One of the concepts that is harder to understand for my Touristologist is the difference between Super3 and my own 1,2,3. To me is automatic, but has not merit. 1,2,3 theory is my brain child. I use it as a normal framework in my own travel/profession/career/adventure as a Touristologist and, as you know,… practice makes perfect.

So, maybe it’s a good idea to explain several examples of new business model that appear recently in the tourism field and try to use 1,2,3 theory to clarify some ideas. Shall we?

Few days ago, a former student and nowadays a comrade in arms in Touristology army, showed me this website gidsy http://gidsy.com

Jordi-  She said “You must take a look to this website. It recalls me a lot of the words that usually you use in class like… pro-am, prosumer, servuction…”

So, I decided give it a try… and she was right! I liked the web, the business model and the technological scheme. I got so impressed that I shared it in twitter and I thought “Someday I’ll have to explain this web deeper” Guess what? This day is today!

Let’s see the functionality of the web. For instance, you visit the website select a city then an activity (for instance history) and you see the offer of a men connecting the dots between shamanism and quantum physics!

bottom-upTouristology

In Touristology terms that means a butterfly strategy website where normal people (Pro-am) create, communicate and commercialize their own tourism services (Servuction) to normal people from around the globe which, directly, buy these activities/experiences.

So, what do you think? Super 3 or my own 1,2,3? The ball’s rolling……Place your bets!!!

Jordi! What does this website has to do with Bottom-up Touristology  and Tao Te Ching?

Because I strongly believe that any tourism destination should potentiate something similar.

What? What are you saying? – Ask the man/woman-clearly-not-a-Touristology in charge of the promotion of a tourist destination.

That maybe it’s a good idea to help them. To teach them the ideas of Segmentation, International Routes and Viral Marketing in Layers .This would be the best way to bring tourists to any destination avoiding focusing on low prices and instead focusing in high experiences.

That Touristology have to become a normal knowledge for any inhabitant of any tourism destination. That is the only way of become successful in XXI century.

Welcome to Bottom-up Touristology!

Tourism destinations of earth! The time has come to change the way you create, communicate and commercialize your tourism products or, at least, to reorganize the way you spend your budget…

Spend less in mass-media ads saying that you are the best, less in tradeshows, less in … and more in Touristology! More in your people, the most important tourism resource in any destination. In this way you will offer..

More specialized tourism than generic tourism

More international routes

Less focus on local tourism and more focus on international.

Uhmm…Specialized? International routes? International tourism? Specialized? International routes? International tourism? Does it ring a bell to you?

As I said before this is a Cambrian moment for Touristology. New ways to create, communicate and commercialize tourism services and we’re lucky enough to watch/participate/study this evolution.

Now I’m excited! Touristologists…

WELCOME TO OUR CENTURY!

Time to enjoy it!

If the sage wants to stand above people,

He must speak to them from below.

If he wants to lead people,

He must follow them from behind.

Tao Te Ching, by Lao Tzu

Jordi Oller

joller@tecnocampus.cat

http://turistoleg.blogspot.com

www.twitter.com/Turistoleg