them and meet their expectations better than others.

The “shopping fan” cliché usually associated to these markets is confirmed, however marketing the “BRICs” as a uniform segment is risky: each of the four markets has very specific expectations related to the shopping experience and other facets that drastically impact destinations’ competitiveness (visa and accessibility issues, safety feeling, accommodation, food, environment…).

About TCI Research 
TCI Research is a Brussels based leading independent research agency specializing in destinations’ competitiveness evaluation. It carries out the UNWTO Innovation Award Winning TRAVELSAT Index, a reference global competitive survey benchmarking countries, regions and cities’  brand experience,  helping public and private tourism decision makers increase efficiency of their policy, management and marketing by providing global and comparable demand data combining structured surveys and web social media conversations audits. 

abouTourism is the exclusive representative of TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index in Greece & SE Europe/Eastern Med Destinations. For more information you may contact us at: info@abouTourism.com or  (+30) 210 8941610.

Note: Don’t forget to Subscribe to the dedicated Blog Section of our website, to keep receiving your abouTourism Blog Post updates!

Global Tourism Survey: Visitors Expect Better Digital & Mobile Experience

Are m-tourism services and apps truly meeting visitors’ expectations?

Based on its reference global benchmarking survey TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index, TCI Research reports that destinations still have to improve m-tourism experience towards their visitors, pointing out that great technology is useless if it does not provide them the right content on the right time.

Image source: The Drum

With a Competitive Index hardly exceeding 100 (meaning just “Acceptable” on the TRAVELSAT Scale), digital hospitality today is not rated higher than the “Staff efficiency in Tourist Info Centers”.

However the survey highlights significant differences according to the destinations, markets and travel segments:

• North American and Pacific regions tend to offer a better experience than European destinations
• Digital services and mobile apps are powerful drivers of competitiveness amongst BRIC markets.
• Tourists coming for special motivations (cultural events, golf, shopping, parks…) tend to be more satisfied with digital hospitality experience during their stay.
• Apps and digital services quality should be improved for short stays in priority.
• Web influencers are happier than average with digital services…providing they have more abilities to find their way in the jungle of apps available!

Commenting on the results, TCI Research CEO Olivier Henry-Biabaud adds: “Competitive destinations are those able to find the right balance between digital and human-based hospitality services, each completing the other in a consistent way all along the visit. Paradoxically abounding development of mobile apps in the tourism sector may also loose visitors destinations make so many efforts to guide! Digital hospitality should better take into consideration fluctuant visitors’ information and assistance needs during the stay and Destination Management Organisations have a key role to play for clarifying existing applications available both at trip planning and visit stages. Expected benefits for those providing better m-tourism experience: increasing spending at destination, repeat visits and recommendation levels”.

Technical note: analysis extracted from the TRAVELSAT Competitive Index Survey based on 25 000+ representative international travellers (leisure, MICE and VFR) realized in 2011 and 2012 in 200+ destinations and markets.

About TCI Research
TCI Research is a Brussels based leading independent research agency specializing in destinations’ competitiveness evaluation. It carries out the UNWTO Innovation Award Winning TRAVELSAT Index, a reference global competitive survey benchmarking countries, regions and cities’  brand experience. TCI Research helps public and private tourism decision makers increase efficiency of their policy, management and marketing by providing global and comparable demand data combining structured surveys and web social media conversations audits. More on http://www.tci-research.com.

abouTourism is the exclusive representative of TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index in Greece & SE Europe/Eastern Med Destinations. For more information you may contact us at: info@abouTourism.com or  (+30) 210 8941610.

Note: Don’t forget to Subscribe to the dedicated Blog Section of our website, to keep receiving your abouTourism Blog Post updates!

Is Your Destination Truly Accessible?

New global competitive survey results show that 43% of international tourists with special needs are complaining during their stay.

Are destinations and tourism businesses truly efficient in welcoming tourists with special needs?

Based on its reference global benchmarking survey TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index, TCI Research reports that nearly half of international tourists with special needs traveling in the world have been in a situation to complain following to a negative experience during their stay. This percentage is almost twice as high as for average tourists.

Areas of complaint mostly focus on accommodation and transportation at destinations, generating also more negative experiences related to safety and health.

The survey also reports quite significant discrepancies in quality performances according to the destination visited.

