QUESTIONS
If you operate tours in more than one country, how
would you compare national tourism marketing programs?
Insufficient and those who promote with no knowledge, usually
they are not professionals of tourism
Costa Rica's national marketing programs are effective, Panama's
less effective but has good PR and the canal brings in tourism,
Nicaragua's is ineffective because there are too many players
working in opposite directions, both in government and private.
Peru has an excellent promotional campaign. Costa Rica doesn't
seem to need one. Guatemala's has worked with us on one campaign
and I was impressed at their approach. Chile and Argentina equal
with each other. Belize needs some major work - mostly they
promote how many cruise visitors or airline passengers arrived.
Panama - not much seems to be happening. Ecuador, same thing.
Bolivia is non-exist ant.
Widely varied. Some do a good job of featuring quality tourism
and travel experiences, especially nature tourism, or in the
case of Turkey meaningful cultural tourism.
On a scale of 1-5 (1 being the least, 5 being the most)
please rate your level of satisfaction with the official tourism
website in the county where you operate tours.
Promoting your tours - 1.33
Promoting tourism overall in your country - 2.44
On a scale of 1-5 (1 being the least, 5 being the most)
please rate how satisfied you are with official government tourism
campaigns in the country where you work.
National promotion - 2.5
International promotion - 2.6
On a scale of 1-5 (1 being the least, 5 being the most)
please rate how satisfied you are with the promotion of responsible
tourism where you operate tours.
National promotion - 1.5
International promotion - 1.5
Do you know the name or names of the PR agencies contracted
by the government to promote tourism? And if so, do you have
any comments about their work?
I do not know them ... They change on a regular basis ....
They have shown limited interest ... Yes, but they are not open
(acciones la maneja un grupo cerrado).
Do you have any specific suggestions on how promotion
of tourism and responsible tourism could be improved where you
work?
By organizing a group of true professionals as advisors and
proposing a master program for the year and for the future.
The government needs to promote our area , Costa Maya as a
natural, ecological area and not as a cruise ship town. they
need to create more responsible policies about ecotourism and
monitor high impact activities such as speed boats, wave runners
etc. Their focus is being compromised by big business operators.
Need to coordinate with main associations of adventure travel
and ecotourism, plus with each state promotional trust to explain
why this segments are important.
Yes, in Panama we need to create sustainable certifications
for tour operators and eco-lodges. We also need to train guides,
drivers, owners of lodges, tour operators in the responsible
tourism business.
Move away from the western-style forms of entertainment that
people can find in Miami...and feature the wonderful products
and traditions of Crete in a respectful and exciting way. That
is not a "traditional" dinner for 200 foreigners with
residents balancing raki glasses on their heads...and everyone
getting sloppy drunk. Local authorities and residents need to
see the big picture of how much environmental damage and cultural
heritage damage these horrible resorts have caused, and continue
to cause. Supporting sustainable organic agriculture is one
major solution. One seriously damaged area on the northern coast,
Malia, might have "a lot" of tourists, but are they
really sustaining the local economy?
Local authorities need to ACTUALLY support local businesses
involved in cultural heritage preservation. That's the little
village taverna owners, the organic farmers, the textile weavers,
etc. These guys are struggling to stay afloat. They cannot offer
good service because they cannot afford to pay more staff. They
need to upgrade their tavernas...and keep them spotless...to
attract upscale clients. That requires training and funding.
I cannot tell you how many wonderful tavernas I've been to,
but I cannot take foreign visitors their because the kitchen
is filthy and so are the bathrooms
Primero dejar a un lado los intereses económicos de
las grandes operaciones. en segundo lugar la unica manera de
mejorar es sacar estas palabras del discurso y poner acciones
claras para la promoción y venta de los programas.
They probably need people/agencies who better understand the
nature of the more up-market, high-educated traveler willing
to spend more money for higher quality tourism who can relate
to a well-expressed campaign about meaningful and authentic
travel experiences.
Do you have any suggestions on how tourism can be improved
in protected areas? If marketing plays a role, let us know what
you recommend.
There needs to be more information for tourists on what not
to do in the protected areas and more of what you can see. I
also think there should be promotion between parks. On the park
brochures back page should say "If you like this park,
you should check out...."
Better local controls need to be instituted and the tourism
industry should support this, not fight it. Marketing should
play a role by informing travelers that these places are being
protected, but if not, in how they should be protected, particularly
by educating the traveler to expect protection.
