How to make a good offer for tourists. Encyclopedia of Marketing. The main condition is to respect the interests of guests

is a rather difficult question. And if there is no developed transport infrastructure, then it is practically unsolvable. The same products grown on the ground cannot be sold, since they cannot be delivered to the consumer. Another thing is rural tourism! This idea is interesting in all respects. Let's take a look in detail.

What is the meaning of the idea for a vacationer

What is rural tourism? This expression refers to a certain type of recreation for residents of megacities, during which they take part in agricultural work. That is, the townspeople go to the countryside in order to get some air, eat fresh natural products, and at the same time try to live a completely different life - rural. I must say that this idea, on the one hand, is simple, since many people buy summer cottages for this very purpose, on the other hand, it expands the possibilities of “vacationers”.

It means that rural tourism is not just a trip to a suburban area, but an opportunity to visit other countries, get acquainted with the life and way of life of other peoples. It differs from other types of recreation by the opportunity to fully imbue the way of life that is inaccessible to the city dweller, to feel like a full-fledged resident of the village.

Benefits for the host

It must be said here that the idea gives literally unlimited possibilities to the villagers! It is very difficult to develop your own business in rural areas. Not because there is not enough diligence or resources. Rather, due to the lack of a consumer. For a successful business, you need a constant influx of people who want to buy its result, otherwise the idea will not pay off.

Thus, rural tourism becomes a lifesaver for those who are actively involved in building their own business. But that is not all! Who would refuse extra hands! This can be understood only by a peasant who has a lot of things to do, and time is running out. And if these "hands" also pay for their living... Such a rural business becomes not only profitable, but also enjoyable! The peasant (owner) receives the following benefits: profit from a tourist, help in the household, an influx of new communication and information. This is a great example of a business idea from scratch in a rural area.

A bit of history

Rural tourism was born in Europe. This was due to the desire of people with small means to relax in nature. At the same time, they wanted to get all the "charms" of expensive hotels, together with the pleasure of feeling like the "owner" of the land.

To meet the demand, they began to offer accommodation in the families of the villagers for a moderate fee. Liked the service. Among the clients now are not only families with low incomes, but also young people, especially students, people who seek solitude and a natural life. Demand for holidays in the countryside has not fallen for many years, bringing up to twenty percent of gross tourist income in some European countries.

Agrotourism in Russia

The idea, despite its promise, has not yet found mass development in the country. It should be noted that the Kaliningrad region was the first to practice it (to invite foreigners). Due to its sufficient popularity among esotericists, Altai joined it. It is believed that this region of the country will become the most promising in terms of the development of rural tourism.

This is due to the fact that many people from all over the world want to live in this modern Mecca. And in general, Siberia now seems to be one of the the best places to implement the idea of ​​business in the countryside. This territory is sparsely populated, and there are a lot of people all over the world who want to settle here (at least temporarily).

Signs of rural tourism

This is considered a type of recreation outside the city, completely environmentally friendly and beneficial local residents. That is, there are three signs: in the village, without harm to nature, usefulness for the economy. For a tourist, it is necessary to create conditions so that he can comfortably enjoy the chosen type of recreation. That is, in the area where this type of service is developed, a special infrastructure is being created.

It includes places of residence, transport, places of "work", shops, cafes and so on. Tourists are called "guests" here. They try to create completely home conditions. In addition, psychological comfort is an integral part (if not the main) of this type of recreation. Often people go not so much for impressions and physical activity, but for "rest of the soul." It is known that in rural areas communication is more open and sincere, which has a beneficial effect on the nervous system of guests.

Features of rural tourism

This type of business is quite profitable for the municipal authorities. It does not require government investments, and the return, if properly organized, will be decent. The only thing that may be required from the budget is the construction (repair) of roads. But this is part of their responsibility. The rest of the infrastructure is created by business owners. There are some risks.

So, an excessive influx of tourists can contribute to the pollution of the area (cars, garbage, and so on). This problem is solvable. The construction of transport service enterprises, as well as paid parking lots, can be another idea for villagers or municipal authorities. True, such a business in the countryside will justify itself only in the event of a large influx of guests.

