Projects
The following projects are the most representative of the expertise offered by Envisioning Tourism 3.0
Market Intelligence Study on Sport-stays in the Nordic Countries for Catalonia
The sport-stays tourism market in the Nordic Countries is especially interesting for Catalonia, since it concentrates its activity during the low season, for it can help to balance the current demand seasonality. Catalonia boasts a great number of facilities to satisfy the demands of this market. The goal of the project was to dynamize the sport-stays tourism sector in Catalonia to attract Nordic clients by providing all potential partners with the necessary information to do business. The methodology followed was to carry out structured interviews to the 18 main travel agents in the Nordic markets to know their assessments about Catalonia and demand characteristics. The study included the following outcomes: ·Main targetable market segments and niches for Catalonia within this market ·Key requirements and competitiveness factors for every segment and niche market ·Demand characterization of every segment and niche: seasonality, type of accommodation and services, length of stay, size of group, type of organization of the trip. ·Qualitative and quantitative trends of the demand of this market in the Nordic Countries. ·List of Nordic travel agents, segments, and destinations they deal with, current and expected business size in every segment, types of incoming services used, and program calendar. ·Assessment of Nordic travel agents regarding the facilities of Catalonia for this market ·Main competing destinations and benchmarks for every segment and niche market. ·List of Catalonia´s facilities and incoming Travel Agents dealing with this market.
Study of Tourism Flows in the Ebre Delta (Catalonia, Spain)
“Delta de l´Ebre” is a marshland and natural park featuring dunes, beaches, and many lagoons where birds of many kinds stop to enjoy its wonders during their migrations. It is a paradise for birdwatching and cycling, among other activities. In order to assess the need for further regulation of the visitors´ flows, the survey was to estimate the number of visitors in every area of the park, their activities and demand characterization. The methodology used was based on on-site counting of visitors and their means of transportation, and an on-site survey in the form of a questionnaire asking about the key issues of the demand characterization, both in representative periods of time and locations. The study included the following outcomes: ·Main types of visitors in consideration of their nationality, main motivations, size of group, organization of the trip, type of accommodation, activities carried out, length of stay, means of transport used, areas visited within the park, first-timers and loyal visitors, etc. ·Estimation of the tourism flows in every area and the means of transport used.
Strategy and Marketing Plan for St. Julià de Lòria (Andorra)
Sant Julià de Lòria is the only region of Andorra without an attractive tourism product, and so basically offers low-cost accommodations for visitors going to other regions of the country. The other regions boast ski resorts, shopping streets, and wellness facilities. The purpose of the plan was to develop an attractive tourism offer and a proper marketing system to optimize the business profitability of the tourism activities in the region. The methodology started with a survey to know the visitors´ motivations and activities, as well as meetings with key players in the tourism sector of the region, as well as site inspections. To decide the investment priorities, the McKinsey matrix method is used. To assess the product´s competitiveness the Value x Effort formula is used. The plan included the following outcomes: ·Diagnosis of the destination´s competitiveness and tourism qualitative and quantitative trends, with a special focus on the overseas markets. ·Business model of a shopping village, integrating all the stores of the village into a harmonious shopping area with a diversified and attractive portfolio of shops. ·Business model of a Nordic ski resort, offering a wide range of experiences throughout the four seasons for families with children, adults, and corporate clients. ·Definition of other minor business models to boost tourism in the area. ·Cross-destination programs to improve competitiveness in the whole region. ·Marketing plan defining the main strategies and action plans to carry out in order to attract all target clients, foster loyalty and boost profitability.
