As I always say to My Touristologists, all good answers begin with three words… It depends ON…then you have to explain the “ons”!!!!
How is it possible that most of the new startups dealing with tourism and relying on technology are low value orientated?
Low value orientated, Jordi? What do you mean with that? I mean that…
1) They are focused on providing a solution to mass tourism. So, basically, something that allow tourists to find cheaper prices and (apart from, sometimes, offering discounts for customers aggregation) not appear any possibility of groups creation!
2) They provide a partial solution. So, they don’t offer support for the tourists from the beginning to the end of the trip.
Is there anybody providing those kind of solutions? YES! Do you remember Worldmate that we talked about here…
So, why this low value orientated addiction?
One of the reasons is because they are products designed for developers NOT Touristologists.
Software is eating the world and the only ones able to create disruptive new, new enterprises are the ones able to code (or able to convince someone else to code for them…. BUT remember you need him/her and not the other way around).
So, Touristologists you need to learn to code! Developers thinking about Tourism… you need to learn Touristology!
Otherwise, your supposed new, new things are…
1) Not new but part of the forgotten set.
2) Are just temporarily new… Because sooner or later they will be eaten or surpassed or destroy by economy of scales suppliers!
As happened with wehotels (Studentuniverse) . As happened with Gydsy (getyourguide). As happened with blink (Groupon)… Did they earn money in the process? YES! But you will remember them in the future as you remember Apple (Steve Jobs) Joe de vivre (Chip Conley)… I doubt it!
Can you use your Touristology skills to analyze this new startup? Its name is Experitus and here you have a video…
and here an interview with its founder…
Can you improve it? Do you see the possibility of groups creation? Do you see possible buyers? Can you list its competitors? Can you analyze their mobile app and web sites? Do you think that they are very similar?
But Jordi, in specialized tourism other companies also can buy or destroy us. YES! But you would have learnt to define segments, to build a community, to create chains of value, to define operations and processes inside this chain of value, to create (or buy) the right software and to use the right devices… So, you will become… A TOURISTOLOGISTS!!! … nobody can take those skills away from you! Once you create one enterprise you can create thousands. You will become master and commander of the Touristology framework!!!
The answer to the question in the title? I try to reply with another question!
Developers? Touristologists? Which is the difference? In 1500 who was more important people able to read and write or any member of any science?
So, this is my message for Christmas…
Touristologists of earth… Learn to code!
Developers of earth… Learn Touristology!!!
Everybody needs two minds!!!