What can be offered to tourists

I must say that guests come most often in the summer. At this time, they are offered a number of pleasures, which they are deprived of due to their urban lifestyle. Among them:

• measured and quiet village life;
• vegetables, berries, greens straight from the garden;
• walks in the open air;
• the ability to drink water from natural sources;
• bathing in natural reservoirs;
• work on the ground;
• animal care;
• fresh milk and meat;
• individual approach to each guest;
• the opportunity to relax with your pets;
• participation in folk holidays and entertainment;
• homely atmosphere and much more that nature does not stint.

In autumn, there are those who want to learn how to harvest and make homemade preparations, dry herbs and berries. And all the townspeople just dream of mushrooms! Thus, rural tourism can become the most demanded form of recreation in the world. It lacks stronger publicity. But this is a matter of time.

Where to start (prerequisites)

For rural people who have no other source of income, rural tourism is becoming increasingly attractive. The business plan for the development of such a business is not too complicated (in any case, at the first stage). But it still has some prerequisites.

It is necessary not only to burn with the idea, but to have some "starting" capital. Fixed assets: land, a house suitable for receiving guests, transport (car, boat, and so on), pets, a vegetable garden or a garden. For the first time, it will be possible to allocate part of your own living space. It must be equipped with a separate entrance. You need to take care of the dining room, the place where guests will eat. It should be comfortable, spacious and cozy. Cooking will have to be in a separate, specially equipped room. Please note that this issue is monitored by special services.

It is desirable that there is a pond, forest, meadows nearby. That is, the area that would be attractive to tourists. Also, the prerequisites include the desire and ability to work, communicate, learn new skills (even professions). It must be taken into account that guests will need to be taken care of like family members, cook, clean, entertain. This is serious and hard work.

Desirable conditions

Having decided that this type of activity suits you, consider the following. Business ideas from scratch in rural areas have not only prerequisites for implementation. There are also intangible resources that you need to have in order to make your tourist corner competitive. What is meant? Guests will have to not only receive, but also entertain.

This requires organizational skills. folk holidays, knowledge of local traditions and rituals, mastery of crafts (any work that is done by hand from natural materials) and so on. Guests will be grateful if you sometimes tell them about the history of the area, the peculiarities of culture.

This is not as important as material resources, but it greatly affects competitiveness. It is advisable to create your own corporate identity. It can be ethnic adventures or fun holidays. Choose the thing that you yourself like. Then it will be much easier to interest guests in it.

How to organize a reception

To arrange accommodation, you will need a separate room (or building). Usually a house (or part of it) with a separate entrance is used. The room should be equipped taking into account the comfort of the location of the guests. That is, you will need to take care of the beds, bedding, dishes.

A necessary condition is the presence of a TV, computer (with Internet), telephone connection. Do not forget that rural tourism focuses not only on locals, but also on foreigners. Therefore, you will need conversational skills (at least English). In addition, you will need to feed the guests. To do this, you will have to master the dishes of not only local, but also some other cuisines (not everyone will agree to a “village” table).

In this regard, there is a need to have a supply of food. It must be selected in such a way that guests do not feel inconvenience. It is advisable to inquire about their wishes in advance. Keep in mind that unfavorable reviews (there are enough fans to write them on the Internet) can nullify all your efforts.

The main condition is to respect the interests of guests

For a business to work, you need to be able to attract a client. This is what all textbooks on marketing say. Since rural tourism is based on home comfort and comfort, then the creation of an atmosphere of benevolence and good nature becomes the first condition for success.

Guests need to feel welcome and loved. You need to be able to accept strangers, in fact, people so that they feel not just “buyers” of services, but members of your family. To do this, you need to learn the flexibility of behavior, the ability to prevent the development of conflicts in the bud, develop the ability to understand what the interlocutors want.

Some guests will need extra furniture (maybe toys for the kids). Others will want a lot of excursions. In any case, all guests will walk around the village, communicate with the local population.

And in order for this not to turn into a problem, you will have to agree with your neighbors, maybe involve them in the provision of additional services (fishing, holidays, excursions). Since rural tourism involves not only rest, but also work, you need to plan in advance what you will offer guests.

