Get recognised for excellent value and service
As a tourism business owner you are exposed to so many opportunities for a number of reasons. The great beauty of South Africa is greatly sought after by international tourists and a growing number of domestic tourists.
While the accommodation segment will always remain fundamental, there are many other areas of the tourism industry, which are growing and gaining momentum. South Africans are increasingly looking for adventure holidays within their own country and spend more weekends away than ever before.
So how do you make sure that your facility is chosen as a destination
Interesting question!
If you think logically about the tourist’s decision making process you know that post purchase dissonance is an extremely undesirable result for you. Tourists choose a holiday that not only provides them with all the physical amenities they require, will also offer them exceptional service and an experience that creates memories for a lifetime!
If you have a dream package then how do you show the potential tourist that you are the destination for them?
Good marketing
Ensure your marketing and communication campaign is communicated to the tour operators and travel agencies out there – build good relationships with them so that they will be confident in selling your offering. Make intelligent use of web advertising and brochures.
The quality of your website and brochures says alot about you and your business. Word of mouth advertising is the undefeated winner of all marketing tools. Your satisfied customer will refer their friends and family to your facility. However, as profound and successful a tool it may be, it may not hit the masses as you would like it to. So what to do?
Get graded
Take a good look at the requirements laid out by the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa (TGCSA). It is an excellent way of combining the value of your facility in terms of physical attributes and service levels with a sure unbiased acknowledgement of customer satisfaction. There is more to grading your business than being awarded your array of stars.
Those stars tell something about your business. It means that customers gave feedback opinions about your facility which are positive. It tells something of the service levels and it essentially says to your potential customer that they can trust you!!
Market research confirms consumers regard (star) grading as an honest, fair and independent assessment. Customers rely on this trust to gauge value for money. Let's be clear that just because an establishment only has a two star rating it doesn’t mean they are of any less value than a five star rating. It means the facilities are different.
The TGCSA has an Accommodation Guide which features more than 3000 graded properties around South Africa. It also clears up any misconceptions around the value and service that you may receive in one or two star establishments.
These accommodations also provide excellent value and great service, but may not provide all the amenities of a 3 or 4 star venue. Similarly, five star accommodations do not always mean expensive prices, but you can be sure that it does provide room service for at least 18 hours of the day.
The Restaurant sector has been included recently with the Transport and Guiding industry close to incorporation. It won’t be long before the TGCSA will rank amongst the best and broadest in the world in terms of grading systems.