Étiquette : events

Catégories
Accommodation

The New Generation of Lifestyle Hotels

hotel-restaurant_lifestyle

The new generation of hotels is focusing on innovation by developing hotel concepts or updating existing ones. The so-called lifestyle hotel is a good example of this trend; while examples of this type of hotel have existed for several years, they are now preparing to benefit from the winds of change sweeping through the hotel industry. Read on to learn how three hotel groups have interpreted the lifestyle hotel trend.

 

 

M Beta: revamped, customized spaces

The Charlotte Marriott City Center was fully renovated in 2016. In fact, the renovation was so complete, they’re calling it the second iteration M Beta as they gather customer feedback on what works and what doesn’t. (Further details in the first part of the analysis, Comment l’hôtel de demain est-il pensé ?). With a budget of $16M, room design was completely reinvented by installing modular furniture and adding a variety of high-tech tools. Customers can access their Netflix or Hulu account from the guest-room TV and use a tablet to order from room service. One whole floor is devoted to StayWell rooms that feature amenities such as: aromatherapy, a shower head with chlorine filter, lighting that emulates natural outdoor light, and hypoallergenic bedding.

Local ingredients are showcased in the restaurant, the bar can act as a co-working space during the week and the café is designed to support interaction (see photo, below). The café provides free workspaces and has a retail space where upmarket foods are sold.

hotel-Marriott-Charlotte-City_Center

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

A new bottle shop sells wines to both guests and locals and the gym features a digital system with over 600 exercise programs displayed on a giant screen. The check-in can be done through the brand’s mobile app, with one of the tablets made available to guests in the reception hall, or with a hotel employee.

reception_de_lhotel_Marriott_Charlotte_City_Center

Source: Marriott

Aparthotels Adagio: where the community itself becomes part of the attraction

According to a recent study of guest expectations conducted by Aparthotels Adagio, these now include a desire to interact with others and to feel a sense of belonging. Based on study results, a brand-new customer experience concept was tested in one of the properties for ten days. Because the goal was to transform the apartment-hotel into a living space with strong community ties, the company asked both guests and locals to try out the new facilities and features. To reinforce that “at-home” feeling, these new features include a shared kitchen, a delicatessen, a supply of objects guests can use to decorate the apartment, wine tastings, cooking and activity classes and foosball matches.

Aparthotel_Adagio_teste-un-nouveau-concept

Source: Aparthotels Adagio

Other properties are trying out other services, such as delivering meals from local and gourmet restaurants, dinners with locals,

Aparthotels Adagio wants to focus as much on the destination as on the hotel

cycling or Segway tours of the surrounding area, and a mobile app with the kind of information that allows visitors to feel more like a resident. Aparthotels Adagio wants to focus as much on the destination as on the hotel. The group will use the results of the customer experience tests to roll out the most popular services across the entire network.

JO&JOE: Focus on mingling

In September 2016, AccorHotels unveiled its innovative new brand, JO&JOE: a cross between youth hostels and apartment hotels. These yet-to-be-built hotels have been dubbed “Open Houses”, where the focus is on creating spaces for living and shared experiences.

The focus is on creating spaces for living and shared experiences

The concept is aimed specifically at millennials, whether they’re a “Townster” (local resident) or “Tripster” (an explorer from out of town).

Common areas promote relaxation and spontaneous interaction. The reception desk is gone; guests enter at the bar; there’s an outdoor “Playground” for events, and the “Happy House” (see picture, below), a private areas for guests only, will be used to relax, work, cook or even do their laundry. The large tables in the shared kitchen promote togetherness and sharing.

JO&JOE_AccorHotels

Source: AccorHotels

The brand also offers a variety of innovative forms of accommodation for guests traveling solo, in couple, in a family or as a group. The “Together” format provides shared, modulable sleeping spaces, while the “Yours” format is a room or apartment for two to five people with a private bathroom and (sometimes) a kitchen area (see picture, below). Last, there are the “OOO” options (for “Out Of the Ordinary”). As the name implies, this means unusual accommodation, including yurts, hammocks and caravans, and varies from one property to the next.

grande-chambre_JO&JOE_AccorHotels

Source: AccorHotels

Naturally, this innovative new concept for millennials has its own booking app! The community-oriented, experiential tool helps users organize events, share recommendations of must-see places, create groups with other guests for where to go and what to do, and chat with JO&JOE staff.