It is not necessary to put them on heavy and dirty work without prior agreement. Yes, and it is not customary to demand a “norm” from guests. It is best to give them the opportunity to try themselves in the types of work that they choose for themselves. But it takes patience and the ability to teach.

Rural tourism is a promising direction. Its development does not require huge capital investments at the first stage. You can start with existing resources, and only then increase momentum. At the same time, state registration of such activities is mandatory. It will be necessary to comply with all the requirements of the legislation governing the reception of guests and their stay in the local territory.

Even if your tourist has already visited Tunisia more than once, he should return to this country, since it is simply impossible to embrace all its beauties in one or two trips. Based on this fact, the multidisciplinary tour operator ANEX Tour organized a large introductory press tour from April 16 to April 26, 2017 fortravel journalists so that they can tell Russian tourists in detail about this interesting destination.

The group members traveled to different provinces of Tunisia, felt the atmosphere and color of the country, saw its main attractive "chips", assessed the level of security.

Guests who arrived at Enfidha Hammamet Airport were surprised by the crystal clearness of the air gate, as if the facility had been put into operation just the other day.

In terms of “tourist friendliness”, the Djerba airport was not inferior, from which journalists flew to Moscow ten days later, and city streets in the whole country became much cleaner than after the revolution.

“This is the result of the efforts being made by the state and business. Quite recently, the large retail chains Carrefour, Monopri, Generale excluded the sale of plastic bags, and immediately there was less garbage on the streets, because this is 350 thousand plastic bags a day! In addition, the Parliament passed a law, according to which fines for garbage are provided. So, now you have to pay 40 dinars for a thrown cigarette butt. Also, the environmental police will start working in the near future, - the decision to create it was made on April 10, 2017,” explained to the correspondentTRN representative of the host company.

So the journey began...

Hammamet, where the blue sea

Only a few ancient Roman amphitheaters have survived on earth and one of them is located in El Jem. It is huge, it has a capacity of 50,000 people, and the arrangement is such that many people can easily get in and out without crowding. It was here that the legendary film "Angelica and the Sultan" starring Michel Mercier and the film "Gladiator" were filmed.

Jeep ride on the dunesOngJmal is a popular excursion. The journalists checked for themselves how exciting this action is and made sure that it makes sense to recommend this excursion. It's really fun and, most importantly, safe. The level of skill of the drivers - aroused respect. It is also worth stopping by the village nearby, where the shooting of the Star Wars film took place. This is a place of pilgrimage for tourists and a location for photo shoots in the scenery of Star Wars.

to meet dawn in the Sahara, the group was settled in the local hotel Ksar Rouge Touzeur for the night.

Stunning views of the sun rising over North Africa's largest salt lake - Chott El Jerit - immediately give an idea of ​​why this excursion is so popular among tourists. It's really worth getting up early and spending two days on the road.

Moving to Berber village of Matmatou immerses the tourist in the atmosphere of primitive life. The hospitality of the Berber family touched journalists: here people live in poverty, but are kind and warm-hearted.

The youngest girl is not yet in school. The eldest is already at school and knows two languages ​​- Arabic and French.

The state free program provides an opportunity for a social lift for the poorest sections of society. high, but with talent and desire, you can get in the best universities in the country, some of which are quoted even in France.

A hearty lunch at the Diar El Barbar restaurant, and the group set off to the island of Djerba.

It is the largest island in northern Africa. You can get there either along the Roman road, or. The bus loaded onto the ferry quickly - lucky, the queue was small.

Djerba is the second most important resort in Tunisia and probably the most popular among Russians. It has everything for recreation: clean, well-groomed beaches, many restaurants, nightclubs, warm sea, excellent hotels.

Life on Djerba has always been connected with the sea - for many centuries the island served as a base for Barbary pirates, and today their descendants are engaged in fishing, crafts, tourism, and growing olives.

Guests visited Pottery Village and Gellala Museum, where a rich collection of ancient ceramics is stored and one of the oldest synagogues in the world, El Gribou, where ancient Torah scrolls are located.

The journalists spent their last day in Tunisia at the hospitable Royal Garden Palace. This was the tenth hotel during the trip. All the hotels that we managed to visit had their own specifics, but there was something that united them - high standards of service and an excellent material base.

