Experiential Tourism Christin Grothaus, Michael Biedassek Bangkok Vanguards
Introduction *by TAT* •
Christin finished her studies in educational science in Germany and conducted her thesis on Thai and German intercultural education and psychology in Thailand. She is now holding seminars on education, intercultural management and languages and is working as a journalist for a travel, culture and lifestyle magazine.
•
Michael finished his apprenticeship in Hotel and Hospitality Management in Germany. In Thailand he studies linguistic and is working as a language teacher. He has been collecting data on Bangkok and his family’s home province Samut Sonkhram for over 13 years and develops ideas on how his resources and expertise can benefit visitors in the age of social media.
•
Christin and Michael met at university in Bangkok. Ever since, they have been discussing, exchanging and melting their ideas on tourism in Thailand with the aim to develop concepts for a start-up tour operator and agency called bangkokvanguards within the fields of experiential tourism. Today both would like to reflect on the Trends and Potential of Experiential Tourism and the importance of responding to these changes.
?
Experiential tourism What is experiential Tourism
?
It is our emotional response to our journey through time and space It shows and involves rather than describes! It is the opposite of mass tourism! It is personal and it is individual! The visitor is no longer sideline as a passive spectator but he becomes an active participant of the experience!
Experiential tourism Today’s Trends Today’s Trends Activity based tourism, the era of -,ing tours encouraging to participate and promoting activities that draw people into cultures, communities and outdoors to stage the experience cycling – bird watching – cooking – hiking – camping – kayaking – rock climbing – diving – snorkeling – sailing
Past Trends Destination based tourism Visitors are drawn by the top sights and destinations Koh Samui, Chiang Mai, Koh Phi Phi, Wat Phra Kaew…
Experiential tourism
• Urbanization and the rise of the creative class • Changing travelers needs and interests, away from main stream, away from commercialized and unauthentic products • Shift towards authentic, traditional goods and services, resulting in the emergence of the experienced based traveler. • Shift from active holidays to holidays with experience • Growth of the experience economy. Experience as the most advanced form of being different • Need for sustainable, local, economical development
Experiential tourism What does experiential tourism mean for the tourists?
People one meets…
Places one visits…
Activities they participate…
Accommodation one stays…
and the memories created!
People one meets •
The traditional way: Visitors got to know local mostly as waiters, hotel staff, taxi drivers and guides
•
The new way: Visitors seek out for contact, the engage and interact with locals and with travelers they meet on a variety of levels and occasions. They travel to and stay in or near local communities , are part of local life and activities and share these experiences with travel companions. Visitors learn first hand from the people about their culture, traditions and customs.
Why is Thailand the ideal place? Thailand is not only home to diverse cultural and ethnic groups but its people possess all the qualities that make a journey unforgettable. Open-mindedness, kindness, renowned hospitality and friendliness set the perfect foundation for a cultural exchange and a growing number of service provider facilitate interaction and exchange between Thais and visitors in a great number of unique travel experiences.
Places one visits •
The traditional way Visitors were offered a selection of the most popular or famous sights. The “Must Go or Must See Places” such as Wat Phra Kaew, Chiang Mai, Phuket and other main tourist destination.
•
The new way First time visitors are of course still drawn to the main attractions but the emphasis is shifting away from iconic attractions towards lesser known destinations. Lesser-known destinations can offer rich, engaging and compelling experiences every bit as good if not better than major destinations. Travelers want to experience and see something different, they want to seek places off the beaten track, to connect to the environment and to experience something authentic that places overrun by tourists can’t provide. This includes the areas and the method by which they are traveling as well as the places they stay.
Why is Thailand the ideal place? Even though Thailand has a highly developed tourist infrastructure, the locations most popular with tourists represent only a fraction of the of the places one can visit. Owing to its geographical setting, Thailand boasts diverse natural resources, from the mountain ranges in the north, the central plain with its rivers and endless paddy fields and orchards, to the beaches, islands, plantations and lime-stone rock formations in the south not counting the rich cultural heritage reflected in countless communities and stunning locations which leaves incredible room for exploration and escape to places off the beaten track. Thailand has: • 3,219 km of coast line • Hundreds of islands • 102 national parks (of which 21 are maritime) • 7 UNESCO world heritage sites and 12 more sites being proposed • The SCUBA Travel list of the 100 best dive site voted Thailand on 8th place •Thailand has one of the best climbing sites in Asia.
Accommodation one stays
• •
• •
• •
The traditional way Accommodations pre-arranged in their packages Hotels and resorts (three to five star category)
The new way Increase in the range of accommodation such as boutique hotels, resorts and home-stays Due to their setting (location), the designs, concepts and feels of the new generation of hotels are a popular alternative to established hotels and resorts. Providing Individualism and privacy away from the main tourist streams Include programs and activities that enhance the experience of the guests
Why Thailand is the ideal place for that? Thailand’s range of accommodation to suit all needs, expectations, budgets and tastes is unmatched in the region. Thailand provide an experience to its visitors due to the engrained hospitality and service-mind of the Thai people, the architectural designs and concepts and thus catering perfectly to the variety of travelers visiting the kingdom
Activities they participate The traditional way • Package tours • Travelers were guided from one attraction to the next attraction • Relaxation and sightseeing • Low level involvement.
