Chao News Client Editor Yang Xilin.
This winter, the needs of middle-aged and elderly tourists have changed significantly. In previous years, middle-aged and elderly tourists in winter could not wait to go to Hainan, Guangxi and other places to be migratory birds, but this winter is very different, in addition to "flying south", in the ski resorts in the north also appeared in the figure of middle-aged and elderly tourists.
While the demand is diversified, middle-aged and elderly tourists attach great importance to the details of products and services. Seizing new market opportunities has become a topic of concern for travel agencies
Pay attention to circle marketing.
We are all from a village, and we have a good time to travel together, and it is also lively. "We are registered in the store of a travel agency, and we often travel with this travel agency, so we trust it. "I was introduced by a friend to a travel agency to join the group, and acquaintances introduced me to be more assured. Recently, the reporter randomly interviewed several middle-aged and elderly tourists on the streets of Beijing, and they chose travel agencies in a more consistent way.
The industry has noticed the changes in the demand of the middle-aged and elderly tourism market. According to industry insiders, in view of the above characteristics, they have expanded the middle-aged and elderly tourism market through circle marketing, tourism sales and other methods.
We have observed that when the elderly retire, they join groups of classmates and various circles formed by the same interests and hobbies. As more and more people join, the desire to travel together is stronger. In particular, middle-aged and elderly tourists traveling together for a short trip do not really focus on the destination, but gather in this way. "Our club has its own membership club, which is mainly composed of educated youth, aged between 70 and 75, who prefer to travel together. We also work with banks and insurance companies to provide event planning and other services to their client base. ”
This year, our sales model is mainly a sharing meeting, that is, a sales. Up to now, a total of 33 sharing sessions have been held, with a conversion rate of more than 80%, and the sharing sessions have accounted for 79% of the total number of visitors in the long-term market this year. Mr. Zhu, a staff member of the travel agency, said, "The reason why there are more sharing sessions and a relatively high conversion rate this year is because we have been insisting on doing business in the past three years, maintaining interaction with customers and maintaining emotional contact through various chains such as main business and side business." The emotional bond between our customers and us has never been broken, and we have been even more supportive when the travel market has recovered. ”
In fact, the tourism conference is a tourism promotion meeting, which mainly invites potential customers to explain the products and details by professional sales staff. Mr. Tang, the operator, said, "In the village and town-level market, we mainly use the sales method to sell. In the provincial and municipal markets, it is mainly circle marketing, word-of-mouth marketing and store sales. Some of our more mature stores have a relatively high proportion of customer acquisition from clubs, including some interest clubs, member groups of health care product companies, etc. ”
Spring and Autumn Tourism has a brand specifically for middle-aged and elderly groups, called 'Mom and Dad Tour'. The store often holds popular product and destination sharing sessions to facilitate middle-aged and elderly tourists to understand product information in a timely and detailed manner. In addition, we have arranged for a travel consultant to provide services face-to-face. Mr. Zhou, the operator, told reporters, "As a direct window for customer service, the one-to-one exclusive travel consultant of offline stores is very recognized by middle-aged and elderly tourists." The travel consultant will explain the details of the 'Mom and Dad Trip' product and travel precautions to the tourists in detail, and answer their questions in a timely manner. ”
For the development and sales of the middle-aged and elderly market, some industry players concluded that the middle-aged and elderly groups have obvious differences in information acquisition and product purchase. For example, the post-60s have a faster ability to contact new things, and have more use and understanding of the new **, while the post-50s generation relies more on face-to-face communication in stores. Middle-aged and elderly tourists are more cautious and detail-oriented in their choice of products, and the relationship of trust with travel agencies is usually more stable once established.
The product is more layered.
In the interview, some industry insiders revealed that this winter, some middle-aged and elderly tourists who like to try new things choose to go into the ski resorts in the north and dance in the snow with young people. In the face of the strong demand of these tourists to participate in the group, travel agencies are more cautious.