By the way, this year the ANEX Tour tour operator has increased the offer of exclusive hotels to 15, and the number of guaranteed hotels with a large quota of places (more than 40) will also increase. The company's offer will also include new items, including: TUI Sensimar Oceana Resort & Spa (adults only from 16), Le Mirage Beach Club (Ex. Club Med), Club Thapsus, Bravo Haroun and Magic Djerba Mare 4*.

The operator has also introduced an additional convenient service - the ability to pre-book various thalasso therapy courses, for example, at Magic Royal Kenz. For those who choose a tour for families with children, the company will offer four hotels where the Angel Kids Club operates. These are Holiday Village Manar 5*, Splash World Venus Beach 4*, Skanes Family Resort 4*, Magic Djerba Mare 4*.

What to offer to tourists who want to bask in the sun and swim in the sea for the May holidays, without bothering themselves with a long flight? There are undoubtedly many options, but we will try to talk about the most attractive and affordable of them.

Resort number 1 in popularity, both in summer and in May! Indeed, in the resorts of Turkey, in the month of May, it is already quite warm and there is an opportunity to swim and sunbathe. It is already warm, but not too hot yet, so nothing prevents you from enjoying the sun and the sea to your heart's content, or go on an exciting excursion or shopping with pleasure.
The cost of holidays in Turkey in May compares favorably with prices in the summer. During this period, some hotels offer good discounts to attract tourists.

An ideal place for the May holidays, because in early May, the weather in Egypt is simply fabulous. If not for one BUT! Our holidays coincide with the Arab holidays. Due to high demand, there are problems with hotel rooms and, as a result, almost the highest prices of the year, sometimes even higher than New Year. And of course, there can be no question of any last-minute trips, all hotels must be booked in advance.

For the May holidays, you can safely invite tourists to go to Cyprus. Night clubs and discos, an abundance of fruits, mild, warm weather will please everyone. There are not so many vacationers at this time as in the season and, of course, the resorts are not as lively and cheerful as in summer, but the air is fresh, everything is blooming and fragrant. So, for example, the air temperature in Limassol and Larnaca is from 23°C, and the water temperature is about 20°C.
Prices during this period are quite low, and the choice of hotels is quite wide.

Spain

The Mediterranean coast of Spain in May is already ready to give suffering tourists a generous sun and a great tan. The best beaches at the very beginning of the season, they will delight you with cleanliness and tranquility, and the weather in Spain in May will bring cozy + 25 ° C and a cloudless sky. Ideal for those who like warmth, but not heat. The water in the sea warms up to 20°C.
Just as excellent as the Mediterranean coast, the islands are suitable for relaxing in early May. Ideal option, the island - Tenerife. The air temperature is more than comfortable, Atlantic Ocean by this time it has already warmed up, and another weighty argument for choosing this direction will be the lush vegetation that grows throughout the island, as well as many exquisite hotels with excellent service.

In May, Greece has great weather. The beach season in Greek resorts opens just in early May. The average air temperature during the day is +27°C. And sea water warms up to +19°C. At the same time, there is still no scorching heat, which will allow tourists to relax more actively. During May holidays beach holiday in Greek resorts, it can be very well combined with an active excursion program, sightseeing and monuments of ancient Greece.
On the Greek islands, the season opens even earlier - in April. And, if tourists want to go somewhere warmer, then you can offer to go to the islands that are located in the south of the country. The most popular holidays are on the following Greek islands: Crete, Rhodes, Corfu, Kos, as well as on the peninsulas of Halkidiki and the Peloponnese.
However, one should take into account the fact that since the May holidays coincide with the opening of the tourist season in Greece, tours to Greece in early May are in great demand, and their cost can rise significantly.

United Arab Emirates in May - beautiful blue waters Persian Gulf, luxury VIP hotels, colorful blooming gardens in the desert, as well as an abundance of goods in boutiques and shops. It should be noted that the United Arab Emirates are famous for the bright sun throughout the year, however, best months for holidays in the UAE, the period from October to May is considered. It is in the month of May that the air temperature becomes the most favorable, which allows every tourist to comfortably enjoy their vacation. The average air temperature in May in the UAE is +35°C, and at night it can drop to +24°C. The water this month warms up to +27°C, which creates ideal conditions for swimming and water sports.
Speaking about the cost of holidays in the UAE in the month of May, one should not forget that the peak of tourist activity falls on the period from October to May. Consequently, prices in May may increase, but only slightly.

