The tourism sector (travel agents, transport companies, hotels and restaurants, etc.) is facing complex challenges…
Despite growth prospects – especially due to foreign tourism – many operators are unable to successfully develop their business.
Indeed, the sector is confronted by new challenges.
Fierce competition due to:
– the emergence of new players and businesses in the value chain (online pure players, brokers, search-engine administrators, volume retailing, etc.),
– the increasing share of online purchasing (66% of purchases in the tourism sector are online).
The repositioning of players in the sector, who are amending their economic models to reduce the number of intermediaries, diversify their business (vertical integration) or consolidate their position in the marketplace (horizontal integration). The distinct lines between the traditional occupations of travel supplier, producer and retailer are becoming blurred.
Changes in modes of consumption (as in the volume-retailing and clothing sectors), with a disaffection for the mid-range that benefits low-cost and premium and/or customised products (personalized or ‘tailored’ travel is growing by more than 10% each year).
… Economic models must be redesigned…
In this respect, players in the sector must create new economic models and suggest offers that are better suited to customer expectations in order to increase their profitability.
Consequently, the sector will tend to be structured around two economic models:
the first based on a volume strategy for bigger organizations,
the second based on a value strategy for smaller organizations (niche offers).
Moreover, players must rely on every kind of lever: cooperation between operators or networks; sharing strategies (purchasing, information systems, etc.); reconfiguration of retailing modes of distribution (points of sale, pricing rationales, etc.); remodelling of customer relations and awareness and loyalty-enhancement tools (partnerships, sponsoring, etc.).
Identification of a target organization, support-function productivity, process optimization, Lean approach, optimization of your points of sale and retailing networks / channels, support for the development of a new property strategy, etc.
Reshaping offline and online customer relations. Working on new loyalty-enhancement tools (local marketing, innovative practices in terms of awareness, etc.) and more ‘traditional’ steering operations (process optimisation, complaints management, loyalty-enhancement levers, etc.).
Taking staff and all stakeholders into account when preparing strategic plans. Ensuring the successful deployment and operational espousal of the orientations chosen.
