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Did you know almost 25% adults don’t even read one book a year? But that’s not you, right? You are a tourism professional who knows that learning is the key to success and becoming a top employee, or tourism business owner. And a simple Google search will show you thatthe most successful CEOs and business owners read as part of their daily routine- some read as many as a book a week!
Here are some suggestions for books that will help you on your Tourism Career path.
80/20 Principle
- The 80/20 Principle. I have a passion for helping tourism professionals understand and put this principle to work in their daily life. I speak on it at trade shows and tourism conferences. ( Let me know if you would be interested in having me speak to your partners!) This book has changed the way I work and has helped me to restore a work/life balance.
- 80/20 Sales and Marketing
- 80/20 Manager
- Living the 80/20 Way
Business productivity
Small changes make a big difference. These books have the same general premise- that being aware of your daily actions and making incremental changes can add up to a huge difference- and maybe a big raise!
Classics that never go out of circulation
- The 4 hour work week. Most of you aren’t looking to leave your job, but this book has a lot of great information for employees on how to maximize your effectivness ( and maybe persuade your boss to give you some more flexibility on your work location!)
- The Experience Economy. Even though this book was written in 1999, the content is still relevant to those of us in the Tourism industry. Work is Theatre and every Business a stage. Experiences are what sells and I defy you to read this and not come up with some ideas for change at your workplace.
For those who want to stretch your brain
- Blue Ocean strategy. The basic premise of this book is that you want to offer a product or experience that will put you in ‘blue ocean’ or an area of no competition. Competing in a red ocean means you are in shark infested waters where the competition is fierce. That simple concept of finding a Blue ocean takes thinking and teamwork. This book was born out of a Harvard Business Review article so it isn’t light reading, but I found it to be very thought provoking.
- Blue Ocean Shift. This follow up book has more in-depth information and how to implement steps.
- Want to start small with this topic? Try The Summary of Blue Ocean strategy.
Tourism Industry books
- Overbooked- The exploding business of Travel and Tourism This book is now 5 years old, but so many of the stories and insights still ring tLrue today. Our industry literally shapes the world.
- Looking for new ideas to attract tourists? Bus groups are the answer. I wrote this based on all my years of experience and expertise in the group tour market. It is available as a Kindle book for only $5.99