TCI Research CEO Olivier Henry-Biabaud comments: “Many destinations and hotels promote “tourism for all” as part of their social responsibility agenda; however the challenge for improving experience in ground remains difficult to take up. Yet gaining competitiveness on this demanding segment is worth being encouraged since travelers with special needs can be very loyal, high spenders and influencers for shaping destinations and tourism industries’ social responsibility reputation”.

About TRAVELSAT Competitive Index©:
TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index is the reference, global and independent survey benchmarking international tourists’ experience and satisfaction in a standard way for all destinations. It monitors 80+ Satisfaction Indexes for over 200 destinations, markets and segments, based on representative opinion of tourists who experienced the destination. Awarded in 2011 by the UNWTO for its major contribution in tourism governance, TRAVELSAT© provides a innovative instrument for all national, regional and local tourism stakeholders willing to improve their competitiveness in a global and complex international competitive environment. More info here 

abouTourism is the exclusive representative of TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index in Greece & SE Europe/Eastern Med Destinations. For more information you may contact us at: info@abouTourism.com

Note: Don’t forget to Subscribe to the dedicated Blog Section of our website, to keep receiving your abouTourism Blog Post updates!

Global competitive survey: 3% of international tourists complaining with visa formalities

Global benchmarking survey TRAVELSAT© estimates that 3% of international tourists (*) have been in a situation to
complain following to a negative experience with their visa formalities.

TCI Research CEO Olivier Henry-Biabaud comments: “Living a negative experience with visa formalities directly impacts the tourists’ safety feeling seen a key driver of destinations’ quality competitiveness today. It also shapes destinations’ reputation and possibly stops potential visitors to travel if too restrictive or raising complaints. Provisional data also tend to show huge disparities according to markets and destinations. However reviewing the whole destination quality performances, the percentage of visa related complaints remains relatively limited compared to other areas such as the accommodation which generates over 10% of negative experiences in average.”

(*) Technical note: provisional estimate based on 3000+ past 6 month international visitors from the top 20 largest outbound markets.

About TRAVELSAT Competitive Index©:
TRAVELSAT© is the UNWTO Award winning reference, global and independent survey benchmarking international tourists’ experience and satisfaction in a standard way for all destinations. It monitors 80+ Quality Indexes for over 200 worldwide countries, markets and segments, based on representative opinion of tourists who experienced the destination. TRAVELSAT© provides an innovative instrument for destinations willing to improve their competitiveness, management and marketing in a global and complex international competitive environment. TRAVELSAT© data
are collected, controlled and provided by TCI Research, an independent research agency dedicated to survey-based tourism competitive intelligence.

More information on www.tci-research.com.
Contact:
Olivier Henry-Biabaud
TCI Research Ldt
18 rue Mareyde – 1150 Brussels (Belgium)
+32 476 70 11 25 olivier.henry-biabaud@tci-research.com

LAC Region Embraces Qualitative Research for Regional Tourism Development

It is always great news when we see that regional tourism cooperation is supported by establishing robust research processes to support sustainable tourism development and enhance cooperation amongst stakeholders.

The most recent example comes from Latin America, where OLACT a not-for-profit organization aiming at fostering cooperation within the Latin-American and Caribbean tourism industry, announced their official cooperation with TCI Research, the market research agency which offers tourism competitive intelligence combining traditional market research and digital data collection.

OLACT is a very promising regional cooperation initiative, aiming to encourage the development of regional cooperation within the Latin American and Caribbean tourism industry, to promote measures to protect the natural, cultural and social environment from the potential negative effects of the industry’s activities, and to improve the quality, supply and promotion of tourism related services.Both organizations aim to work together to increase knowledge and improve decision making in the Latin-America and the Caribbean tourism industry through the statistic tool known as TRAVELSAT Competitive Index©.

TRAVELSAT Competitive Index© benchmarks international tourists’ satisfaction and destination quality in a comparable and standard way supporting tourism governance. This tool is an innovative instrument for all national, regional and local tourism stakeholders to improve their competitiveness and attractiveness in a global and complex international tourism environment.

Source: www.olact.org

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abouTourism is the exclusive representative of TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index in Greece & SE Europe/Eastern Med Destinations. For more information contact us at: info@abouTourism.com or  (+30) 210 8941610.