The plan is to build a portfolio of 50 properties, with the first ones due to open in 2018. The brand is part of AccorHotel’s new lifestyle division, also comprising the Mama Shelter and 25hours brands. In designing these new-generation hostels, JO&JOE is positioning itself in a niche market already well populated with new players, and is also entering into direct competition with Airbnb.

Because the new living spaces focus on mingling and experiencing local culture, each hotel can guarantee a unique experience. This trend of focusing on local elements has spread to all sectors of the tourism industry, and is manifestly here to stay.

 

Image on first page:  Pexels.com

Catégories
Products and activities

Successful events now rely on getting the participants involved

Engagez participants evenements

The Tourism Intelligence Network was asked to give a workshop at the Salon de L’Organisateur, put on as part of the SATQ-FEQ conference on Quebec festivals, events and tourist attractions, held November 8, 2016. The workshop title was Rethinking Your Business Meetings (Réinventez vos réunions d’affaires). The information below was presented in the section on delegate engagement.

Actively engage with your participants

Getting participants involved in your event means actively engaging with them. Today’s delegates are no longer interested in one-way communication; they want to share their ideas rather than listen passively, so you need to start thinking about them as active participants rather than passive spectators. Ideally, events should offer 10- to 15-minute mini-conferences and small group sessions, both of which are conducive to knowledge and skills sharing. These should be interspersed with group work to help the audience stay focussed. Physical activity not only improves participants’ health and well-being, it can also enhance learning, help people clarify their goals, stay awake, connect with other participants, and simply have fun.

EMEC participation active

Source : EMEC

Engage with them on social networks

Prior to the event, use social media to announce or solicit participant feedback on the line-up of events, sell advance tickets, and give special discounts or rewards. 

Create a hashtag 

Choose a hashtag and get the word out to your participants. It should be short, relevant and available (i.e., make sure it is not already being used). Share it on your social networks and encourage your participants to use it when posting photos on Instagram or tweeting on Twitter. You can also help them share information with a “Tweet this” link or button. Frontwall – which includes all the photos, comments, shares, etc. using the same hashtag from all social networks – is your new best friend, as it will generate and maintain excitement about your meeting or event. Remember to use your influencers before, during and even after the event. Ask them to use your hashtag on their own networks to provide your event with additional visibility.

successfull_meeting

Source: Successful Meetings

Say it with games 

Why not encourage your participants to connect with you on social networks through games?

Once you have established your event’s purpose, decide how a game could help you achieve it. If your event is a trade show, you could organize a scavenger hunt and ask participants to share their discoveries on Instagram or Twitter. Or, how about a quiz? Participants can collect stamps by correctly answering questions about the exhibitors; the person with the most stamps wins!

Another winning strategy is to hold a photo contest as part of your networking event, where the person who takes a group selfie with the most people wins a prize. This is a terrific ice-breaker and will create great memories for all involved. Yet another way to get them talking to each other is by rewarding the participant who collects the most business cards. The possibilities of gamification are endless.

Say it with technology

New technologies can even promote interactions between people who don’t attend your event. There are many possible ways to do this, including RFID technology, mobile applications or live streaming on platforms such as YouTube, Livestream or Ustream.

RFID bracelets, such as those from Connect&Go, enable participants to share their experiences, live, with other participants, their colleagues or even their friends on social media. For example, the Just for Laughs Festival recently introduced on-site photo booths and mobile cameras, where users could use RFID technology to digitally record their experiences, share them on social media and enter them in contests and challenges in order to win prizes. On-site photo booths and recording stations, as well websites and mobile apps, are all SMS-enabled.

