*By Carolina Stolf, International Markets Coordinator of Embratur
Innovation is not just an external tool that we acquire, but something intrinsic that resides within us. This perspective is fundamental to understanding how we can transform the way we develop strategies in the tourism sector. Observation, curiosity and valuing the diversity of opinions of people with different backgrounds are key to this transformation, allowing our brains to function as an algorithm capable of connecting equipment, products or tourist destinations to potential tourists by transforming data into powerful information.
Does that sound crazy? But I’ll tell you more about how this is based on applicable methodologies. During my professional career, both at Accor and Embratur, I realized that the basis for building an effective strategy is similar to an algorithm. The essence lies in how we use the data at our disposal to generate useful information and turn it into strategic actions. This process involves several stages, from collecting data from various sources to analyzing it and applying it in practice.
The data can come from a variety of sources: interactions with tourism businesses to understand the profile of tourists; detailed studies and reports on market trends and behavior; data portals on tourist flows and analysis of the behavior of specific markets, both your product or destination and the competition. The most important thing is to have the interaction of a diverse group of professionals – including men and women of different ethnicities, LGBTQ+, with varied backgrounds and experience in the public and private sectors. This diversity of opinions and experiences enriches the construction of strategies with multiple perspectives, contributing to the development of an effective algorithm.
At Accor, I used to say that I used data to paint a picture: a masterpiece in which each piece of information absorbed was transformed into a color of paint. My goal was to combine all these colors harmoniously, forming the rational basis on which we built our strategy. At Embratur, I started calling this process assembling a piece of a rational puzzle, where the data is converted into an analytical sequence that leads to the ‘eureka!’ moment and culminates in a cohesive strategy, allowing the algorithm to work effectively.
But exploring beyond the technical side, my point here is to reinforce that diversity and curiosity are key tools for innovation. In tourism strategy, it’s what drives us to explore data in new ways and discover emerging trends. Curiosity in seeking to observe, engaging in dialogues that provoke you with diverse opinions activates and allows you to transform large volumes of data into valuable insights that guide strategic decisions. Observation and the curiosity to capture data and turn it into information are ancient tools that are still vital. It is these human capacities that allow our “internal algorithm” to function efficiently, and there would be no point in having countless technology tools if we don’t work on the “ancestral technology” that is intrinsic within us. Diversity also plays a crucial role in innovation. By valuing different cultural, social and economic perspectives, we can develop more inclusive and attractive strategies. It is this diversity of people that provides us with a wider repertoire of ideas and insights, making it possible to create richer and more varied strategies.
The starting point for any tourism promotion and marketing strategy is the organization of available data. This process can be compared to putting together a jigsaw puzzle where each piece represents a crucial variable for the success of the strategy. Analysis of the source market involves evaluating the market in relation to the tourism product, including the inflow of tourists and competitive positioning. Competitive analysis identifies opportunities by studying competitors and market share. Understanding the profile of the target tourist in detail makes it possible to target marketing strategies more precisely. Market strategy takes seasonality and the marketing cycle into account to optimize the approach. Choosing the right tools and partners, as well as defining measurement KPIs, are essential final steps for a successful strategy. And putting them in a funnel so that the “algorithm” works with the aim of conversion.
To illustrate this theory, let’s consider the case of Embratur’s partnership with Viajes El Corte Inglés in the Spanish market. This case exemplifies how a well-structured strategy can be compared to an algorithm. The analysis of the source market and the competition revealed that destinations such as Mexico, Colombia and Peru were strong competitors for Brazil. Based on this, specific objectives were defined: to increase market share by focusing on consolidated sun & beach destinations and to diversify products by promoting nature and cultural experiences, including gastronomic tourism. The campaign in cooperation with Viajes El Corte Inglés was structured on the basis of concrete data and involved multiple promotional channels, such as out-of-home media, social networks, metaverse and a gastronomic week. The campaign resulted in a significant increase in searches for Brazil and in the number of tourists.
Innovation in tourism strategies doesn’t just depend on external tools, but on the ability to observe, collect data, turn it into valuable information and apply it effectively. By valuing curiosity and diversity, we can use our “internal algorithm” to connect tourist destinations with potential tourists, creating memorable experiences and promoting sustainable growth in the sector. In this way, we trace the path of the strategy that connects the potential tourist to the tourist equipment, the tourist product and the Brazilian destination.
The strategy for attracting international tourists can be compared to an algorithm, working in multiple dimensions. However, the most powerful and differentiating element of this strategy lies within you!
The opinions expressed in this text are the author’s opinion and do not necessarily reflect the position of WTM Latin America.
Carolina Stolf
Professional with 18 years’ experience in the tourism market and co-founder of MUST – Mulheres do Turismo [Women in Tourism]. Leadership specialist focused on developing and structuring high-performance teams, processes and commercial strategies. She worked for 17 years in the Accor group and is currently a member of Embratur as international markets coordinator.