The word “experience” comes from the Latin word “experiential” and is defined as a way of participating in or feeling an event. The word “tourist”, on the other hand, refers to a place that is attractive and likely to be visited by people. So, if we join these two words together, we get the phrase tourist experience which could be summarized, literally, as enjoying a travel product or service.
Because it is not about selling just an article but an emotion in order to fulfil the customer's desire, it’s about anticipating their needs. This is not hard for the tourism market because of its allies: destinations that with their magic, views, colors, and natural elements are a magnet to attract locals and, most importantly, tourists.
Steps to Create a Tourist Experience
The most important thing to create tourist experiences is to define the personality of the product or service, always taking into account what the consumer expects from it. As a hotel or a travel company in the industry, we must put ourselves in the customer's shoes to know exactly what they want.
The personalized attention, which makes each customer feel unique, to make them feel as they are enjoying a product made especially for them, details that make the difference, such as offering them the type of milk they like at breakfast, taking into account their preferences, intolerances or allergies; this will make the guest feel cared for and increase their level of satisfaction.
Here are the seven essential steps to creating good tourist experiences:
Define the Customer Profile
We must leave aside the concepts of the product or service and lean more towards the side of the experience, it is essential to define the target audience, taking into account variables such as profile, when and how they travel, how they get the information for their trips, etc. Experts say that it is critical to have more than one offer, as there is no one product that fits everyone.
Set the Product
When a customer is in the process of making a decision, not only his/her rationality comes into play, but also his/her emotions. Hence, the importance of complementary components, that is, those factors that make your experience different from that of the competition.
Set the Price
The price chosen should be a sign of what the consumer is going to get once the purchase has been made, the price does not necessarily have to be a fixed cost. Experts advise to always think about the value of the experience in terms of two people, because it is the most common type of trip.
Take Seasons into Account
The different seasons of the year should set a guideline when designing a product or experience. However, it is of utmost importance to create services that can be offered 365 days of the year, since they contribute to positioning the brand in a specific segment.
Specify the Communication Channels
The customer who is a regular on Facebook may not be a regular on Instagram, but he or she is on the Internet. For this reason, it is necessary to identify which channel you will use to reach the customer.
Plan Marketing and Promotion
Partnering with online agencies, metasearch engines, tour operators, among others, is a good strategy to market the experience. Of course, do not neglect offline direct sales or sales through your own website.
Evaluation and Renewal of Services
Experts recommend reviewing the tourist experiences every six months by means of short customer surveys. This will allow you to measure their level of satisfaction and, at the same time, make the appropriate changes.