Source: YouTube

When conference participant badges incorporate RFID technology, organizers can gather real-time data such as:

  • participant information: contact details, interests, career path or any other personal information that is in the public domain;
  • participant movement within the conference venue: what rooms are visited and how much time is spent in each room, etc.

RFID technology enables participants to:

  • exchange virtual business cards;
  • get in touch via text message;
  • create a list of everyone they met.

Mobile applications are also useful ways for participants to meet and talk. The market is currently flooded with apps that aim to maximize your networking results. One of them is Ties, an app that has been tested in events of 100 to 200 people. People sign up with their LinkedIn account, add the events they are interested in attending to their profile, and specify whom they would like to meet. Once at the event, they can get in touch via text messaging.

In closing, remember this: reducing the number of programmed events and creating space for conversation is a sure-fire way to generate engagement.

Source de l’image à la une: Pixabay

 

Catégories
Marketing @en Products and activities

Innovative promotions from the events industry

A best practices benchmarking study of the festivals and events industry carried out by the Transat Chair in Tourism for Festival et Événements Québec and several other partners highlights initiatives in various facets of the events industry. Here are some examples of these practices in the fields of promotion, product development and customer experience.

Film

Video is a powerful media, especially when it comes to promoting an intangible product. Festivals understand this. Tomorrowland, the Belgian electronic music festival, creates a half hour film to recap each year’s edition. The 2012 Official Aftermovie has been viewed nearly 16 million times. This video is featured on the Tomorrowland website’s home page.

Source: Tomorrowland.com

Think social media

In addition to video, the Wanderlust yoga festival has developed several tools to promote its events. Organizers provide models for social media status updates to encourage participants to share information and message templates for yoga teachers who would like to invite their students (see example below).

CB_bonnes_pratiques_festivals_image_2

Source: Wanderlust.com

On top of its official account, which organizers use to publish festival news, the Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts created the @Glastoinfo Twitter account specifically to act as an information centre. During the festival, authorized users of this account answer questions from festival-goers from 8:00 am to 11:30 pm.

For the 2014 edition of the Tomorrowland festival, organizers linked attendees’ RFID bracelets to Facebook to help them make new contacts. When two festival-goers in the same vicinity pressed a button on their wristbands at the same time, they were each sent a Facebook friend request.

Go off-site

The Nashville airport is promoting Bonnaroo by featuring works of art inspired by the music festival.

CB_bonnes_pratiques_festivals_image_3

Taking place in late February, the Glasgow Film Festival in October presents free screenings of movie classics in shopping centres or department stores. During the festival itself, films are also screened in unusual places, like the subway and Glasgow Cathedral.

The Bluesfest in Ottawa has joined forces with its neighbour, the Canadian War Museum, for the display of festival posters. During the Bluesfest, the Museum’s lobby walls are decorated with an array of posters from past years.

Engage the community

The Reebok Spartan Race and the Festival IF3 have put together teams of ambassadors who work to publicize the events and encourage people to register. The Spartan Race Street Team will be made up of over 5000 members around the globe. The more people these team members sign up for the race, the more rewards they receive, like products, coupons or free admission.

Bluesfest organizers have also set up an advisory committee of some fifteen high school and university students to better identify their interests and ways to reach this public.

Since 1980, the Edinburgh Festival Fringe has organized a competition inviting young people ages 5 to 16 to create the official festival poster.

CB_bonnes_pratiques_festivals_image_4

Source: edfringe.com

For its events in Montreal and Quebec City, the IF3 International Freeski Film Festival holds a contest inviting local amateur filmmakers to create  an urban skiing video and present it at the festival.

Improve your product

Events must renew their product offerings to maintain their momentum, stay competitive and encourage return visitors. At the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, a temporary structure featuring the theme of water was set up on the banks of the Yarra River. A three-storey space with an open kitchen, floating bar and rain garden, the Immersery – Festival Kitchen, Bar & Raingarden was the centrepiece of the 2014 edition.