Although some middle-aged and elderly tourists have the need to ski north, through the observation of the entire middle-aged and elderly market, we still adhere to our own judgment, that is, most middle-aged and elderly people prefer safe and comfortable travel, and 'slow' and 'slow' are the key to their choice of products. At the same time, this winter, the consumption demand of middle-aged and elderly tourists is more differentiated, and diversified products and multi-level first-class systems have become necessary. In terms of product development, whether it is a large travel agency or a small and medium-sized travel agency focusing on the middle-aged and elderly tourism market, there are relatively perfect product standards. Some people in the industry said.
According to a person in charge of tourism, they have paid attention to the middle-aged and elderly tourism market very early, and launched the middle-aged and elderly tourism brand "Happy Blossom Parents Tour". After years of polishing, related products have strict standards in terms of food, housing, transportation, and travel to meet the needs of parents for slow travel.
In terms of route design, taking into account the physical strength, health status, hobbies and hobbies of the middle-aged and elderly, we have designed a number of routes for the middle-aged and elderly with different needs. Arrange more lively itineraries for middle-aged and elderly people who are in good health, such as mountaineering, hiking, beach activities, etc. For the elderly who are weak, the itinerary should not be too long, avoid strenuous exercise, and focus on leisure projects such as nature sightseeing, museum visits, and hot spring health, but on the whole, all itineraries are mainly 'slow' and 'stable'. "In addition, there are more differences in the product**, through the difference in accommodation, transportation connection, and travel days to meet the needs of different tourists." ”
Mr. Zhao, the operator, told reporters: "For middle-aged and elderly tourists, we mainly focus on slow travel in terms of road design and products, including overseas jet lag adjustment, etc., and try to slow down the pace;Avoid excessively strenuous sports such as diving, bungee jumping, gliding, etc. At the same time, travel accident insurance is essential. In terms of details, it is mainly reflected in the choice of transportation, the adaptability of catering tastes, the requirement of hot water in the accommodation hotel, the elevator in the hotel, and the medical institutions in the vicinity. ”
The age and physical fitness of middle-aged and elderly people determine that the pace of travel for this group is slow and the itinerary is relaxed. Different from tourists of other ages, whether it is a sightseeing tour or an experience tour, the intensity of the itinerary is relatively low. Mr. Yang, chairman of a travel agency, said, "In addition, the product must be layered." Generally speaking, we will divide the products into mid-range and high-end, as well as by age**, for example, for tourists under 60 years old, 60-69 years old and over 70 years old, the product ** is also different. ”
In fact, to serve the middle-aged and elderly tourism market, many professional travel agencies have formed a standardized process. "For example, in our product development, the overall itinerary is relatively relaxed, and for the series between scenic spots, we will focus on the driving distance and whether there are enough rest points."In the selection of scenic spots, it is more inclined to have profound cultural heritage, so that the tour guide's explanation is more in-depth, more able to evoke the memories of the elderly, and trigger emotional resonance;The hotel you are staying in must have an elevator, and the rooms you are staying in are closer to the elevator, etc. ”
Our products are stratified according to the spending power of tourists, and are divided into high-end customized and conventional products. For example, the regular team of the Forbidden City is usually half a day, and the customized team will give a full day for an in-depth tour, and after the tour, they will go for a cup of coffee. The person in charge of a travel agency in Beijing introduced, "In addition to product stratification, there are some special points that need to be paid attention to in the itinerary, such as the travel insurance of middle-aged and elderly tourists must be sufficient, and the restaurant should be as close as possible to the scenic spot and less rushing." The itinerary is relaxed, don't get up early and stay late. ”
The research and development of middle-aged and elderly tourism products should not only arrange good food, accommodation and play, but also have cultural experience. For example, when we take a group to travel to Gannan, we will invite local singers to sing with everyone, and when we go to Zhangzhou, Fujian, we will take everyone to watch Fujian puppet shows. Middle-aged and older people also like to have some immersive experiences during their trips. Also, be sure to set aside free time and don't be too tight. Mr. Zhu said, "The itinerary should not only be brilliant, but also blank, which is also the experience we have summed up, and insist on differentiation in order to form a brand." ”
Traditional travel agencies should still focus on their own advantages and meet the needs of tourists through genuine products and cost performance. As long as we design the product well and explain the system clearly, many tourists will still accept it, not that we must make profits through shopping. Teacher Zhang concluded.