Israel

Mid-May is one of the best times of the year in Israel. There is no such sweltering heat yet, but the beach season is already open. In Israel, travelers have a unique chance to visit three seas in one trip - the Mediterranean, the Red and the Dead. At the beginning of May, the sea water is already quite warm, and the treatment procedures at the Dead Sea have a noticeable effect even in a short time. Excellent service and hotels, a pilgrimage to the Wailing Wall, numerous ancient churches and places associated with the events set forth in the Bible, the shining dome of the Mosque of Omar - all this is Israel!
April and May are the most popular times to travel to this country. And although our tourists do not need visas to travel to Israel, May tours to Israel should be booked in advance.

From Rostourism. In 2014, which is associated with the beginning of the crisis, 42,921 tourist trips abroad among citizens of the Russian Federation. In 2017 - 39,629.

Yes, there is definitely a downward trend. But 7 or even 8 percent is not the figure that can "kill" the market. People travel, and in the TOP-20 for 2017 there are Germany, Israel, Italy - countries with far from the lowest prices.

If so, where are the clients?

Many travel companies emerged in the first decade after the collapse of the USSR. At that time, people who had just collapsed the "Iron Curtain" were enough to simply hand over a plane ticket and a hotel reservation, and that's it. The person is happy. He has escaped to see the world and can tell his friends how it is abroad.

Time has passed, and now the bulk of potential customers for the tourism business are children of the 80s and 90s. With a different worldview, more free and independent.

They do not want to lie belly up on the beaches of Antalya. Unless once a year, when you need to "walk" parents and a small child. And they don't want to crowd with dozens of complete strangers around the next cathedral or monument. It is they who can organize their own vacation via the Internet, without intermediaries.

What do they want? Bright, juicy impressions that are difficult to get on your own. Hot air balloon flight over Cappadocia. Walk through the "secret" courtyards of Istanbul. A trip to the "Hobbit Village" in New Zealand. Participation in the national holiday. They want to realize their dreams and sparkle with beautiful photos on social networks.

Conclusion: the market is changing, and we need to change with it.

Promising niches for the next few years

Here we come to the main point. You can talk as much as you like about how the world is changing, but where to run? What can be done to attract the current generation of tourists who are hungry for variety and experiences?

First of all, move from standard solutions to unique ones. Develop your own routes, establish relationships with new format tour operators, collaborate with private guides.

And most importantly, treat the tourism business as creativity, and not as a craft. Creativity is in fashion today - in the broadest sense of the word.

Here are some examples of fertile niches:

• Organization of individual tours. People who have money don't want to travel like everyone else. Give them the opportunity to order a tour from you with the maximum flexible terms, without standard solutions. This niche is already beginning to be explored by large tour operators, such as TUI and PAC. They organize trips on individual requests to almost any country in the world, without reference to ready-made "packages". There are also small private companies like White Label Travel, which specializes in the premium segment. But this part of the tourism market can still accommodate many companies.
• Organization of thematic tours. Biking trips, diving tours, cooking classes - find those destinations that interest you and where you can offer something unusual. It is with this approach that Velovuyki, who organize cycling trips around Europe, or Safari Tours, which specialize in diving tours and dive safari, have become popular in their niches. By the way, large tour operators also often make such programs - designed not for a wide audience, but for separate thematic segments. This means that the market exists.
• Organization of author's tours. Bloggers have huge readerships, and many of them specialize in travel. In partnership with them, you can develop unusual programs. For example, one of my favorite projects, Travel Inside, grew out of a purely "blogging" format. They do not have a special thematic niche, they use a different approach - they collect their own warm audience that travels only with them. You can do the same or partner with popular bloggers and organize tours together.
• Organization of tourist groups in a club format. Accommodation, transportation, entertainment and attractions are the bare minimum for organized groups. But you can go further and arrange parties, socializing and other team building elements during your trips. Prominent representatives of this format can be One Life and Mikhail Kozhukhov's Travel Club. Their clients are not just groups that meet every few days and say goodbye forever. No, they ride with them and with each other for many years.
• Organization of tours in Russia for foreigners. All the same approaches can be used within your own country (unusual, author's, thematic tours). Examples include Express to Russia or ExploRussia, as well as foreign companies such as Responsibletravel, which organize tours to Russia for foreigners. They focus not only on history and typical walks in the center of Moscow or St. Petersburg, but also on natural attractions, holidays, and national cuisine. The market exists, but is not yet filled with competition, and the scope for new business is huge.

