tech bytes
Four Trends That Could Have A Massive Impact On Tourism Businesses In Windsor Essex By Adriano Ciotoli, WindsorEats
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o say COVID has had a monstrous impact on small businesses in tourism would be a massive understatement. To put it bluntly, 2020 and 2021 were a nightmare and we are fully expecting and preparing for the 2022 tourism season to be somewhat similar. But it’s not all doom and gloom! There are still beacons of opportunity shining through the cracks waiting for someone to identify and latch on to. So what trends are we expecting to impact Windsor Essex tourism in 2022? 1. Experiential tourism is far from new and has been happening for many years now, but it’s still growing. Did you know that 73% of our vivid memories (Ideas.Ted.com January 14, 2020) come from first-time experiences or unique events? This is an important cue for companies looking to make themselves memorable to customers who have been experience-deprived during the pandemic. For WindsorEats, we believe it’s about engaging, educating, inspiring and evoking emotions. It’s about taking our guests beyond the traditional tourist activities and immersing guests within the stories themselves, creating and building emotional connections between you, your story, your product and your guests. 2. Destination DNA is vital. According to Destination Think: “Simply stated, a destination’s DNA is the definition of its intrinsic character, the meaning that people ascribe to it, or more often, a mixture of both elements . . . the DNA definition of your place is the essential
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authenticity test for all your marketing.” We think it’s absolutely great to be niche. In fact it’s encouraged, because when you try to be everything to everyone, you become nothing to no one. The belief that WindsorEats, and many tourism experts around the globe follow, is that identifying and embracing your unique selling proposition is key to paving the roadway to success. Focus on what truly separates you from the crowd and absolutely own it. Through our research, WindsorEats has identified a unique tourism identifier that can set Windsor apart, making us a top of mind destination . . . whisky. Whisky tourism is booming and as a result, since 2015, WindsorEats’ goal has been to create a foundation of whisky experiences complementing our region’s unique DNA and history through developing experiential tourism, marketing and branding Windsor as Whiskytown Canada. 3. Revenge travel could potentially be a major issue for Windsor Essex. What is revenge travel? It’s the act of making up for lost time, as well as lost opportunities. With so many birthdays, weddings, honeymoons, and vacations having been missed out on during the pandemic, many people are looking to make up for all the things we missed and the lost time and they’re expected to strike back with a vengeance to check off their bucket lists. A recent survey by The Vacationer found that more than a quarter of people plan to
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travel more than they used to post‑COVID, and another report from TripAdvisor.com, revealed that more than a third of travellers say travelling to a destination they have not previously visited is more important now than ever before. People exploring, in this instance, might not be a good thing for Windsor Essex. We could see a struggle in attracting Ontarians from north of Chatham. There’s also a belief American visitors from Michigan and Ohio will be very slow returning, which could result in a reduced number of visitors to our region. Throw in that Windsorites will likely be escaping to other destinations to achieve their own revenge travel and it doesn’t paint the prettiest of pictures for local tourism businesses. 4. Great Lakes cruising is about to boom. WindsorEats has been dealing with cruise ship dockings in Windsor and Detroit for over 10 years now and we see this as a missed opportunity, as well as a potential one, to redeem ourselves. The big players in the industry are bullish on Great Lakes cruising. 2022 should see the start of a massive boom in Great Lakes cruising with six brands scheduled to set sail this spring and summer, with many others in the process of completing or starting new ship builds just for cruising. Estimates put passenger capacity up approximately 40%, for 2022. It’s extremely vital to know that these cruise ships are not a one-size fits all solution, as they each want to be able to offer something