CB_bonnes_pratiques_festivals_image_5

Source: Archello.com

The Reykjavik Winter Lights Festival  has featured Pool Night since 2012. Five pools and a spa offer an evening of swimming with a light show, music and various activities.

The 2014 edition of the Glasgow Film Festival included Street Food Cinema, which offered the public an opportunity to enjoy dishes associated with the film being screened.

CB_bonnes_pratiques_festivals_image_6

Source: Glasgow Film Festival

Customize

The events industry has not escaped the trend of increasingly personalized service. The National Arts Festival in Grahamstown, South Africa, and the South by Southwest (SXSW) multimedia happening in Austin, Texas, have both created customizable areas on their websites, where attendees can create a list of favourites, plan their schedule and manage their loyalty program.

This is also true of the Festival d’Avignon and Lollapalooza music festival websites, the latter of which features the « My Lolla » zone that enables users to create their own festival page with their favourite artists, custom lineup and the type of information they wish to receive. They can then share their choices on social media.

CB_bonnes_pratiques_festivals_image_7

Source: Lollapalooza

Get inspired

Festivals and events follow and adopt the trends that best suit their themes and target customer segments. The events studied are constantly evolving and demonstrate truly inspiring energy and creativity.

 

Analysis written in co-operation with Caroline Lévesque

 

Image on first page: © Minnie Roe, The Edinburgh Festival Fringe

Catégories
Issues Sustainable tourism

Who is Carbon Neutral in Tourism in Québec?

Visitors to and from Québec contribute to Greenhouse Gas emissions (GHG), regardless of the mode of transport, distance traveled, or the activity undertaken during a stay. To date, no study assessed neither travelers’ nor the tourism sector’s contributions to GHG emissions, or attitudes or actions towards mitigation in Québec. This creates a knowledge gap about net reductions, and about compensations for unavoidable emissions. In this context, the aim of this article is to provide a brief overview of carbon neutrality in Québec’s tourism sector.

Offset Providers

The choice of offset providers internationally continues to augment, while the Carbon Catalogue presently lists 12 providers across Canada with an offset price range of 12.50 $ to 39.90 $ per ton CO2e.(1) For those wishing to purchase offsets from organizations based in Québec, the four principal providers include Planetair,(2) Carbone Boréale,(3) Zero GHG Inc.(4) and ZÉRØCO2.(5)

(1) Planetair is a not-for-profit organization managed by the Unisféra International Centre, also a non-profit organization. (2) Planetair is the exclusive distributor of Myclimate, one of the most respected offset supplier worldwide, since all their projects conform to the Kyoto Protocol’s Clean Development Mechanism (CDM)* and Gold Standard.** These projects finance only renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in various developing countries. Planetair plans to offer Canadian projects in the future depending on sales volumes.

(2) Carbone Boréale (CB) is both a program, and a laboratory of researchers at the University of Québec in Chicoutimi. CB offsets finance tree plantations in a deforested area of Québec and contributes to supporting research. The plantations are verified and managed according to ISO 14064-3 norms, and are registered by the Canadian EcoProjectsTM GHG.(3)

(3) ZeroGHG Inc. is a private consultancy firm offering offsets in a variety of renewable and energy efficiency projects in addition to their consulting services to develop GHG reduction strategies, quantifying emissions and performing audits. ZeroGHG projects are located in various countries, and at least 80% must meet CDM* and Gold Standard**.(4)

(4) ZÉRØCO2 is a private enterprise selling offsets that finance reforestation projects in various communities. Since 2006, ZERØCO2 has reforested more than 20 hectares of land, creating green spaces equivalent to just over 40 football fields in the heart of communities. (5)

Indirect Offset Sellers

Some tourism businesses have partnered up with various offset-selling organizations. For example, since 2007, Air Canada (AC) encourages its customers to purchase offsets via non-profit organization ZeroFootprint that invests in forest restoration project in British Columbia. To date, AC customers bought $187,612 of offsets, equivalent of 11725 tones of GO2.(6) In contrast, Air Transat does not sell offsets for reasons relating to the efficiency of such projects in their ability to solve climate change related problems amongst other reasons.(7)