Personal experience

I started working in the tourism business in 2015, in the midst of another crisis. The bulk of clients are from the countries of the former Soviet Union. At that moment, my husband and I managed to intuitively find the right direction and we founded Time 2 Travel club - a company for organizing individual travel.

What worked well:

• Experience and own example. We travel a lot in Europe and Asia, we constantly write about it on our social networks, and customers trust our advice on choosing attractions and hotels. Moreover, they want us, as people who have seen everything with their own eyes, to advise them on the best options.
• Individual approach. We do not offer ready-made tours, but ask what the client would like. Yes, often the choice comes down to one of the ten popular countries for which we already have blanks. But this is how the client gets involved in the process, starts planning the trip even before the moment of payment, feels that this is his trip, his dream comes true. And, as a result, he goes with us to the very end, and does not look at how his competitors are doing.
• Honesty. We play openly and tell our clients: this is the cost of travel, this is our commission. Oddly enough, they trade extremely rarely - apparently, they understand that earnings on one trip are not so great, and they do not fantasize about huge hidden commissions. We also always honestly tell people what they pay for, why one option is more expensive or cheaper than another, what to expect on the spot. This is highly valued and pays off handsomely in the form of positive reviews.

With the organization of individual tours, this was a good decision, and we decided to go further. Now we are expanding our business and will soon launch an online project under the same name Time 2 Travel - a search engine that will bring together organizers of excursions, tours and tourist attractions, as well as travelers who are looking for unusual experiences.

This new project grew out of our pain as travel organizers: it's hard to find quality excursions and entertainment. When clients ask to organize a walk around Istanbul or Paris, the last thing they want is to get on a standard “historical reference” several hours long. I would like to find a person who loves this city, lives it and not only tells and shows, but gives travelers impressions.

Here we can again return to the issue of free niches in the tourism business. Agree, a guide is not the rarest profession. But if you do not work like everyone else, but do something unusual, really high quality and from the heart, and not according to standard templates, it will be much easier for you to find your audience and sell your services to them at good prices.

A few key words

Free niches are constantly appearing on the market and finding them is not so difficult. What you need is to keep track of how people's preferences change. Yesterday they just wanted organizations within the framework of "visa, ticket, hotel" - it was necessary to meet these needs. Today they want entertainment, impressions and beautiful photographs - these new desires must be satisfied. Tomorrow this will also change and other areas of tourism will begin to gain popularity.

To keep your finger on the pulse, it is useful to regularly read social networks and forums, listen to feedback, and most importantly, ask your audience directly. This should all be part of a continuous and regular workflow.

Don't be afraid of negative reviews. When a client says something is missing, they are giving you the most valuable free consultation and actually pointing out what needs to be improved. In the same way, you can follow the reviews of competitors and draw ideas: what their customers like, what they don’t like.

With this approach, you are unlikely to run out of ideas. Of course, then there is a lot of work to be done to implement the plan, but this is a topic for another story.

Think about what makes your city unique? To do this, make a list of all the activities and attractions that are in your city. Tourists are more interested in things they can do and see in a city than where it is located. First of all, tourists will find out what entertainment is available in the city, and only then - where is it located. Examples: watching white nights in St. Petersburg or rock climbing in Krasnoyarsk.

• Focus on activities and attractions that are unique to the city. Even a small or odd landmark can draw visitors and attention to a city (from the world's largest paper clip to artificial waves on a river). Ask yourself: “Why is this city worth visiting? What is there that tourists cannot get or see elsewhere?”
• Work with the tourism development committee and focus on the top three things your city has to offer. The more facts you provide, the more interesting the city will become for tourists.