Sustainable Tourism and Holiday Rental Property Marketing

Sustainable Tourism and Holiday Rental Property Marketing Campaya As we head towards 2012 holiday property owners would do well to spend some time over the holiday period reflecting on the tourism headlines from 2011 and the projections for 2012. Broadly speaking two factors will have effected your holiday rental success in 2011: the location of your property, and the type of tourism that you are focussing your market on. In reality then for most: location will have been the dominating factor as to the success of your rental property business, or second property income throughout 2011, and with the ongoing concerns over the economic climate, ongoing unrest in many parts of the world and a number of natural disasters all effecting holiday makers plans, and all outside of the control of the property owner, the remaining variable to target is the type of tourism. Much has been written throughout the year on the tourist figures that we are aware of, and while certain areas have done well, the general feeling is that tourism is on the decline, or more accurately to paraphrase: their's tourism Jim, just not as we know it! The World Tourism Organisation defines Sustainable Tourism as when development meets the needs of present tourists and host regions while protecting and enhancing opportunities for the future. It is envisaged as leading to management of all resources in such a way that economic, social and aesthetic needs can be fulfilled while maintaining cultural integrity, essential ecological processes, biological diversity and life support systems. Sustainable tourism based on natural and cultural heritage break Sustainable Tourism into three sectors: Green Tourism A phrase you may have heard banded about and are wondering what it really means. Well there's not a strict definition as such, but overall green tourism is about being an environmentally friendly tourist or providing environmentally friendly tourist services. (www.uk-energey-saving.com) Green Tourism Adapted from Sustainable Toursim Based On Natural And Cultural Heritage Report Sport Nature Tourism Tourism Culture Religious Tourism SUSTAINABLE Tourism TOURISM Health Educational Tourism Tourism Recreational Adventure Tourism Tourism Eco Tourism Rural Tourism Uniting conservation, communities, and Allows vistors access to people and places outside of city environments. Options include sustainable travel. hiking and biking, visiting community museums and buying crafts. (www.planeta.com) (www.ecotourism.org) Meaningful, or more accurately, up to date statistics are unfortunately not available to do a growth comparison, due to the relatively new nature of a number of the niche areas, but the concept of Sustainable Tourism isn't a new one by any means. Auliana Poon's visionary and influential book, Tourism, Technology and Competitive Strategies, claims that changes in the marketplace have given rise to a tourism metamorphosis. She argues that new tourism consumers, or new tourists, are remarkably different from the old homogenous mass tourists. In particular, new tourists reflect a growing, segmented trend towards more flexibility, involvement and participation. This segmentation of the tourist market, allied to product differentiation, has led to the development of a number of special interest tourism sub-sectors - including education tourism - which offer a wide range of products, services and experiences. Looking back then to the definition of sustainable tourism from the World Tourism Organisation, the question for the holiday properly owner in determining which niches to target market must be determining the long term potential for the market. Sustainable Tourism Adapted from Tourism and the Environment in Europe Report Economic benefits Visitor Host Job creation & Competitive enterprises and diversified tourism economy Quality product (value for money) Economic cohesion & wealth Enviromental benefits Social benefits Visitor Host Visitor Host Conservation Unspoilt scenery & access to cultural heritage Job supply & Peace, relaxation Jand well-being management of nature and culture Enviromentally friendly equal opportunities Social cohesion and social justice Activities Personal contact and intercultural compatible with consumption patterns nature/culture exchange One other fact that you may want to take into account: the age profile of the tourist. Particularly relevant when you consider which age range is going to have the disposable income over the next 10 years or so. 160 140 2020 120- 100 80 60 40 1998 20 Adapted from Sustainable Toursim Based On Natural 15-24 25-49 50-64 65-79 Over 80 And Cultural Heritage Report Under 15 Age Group By mapping the age of those likely to be going on holiday, with the types of tourism that is going to appeal to them it is relatively simple to factor in your location and accessibility to various tourist activities to come up with a Sustainable Marketing Plan for your Holiday Rental Property. As Greg Richards said in his Tourism Research and Marketing paper when talking specifically about Cultural Tourism as an example of a successful development: "Culture and tourism were two of the major growth industries of the 20th century, and towards the end of the century the combination of these two sectors into 'cultural tourism' had become one of the most desirable development options for countries and regions around the world." Millions Eco Tourism Rural Tourism