Relevant Articles:

Know your Markets: Key Satisfaction Factors & 4 Tips by TRAVELSAT

Top Factors Influencing Destination Choice

TRAVELSAT gives 5 tips to EuroMed destinations for better meeting US Tourists’ expectations

Top Factors Influencing Destination Choice

International survey: 4 decisions out of 10 prompted by friends & relatives’ recommendation

We have all realized by now the power of reviews. It is probably a natural shift driven by the information overload that modern consumers have increasingly been facing for the past decades. Reviews and online opinions are essential to consumers in the travel-planning process and recent studies continue to show the trend that wants active social and mobile consumers preferring peer, independent reviews over the traditional channels and marketing campaigns.

As the most recent results from TRAVELSAT© benchmarking survey suggest, four out of ten international visitors actually choose their destination based on recommendations from their trusted inner circle. Since peer reviews are becoming the main decision making factor, it is important for destinations to focus on how to increase positive reviews and feedback from their current and future visitors by constantly developing their tourism products and services in line with the rising trends.

Provisional 2011 data. 15 000+ international tourists from 30+ markets and visiting a destination for the first time

Global benchmarking survey TRAVELSAT© reports that 38% of international tourists choose their destination based on friends & relatives’ recommendation. The viral channel remains the first driver in travelers’ decision making.

TCI Research CEO Olivier Henry-Biabaud comments: “With increasing destination choices offered to you as consumer and multiplied sources of information you may feel lost in, what your friend, relative or colleague will tell you will have much more impact than any other channel. Internet greatly influences choices for destinations but less as a source of information than as an instant feedback sharing communication tool with your trustworthy social network. Therefore destinations need first to make sure they delight their visitors today if they want to recruit more visitors tomorrow via a trust based viral effect”.

About TRAVELSAT Competitive Index©:

TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index is the reference, global and independent survey benchmarking international tourists’ experience and satisfaction in a standard way for all destinations, markets and traveller segments. It monitors 80+ Satisfaction Indexes for over 200 destinations, markets and segments, based on representative opinion of tourists who experienced the destination. Awarded in 2011 by the UNWTO for its major contribution in tourism governance, TRAVELSAT© provides a innovative instrument for all national, regional and local tourism stakeholders willing to improve their competitiveness in a global and complex international competitive environment. TRAVELSAT© data are collected, controlled and provided by TCI Research, an independent research agency dedicated to survey-based tourism competitive intelligence. More information available on http://www.tci-research.com

abouTourism is the exclusive representative of TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index in Greece & SE Europe/Eastern Med Destinations. For more information you may contact us at: info@abouTourism.com or  (+30) 210 8941610.

UNWTO announces 2011 Ulysses Prize and Award winners

abouTourism  is happy to announce that our partner company TCI Research has won a UNWTO Ulysses Award under the category for Innovation in Enterprises for the TravelSat Competitive Index (global survey benchmarking international tourists’ satisfaction and trip quality) 

The UNWTO Ulysses Awards reward initiatives and projects undertaken by public tourism institutions, tourism enterprises and non-profit institutions that have made a significant contribution to the advancement of tourism through innovation, in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.

The prestigious UNWTO Ulysses Prize will be awarded to Professor Kaye Chon, Dean and Chair Professor of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, for his outstanding contribution to tourism knowledge.

The 2011 UNWTO Ulysses Awards winners are as follows:

For Innovation in Governance:

• ChinaTourist Satisfaction Index – China Tourism Academy (China)
• Development of the ‘Ruta Moche’ as a Tourism Destination – Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (Peru)
• Environmental Certificate “Friend of the Environment Establishment” – Madeira Regional Secretariat for Tourism and Transport (Portugal)

For Innovation in Enterprises:

• The Artemisa project: transforming organic waste into biofuel for more sustainable tourism – Ingelia (Spain)
• Mayakoba Tourism Resort Mexico: sustainable and responsible tourism development – OHL Desarrollos (Mexico)
• TravelSat Competitive Index: global survey benchmarking international tourists’ satisfaction and trip quality – TCI Research (Tourism Competitive Intelligence) (Belgium)

For Innovation in Non-Governmental Organizations:

• Connecting People with the Environment, W James Whyte Island Reserve: tourists volunteering to protect biodiversity – Conservation Volunteers (Australia)
• Development of Accessible Tourism in Slovenia (PREMIKI): accessible tourism for those with special needs – SENT Slovenian Association for Mental Health (Slovenia)
• La route accessible (The Accessible Road): guided tours for people with disabilities  – KÉROUL (Canada)

Special Jury Awards to:

• Cultural Villages Development Project – Alghat Cooperative Association (Saudi Arabia)
• UruguayNatural.tv – Ministry of Tourism and Sport (Uruguay)
• European Cemeteries Route- Association of Significant Cemeteries in Europe (Italy)

The Ulysses Awards Ceremony will be one of several important events set to take place during the UNWTO Algarve Forum. The Forum represents a milestone in the theoretical and practical dimensions of tourism as it aims to debate the main issues and strategic challenges faced by tourism in the modern world. In doing so, it contributes to building a Global Consensus on Tourism Policy and Governance which will set a reference for any institution involved in the tourism sector.

