In the program n.006 of “Pi by Radio” (broadcast on 04/14/2016) we talk about tourism marketing with Leandro Rattazzi from Focus LATAM in the recording studio. Leandro is an expert in destination marketing, and in this program he shares his experience with listeners.
How to position a tourist destination
According to Leandro Rattazzi, marketing is understanding what is happening from the consumer’s point of view, and then developing products that meet these expectations. However, from the point of view of destinations, the first thing is to evaluate what resources and attractions exist in said destinations, to try to attract the client towards them, seducing him.
We are seeing more and more people in our field who work in a different way: stop the ball, analyze, correct strategy and redirect actions in pursuit of the best result. What matters is the effectiveness, not the number of actions.
A key factor is the amount of resources invested in destination branding, since if these are insufficient or not appropriate to scale, the results can frustrate expectations. Therefore, if you decide to invest in your destination, half measures are not worth it.
The ideal is to start with good market research, to get to know the customer, establish metrics to evaluate the result, and establish the best channels. When resources are limited, it is preferable to invest a month and a half in research than blindly applying resources with a high risk of failure.
The analysis of destination competition is almost unapproachable due to its breadth, since the price variable has a great weight and largely determines the purchase decision. Weighted with connectivity (easy to reach that destination), it creates a map of possible destinations that fight to be chosen by the client.
On the other hand, the positioning of tourist destinations before clients is a long-term race, and it is not possible to obtain good results in three months even devoting enormous resources to it.
Speaking of digital marketing, Leandro Rattazzi points out that the volume of data may seem overwhelming but it opens up infinite opportunities to objectively complement the offline strategy. To achieve success in such a dynamic environment, it is essential to combine the knowledge of the territory provided by local agents, with proven data on all the variables that affect the market in real time.
Finally, the digital ability to launch a campaign and obtain immediate data should not cause haste in decision-making, but rather constitute a tool to be able to adjust a longer-term strategy.
