There are more and more people traveling in the world every year. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 1.3 billion people traveled from the world's seven billion people last year. And this figure is increasing every year. And income from international tourism exceeds $ 1 trillion. The question is what place Russia can take in this system. There is potential, but its disclosure in practice is lame, experts say.
Counting difficulties
They have not yet learned how to reliably count the incoming tourist flow in Russia. According to the Federal State Statistics Service, in 2017, Russia came to Russia for tourism 24.4 million times, and in 2016 - 24.6 million. These figures, however, also need to be believed with caution: we just count the facts of crossing the state border, without distinction as to whether a person is traveling, say, on business or sightseeing. Therefore, officially the most "tourist" countries in terms of entry are Ukraine (8.7 million trips) and Kazakhstan (3.5 million). But in fact, the leaders of the inbound flow are China (1.4 million) and Finland (1 million).
“For the last 10-15 years nothing new has happened in inbound tourism. As we have received 2.5-3 million people a year, we accept them, ”says Alexei Krylov, General Director of the UTS Group, and adds: Paris alone is visited by 60 million tourists annually, the number of tourists in the USA exceeds 100 million people, - 130 million. And four years ago, the flow of tourists to Georgia was exactly the same as to Russia, although it is difficult to compare these countries in terms of territory and tourism potential.
Typical tourist
A traveler going to Russia usually comes here to get acquainted with history and sightseeing. Beaches and skis are of little interest to him. Usually groups come, there are few individual tourists in our country. The geographical set is standard: Moscow and St. Petersburg are compulsory points of the program. "Golden Ring", Baikal or Far East - additional. Of the unusual, experts noted the unexpected interest of foreign tourists in the Moscow and St. Petersburg Christmas markets. This means, in all likelihood, Russia has potential as a destination for event tourism.
“It happens that wealthy tourists go, but as a result, the income from them is less than from the insolvent. For example, St. Petersburg received about half a million "cruisers". These are, as a rule, elderly rich people. But they live in a cabin on the ship, eat there, do not go to shops. So their contribution to the industry is minimal. And the budget group on the bus, which still uses internal transport, walks a lot and enters the shops, will bring much more income to the industry, ”says Ivan Vvedensky, chairman of the commission for the development and support of inbound tourism of the Public Council under Rostourism.
The geography of "suppliers" of foreign tourists is quite diverse. Although there is also an undisputed leader in terms of dynamics, this is China, which is gaining 30-50% annually, while Europe has been showing a decline for several years in a row.
“For the last two years, we have seen an increase in volumes after a decline. Europe is not as active as it used to be. But we receive a lot of Japanese, tourists from Southeast Asia - these are mainly middle class people from Malaysia and Vietnam. They have recently begun to travel very actively. They come from Australia, New Zealand. But in this case they combine tours with Europe, ”adds Marina Levchenko, General Director of the Tari Tour tour operator.
Tour operators note that foreigners come to Russia, as a rule, for a week. This tour includes visits to Moscow, St. Petersburg, ground handling. Often foreigners buy a flight to Russia from a tour operator. The average cost of a weekly tour in this case varies from $ 1000 to $ 2500.
There is no stability in the world
What hinders the development of inbound tourism in Russia? Experts are sure: the whole point is in the numerous and multidirectional phenomena that occur not only in the industry, but also in the country as a whole.
“Entry in 2014-2018 is characterized by turbulence. It [the market] was shaking, it was happening in unpredictable conditions. These are political moments, the depreciation of the ruble - on the one hand. Major events - the Sochi Olympics, the Confederations Cup, the FIFA World Cup - will certainly have an impact, too. There is reason to believe that in 2019 the industry will achieve stable performance, ”says Ivan Vvedensky.
In addition to the political situation, the flow of tourists is affected by security and the presence of a developed infrastructure, continues Alexei Krylov. Moreover, these two points can often be intricately intertwined.
“For many foreign tourists, Moscow and St. Petersburg are cities that are on their own list of things to see at least once in a lifetime. Therefore, they want, for example, to visit the Kremlin museums or go to the Hermitage. They book these tours six months in advance. And then on the day of the visit, it may turn out that the museum is closed, because the rehearsal for the Victory Parade or the inauguration of the president, and no one even said about it. I understand that there may be such situations, but warn about them in advance, publicly, ”says Krylov.
Also in Russia, it is not at all possible to find a suitable hotel that suits foreign guest... This problem is often faced by tourists going to the Far East or Baikal. But sometimes it occurs even in the most popular directions.
“There are few high-quality hotels in St. Petersburg; you cannot lure foreigners with mini-hotels. But for some reason, investors don't go to the hotel industry. Yes, and the city's leadership is of the opinion that tourists go to St. Petersburg only in summer, and do not go in winter. But it seems to me that if there were enough hotels, we would travel all year round. There will be few hotels in St. Petersburg, ”says Marina Levchenko.
Finally, the difficulties in promoting the country as a tourist destination (and Rosturizm has repeatedly said that the marketing budget is much lower than that of other states) also does not contribute to the growth of its popularity.