For those traveling by rail, VIA Rail also does not directly offer offsets to its customers, however it also encourages its customers to calculate their GHG emissions with Tree Canada, an Ottawa-based offset company. Since 1990, VIA Rail has reduced its GHG by 15% approximately, although it is responsible for only 0,03% of total GHG emissions compared to 13% generated by motorists in Canada.(8) For travelers that hire vehicles, numerous car rental companies also offer carbon offsets on-line such integrated into their reservation forms such as Alamo, Enterprise and National Car Rentals amongst others.(9)

Tourism Operations Buying Offsets

Some Québec and other travelers to Québec probably purchase offsets, however none of the above named organizations had data available at the time of writing this article about their clients. Some tourism operations also buy offsets in Québec, but no study assessed their transaction value to date.

Some accommodation establishments also have a carbon neutral policy. For example, the Chicoutimi Hotel has been offsetting its heating and electricity use and has been encouraging its clients to offset their stay with CB.(2) Since 2006, the hotel l’Auberge des Seigneurs in St-Hyacynthe has been offering Eco-Friendly Packages to its clients and in 2008, it has also engaged to calculate guest’s travel related GHG contributions amongst other environmentally friendly services.(10) This establishment also compensates emissions of meetings and events held in the hotel by planting trees. Similarly, in an effort to be carbon neutral, Novotel Montreal plants a tree for every online booking. (11)

Montreal based tour company, Karavanniers du monde has also taken climate change mitigation serirosly and since January 2009, its price structure includes carbon compensation costs with Planetair. (2, 12) The company’s client’s base is approximately 97% Québécois and based on discussions with the operation’ owner, there have been no complaints at all concerning the price increase resulting from mandatory carbon compensations. On the contrary, clients are pleased to see such an effort by the company. Some other travel companies such as Omnitour, Voyages Tour Étudiants also offers offsets to its customers. (2) Similarly, since 2006, the regional-based operation WeLa Aventure organizes eco-friendly hiking and cycling trips in the Saguenay,(13) and it compensated for its clients travel related CO2 emissions to and from the region via supporting tree plantations by ZIP Saugenay (14) and the cooperative COOP4Temps.(15)

Increasingly festivals and events across Québec are also eco-friendly, and some compensated for GHG emissions.(16) For example, since 2008, Montreal’s International Jazz Festival is carbon neutral.(17) Both Québec and Montreal Convention Centers offer eco-friendly events with their partner organizations (18, 19) and both centers offer offsetting as an option for such events. For example, In 2004, the Québec Convention Centre committed to reducing its energy consumption by 33% per m2 and its total GHG emissions by 50%.(20) Since 2007, it hosted 32 eco-friendly events of which 7 involved carbon compensations.

At Montreal’s Jean-Drapeau Park (JDP), sustainable development policy integrates GHG mitigation and compensation strategies for the organization and activities (about 100 events per year) on the park’s territory. (21) JDP created a fund (Fonds Oxygène) to implement this policy, and partners and suppliers will be asked to contribute to this fund, which will finance specific environmental improvement projects (22). Additionally, drivers to JDP will be required to pay $1 extra to leave their vehicles in the parking to help offset GHG emissions with CB.

Conclusion

Although it is well known that carbon compensation projects do not represent an ultimate solution to mitigating GHG emissions, the purchase of offsets in credible projects can raise awareness, and provide funds towards worthwhile initiatives.(23) Although buying offsets in tree plantations remains controversial, in certain cases they can deliver net environmental improvements, while buying offsets in renewable energy projects and technology developments permit a shift away from using fossil fuels.

This brief synopsis of the situation in Québec shows that carbon neutrality in the tourism sector is a patchwork. The analysis also highlights the need for measuring net contributions of greenhouse gases by the travel and tourism sector in order to enable a coordinated approach to assessing how this could be effectively mitigated.

