4 Key Considerations for Tour Guide Recovery in Times of Trial

Characteristics: 

• Seeking safe, secure, easy to get to and easy to organise short breaks 
• Need to feel welcome
• Like familiar places where they can relax
• Love nature, culture and enjoy engaging locals
• Care for the environment and are interested in sustainability
• Active online but limited / little use of social media
• Demographics: Older, more female, C2DEF, older kids 16+
• Estimated annual spend: £822

Characteristics:

• Inclined to be seeking value (price focused) but also want quality (balanced decision makers)
• Like to relax and need to feel welcome
• Have a focus on enjoying good food.
• They are active researchers and  gather information from a variety of sources
• Active on social media
• Demographics: Female bias, older (av. age 45), older children, even social class split
• Estimated annual spend: £964

Characteristics:

• Strong family focus
• Activities very important (all types, variety of interests)
• Need activities to suit children, as well as the whole family
• Planners - do a lot of research
• Pay attention to price, seeking value
• Consider themselves bargain hunters but not afraid to pay for quality (if worth it)
• Demographics: Most likely 35-44, even social class split, have younger children (under 16)
• Estimated annual spend: £1,360

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Characteristics:

• Love short breaks
• important part of their lives
• Active planners
• research in detail
• Actively write reviewers online
• Seeking to engage with people and culture
• Will indulge themselves
• Big food emphasis
• Quality and location key
• Demographics: Even gender split, older (av. age 54), even social class split
• Estimated annual spend: £1,020

Characteristics:

• Quality of accommodation important
• Nature lovers, enjoy the outdoors
• Preference for gentle activities
• Sustainability important
• Enjoy planning and like to have clear itineraries
• Short breaks important part of their lives
• Demographics: Older (av. age 55) more likely to be male, ABC1, older kids
• Estimated annual spend: £1,238

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Characteristics:

• Buzz and atmosphere seekers
• Seeking nightlife, great pubs etc.
• More likely to use AirBnB
• Short breaks important part of life
• Want to broaden the mind
• Connectivity very important (Wifi, 4G)
• Getting a good deal and engaging in activities deemed more important than finding great accommodation
• Demographics: Youngest segment with 29% aged 18-24yrs and 26% aged 25-34yrs. Least likely to have children. More likely to be female, slight C2DE bias.
• Estimated annual spend: £1,006

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Prof. Karen Harris from the University of Pretoria: 

Doubling Up Tourism in Times of Trial.  Professor Harris used the analogy of “Macbeth” Double Double Trial and Trouble but with the plan to have a new focus for tourism.  It will be a while before international travel recovers to pre-Covid-19 levels.  Professor Harris suggested that domestic tourism is our lifeline for recovery.  We can make the non-iconic iconic; make a stop a stop-over and link locals to the local attractions.  She analysed the various demographics in domestic tourism with suggestions of how to develop tours.  Her example of tours of the University of Pretoria which then expanded beyond the campus for prospective students. Alumni and staff could be considered for other universities and colleges in Northern Ireland. Her tourism students included interactive virtual tours, bubble tours and then extended them to other local destinations. 

Professor Harris also pointed out that there is a serious medical need, currently being researched,  for older people to get out and about again after a time of isolation. They are reluctant/scared to get going again. Could you develop tours and outings for them – perhaps with Care Homes, Day Centres and Retirement Homes? Most facilities have a mini bus and take their clients on outings – could you add value to these? Online interactive guided tours may be something you might consider for the winter months – these could be marketing to prospective overseas visitors who are beginning to think about travel again.

International Tourist Guide Day takes place on 21st February every year. It began with Cypriot guides offering tours for locals entitled “Get to Know Cyprus” – is there an opportunity to replicate this idea in Northern Ireland?  The theme for 2022 is  Recovery and Growth in Tourism – the Tourist Guides’ Role. Could you develop this theme in Northern Ireland and offer tours for locals next February.