Tourism Development Plan for Hangzhou (Zhejiang, China)
Hangzhou is one of the most popular destinations for Chinese nationals, because of the wonderful West Lake, famous for the many stories and poems that all Chinese have heard or read. As of 2005 it had 31 million visitors a year, but the average overnight stay and expenditure was very low. The purpose of the plan was to boost tourism revenue by attracting more overseas tourists, developing new attractions, and improving the current ones to extend the average length of stay. The methodology encompassed a survey to know the overseas visitors´ intention to visit China and Hangzhou, among other key issues. Site inspections were carried out for the competitiveness plan. Many meetings with government officials were carried out mainly for the strategy and marketing plan. To decide the investment priorities, the McKinsey matrix method was used and the Value x Effort formula to assess the product´s competitiveness. The plan included the following outcomes: ·Diagnosis of the destination´s competitiveness and tourism qualitative and quantitative trends, with a special focus on the overseas markets. ·Strategy plan to identify the tourism sectors in which Hangzhou had the highest potential to compete nationally and internationally, as well as the attractiveness of each business sector in order to decide the investment priorities. ·Cross-destination programs to improve competitiveness throughout the main tourism clusters. ·Action plans to improve competitiveness and marketing in specific sites, featuring new experiences, resources, and feelings, as well as reducing discomforts and risks. ·Marketing plan defining the main strategies and action plans to optimize profitability by attracting new target clients and boosting revenue. ·Conceptualization of 18 investment projects to boost competitiveness in the various tourism clusters of the area in accordance with the investment priorities defined in the strategy plan, with a feasibility study for each of them.
Feasibility Plan for a Hostel in Vallcebre (Catalonia, Spain)
Vallcebre is a small village in the Catalan Pyrenees, where a prehistoric archeological site was discovered some years ago. The area also has great potential for many other activities related to the natural environment. To exploit this unique resource, the village was building an accommodation facility to host visitors and offer them an educational experience related to the archeological site, among others. The study started by researching the similar facilities in the area in order to ascertain the services and prices on offer, as well as the occupancy rates throughout the year. Then, based on these data, design scenarios with different occupancy rates and prices to assess their Net Present Value, to estimate the price to be charged for the exploitation license of the facility. The study included the following outcomes: ·Study of similar accommodation facilities in the area, their services, prices, and average occupancy rates in every season. ·Net Present Value assessment of many scenarios built upon different price schemes and occupancy rates to estimate the conditions to make it profitable and the price of the exploitation license. ·Proposition of formulas for the exploitation of the facility, based on licensing it to an operator in different conditions, basically length of license and price. ·Marketing recommendations to boost demand and revenue.
Business Model design for a Hospitality School in Mataró (Catalonia, Spain)
Mataró is a city in the coastal region north of Barcelona, boasting many top-rated restaurants and popular tourist areas. The food & beverage and hospitality sector was experiencing a lack of professionalization of its human resources, resulting in the building of a new hospitality school. The purpose of the study was to define the business model of the school to fully satisfy both the needs of the target students and the demand of the food & beverage and hospitality businesses. The methodology was based on interviews following a questionnaire -face to face or by phone- with business owners of the food & beverage and hospitality sector. The educational offer in this field in the Barcelona area was also researched. The study included the following outcomes: ·Analysis of the hospitality sector’s needs and challenges ·Educational programs for the food & beverage and hospitality sector in the Barcelona area. ·Trends analysis of the hospitality sector and its educational programs in Spain. ·Definition of the educational services portfolio based on the inputs of the business owners in the area with regards to their needs for skilled professionals. ·Key management activities to keep up with the needs of the hospitality and food & beverage sector by adapting the service portfolio over time. ·Strategies and action plans to attract students and boost the school´s prestige and profitability.