* CDM certifies emission reductions that are sold on the voluntary market and it ensures that developed countries’ carbon credits comply with Kyoto Protocol regulations.
** The Gold Standard is an independent organization that certifies carbon credits sold on the voluntary market. Such carbon credits need to meet sustainable development objectives. This means that a carbon-offset project must lead directly to a net GHG emission reduction. Gold Standard does not certify forestry projects.

Sources:

(1) Carbon Catalogue Project: Find a Carbon Offset: Canada. Last Consulted Apr 25, 2009.  http://www.carboncatalog.org/projects/canada/
(2) Planetair. Offset Projects. Last Consulted Apr 2, 2009. http://planetair.ca/
(3) Éco-conseil. Plantations Compensatoires de GES. Last Consulted Apr 15, 2009.  http://dsf.uqac.ca/eco-conseil/ges/frame_ges.html
(4) ZeroGHG Inc. Last Consulted Apr 25, 2009.   http://www.zeroghg.com/
(5) ZeroCo2. Last Consulted Apr 15, 2009.  http://zeroco2.com/welcome.php
(6) Air Canada. Carbon Offset Program. Last Consulted Apr 25, 2009.  http://www.aircanada.com/en/travelinfo/traveller/zfp.html?src=hp_ql
(7) Transat AT (2009) Greenhouse gas reduction and fuel management. Last Consulted Apr 2, 2009. http://www.transat.com/en/social.responsibility/gas.reduction.fuel.management.aspx
(8) Via Rail Canada. Environment: Helping To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions Last Consulted Apr 17, 2009. http://www.viarail.ca/corporate/en_environment/reducing_greenhouse_gas.html
(9) Terra Pass Inc. (2009) Rental Car Carbon Offset Program Proves Most Popular With Consumers. Published on-line in Earth News, April 6, 2009. Last Consulted Apr 25, 2009.  http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/rental-car-carbon-offset-program-proves-most-popular-with-consumers775734.shtml#%23
(10) l’Auberge des Seigneurs à St Hyacynthe. Last Consulted Apr. 24, 2009.
http://www.hoteldesseigneurs.com/notre_environment.asp
(11) Novotel Montréal Centre. http://www.novotelmontreal.com/home/novotel_news.shtm Last Consulted June. 2, 2009.
(12) Karavaniers du Monde. Destinatons: Fiche technique. Last Consulted Apr. 3, 2009.  http://www.karavaniers.com/voyages/calendrier/?voyage_depart=134
(13) Wela Aventure. Horaire et parcours. Randonnées des cols du Fjord 2009. Fiche d’information. Last Consulted Apr 25, 2009. http://www.welaaventure.com/
(14) ZIP Saguenay. Réalisations. Last Consulted Apr 27, 2009.  http://www.zipsaguenay.ca/zipsaguenay/index.php?option=com_content&task=category&sectionid=1&id=5&Itemid=12
(15) Coop Quatre Temps. Mission. http://www.coop4temps.com/ Last Consulted Apr 27, 2009.
(16) Réseau québécois des femmes en environnement. Sustainable Event. Last Consulted Apr 2, 2009. http://www.evenementecoresponsable.com/
(17) Festival International de Jazz de Montréal. Une édition 2008 carboneutre. Last Consulted Apr 27, 2009.  http://www.montrealjazzfest.com/Fijm2008/planetAir_fr.aspx
(18) Centre des congrès de Québec. Développement Durable. Évennements éco-responsables. Last Consulted Apr 27, 2009.  http://www.convention.qc.ca/tiki-index.php?page=devdurable_eve_resp
(19) Palais des congrès de Montréal. Environnement. Last Consulted Apr 2, 2009. http://www.congresmtl.com/fr/visiteurs/environnement.aspx
(20) Centre des congrès de Québec. Lauréate du prix Stellaris: Efficacité Énergétique. Press Release 2 April, 2004. Last Consulted Apr 2, 2009. http://www.convention.qc.ca/tiki-read_article.php?articleId=41
(21) Société du parc Jean-Deapeau (2009) Politique de développement durable. Montréal. 8 p.
(22) Société du parc Jean-Deapeau (2009) Fonds Oxygène.Le fonds de compensation de gaz à effet de serre Montréal. 4 p.
(23) Broderick, J. (2008). Voluntary Carbon Offsets. A Contribution to Sustainable Tourism? In Sustainable Tourism Futures. Perspectives on Systems, Restructuring and Innovations. In Gössling, S., Hall, C.M. and Weaver, D.B. (Eds.). Routledge, New-York. 169-197.

