Tourism stakeholders told: ‘Drop traditional manuals’

CEBU, Philippines - “Drop traditional manuals in branding, marketing, promotions, and in overall operations,” said a hospitality brand expert and advocate as he tries to motivate Cebu tourism stakeholders to cope and understand the unpredictability of the demands of the modern market.

International hotelier Merril Yu spoke before tourism players in yesterday’s Tourism Forum initiated by the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI) as one of the highlights of this year’s Cebu Business Month.

Yu said tourism businesses such as hotels, restaurants, and other service-related businesses have to employ a new way of management style and espouse anew mindset in dealing with the modern market.

He added that the new generation travelers do not really care if “you are the best” or “you are the first”, but will go out of their way to explore a destination that has something unique to offer.

This new market paradigm is putting pressure on stakeholders to be on their toes all the time as marketing and promotions are futile if promises are only true on the advertising collaterals, brochures, attractive and colorful websites.

Yu, who worked with several famous international hotel chains around the world, reminded Cebu tourism stakeholders that they are serving the modern clients, well-informed, very demanding, and that performance is needed rather than merely following a manual.

 First-hand experience or the word-of-mouth advertising has taken its strength with the advent of technology, thus consistency in living with the brand, making clients happy and satisfied is a sure return-of-investment (ROI).

In his presentation entitled "Marketing for Sustained Business Success," Yu emphasized the importance of shifting to a new marketing paradigm in order to survive in the business

and attract the attention of the very well-informed target market. 

Thus, he reiterated that being the best can longer catch the market's attention, or even if you are the first one to introduce such concept in a destination, what is important now is differentiation from the rest-- being unique and distinctive. (FREEMAN)