Complicated visas
Russian visa regulations also make life difficult for foreign tourists, experts say. Chinese organized groups do not require visas, with South Korea visas have been canceled, and a similar regime applies to a number of other countries in Asia and Latin America. But at the same time, the majority of traveling citizens need entry documents. To get a visa, you need to get an invitation, fill out a form and pay a round sum. Consideration of documents can take a long time.
“The procedure is quite lengthy. And besides, obtaining visas leads to an increase in the cost of the tour by $ 100-120. If they are not canceled, then at least electronic ones should be introduced ”, - Marina Levchenko believes.
A colleague from UTS Group agrees with her. “If visas were canceled, even though what is being done in inbound tourism now, the tourist flow could be doubled,” says Aleksey Krylov.
Ivan Vvedensky of the Public Council under Rostourism also notes that the abolition or simplification of visa procedures would lead to a significant increase in tourist traffic. He recalled that a free port regime began to operate in Vladivostok, which involves simplifying visa formalities for tourists. This practice should be extended to other coastal regions, the expert said. In addition, it is necessary to simplify visa processing for tourists visiting other regions of the country.
“To obtain a visa, we need an invitation from the host. I believe that this is a rudiment, it should be excluded. We are working to ensure that the law on entry and exit is amended so that foreigners can get a visa on hotel reservation, as in Europe. You need visas to be electronic. In addition, we are lagging behind progressive humanity in the sense that other countries issue multivisa for a longer period than travel dates. We need political will to change this situation, ”Vvedensky believes.
Weak ruble and professional tricks
However, Russia has great tourism potential and good opportunities to unleash it. Oddly enough, the consequences of economic difficulties will contribute to this. In particular, the depreciating ruble, which makes spending of foreigners in Russia more and more pleasant.
“In the 2000s, many good hotels for business. In 2014, the business ended, and the occupancy rate of 4 * and 5 * hotels dropped by 50%. Hoteliers have reduced prices, and it has become very profitable to stay with them. At the same time, the price corresponds to the quality, since these are, as a rule, objects of international networks. Add to this an inexpensive taxi, tickets to museums at competitive prices, a check at a restaurant - in foreign currency, all this is very attractive now, ”says Krylov.
In addition, experts remind that transport in Russia is also developing. High-speed rail links bring the main tourist centers closer to each other. And the expansion of the flight programs of Russian carriers helps to interest in Russia tourists from the most remote corners of the Earth.
Where to get tourists? It is advisable for an individual entrepreneur who decides to engage in receiving tourists to start his business by looking for a tour operator to whom he can offer his services for accommodating arriving tourists.
The owner of the guest house offers accommodation services for tourists, as well as announces additional services to the selected tour operator. The tour operator, in turn, concludes an agreement on joint activities with the owner of the guest house, where the form of remuneration for the tour operator for finding tourists for the guest house is prescribed. In this case, the owner gets the right to conclude an agreement with other tour operators and travel agents for the supply of tourists. It is recommended to dwell on these details in detail, since often villagers are unaware of the responsibility associated with working with people. Contractual work with an experienced tour operator disciplines the owner of the guest house, provides an opportunity for advanced training in the field of tourism.
Work on the creation of a tourist product of rural tourism.
To attract tourists to a rural family on vacation, it is necessary to offer them a set of services necessary to meet the needs of vacationers. Tourist product is a set of services consisting of accommodation, catering, excursion services, insurance and delivery. By the beginning of the year, the organizer accumulates information on what services each guest house can provide. In addition, the tour operator usually develops additional special tours to make the offer of villagers attractive.
Promotion of a tourist product to the tourist services market.
Now it is necessary to make the potential consumer aware of the villagers' offers. For this, the tour operator prepares advertising information (booklets, descriptions, photographs). The main advertising material is the catalog of rural tourism objects, which describes and shows each guest house. The catalog is published in sufficient circulation so that travel agencies in various cities could visually show guests the guest houses. The tour operator also assumes the costs of participating in travel exhibitions and working meetings of travel companies in different cities of Russia. The tour operator is recommended to post on the Internet site about rural tourism. Thus, information about a rural tourist facility can reach a resident of any country. The tour operator is also engaged in outdoor advertising of rural tourism objects, finds funds to place advertisements on billboards and in various information service centers for tourists.The owner of the property can attract tourists to his guest house himself. To do this, he can put a sign on the road to his house.
Organization of tourist reception.
Meeting, registration, acquaintance with local conditions. Guest house reservations are usually made in advance by the tour operator. Therefore, it is necessary to meet the guest at the agreed place and escort him to the guest house. If a guest comes to own car, then, having placed his car on a personal plot or in a garage, you should proceed to the registration procedure. If the guest arrives through a tour operator, then he presents a voucher (developed by the tour operator), filled in by the travel agency and certified by the seal, and a voucher. These documents contain enough information necessary to issue your own receipt - the Strict Reporting Form. One copy of the receipt is given to the guest, one remains with the owner. Based on this receipt, the owner makes an entry later in his income book. If the guest arrived on his own, then the owner asks him to present documents and issues a receipt (SRF), indicating the necessary information in it. The future relationship will be greatly facilitated by a clear written agreement introduced into the binding relationship between the guest house and the tourist. Next, the owner introduces the guest and his group to the guest house, the rules of residence, fire safety requirements, shows where the keys are, the trash can, and so on. It is also recommended to inform guests about local conditions, bus schedules, natural sites, cultural and other events.
