What are forward-thinking tour operators, DMOs and travel planners investing in now to help ensure their success for the future?
Pantuso: They’re throwing the old tour book away. They’re not throwing the baby out with the bathwater, but they’re doing things differently for different segments. There may be some products they offer that work well for the traditional traveler, but today’s traveler is different. The millennials and baby boomers and the segments in between don’t want to travel the way my parents did. They have less time. They may want to take an Uber on their own when they get to a destination.
I think the sharing economy is a huge opportunity going forward. You have to be attuned to it and recognize where it is right now. If you want to attract a new spectrum of people, you have to figure out how to use it right.
Dale: Those who are forward thinking are really prioritizing digital strategy. It needs to be a pretty strategic and comprehensive one. We have a responsibility to help drive home that message, so next year, in the first quarter, we’re doing our first-ever digital marketing academy for a day and a half. We’ll bring in expert speakers and talk about best practices. If you don’t have this on your radar screen, your relevance is going to diminish.
Inman: The international market is key. I asked the chairs of six of our leadership teams where they’re predicting growth, and half of them referred to international inbound: Asia, China and India, in particular. Other leaders say they need to invest more in the niche tour markets: loyalty programs and partnering with like-minded companies to work together. And technology is on the forefront of their minds, so we’re looking for some different types of outreach or companies that could assist our members with these issues.
Assante: They’re investing in responsive registration and payment platforms to make it easy for customers to work with them. They’re using mobile apps for crisis management, with GPS to track students. They’re using apps like WhatsApp or text groups to communicate with students and parents. They’re using digital marketing to find new customers, and understanding the millennial teacher and traveler, as they will be their future customers.
