Scarily, it’s 40 years since Tourism Australia’s famous ‘slip an extra shrimp on the barbie’ Paul Hogan ad campaign. Best campaign they have ever done! Have a look, it’s still a classic.
The basic proposition of the Paul Hogan campaign was to highlight our collective national personality – happiness, friendliness, and optimism. Using ‘Hoges’ wrapped it in Australia’s unique quirky sense of self depreciating humour. In my view, it remains Australia’s best and most impactful destination marketing.
But the genius in this campaign was the 30 second ad shown only here in Australia that explained and told Australian’s how to fulfill the proposition; just ‘smile and say g’day’. Brilliant!
As I travelled through Asia late last year I experienced firsthand the value to a destination, and individual tourism businesses, of projecting a happy, friendly, and welcoming attitude to guests and visitors.
I visited Vietnam with my wife and 10year old daughter. Over Christmas we talked about what a great holiday we enjoyed and agreed that the thing made it so special was the genuine warmth and friendliness of people. Beyond our booked hotel and tours hosts, the Vietnamese people on the street, in shops and restaurants were so engaging, helpful, and welcoming.
Our experience re-affirmed to me that, to have an impact, tourism marketing cannot rely on achingly beautiful images, design, styling, or cheap prices.
The most sustainable differentiator is the experience created by personal interactions. People are the difference. The value of a warm smile, enthusiastic greeting, happy, friendly attitude in locals and staff to the long-term reputation of a tourism business and destination is massive.
For travellers, first impressions and word-of-mouth reign supreme, and the attitudes of the locals and staff with whom they interact are crucial. It is the human connection that impacts and defines a traveller’s experience. A warm, welcoming attitude from you, your staff and locals will elevate a good holiday into an unforgettable one.
You’ll know from your own travels that you tend to remember how you were treated more vividly than the sights you saw. It’s the friendly attitude from hotel staff, the knowledge and enthusiasm of a tour guide, cheerful service at a restaurant, or a helpful local who gives directions that creates a lasting positive ‘vibe.’
Human behavioural studies show that these interactions form the emotional core of a visitor’s experience. If you feel welcomed, respected, secure and valued, you are more likely to return and recommend the accommodation, activity, and destination to others.
And that cuts both ways. If you encounter unfriendly unhelpful or indifferent behaviour an entire holiday can be tainted, no matter how beautiful the destination. And these days, negative firsthand experiences spread like wildfire through online reviews and social media.
There will always be ‘stuff ups’ and challenges in tourism and hospitality, but if they are ‘owned’ and handled gracefully with respect and a can-do, upbeat attitude visitors and guests are always more understanding when they see issues addressed with calmness, respect, and genuine care.
Today, a tourism business’s, and destination’s reputation is shaped by online booking site’s reviews and TripAdvisor, Google Reviews, and social media. Happy tourists share their experiences, highlighting the friendliness of locals and staff. Positive reviews both attract more visitors and foster a sense of trust in potential customers. And the reverse is also true.
A happy, friendly welcoming ‘vibe’ encourages tourists to explore more of what the destination offers, extend stays, and book other tourism offerings in the area.
As we all know, the current tourism market is fiercely competitive, where many destinations offer similar attractions, and tourism operators are striving to differentiate their offering. Attitude is contagious and a friendly and welcoming attitude can be decisive in landing and expanding on bookings.
Australia consistently ranks high on travellers’ lists in large part due to our national personality traits – genuine warmth, welcoming and slightly irreverent self-depreciating humour. Your business and your local tourism community are an implicit part of fulfilling this expectation. Because tourists prioritise human connections as part of their travel experience.
That’s why you and your people can create and deliver your business a competitive edge.