Once designed the architecture of the model, it’s time to design the strategies to develop it to the utmost of its potential. The development strategies are likely to be quite different depending on the initial scenario, whether it is a resort, a decentralized destination or a group of resources to be exploited for the tourism business. Hereby are described the four key development strategies that are to determine the success of the destination model 3.0 in most of the cases.
Human resources development
One of the key factors that makes destination models 3.0 deliver a superior value proposition to other destinations is the better human development of its service suppliers, along with the service quality control and incentive system. The human resources development strategy intends to unlock and leverage all the human potential of destination stakeholders, by stimulating their creativity and empowering them to develop and bring in all their talents in benefit of the destination, giving them incentives and recognition for their contributions. There could be many kinds of training programs:
- Empowering locals to become micro-entrepreneurs, coaching them on how to develop their idea.
- Training employees and service suppliers on how to deliver a memorable customer experience.
- Language training in the main languages of the target outbound markets.
- “Storytelling training” for all local stakeholders on how to create and tell stories, developing their communication skills, and eventually giving them the chance of participating in rewarding contests and publishing their stories.
- Training to develop artistic skills such as photography or graphic design, to be used in the creation of marketing contents.
- Educating on business model innovation in order to both help entrepreneurs reinvent their own business and to participate in the open innovation system discussions about revamping the destination platform business model.
Some of these programs like the storytelling training and artistic skills development, should also be offered as life-changing experiences to the tourists, who eventually may generate ideas and contents for the destination.
Would you consider other skills development goals?