All protected areas in Greece need much better coordination
and support from the local and national government.
The government needs to promote our region as a natural, ecological
area and not as a cruise ship town. They need to create more
responsible policies about ecotourism and monitor high impact
activities such as speed boats, wave runners etc. Their focus
is being compromised by big business operators.
Marketing juega un rol importante en cualquier lugar donde se
opere turismo. Creo que para que mejore el turismo es necesario
que existe el compromiso de las autoridades y generar sinergias
entre sus mismas instituciones publicas a cargo, y luego integrar
el sector privado y comunidades.
By inviting the tourist to do voluntary work
Trips to Chinchorro, the second largest reef in the world is
close by and there are plans to run fast high speed boats there
for the cruise chip tourists. We need to market this area as
a protected area and create policies to ensure it is not overrun
.
Precisely through specific marketing campaigns that do not only
last three months. It takes time to position an area for ecotourism.
Also as part of the marketing efforts we should attend international
conferences of the specific niche markets we want to develop,
such as educational travel, birdwatching, hiking, kayaking and
the outdoors.
In protected areas the tourism industry should work closely
with the communities in the areas. Also in the creation of new
projects is important to involve the communities as partners
and not just as workers.
No Marketing but preservation, the money is not all we can have,
if keep going like this we will make a big impact in the protected
areas in Ecuador
All protected areas in Greece need much better coordination
and support from the local and national government. WWF Greece
may have better information.
More control, education and restrictions to protect them. This
is certainly the case in areas like Galapagos and the Inca Trail.
Governments are trying, but more can be done. It would also
be helpful if they promoted other sites in order to lessen the
pressure on the most popular protected areas.
The different authorities should be in consensus of what can
be done in a protected area. In the Celestún Biosphere Reserve
there are so many interests involved and no consensus, that
tears the objective apart and will probably destroy the habitat.
There are lots of documents that state the rules on what is
permissible and what is not, but specially when local people
are involved, law and order is not observed. Much less is political
issues are on stake. Of course, marketing plays a role, as good
infrastructure and proper signaling does.
Do you participate in any trade shows? If so, feel free
to add any comments about particular events.
I have been to Tiangus and found it disappointing as the focus
is to put travel packages together for the large operators.
there is little focus on small hotels or low impact areas. Obviously,
the large hotels and large tour companies run the show. some
of the forums were insightful
The Go Abroad Fair in Toronto, Canada. We think this is an excellent
trade show because it markets to 16 - 24 year olds that want
to travel while making a difference.
I went to IATOS, but that stopped working. Adventures in travel
had poor results. Mexico's expo Aventura has not really worked
Recent participation at the New York Times Trade show: There
was very little mention of responsible travel at that huge convention
center. There was only one forum for ecotourism, which was not
well attended. At the invitation of the Greek Tourist Office,
Nikki Rose, Crete's Culinary Sanctuaries Founder and Director
presented a slide show on CCS eco-agritourism programs with
emphasis on Responsible Travel. The audience is still "new"
to responsible travel, yet it was well received. However, most
travelers at that show were looking for cheap deals to Greece
or cruise holidays. The Adventures in Travel Expos has done
great things to promote responsible travel with excellent speakers.
The Hermes Expo (Greek businesses) in Atlantic City made no
mention of responsible travel. There were several cultural heritage
preservation organizations there, but most of their work is
in promoting Ancient Greece...which does not exist anymore,
of course. Very few exhibitors grasp the notion of responsible
travel or current mass tourism problems in Greece. Development...more
development and western styles of tourism was the primary focus.
Estamos en una etapa de prueba de ferias, creo que depender
solamente de una feria que se supone que funciona como es el
LTM es limitante. Creo que mi comentario va hacia mi interés
en conocer cómo los operadores internacionales y los
ecoturistas deciden su compra para maximizar la inversión
en mercadeo y ventas.
Trade shows seem to be very good for tourism departments. I
think they are less useful for small companies, but when a country
can have a big presence, I think that sticks in people's minds.
I have participated in national as well as international trade
shows. Mexico's last Tianguis in Acapulco was a big fiasco (not
so, the one of 2005). An access code to the Tianguis web site
was not given, so that I could not make the proper appointments.
The whole Yucatan booth was almost empty all the time - a waste
of time and effort. The ITB has always been a disappointment
- Mexico as a whole is very badly represented. Why does SECTUR
not invest a little bit more in embellish the stand? Mexico
has so much to offer, why not show it?
|