The event, organized by the UNWTO Knowledge Network, is structured in three parallel sessions: (A) Development and Competitiveness, (B) Climate Change and Sustainability, and (C) Governance and Tourism Policy. The UNWTO Algarve Forum will also address strategic positioning as well as product and process innovation, among other topics.

The UNWTO Knowledge Network Scientific Committee will present three executive papers for discussion at the plenary sessions in Vilamoura and participants will be asked to vote on these important issues. The outcome of this participative process will set the framework for the UNWTO Algarve Consensus.

For more information : media.unwto.org, UNWTO Algarve Forum

AbouTourism announces official collaboration with TCI Research

24/03/2011, Athens, Greece: aboutourism, the international destination management and marketing consultancy announced its collaboration with the Brussels-based research company, TCI Research, as the exclusive representative of TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index in Greece & SE Europe/Eastern Med Destinations.

TRAVELSAT© Competitive Index, a key product of TCI Research, is an unrivaled benchmarking tool that offers tourism industry professionals vital information based on independent global feedback of tourists on over 80+ Satisfaction Indexes for over 100 destinations and markets.

“TravelSat Competitive Index, is an essential instrument for tourism destinations and fills a long sustained gap in qualitative tourism benchmarking in the region. We are optimistic that tourism decision makers seeking to enhance their marketing and competitive edge will incorporate it as part of their destination’s development, management & marketing process”, said aboutourism Managing Director & Founder Manolis Psarros.

TCI Research Founder & Managing Director Olivier Henry-Biabaud adds: “With aboutourism joining the network of regional TRAVELSAT partners, tourism organizations and stakeholders can combine the benefits a global standard survey with customized local expertise. Benchmarking is essential for SE Europe/Eastern Med Destinations to improve further their competitiveness.”

TRAVELSAT© is the only global professional survey offering: A reference global norm measuring tourists’ satisfaction; Independent data collection; Benchmark instrument designed for tourism stakeholders; 80+ competitive indexes reporting visitors’ experience; 100+ markets and traveller segments; Large and relevant benchmark (geographical & motivational); Standard methodology (2 years of validation process); Customised reporting (all destinations’ needs and sizes); Multiple applications such as marketing, policy making, communication.

More specifically, TRAVELSAT© answers questions such as:

Which accommodation types generate the highest and lowest satisfaction levels vs competitive destinations?

Do satisfied visitors envisage coming back to the same region or exploring other areas?

Who are the segments spreading good reputation of my destination vs other destinations?
And who are my detractors ? Which competitive destinations delight them today?

How do I perform on quality criteria related to sustainability and environment vs Euromed norms? And who is best-in-class in these areas?

And many more…systematically benchmarking results of destinations in their specific competitive environment.

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How it Works

A scalable service fitting each needs & resources

• Customized Snapshort Report “on demand”
• Annual subscription fee – 24/7 dynamic online data reporting
• Quarterly data update
• Added value Report & Presentation by your local expert

Optional Services

• Exclusives questions
• Domestic module (TRAVELSAT© applied on domestic visitors)
• Support for data based promotional actions (PR, Lobbying…)

Report example for destination: Greece

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aboutourism is an Athens based, newly-formed destination development & marketing consultancy with a regional focus on South Eastern & Eastern Mediterranean Regions. A one-stop-shop for tourism boards, destination management organizations and tourism professionals associations, our passion is to help destinations succeed by providing specific solutions & implementation support in every stage of the destination’s development, management & marketing process. Further info at: http://www.aboutourism.com.

TCI Research is an independent research company based in Brussels, specializing in survey-based evaluation in the public and private tourism sectors. The company assists tourism stakeholders improve their performance and competitiveness through a better understanding of the traveller’s opinion and behaviours. The company collects reliable data based on surveys and observations to provide independent and professional analysis, with a special focus on the competitive environment of their clients.They develop a unique range of methodologies measuring travellers experience, destination performance and reputation, branding and communication. Further info at: http://www.tci-research.com.

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