What is meant by the ability to treat guests attentively and kindly?
The ability to be a flexible Host and quickly make changes to the equipment of the house depending on the composition of the group of guests (install a baby bed, make ramps for moving a wheelchair, install or remove berths, provide skewers, etc.)
An agreement with other villagers to provide additional services to their guests, if these services are not provided centrally
Ability to resolve conflict situations (look for and find the cause of trouble in yourself)
Maintaining a joyful atmosphere in your guest house.
Attention to the slightest request of guests (change the towel once again, dry the linen soaked by the child, call by phone, etc.)
Ability to take note of any guest comments
Striving to improve the quality of services
Residence.
Temporary accommodation is the main service provided by all guest houses. Comfort and convenience are the main criteria for the quality of rural tourism services. Guest rooms and other living and utility areas must be kept clean and free from unpleasant odors. If the owner of the guest house does not depend on the elimination of external and internal sources of noise and odor, then guests should be warned about this. In the summertime, insect screens are required on windows and vents. Be sure to warn the guest that smoking is prohibited in the guest house. It is advisable to have internal rules for using the guest house (Appendix No. 1), drawn up by the owner.
Food.
An equipped kitchen is provided for self-catering. The kitchen must be impeccably clean and the necessary equipment (kitchen furniture, refrigerator, cupboard for storing food and dishes, electrical appliances). Homeowner cooking is not a rental or short-term stay service.
Resolution of conflict and controversial issues.
Conflict or near conflict situations can arise in any business. Tourists are, first of all, consumers who pay in order to get a pleasant, interesting, maximally comfortable and non-tiring pastime. Near-conflict situations are generated by a significant difference between the expectations of the tourist and his specific impressions received from the trip and accommodation. For example, the cost of the services of the guest house seemed to the tourist too high in the absence of the necessary sanitary and hygienic conditions (no hot water, cold toilet in the yard, etc.). Such situations can arise when the owner himself receives guests. They do not arise if tourists come from an experienced tour operator or travel agent who warn the tourist in advance about all the nuances of the guest house. Conflict situations are associated with the so-called "difficult" clients, which include overly demanding guests. But, the practice of receiving guests by "green houses" in Altai shows that such situations happen very rarely, since the owners of "green houses" treat guests with attention and hospitality.
Guest house owners need to rememberthat their economy is not a separate entity of the tourism industry. It, like any other hotel, works closely with the tour operator and travel agent, who are also responsible for their obligations. Maintaining a reputation as a good and reliable partner is the key to the continued prosperity of the guest house owner's business.
Additional services of the guest house.
The standard set of services for rural guest houses usually includes only accommodation. To attract tourists on the territory of the Altai Republic, a basic set of services of guest houses has been adopted, the provision of which is mandatory: accommodation, provision of an equipped kitchen, provision of a bath 1 time (if paid for at least three days of stay), parking a car on the territory of the personal plot, greenery from the garden. All these services are included in the cost of living. The rest of the paid services are considered additional, which are necessary to increase competitiveness. The composition of additional services is determined by the owner independently, depending on the demand from the client. It is recommended to use such services as "Heating a bath with the provision of a broom", "Riding a horse", "Sale of farm products", "Transport services in the owner's own car (car rental)", "Using firewood for cooking barbecue and fire, fireplace" , "Providing a telephone for long-distance calls", "Placing the guest's car in the garage of the owner of the house", "Reception of dogs (pets)".
Pricing and settlements.
The prices for the services of the guest house are distinguished between retail (final for the client) and wholesale (for intermediate links).
Retail prices
If a tourist contacts the owner of the guest house directly, the retail price may fluctuate depending on their agreement.
- Retail prices should remain the same at any point of implementation if tourists are attracted through travel agents or tour operators. In other words, if the client arrived through intermediaries (from travel agencies, from a tour operator), he must receive information about the price the same as he received from intermediaries. In this case, the contractual terms and conditions are observed and business partners are not "substituted". This is the main condition for all participants in the chain. If the agreement on maintaining a single price for the services of the guest house is observed, the flow of tourists is not cut off, since they are systematically worked with in cities.
Bulk prices (net prices) for services of guest houses are exposed to tour operators and travel agents who include services of guest houses in their tourism product. Since these partners are the ones who deal with expensive advertising, they should have an income to cover their expenses when selling accommodation in guest houses. This income is called in tourism agency fees or commissions. This is usually 10% of the accommodation price. Wholesale prices fluctuate depending on the season, on the partner's contribution to rural tourism advertising, on the volume of sales. If the homeowner has established a strong business relationship with any travel agency that does not forget him and constantly sends clients, then the remuneration may increase from 12% to 30%.
This approach is most expedient: the owner of the guest house develops flexible retail prices for different seasons and includes there a commission of intermediaries, which can be 10 - 30%. These prices are then offered to different firms. In this case, the owner will not get confused, and all his guests will receive the same information from him.
Important: if the owner of the guest house informs the guests that he is ready to receive them at a lower cost next time, if they come directly, then he deprives his partners of earnings, who will eventually find out about this and stop working with him.
Therefore, each owner of a guest house must decide for himself how he will attract tourists: through intermediary partners or conduct independent advertising activities. A choice must be made here. If both types of work are used, then their obligations to partners must be firmly fulfilled.