The new way • travelers are increasingly focused on opportunities to connect with a unique, natural and cultural heritage. • More tour providers cater to this growing number of tourists • Offering tours that encompass diverse, authentic experience • Providing new knowledge and a sense of personal accomplishment.
Why Thailand is the ideal place for that? Thailand has the infrastructure and the tour operators to provide tours that include activities that meet the needs of experience based travelers. A growing number of provider in the niche tourism markets do not only cater to diverse interests of visitors but they also fulfill the shared goal of expanding one’s personal horizon.
Niche tourism include:
offered
in
Thailand
• adventure tourism (rafting, climbing, etc.) • nature tourism • eco tourism • heritage tourism • wildlife watching (birding, safaris, etc.) • sports tourism (cycling, golf, etc.) • social tourism • volunteerism • spiritual tourism
Experiential tourism
Educational
Tomorrows Tourism
Entertainment
Esthetic
Escapist
Sustainable
Experiential Tourism Preconditions for Tomorrows Tourism •
Trends towards sustainable, developmental tourism
•
Raising awareness to sustain Thailand’s resources instead of destroying them
•
Support responsible tourism
Experiential Tourism Tomorrows Potential Cultural Creatives Backpackers
Intellectuals
Artists
Post consumerist
Urban professionals
Creative class
The motivation
Experiential Tourism Thailand’s Potential
Experiential Tourism Tomorrows Potential Experience stores memories
Experiential Tourism Tomorrow’s Potential Memory Storage • We will remember because it is different • We will remember because we are involved Involvement of the tourists Show it to me and I see it… tell it to me and I hear it….let me do it and I will remember it. Personal involvement of the tourist guides Memory storage…we will remember what others tell us… 7 percent by spoken words, 23 percent by tone of voice and 70 percent by their body language, which is stronger when being personally involved. Thus people will remember stories of those guides who are personally involved.
Experiential Tourism Tomorrows Potential
Social Memory Our story survives with the people that share our experience Learning is in the relationships between people. As McDermott (in Murphy 1999) Learning is in the conditions that bring people together and organize a point of contact that allows for particular pieces of information to take on a relevance without the points of contact, without the system of relevancies, there is not learning, and there is little memory.
Transferring images and the potential of the target group •
Cultural creatives will transfer and their image with those who discuss Thailand tours. Through active discussion particularly in online networks each visitor with a positive experience becomes a potent ambassador of Thailand
Experiential Tourism Tomorrows Potential Memory Process - Experiential Tourism • Storing memories by capturing them with… • Storing memories and spread by sharing them with….
Media, New Technologies
Experiential Tourism Tomorrows Potential Harnessing the power of media and new technologies
•
bangkokvanguards is our response to future trends in tourism. It stands for fusing experiential and sustainable tourism with social media by utilizing and fine-tuning various technologies under our own distinct creative and social signature in order to create travel experiences that build lasting memories and a lasting impact on Thailand.
Experiential Tourism Tomorrow’s Potential We are no longer only consumers but also producers. We have become active participants in our experience and our memories can be captured by various means of media and their stories delivered in forms of
Words
Music
Pictures
Videos
The trends… we have: • • •
the resources to create meaningful and relevant content (your experience in Thailand) the creativity and instruments to combine the power of words, music, pictures and videos and outlets for our creativity and the tools to share and spread stories and information…
Experiential Tourism Tomorrows Potential Memories can be shared by Social Media get connected
build a community
find your peers
transfer the image
marketing
listen engage
spread the word
join the discussion collaborate
inform
share
be good
Welcome to the revolution
Years to reach 50 million users‌ Radio = 38 years
TV = 13 years
Internet = 4 years
i pod = 3 years
Facebook added 100 million users in less than 9 months!! If Facebook were a country it would be the 4th largest in the world 1. China 2. India 3. USA 4. Facebook
What happens in Thailand, stays on‌
> > > > > >
There are over 200,000,000 blogs and over 54% of bloggers post content or tweet daily Approximately 130 million users, myspace is popular among artists Approximately 350 million users 100,000,000 videos, it’s the 2.largest search engine 35 million members and a staggering 3.5 billion pictures 54% of bloggers post content or tweet daily. Some tweeter user have more Twitter followers than the entire population of Ireland, Norway and Panama.
World of mouth Michele Bauwens • Peer to Peer Expert and founder of the Foundation for Peerto-Peer Alternatives • His tweets belong the top 2% of the most retweeted content on Twitter • He used to be an analyst for the United States Information Agency, knowledge manager of BP (British Petroleum and eBusiness strategy manager for Belgacom Michele’s analyses of the trend? = From “top-down to bottom up”! “More people will trust peer recommendations rather than advertising” 25% of search results for the World’s top twenty largest brands are links to user-generated content! They’re talking about you!
34% of all bloggers post opinions about products and brands
What do they say about Thailand?
What do we do about it? - We engage the community Forums Community platforms Network sites - We create a platform to involve the community Photo contests Projects Exchange of ideas, tips and stories - We give to the community, we use our creative media approach to provide not only information but also a profound and positive picture of Thailand Our videos Our music Our words Our pictures - We are part of the community We are peers