“If you build it they will come...”

This memorable quote from the 1989 movie Field of Dreams could be mistaken as the guiding maxim for a whole lot of tourism developers, practitioners and marketers worldwide. The idea that future tourism success can be reduced to checkbox criteria nearly always justifies the same bland designs and storylines. The result being travel brands that try to appeal to a mass audience while not appealing to anyone in particular.

Who benefits from this type of shortsighted tourism development? Developers and consultants that sell services with no connection to the operating success of the project.

As the novelty of a new destination or resort wears off, all that remains are the same clichés and amenities: infinity pool, butler service, white sand beaches, personalized attention and romantic getaway. What all of this adds up to is a constant drop in RevPAR as hotels struggle in a losing game of increasing occupancy vs. Average Daily Rates (ADR).

For destinations, it’s a drop in daily expenditures as they struggle with keeping tourist arrivals high vs. lowering the value of their brand experience.

What is the alternative?

The key is connecting the sense of place to a target market before development begins. This connection of place, product and consumer drives purpose throughout the entire process of tourism development. It facilitates decision making and a higher rate of ROI as well as provides more benefits to the local communities, landowners and countries that offer the most important asset of all — the place.

Who are these consumers?

An emerging market of travelers who are looking for authentic places and immersive experiences. These consumers travel more and spend more and they are well-connected. If you get it right with them, they’ll tell your story for you. From our research, there are over 55 million of these consumers in North America, enough to build a successful tourism destination and brand around.

So, I suggest we update the mantra to reflect the long-term outcome of shortsighted tourism development.

If you screw it up, they will leave (and won’t come back).