As long as the owner of the house is an entrepreneur who does not have a safety certificate for tourist accommodation, he has no legal right to advertise his services. Travel agencies that care about their reputation will not enter into contracts with such an entrepreneur, since in this case the safety of tourists is not ensured and, as a result, in the event of an accident with a client, the company that sent the tourist to such a vacation spot will be liable.
Mutual settlements are made as follows:
- If a tourist paid for a ticket at a city travel agency, then the tour operator receives money at the cash desk or to his bank account by depositing or transferring funds and also settles with the owner.
- If the tourist comes directly to the owner of the guest house, then the owner is obliged to transfer the relying part of the income to the tour operator.
The basic principle is that payment takes place at the beginning of the tourists' holiday. The owner should take into account that the money received finally becomes earned after the departure of the tourist, if his vacation ended successfully. If the vacation is long, then it is better to take payment in installments. The payment for additional services of the guest house remains entirely at the disposal of the owner of the property, the organizer is not responsible for their quality. This circumstance must be spelled out in the agreement between the guest house and the tour operator.
Pricing issues are complex and conflicting. Therefore, they must be completely clear for both sides. There is a law in the economy: whoever earns more bears a greater responsibility. When hosting guests through a tour operator, the owner's share is usually much higher than the tour operator's share. Therefore, in the event a tourist submits a complaint (a complaint about service with a claim to compensate for damage), the owner of the guest house will reimburse a large share.
Of course, the country's brand is created to attract tourists. But in addition to it, a number of factors affect the increase in the number of tourists: the country's remoteness, the level of security, the presence of a developed infrastructure, the number of major events held and many others.
There is no universal formula for creating a country brand that would help attract a certain percentage of tourists to the country, emphasizes Igor Blagodarsky... In each case, brand promotion is supported by real changes in the country.
The work of the brand for internal audiences plays almost a major role. It is the residents of the country and companies working in the field of tourism and outside it who will create the impressions that the country's brand promises to its guests
What countries have the most striking, conceptual and memorable branding?
One example is Iceland. Since the 2010s, it has experienced a tourism boom with double-digit annual tourist growth. The concept of a country brand is a proposal to be inspired by a unique and mysterious lifestyle. This message was actively promoted in social networks and on YouTube. The brand's communications initiative proved so contagious that the Iceland Academy series of commercials launched a wave of others already created by the Icelanders themselves. As a result, the country, which used to be associated with ice and a volcano with a difficult to pronounce name, has become one of the most popular destinations for travelers from Europe and North America, and the annual GDP per capita has grown in 9 years from 5,000 to 45,000 dollars.
Among the countries of the former USSR, perhaps the most interesting example is Georgia. It attracted the attention of tourists from European countries and reactivated the flow of tourists from Russia. According to open data, the contribution of tourism to the country's GDP today is 18%.
By the way, a city can also be a brand. In 2010, our agency developed the Melbourne brand that presented the city as the creative and progressive capital of Australia. After two years of brand promotion, the city's GDP grew by 10% to $ 56.8 billion, and revenues from external tourism - by 5% (to $ 3.4 billion).
Recently, we presented the idea of \u200b\u200ba new brand of Azerbaijan - “Look in a new way”. The brand's visual identity consists of two shapes that together form an icon stylized as a capital letter “a” symbolizing Azerbaijan.
The new visual symbol is a lens that allows you to see more, to look at the place and its culture from a different angle
What are the components of the country's brand book?
The brand book itself is not the goal of any branding project. The brandbook only formalizes all strategic and conceptual developments and solutions within the project, and their list depends on the tasks at hand.
When developing the positioning of a tourist destination, special attention is paid to the target audience and the opportunities that this country already has. I'm talking about infrastructure, human resources, cultural attractions, business opportunities, transport accessibility.
It is also worth noting that the brand's work for internal audiences plays almost a major role. It is the residents of the country and companies (working in tourism and outside it) who will create the impressions that the country's brand promises to its guests. The brand should inspire local residents who will further help spread a positive image around the world.
What was the most difficult part of creating a brand for Azerbaijan?
Be on time. We started work on the project in July and knew that on November 5, the brand should be presented to the general public at the World Travel Market in London. Taking into account the rather tight timing, we have built our processes so that time does not affect quality. For this, our team of experts from different countries (including potential markets of Azerbaijan) worked intensively on the territory of Azerbaijan. In addition, the client's team assisted us in the work processes and brilliantly organized our trip to the country.
In a fairly short time, we were able to study the historical and cultural background of the country, the thinking and way of life of people, the vision of the future, the opportunity to stand out in a competitive environment. Thanks to this, we have created a truly strong and trustworthy positioning idea and a bright and vibrant brand.
What distinguishes the brand of Azerbaijan from other eastern countries, for example, from Turkey, which also focuses on hospitality, natural diversity, centuries-old culture and the like?
Hospitality, natural diversity and centuries-old culture are not unique benefits in themselves. The uniqueness lies in the details and nuances about which you can have a long separate conversation. And the mission of the Azerbaijan brand is to give guests a taste of these details, and for the country's residents to do everything to make them proud of them.