Master Plan of a Theme Park about Prehistory (Zhejiang, China)
Tourism demand is booming for theme park destinations in China, and so is the film industry, but it needs further infrastructures to satisfy the increasing business demands. An investor was planning to develop a theme park featuring the prehistoric periods, also suitable for broadcasting films. The purpose of the plan was to design the outline of the landscaping resources, together with the facilities and related experiences that were to shape the customer journey throughout the park. The methodologies used were international benchmarking research, and the business models method defining the value system (resources and experiences), the target clients, the development strategy, and the management and marketing key activities. The strategy consulting part of the plan included the following outcomes: ·Design of the mobility strategy to ensure sustainability and comfortable tourist experience. ·Conceptualization of educational experiences and resources, stating their sequential order within the visitor journey in the park in accordance with the several periods represented. These resources would consist of museums, cinema halls, galleries reproducing prehistoric pictures, etc. ·Conceptualization of a Dwarf island and its resources and related experiences, to convey visitors to an imaginary world with funny characters and amazing villages with houses based on the natural resources such as caves and huge trees, providing an interactive experience with them. ·Conceptualization of the landscaping resources and related experiences, stating all the elements that have to be considered in developing a harmonious and realistic atmosphere, so as to provide visitors with a truly immersive and exciting experience. ·Conceptualization of the shopping resources and experiences, based on a shopping village at the end of the visitor´s journey, featuring several stores related with to the areas and resources of the park, marketing a vast range of branded original products. ·Conceptualization of an ecology center, consisting of a self-sustainable accommodation facility, operating with renewable energy sources, built with eco-friendly materials, also creating no visual impact in the environment. This would be a facility for education on environmental sustainability.
Tourism Development Plan for Hefei Lake area (Anhui, China)
Hefei is a city on the shore of a huge lake in Anhui Province. Beyond the current industrial activities, the government wants to develop tourism in the area targeting high-end tourists, for it can take advantage of most of the lake and surrounding areas. The purpose of the plan was to design the clusters of the territory where to develop tourism businesses would be developed, with their corresponding resources and experiences. The methodologies used were international benchmarking and the business models method defining the value system (resources and experiences), the target clients, the development strategy, and the management and marketing key activities. The strategy consulting part of the plan included the following outcomes: ·Business model of art fishing villages where visitors could live the experiences of old fishermen in picturesque villages where many kinds of arts and crafts are performed. ·Business model of a water-based activities resort, with a lake area restricted for every kind of activity (kayaking, water-skiing, paddling, etc.) ·Business model of a palace hotel in an artificial island, namely for high-end events such as opera and cinema festivals, music concerts, private parties, and corporate meetings. ·Business model of a golf resort with many kinds of accommodation facilities and golf courses in unique locations such as artificial islands. ·Mobility strategy featuring various original transport systems to make mobility a memorable experience, also caring for the environment sustainability. ·Brief marketing plan for the whole area encompassing the main strategies and action plans to attract target tourists and optimize profitability. ·Territory planning, drafting the area corresponding to every cluster, as well as the different areas within every cluster for specific projects and activities, to provide the adequate atmosphere for every activity to make it a harmonious and immersive experience.
Strategy Plan for a Theme Park cluster in Wuhu (Anhui, China)
Wuhu is a town in Anhui Province where the government wants to develop a tourism cluster based on theme parks, to take advantage of the increasing demand of the Chinese nationals for this kind of holiday destinations. The purpose of the plan was to provide the key guidelines for the development of the cluster with regards to the urban and business planning, to set the stage for attracting investors. The methodologies used were international benchmarking and the business models method defining the value system (resources and experiences), the target clients, the development strategy, and the management and marketing key activities. The strategy consulting part of the plan included the following outcomes: ·Study of the key success factors for the development of theme park-based clusters, and related recommendations for the development of the cluster in Wuhu ·Conceptualization of projects for developing tourism in the river area, beyond the theme parks ·Recommended business models to develop the cluster, considering all the business units that have to be coordinated: accommodation, amusement facilities, food & beverage, and shopping facilities.
Marketing Plan for Luxury Apartments in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain)
Barcelona is a leading city destination, marketing experiences for high-end tourists among many others. The client is a top-rated luxury apartment operator that wants to make the business model leap forward to increase profitability. The purpose of the marketing plan was to leverage the service excellence and reputation to optimize profitability, while also attracting new clients and increasing the average revenue for every client. The plan included the following outcomes: ·Strategies and action plans to attract new tourists through more profitable channels and partners ·Strategies and action plans to foster customer loyalty and recommendation ·Strategies and action plans to increase the average revenue from every customer by developing new services ·Strategies and action plans to increase customer satisfaction