The service is more reminiscent.
There were no eggs for breakfast today, which was not so good and needed to be improved. "Every meal is very timely, there are dishes and soups, and we are more concerned about this when we are older." "The tour guide was very nice and was able to remember the names of each of us, which made us feel very homely. In random interviews, the reporter found that middle-aged and elderly people are very concerned about the details of services. Some industry operators told reporters that the service to the middle-aged and elderly should be linked by emotion, providing professional and warm services, so that the middle-aged and elderly can rest assured.
Teacher Zhou introduced that to serve middle-aged and elderly tourists, it is necessary to implement the warmth to the details. "Tour guides must have some experience in serving middle-aged and elderly tourists, and they must be able to take care of the elderly. Especially in winter, we ask the tour guide to remind tourists to eat warm food and drinks during breakfast, and to heat milk and juice to take care of the stomach. During driving, pay attention to reminding the location of the toilet and other information. In the process of service, tour guides should pay attention to meeting the emotional needs of middle-aged and elderly tourists. For example, before the trip, communicate with the tourist's children, ask the children to write a letter in advance to express their love and gratitude to their parents, and the tour guide will hand it over to the tourists during the trip. Establish WeChat communication with the children of tourists to inform tourists of the situation in a timely manner. We have also launched a photography tourism product, which will not only arrange professional photographers to provide on-site guidance and take beautiful photos for tourists, but also hold a beauty sharing session after the return, where the photographer will explain, evaluate the excellent works, and display them. ”
In terms of itinerary services, we will provide escorts with the group, as well as auxiliary meal kits, increase lunch breaks, arrange experienced tour guides and service personnel, etc. "In addition, during the trip, our exclusive travel customizer will continue to track the user's travel status, help the user communicate with the ground team, and solve the problems encountered." ”
The behavior habits of middle-aged and elderly people have been formed, and we should consider how to adapt to their habits in the process of service, rather than letting them make changes. The person in charge of a travel agency in Beijing told reporters, "In order to remind the elderly to take medicine on time, we believe that this is a key point that needs special attention." Middle-aged and elderly people usually suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension and diabetes, and need to take medication for a long time. Therefore, during the trip, reminding the elderly to take medicine every morning and evening is an important job of the tour guide. ”
The end of the trip does not mean the end of the service, and the elderly are very cooperative with the return visit of the product and are willing to make suggestions. For travel agencies, product satisfaction return visits are also an indispensable part of the entire service chain, which is conducive to increasing the stickiness with tourists and further improving the product. Some industry insiders said.
Zhong Hui, deputy director of the Culture and Tourism Committee of the China Aging Industry Association, believes that understanding the elderly is more important than understanding services and products. He said: "Studies have shown that middle-aged and elderly tourism is the first aging industry to exceed one trillion yuan. A considerable number of middle-aged and elderly people have the experience of buying tickets and tickets online, using positioning and navigation, and using mobile payment. ”
In the interview, a number of industry players said that the middle-aged and elderly tourism market is a big cake to be developed, the market segmentation ability and diversified service level of practitioners need to be improved, and the deep consumption needs of middle-aged and elderly tourists need to be more deeply explored, and the health status of middle-aged and elderly tourists and the physical problems that may occur in the itinerary should be formulated more detailed and targeted countermeasures. In the three years of the epidemic, the loss of a large number of tourism practitioners and the lack of professionalism and experience of new practitioners are also bottlenecks affecting the development of the middle-aged and elderly tourism market.
In fact, it's not that middle-aged and elderly tourists have become picky, but that our previous approach was too simple. Therefore, in the future, when providing services for middle-aged and elderly tourists, it is necessary to take into account the cost performance, circle, market segmentation and service consistency. Only in this way can we firmly grasp the middle-aged and elderly tourism market in our own hands. One industry source concluded.
*: CCTV News.