One of the key challenges for the country was that people know very little about it (even in the countries of the former Soviet Union there are certain stereotypes about Azerbaijan that are far from reality). However, this also became an advantage. Azerbaijan's brand invites people to reveal the mysterious essence of the country, turning travel into a kind of exploration.
Igor Blagodarsky
What are the statistics: travelers from which countries visit Azerbaijan? What are the expectations - will the new brand change the situation?
Tourists mainly come to Azerbaijan from Russia, the republics of the former Soviet Union and from Iran. Recently, there has been an increase in interest in the Middle East. The main task of the brand is to stimulate an increase in flows from these markets, as well as to interest tourists from Europe.
In 2017, the country welcomed 2.6 million tourists who spent over $ 1.3 billion, elevating the country to the top echelon of the world's fastest growing tourist destinations... The goal of the Azerbaijan Tourism Council is to double their number by 2023 and make tourism the second most important sector of the country's economy.
If you want the world to change, become that change.
Mahatma Gandhi
Any obstacle is overcome with persistence.
Leonardo da Vinci
Foreword
How do we attract tourists? How not to get lost amid thousands of offers from other cities and countries? How can you convince Russians that you can rest comfortably in Russia too, and that a small town far from Russian capitals is not necessarily a "hole"?
As the practice of recent years shows, these questions can be heard at all conferences, round tables and forums dedicated to the development of tourism in Russia. They are also heard during our conversations with representatives of local and regional administrations from different parts of the country. And these issues concern not only officials, but also heads of travel agencies, owners of hotels and restaurants, directors of museums, sanatoriums and even local residents who rent out their living space to vacationers ...
So what should you do? "Take an example from Myshkin!" - this dangerous advice is repeated like a worn-out record, all sorts of "gurus". Myshkin is a wonderful city, but, firstly, its strategy will not suit everyone (there are about 6 thousand inhabitants in Myshkin), and secondly, it makes no sense to copy the tip of the iceberg without seeing and understanding everything that is hidden from the eyes in thicker than water.
Three or four years ago, participants in tourism exhibitions representing Russian cities and regions said: "We would only have money for advertising, and people will come to us!" The money was allocated, the tourists did not go ... Today there is a more professional understanding that attracting tourists is not so much an advertisement as a whole system of tasks,which need to be addressed at the territorial level. And this book is a story about who and how should solve these problems, what mistakes and pitfalls can be here, what resources can be used in work and how to highlight accents. And of course, examples of success.
The book “How to attract tourists and become a tourist brand in Russia” is based on an analysis of the experience accumulated in Russia and the CIS, both successful and unsuccessful, as well as the experience of some foreign countries in the development of tourism and promotion of the territory in the tourism market. In addition, the material for the book was some observations and conclusions made while working on the projects of the consulting company "Konkretika".
This book is methodical, sometimes unpleasant and even offensive, because it tells not only about the opportunities and hidden potential of Russian cities and regions, but also about their typical mistakes and shortcomings. But the main value of the book, in my opinion, is specific practical recommendations explaining WHATneed to do and ASto do, as well as 420 real-life examples that provide rich ground for your own ideas and solutions.
I hope this book will be your assistant in your work. Enjoy your reading!
Nadezhda Makatrova,
director of the consulting company "Konkretika"
Chapter 1
Travel brand: to be or not to be?
Fate leads the one who wants to go, but the one who does not want to go, it drags.
Cleanthes, ancient Greek philosopher (IV- 111th centuries BC)
In the Soviet Union, they never heard of brands. But at the same time, all the citizens of our vast and multinational country firmly knew that:
If you want to go to the sea, you have to go to the Black Sea coast of the Caucasus or to the Crimea. With small children - to Anapa or Evpatoria;
If there are no vouchers to the Black Sea, then to Azov, to Yeisk;
The intelligentsia preferred the Baltics;
If you need to heal, the direct road to the sanatorium Mineralnye Vody;
For fans of excursions and cultural and historical values \u200b\u200b- Moscow, Leningrad, the cities of the Golden Ring and, perhaps, also Pskov and Novgorod;
Military-patriotic education - Volgograd with its famous Mamayev Kurgan.
All Soviet people also knew about Baikal and Kamchatka, but they did not even dream of getting there - the flight was too expensive, a simple Soviet family could not afford. These are the real tourist brands, created, by the way, with the powerful support of the state ...
Of course, there were many others in the USSR interesting places and routes - "hits" of the regional and regional scale, where excursion groups from schools, universities, enterprises and institutions were continuously sent, but they could not compete with the all-Union "giants".
25 years have passed since perestroika ...
Today, looking at the MITT or Intourmarket exhibition in Moscow, you can see hundreds, if not thousands, of new tourist sites and routes throughout the country at the stands. One is better than the other, with intriguing descriptions and amazing photos. It would seem that new times are new names.
No matter how it is!
Ask an ordinary Russian what cities or resorts in our country he considers the most popular with tourists, and you will most likely get the same list. True, Crimea and the Baltics (as abroad) will have to be deleted from it, and St. Petersburg will take the place of Leningrad. Let the interlocutor include foreign resorts in the list, and Turkey and Egypt are guaranteed to be in the first line. I'm talking about mass routes. Alpine skiers will habitually call Elbrus, fishermen - Astrakhan.