Catégories
etourism and technology Trends

Why purchase online?

A 2005 tourism management study sheds light on the purchasing habits of North American Web users with respect to tourism products. The two primary factors motivating them to conclude online transactions are the quality and accuracy of on-site information and a simple reservation process.

Study context

The main reason consumers have overwhelmingly adopted the Internet is that it enables them to shop 24/7 in the comfort of their home. However, there are a number of factors that differentiate Web user purchasing habits. For instance, those who purchase travel products online are influenced by the complexity of the product. Other important considerations include the ability to compare prices, discounts and a user-friendly interface.

With that in mind, experts have studied the relationship between the purchaser’s motivation to buy and the complexity of online travel products. Since Web expertise plays a significant role in this, consumers have been divided into expert users and novice users. The study aimed to prove that ease of navigation was the primary reason for variations in purchase decisions between online products.

Airline tickets, accommodation and car rentals are considered relatively simple travel products. All-inclusive trips, cruises and tours constitute more complex products.

In an attempt to simplify navigation, many sites have become « content aggregators » that offer one-stop shopping. This strategy has been extremely successful for such agencies as Travelocity and Expedia. Dynamic packaging, whereby Web users create their own package while retaining a certain degree of flexibility, have added a new twist to the tourism landscape.

Motivating factors for Web users

The study examined the top six factors that motivate consumers to make online purchases (see Tables 1 and 2). The factors are as follows:

  1. The opportunity to earn points through a customer loyalty program. Some sites have even set up a special page for members to track their reward points (marriottrewards.com, for example).
  2. The availability of the desired product.
  3. Clear, detailed information that enables the user to make an informed decision.
  4. A simple reservation process is a key factor in the online purchase decision. Especially in the case of more complex travel products, customers must be able to find the information they need to make a decision.
  5. The reputation of the company or site’s banner, as this reassures the purchaser and may positively influence the outcome of the transaction. 
  6. Consumers are more sensitive to the price of online products than they are to conventionally purchased products. This is partly due to aggressive advertising campaigns that have gradually led consumers to expect discount products.


 
 


 

The experts used data from a Canadian Tourism Commission study conducted in November 2001 that surveyed 1,161 Canadians and 1,145 Americans. Although Web user behaviour has admittedly changed since then, the study’s findings nevertheless constitute a valid basis for comparing and understanding travellers’ online purchasing habits, based on their experience with the Web and the type of product in question.

Behaviour varies according to sector

A user-friendly interface is a key factor in the decision to buy any kind of online travel product, regardless of the amount of Web user experience, leading experts to conclude that consumers want a simple reservation process. Competitive prices play a greater role in the purchase of less complex products, such as airline tickets, packages or car rental.

The quality and accuracy of the site’s information was a deciding factor for travellers looking for activities, events, tours, attractions and accommodation. Company reputation was less important to those making « simple » transactions -such as renting a car- compared to those purchasing more complex products. Finally, customer loyalty programs constitute a greater draw for expert users and mainly affect purchases of airline tickets, car rental and attractions.

Sources:
– Beldona, Srikanth, Alastair M. Morrison and Joseph O’Leary, « Online shopping motivations and pleasure travel products: a correspondence analysis, » Tourism Management, No. 26, 2005.
– Ham, Sunny, « The Use of the Internet for Hospitality and Travel-related Activities, » e-Review of Tourism Research (eRTR) [ertr.tamu.edu], vol. 2, No. 6, 2004.