Tourism Industry Report
Tourism is one of the most vibrant sectors that contribute to the economy of the country due to the resources that it brings into a nation. Over the years, the tourism sector has evolved through the emergence of new trends that are aimed at giving the tourists a satisfactory experience. This has made the tourism company to be highly competitive with each company striving to keep abreast with the new trends in the industry for optimal delivery of services. This paper will focus on the G- Adventure company and how it has incorporated the industry trends into its framework. The discussion shall also outline the current opportunities and the challenges for the company concerning the macro trends in the tourism industry.
The G Adventure company is a worldwide travel tour operator that was founded in 1990 with its headquarters being based in Toronto, Canada. The company offers a broad selection of small-group tours, expeditions and safaris at an affordable rate with destinations to more than one hundred countries. The company has something to offer to all customers regardless of age, budget, ability or interest and this has made it to be one of the top travel tour operators in the tourism industry. This is chiefly because they have been able to streamline their operations to the arising trends and have been flexible enough to align their services with consumer expectations.
Macro Trend and Industry Trends
One of the main trends in the tourism macro environment is the shift towards advanced technological platforms. This includes using recognition technology such as facial recognition, fingerprint, retina scanning and other biometric identification methods for security, authentication and elimination of friction during the payment process. Another trend is the online booking experience which allows customers to select their preferences regarding accommodation, tours and other journey related activity. Companies are also striving to offer personalized services which means that they tailor their products according to the needs and expectations of their clients, this has led to the development of mobile apps that facilitate the reservation and booking procedure. This has also boosted marketing strategies since promotional messages can now be sent to targeted customers more directly. The Internet of things (IoT) is another present-day technology that provides tourists with relevant access and control to essential data through their phones thus ensuring that customers have a remarkable experience (Whitmore,2020). Another promising tech travel trend is the use of augmented and virtual reality. The augmented reality technology heightens the travel experience by augmenting a person’s real environment. Virtual Reality, on the other hand, immerses the traveller into the place he or she is about to visit through the digital platform (Stfalcon,2018).
The G Adventure has put in place a lot of innovative strategies to meet the advancing technological trends in the tourism industry. Technology is ingrained in all their operations as they use it for communication and engagement practices with their customers. The social media has played a significant role in the advertising of the G Adventure travels by opening up their brands and products to new audiences. Another trend that has been embraced by the G adventures in the world of virtual reality which has upturned their modus operandi. The first VR project was done in the Ganges, India which involved showcasing the new river adventure whereby a chief experience officer met with the passenger and set off for a tour. The company has also partnered with the Travel week on the explore VR to give customers a foretaste of their adventurous experience (Travelweek,2016). The online booking experience offered by the company has also proven to be effectual especially during these trying times of the COVID 19 pandemic where online services have been much appreciated (Rokou,2020). This is because they minimize physical contact hence mitigating the risk of contracting the disease.
Opportunities present for G Adventures include a wide variety of travel destinations to offer customers which ensures that tourists expectations are not only met but they are exceeded. The company also has established a strong brand name which makes it easier for them to attract customers. The high investment directed towards technological resources is a great advantage for the company as it is now easier to reach more customers and match with the emerging industry trends. The weaknesses include; a limited market as they have not yet widened their operations on a larger scale to be entirely worldwide based, unfavourable business conditions such as lockdowns and strict restrictions have curtailed the tourism operations and lastly is the inadequate packages to meet the growing demands of customers from the potential and prospective sides.
In conclusion, the tourism industry has greatly evolved through the years and this is mostly due to the changes in the digital world. Technological improvements have caused a shift in the industrial trends in the tourism sectors and companies have been tasked with aligning their operations according to these trends. This paper has discussed the G- Adventure company and outlined how they have been able to embrace the upcoming trends. The company management should conduct more research on new business trends and strive to upgrade their services.
Bibliography
Rokou. T (2020) G Adventures unveils new ‘Travel with Confidence’ policy Retrieved from https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/g-adventures-unveils-new-travel-with-confidence-policy
Stfalcon (2018) Top 10 Travel Industry Trends in 2019 retrieved from https://medium.com/swlh/top-10-travel-industry-trends-in-2019-d43d157de7b9
Travelweek Group (2016) What is G Adventures passionate about? Millennials, Virtual Reality & Travel Agents! Retrieved from https://www.travelweek.ca/blog/g-adventures-passionate-millennials-virtual-reality-travel-agents/
Whitmore (2020). Travel Trends to Expect in 2020. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/geoffwhitmore/2019/12/10/8-travel-trends-to-expect-in-2020/#6536d9f2d088