"How so? Why? The tourist potential of Russia is not limited to 10-15 popular routes ?! We have two orders of magnitude more! " - one of the readers will be indignant. The potential may not be limited, but the perception of a tourist, according to the laws of marketing, alas, is not rubber. The law states: the number of bright, memorable images on the market is limited.I recommend that you re-read the highlighted phrase two more times.
It is only at first glance that it seems that it is enough to come up with "something original", and you will be noticed. You can think of anything you want, but here's the question:
- Will they remember this (against the background of competitors' proposals)?
- Will they buy it (by comparing different offers)? And buy more than one season, but at least ten years in a row.
For clarity, here are two useful analogies.
1. Each class has its own "excellent student", "poor student", "clown", "sportsman", its own "beauty". And sometimes - his "outcast" (remember the movie "Scarecrow"). It is very problematic to characterize all other children in terms of their role in the classroom.
2. In the 90s, many different shops and shops were opened in Russian cities, and today most of them have "died", giving way to network players. By the way, in Europe, about 80% of goods are sold through chain stores.
What is the conclusion in relation to tourism?
In five years, a new pool of all-Russian travel brands will be formed in Russia. It is clear that Moscow and St. Petersburg will automatically retain their leading positions due to their exceptional starting opportunities (just as there are three main TV channels in the country and ... all the others). Resorts on our warm seas will also be in a privileged position (unless a sharp climate change occurs). And who else will be included in the list of the strongest is still in question ...
If the heads of the city and regions mentioned at the beginning had been actively developing during the 25 years of perestroika, and not relying on the tourist resources accumulated over the previous decades, then everyone else would not be destined to catch up with them in the foreseeable future. However, the development was remembered only 5-7 years ago, thus giving a chance to their neighbors.
The importance of getting into the leader pool is illustrated by the Zipf curve (Zipf)
Picture 1
Zipf (Zipf) distribution
Those cities and regions that find themselves in the tail of this curve may not count on anything serious ... Perhaps they do not need this, and tourism for them is like birch sap in an ordinary grocery store: they hardly take it, but for the assortment there is ...
At the same time, our conversations with representatives of local and regional administrations indicate that in many parts of Russia they take tourism seriously, hoping with its help to give a new impetus to the development of the territory and replenish the budget. For this purpose, short-term and long-term programs are being developed everywhere, new travel brands are announced, advertising catalogs are printed, exhibitions and presentations are held, journalists are invited, etc.
Why can't many cities and regions make a leap forward and significantly increase the tourist flow? What needs to be changed at work? A detailed answer to these questions will be devoted to the subsequent chapters of the book, and here I will only outline the key points.
1. Cities and regions, like people, have desires, but there is “heredity” and “natural inclinations”.When choosing a new image, the second is useful to consider. It is difficult for a tall teenager to become an outstanding Formula 1 pilot or a single skater - long legs get in the way. And in volleyball or basketball, high growth, on the contrary, is useful. The same principle applies to territories. You can argue with nature, but it is expensive, and not everyone has the patience. (For more on the influence of territoriality on brand creation and promotion, see Chapters 2 and 3.)
2. A brand without reference to its target audience is doomed.The strength of a travel brand is not determined by the size of the advertising budget or the amount of advertising products and the high-profile name of the PR agency that came up with slogans and logos. A good brand is, first of all, a good idea, that is, an idea that makes a given object interesting for a specific target audience. And this target audience must clearly understand why this object is better for it than others. In other words, a strong idea in itself forms the target tourist flow. (For more on positioning and targeting segments, see Chapters 4 and 5.)
3. We need not single solutions, but a system (!) Of solutions.
Fact: in a highly competitive environment, single successful finds are copied "for the next season." Therefore, a strong brand, in addition to the key idea, implies a system of accompanying solutions - it works better at attracting tourists, and it is more difficult to copy it.
Have you ever attended a well-organized wedding? A poorly organized one? The difference between the first and the second is that at a good wedding, guests enjoy the process without thinking about anything. They have already thought about everything for them. At a poorly organized wedding, guests bicker with the toastmaster, either look for something to do, or struggle with the consequences of their own or other people's activities. The region is, of course, not a wedding, but the principle of consistency is the same here: big things are made up of little things. (For more information on creating tourist sites and useful additional services for tourists, see Chapters 6, 7 and 8.)
4. Interference - thinking inertia and lack of feedback.Often, residents, day after day contemplating their hometown, town or village, cannot break out of the framework of established stereotypes and look at places dear to their hearts through the eyes of a visiting person ... he thinks wider - he is out of the pan. ”) If managers of tourist facilities, as well as local and regional authorities, from time to time asked the opinion of tourists, travel agencies, investors, as well as consultants about the attractiveness or unattractiveness of their territory, many problems could be avoided. And invented slogans and brand ideas would not cause a sympathetic smile. (You will learn more about the stereotypes of tourists and travel agencies regarding holidays in Russia in Chapters 9 and 10.)
