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New tourism discussed by industry leaders
The concept of ‘new tourism’, what it is, where it is and who will be doing it was the main topic of discussion at last week’s Travel and Tourism summit held at Vilamoura in the Algarve, Portugal, writes Corinne Hitching.
Organised by the World Travel and Tourism Council, the summit brought together the leading companies in the world of tourism to discuss ways in which they can fight back against wars, terrorism and the likes of SARS.
WTTC’s President, Jean-Claude Beaumgarten, described the current crisis gripping the industry as a ‘perfect storm’. ‘In this insecure world, it is essential that the industry joins forces to develop new strategies for doing business,’ he said.
The new tourist was described as being savvier than their predecessor although with less time on their hands. ‘They have a knowledge of technology that is helping them find the best deals,’ said Peter Yesawich from business consultants Yesawich, Pepperdine, Brown and Russell. He urged the industry to adapt quickly, ‘with less time to play with, the new tourist will insist on being in the driving seat to create the kind of holidays they want, rather than what the industry deems to offer. They will also insist on getting value for money.’
Online discounts are encouraging more and more people to search out the best deals before they book, a trend that looks set to increase with a massive growth of 20 per cent in internet bookings predicted for this year.
The leaders believed that while Asia will see a boom in tourism once the threat of SARS has disappeared, the new tourist will be looking for a different experience regardless of where that may be. Experts believed the new traveller no longer looks at flying as an experience but simply as a means to reach their destination. The proliferation of low cost airlines means people are spending more on their accommodation in order to be sure they get the experience they are after and with no time to make mistakes.
In a plea to the industry to address the growing number of children in Africa being orphaned as a result of AIDS, John Noel of the Noel Group said: ‘These orphans are the terrorists of tomorrow. They have no hope, no family and no vision of a future. It is only people without hope that can strap explosives to themselves and cause the kind of devastation we are witnessing around the world.’
Mr Noel urged more to be done to help these orphans find a role in life. ‘With hope and pride these children will not find themselves being seduced by fanatical organisations offering a way out of their misery.’
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