According to this Skift report, one of the challenges in the tourism industry is that we are all adverse to change. I have even written a post about that myself. But, change is good for us- even when it’s daunting.
If we don’t change we will be left behind, so I am letting you in on some changes with my business. I started The Attractions Coach in 2016 because I was receiving emails and calls at my job asking for advice on how to get more visitors, or if I would come and speak on tourism topics at tourism industry events.
The Beginning of The Attractions Coach
I named the website The Attractions Coach because by helping attractions welcome more people in through their doors, businesses would become more successful, and the local destination marketing organizations would benefit as well. As my website has grown though, many of my readers work at DMOs and others are bus company staff, travel trade media, and hoteliers so the website name started to feel too limiting.
I have also become known as a China market expert and Top Innovator and Influencer in the group tour industry. (I was also named a ‘Top Networker’ in the tourism industry this year but I’m still not convinced that that doesn’t refer to my time spent socializing when I am on the road!)
Changes to my brand
So I have hired a business coach and a graphic designer to help me take the next step in bringing actionable information to my readers. I will still be writing regular posts but I am going to try my hand at podcasting as well. My regular readers know I interview my friends in the industry in my ‘Tourism Pro talks’ interviews, and now those will be audio interviews instead of written responses.
I’m a bit nervous to incorporate all these changes- but equal parts fear and excitement are always a good sign to move forward.
I will also be developing a few online courses. Many of you took the time to answer a survey I sent out earlier this year and the majority of you are interested in learning more about how to welcome Chinese visitors, as well as how to use WeChat, the Chinese social media app. So those will be the first two online courses I create.
People often ask how I find the time to run a website and consulting company along with a full-time job. I was a single Mom who raised three kids by myself and I had to become a master of time management. My kids are all college grads now, working and supporting themselves so I have time to fill with other activities. I tried knitting and gourmet cooking- nope, not for me.
Final Thoughts
I realized that I love to help tourism businesses become more successful. So many of you are passionate about what you offer, and I have spoken to many unique businesses throughout the U.S. in the last few years. Small businesses do not always have the same access to resources and most tourism businesses are classified as small businesses. But you have a large impact in your communities. You provide employment, create tax revenue and make your communities a more enjoyable place to live.
So you will see some changes to my site over the next few weeks and I will look forward to hearing what you think. But my passion to help you all be successful will remain the same.