5. To promote a brand you need not so much money as a working head.In a sense, Russian cities and regions are lucky: there is foreign experience in promoting tourist sites. There are marketing techniques that are successfully used in the most progressive industries, for example, in retail trade, telecommunications, etc., including in Russia. Therefore, channels and means of promotion should be chosen critically, and not rely on the advice of a "familiar" advertising agency, which makes money not on the real attraction of tourists, but only on advertising. Remember, as in the monologue of the genius Mikhail Zhvanetsky:
“For five thousand rubles, he somehow interrupted. I was already suffering for ten thousand rubles. But he felt the real need when he began to receive sixty thousand rubles. "
(Read more about effective ways to promote tourism potential in Chapter 11.)
6. A brand is not created by one person or his team. It is a product of the entire territory as a whole.A brand idea or a promotion concept can be developed by one or more professionals in the field of territory promotion. This is normal. But turning ideas on paper into a working brand requires the participation of both the authorities and the local business community, and the involvement of local residents, and not just the initiatives of travel agencies, museums, hotels and restaurants. A tourist will not be delighted with brand new lanterns if they illuminate a trash heap or a broken road; if homeless people sleep next to a modern hotel, and curious local teenagers opened the car left in the parking lot, taking part of the contents of the cabin for themselves. This is a complex work for years to come. (For more information on interaction between the tourist industry, authorities and local residents, see chapters 12 and 13.)
Yes, travel brands are not as easy as we would like ...
Unlike sales of everyday products (tea, sausage, bread), here you need to build a strategy for years to come, and then achieve its step-by-step implementation. Is it possible otherwise? It is possible, but it will resemble a Brownian motion ... And your neighbors-competitors will learn from your mistakes.
They have their own rules of the game and their own methods of work, which are somewhat similar, but somewhat different from other spheres of the economy, so you will have to master a new area of \u200b\u200bknowledge - marketing of territories.
And I want to end this introductory chapter with words from Holy Scripture, partly consonant with the ideas expressed above: “So the last will be the first and the first will be the last, for many are called, but few are chosen” (Matthew 20:16; 22:14).
So it's time to roll up your sleeves ...
Chapter 2
On the marketing objectives of tourism development
We rarely fully understand what we really want.
François de La Rochefoucauld, French thinker and politician of the 17th century
It is believed that a correctly set task is a half-solved task. If we analyze the situation with the attraction of tourists and the creation of tourism brands in our country, we will find that the task of "developing tourism" with the same wording carries a different meaning for different cities and regions. There are, of course, common subtasks for all: in particular, increasing the recognition of specific tourist sites, positioning the territory in the tourist market or detaching from neighboring competitors. But there are also special tasks that depend on the level of tourism development in the region, on the image of the region in the eyes of Russians, on those guidelines that the territorial authorities have set for themselves in the field of tourism. If we take the experience of tourism development in the territory as a basis and analyze the tasks that arise at different stages, then we can conditionally divide all territories into five groups:
Group 1. "Old Guard".These are the regions and municipalities that Russians strongly associate with certain types of tourism, where a steady tourist flow has formed over many decades. This includes the cities of the Golden Ring, resorts Krasnodar Territory and Caucasian Mineral Waters, Dombai and Priel-brusye, Karelia, Altai, Baikal, of course, Moscow and St. Petersburg and a number of other territories and natural objects. These territories have been actively promoted since Soviet times, but they also have an urgent need to develop new types of tourism, create new attractions, improve the level of service, etc. For what? In order to prevent energetic competitors from “pilfering” their tourist flow, as well as to increase tourism revenues. Marketing tasks relevant for this group of territories are presented in Table 1.
Table No. 1
The solution to each of the listed tasks is not limited to advertising and PR, but implies a whole list of interrelated activities, including organizational and technical. It will be useful to solve the above tasks for territories from other groups, but for them they are not priority ones.
Group 2. "Hidden Reserve".This includes territories that really have significant objects of display, but which did not have strong advertising support in the past - "promotion" from the state - and for this reason they are not very popular among Russians and even more so among foreign tourists. Exceptions are residents of their region and closest neighbors. These include: Perm Territory, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Buryatia, Adygea, Southern Urals, Bashkortostan, Arkhangelsk region, Khakassia, etc. Since the tourist flow from other regions here is just forming, there are certain difficulties in creating a tourist infrastructure, in servicing tourists, in cooperation with travel agencies, etc. Overcoming them is a matter of time and the will of the territory leadership. As for advertising and marketing tasks, first of all, you need to pay attention to the tasks presented in table number 2.
Table No. 2
Group 3. "Adapters".These include cities and regions whose tourism industry was based on a specific topic that has lost its popularity among Russians over the years. As a result, there are attractions, but few tourists. The most striking example here is Ulyanovsk.
The same group includes those territories, the flow of tourists to which has become noticeably smaller compared to the Soviet period due to fears, misconceptions and misunderstandings that have appeared in society. This applies, in particular, to the regions of the North Caucasus, as well as to those regions where an emergency happened with the participation of tourists. These seemingly different groups have the same task - to move from an already established niche in the mind russian tourists into a new, more promising one. As a rule, the key tasks for the representatives of this group are presented in Table 3.
