BMF Overview

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Valuing The Human Touch In Tourism Sarah Myers
M.A., M.I.T.G. Thursday 8th September 2005 EUTO
Conference, Tallinn, Estonia
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About the presenter

• Masters Degree in Tourism Management, University
  of Westminster, 2002
• TIC Officer for 10 years
• Member of the Guest Teaching Team for the
  University of Boston
• Registered trainer for ITG tutor for Blue Badge
  Guide course and City of London Guide course
• Blue Badge Guide Association of Professional
  Tourist Guides (APTG) Member

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Agenda

• Introduction
• Current Problems
• Identifying the needs
• What is the human touch?
• The benefits of human interaction
• For the visitor
• For the industry
• Summary and conclusions

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Introduction

• Despite being one of the worlds largest cities,
  London is built upon a medieval street plan
• Has ancient monuments dating as far back as Roman
  times
• Is typically the starting point for tourist trips
  to other medieval towns e.g. Salisbury, Oxford,
  Cambridge

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Introduction - 2

• Tourism is recognised as an economic regenerator
• Increased funding has been made available by the
  local authoritiesHOWEVER
• Even the best planned marketing campaigns will
  not fulfil their potential unless the human
  dimensions have been addressed

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• Large visitor numbers, poor interpretation,
  congestion and pollution affect the quality of
  the visitor experience.
• Shackley 1998

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Current Problems

• TIPs versus TICs
• Temptation towards over-reliance on automated
  systems
• Inconsistent approach to Tourism Management
  across the Boroughs
• Tourism congestion due to lack of awareness
• Tourism and its management is a fractured sector
• Dwell time is not optimised due to difficulties
  in accessing information

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Identifying the needs

• Additional spoken language skills to address new
  tourism sectors (e.g. Chinese)
• Foreign language publications (free) that reflect
  those new visitor groups, inc. internet
• Obvious and visible TICs
• Consistent level of training for TIC staff
  coupled with CPD
• Professionally trained tourist guides (ITG
  standards)

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What is the human touch?

• Using marketing materials as support not as the
  primary channel of dialogue with visitors
• Heightening the visitor experience through
  greater interaction
• Enabling visitor footfall to be steered
• Providing direct customer contact in what is,
  after all, a people industry

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The benefits of human interaction

• For the Visitor
• Face to face service
• Orientation
• Impartial advice including local law
• Meet greet
• Reassuring and visible public presence
• Cultural interpretation
• Help
• All leading to
• Improved visitor experience (and repeat visits!!)

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The benefits of human interaction

• For the Industry
• Immediate gauge of visitor trends
• Group management, (inc. access)
• Cultural broker
• Opportunity for direct feedback
• Improved steering of visitor Footfall and spend
• Increased publicity and promotion of lesser
  known attractions and businesses
• Repeat visits as a result of an improved visitor
  experience
• Optimises dwell time

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Summary Conclusions

• There is a direct correlation between the visitor
  experience and tourism revenues
• The human touch plays a vital role in improving
  the visitor experience
• The service provided impacts directly on the
  destinations reputation
• Both the visitor and industry benefit from a face
  to face approach therefore
• Bigger emphasis on strong frontline service
  provision with qualified staff

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Thank You

• Sarah Myers
• sarah_at_london-atlarge.co.uk
• 44 (0)7834 361603