Open up resonance spaces for your guests
The corona crisis has had a significant impact on tourism. Among other things, the Covid-19 pandemic is fueling digitization and the acceptance of digital contact points. Even guests who previously shied away from digitization are increasingly using digital offers such as contactless payment, customer guidance, etc. Existing digital contact points are reaching more and more people than before the start of the pandemic and it seems worthwhile to set up new digital contact points.
But be careful: With all the digitalization euphoria, the long-term megatrends should not be lost sight of. For many target groups, the trends of individualization and authenticity create an uncomfortable area of conflict with advancing digitization:
On the one hand, there is the desire for (digital) solutions that are available at all times and that precisely filters out from the aggregated data the one offer that suits individual needs. The associated “dehumanization” of tourist services, on the other hand, is often perceived as negative by guests. The digitization of customer relationships through e.g. touchscreens in public spaces, self-service when booking hotels, trains, experiences, etc. increase the travelers' longing for solidarity and community. This new basic need is called: resonance.
Resonance is the desire to experience direct contact with people and things, which leaves a lasting impression even after the trip. The sociologist Hartmut Rosa writes: “Some find resonance spaces in art, when painting, writing or making music. (...) Others are drawn to nature. You go to the forest, the mountains or the sea and feel touched there in a special way”. In the understanding of Rosa, people experience their life as meaningful when they feel vividly connected to others, when they “experience resonance and the world speaks to them”.
Conclusion for your tourism marketing 2021: Check your digital strategy. A lot of things may have a superficial benefit but may lead to a subliminal discomfort of your guests. Hospitality as a real human service is becoming even more important, because it depends on whether people feel connected and thus comfortable with you. Destinations and service providers have the role of the designer of resonance spaces. Digital data should be used to initiate and strengthen analog interactions.