Table No. 3
Group 4. “Hermits”.These are the territories that, for all their uniqueness, remain aloof from the turbulent tourist activity due to their remoteness and high cost. passenger transportation from large Russian cities. This group can include Kamchatka, Chukotka, Kola Peninsula, Yakutia, Primorsky and Khabarovsk Territory and others. Sometimes the situation is complicated by a special access control. Along with attracting Russian tourists to such regions, it is necessary to immediately establish work and international market due to the greater ability to pay of foreign tourists and their increased interest in places untouched by civilization. The specific tasks for representatives of this group include the following (see table No. 4):
Group 5. "Blank sheets".These are cities, districts and regions that have embarked on the path of active tourism development quite recently, and in relation to which the bulk of Russian tourists have not yet developed any intelligible ideas. These include the Republic of Komi, Mordovia, Udmurtia, Bryansk, Voronezh, Tambov, Kursk, Belgorod, Kirov, Omsk regions and a number of other republics, territories and regions. Of course, these regions also have something to be proud of and something to show tourists. These are museums, temples, monasteries, nature reserves, old city buildings and estates, sanatoriums and boarding houses, etc. However, all these objects for a long time were focused mainly on the inhabitants of their region, and not on the flow of thousands of guests from all over the country - hence lack of stereotypes.
Unlike the rest, this group of regions should start not so much from their own resources and ambitions as from what others do not have, that is, look for free niches and close them. It is difficult, but there is no other way.
It is possible that the idea of \u200b\u200bdeveloping tourism in these regions is nothing more than a fashionable fad in connection with the next "party assignment". If so, then there is no need to waste your efforts. Better to invest the allocated funds in the improvement or social projects... If the leadership of the municipality or the region takes tourism seriously, then it is necessary to start with the marketing tasks presented in table 5.
Table No. 5
Formulating tasks is, of course, good, but how to solve them and what exactly to do? We will talk about this in the next chapters of this book. Summing up this chapter, I will mention three more tasks that, to one degree or another, face all territories:
1. Attract investors to create tourism infrastructure (this applies to both external investors and interaction with local businesses).
... This type of distribution was originally discovered in linguistics and reflected the relationship between the frequency of use of words and their popularity. But later it turned out that such a distribution is also typical for biology, economics, sociology, science of science, etc. More: Vikentiev I.L. Living vocabulary of a business coach: 300 terms, 190 examples. - SPb .: TRIZ-CHANCE, 2007.S. 149.The proposed classification was developed by the author and, like any classification, is a simplified model. However, it helps to better understand the differences in target setting for territories with different "tourist heritage".
The term "price justification" was proposed by S.V. Sychev, director of the company "Sychev and K" (Rostov-on-Don). Price justification implies a convincing answer to the question why the price of a given product or service is exactly the way it is, and why the investment of these funds is justified.
Almost every Russian region calls the development of tourism its priority, but few can boast of real success in this matter. Meanwhile, experts in the field of territorial development believe that the regions need to learn how to invest and earn money on tourism using modern business tools. Russian Tourism discussed with experts how to properly attract tourists to the regions.
1. Determine the goal... The authorities of any region must first of all decide why they need tourism, says Nadezhda Makatrova, general director of the Konkretika consulting company. The experience of Chukotka is indicative in this respect. Obviously, millions of tourists will never come to the peninsula (far and expensive for most Russians), so the district administration has set a very realistic bar - two to three thousand travelers a year. The main task of the industry development is to occupy the local population so that it does not leave for other regions and drink too much, as, unfortunately, it happens in a number of Russian regions.
But if the main goal is still to replenish the treasury, you need to analyze your own resources and capabilities, the experience of neighbors, existing demand, supply and decide on the correct positioning. Often the regions do not even need to invent something new, it is enough to communicate with experts and tourists, find out, for example, on the forums why people most often come to this area, what they take pictures, what they recommend to see their friends.
2. Find Differences... Sometimes regional administrations do not find an answer to one of the main questions: how tourism will differ here from tourism in other places. Meanwhile, positioning is the basis that determines the vector of development and helps tourists to make the right choice. For example, there are practically no mosquitoes in Altai - a significant factor for those who like outdoor recreation. But this information is known only local residents and, possibly, to tourists from neighboring regions and is not at all obvious to Muscovites. However, neither the authorities of the region, nor travel agencies practically do not focus on this.
“The formed tourist product should become as clear as possible for the tourist. In other words, people should clearly understand why they should go, for example, to the resorts of the North Caucasus, and not, for example, to Turkey, ”says Anna Dinelt, director of the Regional Marketing Agency.
3.Choose a slogan... This is another step in positioning the territory. Moreover, the very common "soul", "heart", "eyes" and other parts of the body of Russia are not very successful. You should not copy famous slogans from other countries. For example, the slogan “Smile, you are in Spain”, when translated into Russian reality, can at least cause a comic effect.
5) don't stop halfway... The actions of two Siberian regions - Omsk and Kemerovo regions - can serve as a good example of the start of promoting the image of territories. In the first case, the authorities took the path of creating an official brand, which has already begun to draw attention to the region. In Kemerovo, the myth of the existence of the Yeti is actively exploited, to search for which journalists and film crews regularly come to Kuzbass. Nevertheless, Anna Dinelt admits, these are only the first steps, which should be supported by a strategy: “It is not enough to invent a logo and a slogan. They can be printed on a T-shirt, but what next? It is important that the region joins the competition for hosting international events that can attract tourists. "
