Tourist product: creation, development, features, consumers. A tourist product is ...

Any theme park, hotel or other tourist enterprise always faces a choice of what to produce and how much. The inevitability of this problem is obvious. After all, tourism organizations have a small number of production resources. The final solution will depend on the purpose of the firm, as well as on those constraints and obstacles that will be on its way.

What is included in the concept of a tourist product?

The success of any company on the market depends, first of all, on the attractiveness of the product or service it produces. Depending on this, the marketing policy of the organization is based on the price, promotion and distribution.

As for travel agencies, they offer their customers a tourist product. What is included in this concept? If we consider the product as an economic category, its content is very voluminous. By definition, this is all that is offered in the market and is able to satisfy the need or desire of customers. Thus, ideas and services, physical objects, etc. can serve as a product. That is all that is attractive for acquisition.

Tourist product can be viewed in two planes. On the one hand, this is a comprehensive service. In this sense, consumers of the tourist product acquire a set of services, which is implemented in one package. However, this perception is inherent only to customers. According to the suppliers, the tourist product is something concrete. So, for carriers this concept includes transport services, for hotels - work on accommodation, and for theme parks - entertainment. In this case, the tourist product is a constituent element of the package sold to consumers. As we see, from the suppliers' point of view, this concept has narrower boundaries.

Features inherent in the tourist product

For all the ambiguity of the concept under consideration, many economists refer it to the non-productive sphere. A tourist product in tourism in eighty percent of cases is a service that has:

- intangibility;
- the inextricability of the links between production and consumption;
- changeability;
- inability to store.

A tourist product (a tourist service) is something that never takes on a materialized form. It can not be tried, seen or demonstrated before it is received. In addition, the purchase of such a product does not lead a buyer to own anything. And this radically distinguishes him from the material purchase.

Among the characteristics of tourist products can be identified and their varying degrees of tangibility. For example, the products offered by the agencies are a tourist complex lunch at fast-food enterprises. It is a real object. A smaller degree of material expression is served by dinners in classic restaurants. In these establishments the buyer comes not so much for food, as for the atmosphere itself. It is even more difficult to catch the services offered by transport companies and hotels. Here the buyer purchases not the plane or hotel, but the transportation and accommodation.

Tourist package

This concept includes a mandatory set of services offered to individual travelers or a group of people. Sometimes a tourist package is associated with a tourist product. For him, four elements are mandatory.

The first of them is a tourist center. This is a traveler's resting place with natural and cultural-historical, ethnic and ecological, infrastructural and socio-demographic opportunities. It should be said that the development of a tourist product is impossible without the inclusion of this element. After all, if there is no object of interest, then the organization of travel becomes impossible. For example, when applying to a travel agency, one person will express a desire to go to France, another to Pushkin Mountains, the third - to the Crimea. However, regardless of the scale of the territory, each of them chooses the final object. For one, it is a country, for another - a specific place, and for a third - a region. Tour operators at the same time reduce the desire of visitors to the tourist center or a single option. After all, they will be obliged to deliver the traveler to a particular place of rest, where they will order transport. There will also be a hotel.

The second element of the tourist package is transport. This means of travel for travelers. With its help, they reach the tourist center. The most popular mode of transport is, of course, an airplane. If the distances are not too large, then you can navigate by bus, car or train. It is worth mentioning that most of the costs in the tourist package are the cost of transportation. In this case, the more rapid and comfortable mode of transport will be involved, the higher the cost of the trip itself will be.

The third element of the tourist package is accommodation services. This is a specific hotel for recreation and accommodation. And it is located in the tourist center. The creation of a tourist product involves placing the consumer in hotels and motels, villas and apartments, camping sites, campers, etc. The differences in places of rest and living are in accordance with the type of the contract. As for nutrition services, they are not a separate element of the tourist package, since they are included in the accommodation. In tourism the following combinations are accepted:

- BB - accommodation with breakfast;
- HB - accommodation with breakfast and dinner (half board);
- PP - accommodation with breakfast, lunch and dinner (full board).

As a rule, tourists can choose and order any of the combinations described above.

The fourth element that is included in the tourist package is the transfer. It is the delivery of holidaymakers from the airport, railway station or harbor located in the country of the end point of the route to the hotel chosen for accommodation. Included in the transfer and the return journey. For the delivery, buses or other types of road transport are used. In other words, by transfer means the transportation of holidaymakers within the boundaries of their chosen tourist center.

When buying a package that includes four mandatory elements, the traveler receives significant discounts. This is due to the seriality of the product offered to him. However, the presence of only one basic element is not a prerequisite. The holidaymaker may be asked to include other services in the package.

Components of the tourist product

What is the structure of the services offered to travelers? The tourist product includes three elements. This is a tour itself, as well as additional excursion services and goods. This is the difference between the tourist product and the package. The last one is included in the tour. In addition, it is its mandatory part.

The tour is the primary unit of the tourist product, which is realized as a single whole in the form of a certain route and specific dates. This element does not take up all of the time allotted for travel. The tourist is given the opportunity to choose his own program of stay. It can be shopping and visiting clubs, cultural program and walking around the city, located in a recreation area. At the same time, the tour operator can offer various excursions and own guides.

The specific material part of the tourist product is the goods. These are postcards and city maps, souvenirs and booklets, special equipment, etc. The material part includes scarce goods or those that in the place of permanent residence of travelers will be more expensive.

Creating a tourist product

The services that companies offer to travelers, as mentioned above, are intangible. In addition, their production is carried out directly at the place of consumption. That is why the formation of a tourist product must be of high quality. Otherwise, tough competition in the market will not leave the company no chance of success in the future.

As a rule, the realization of a tourist product is not spontaneous. Buyers come to the agency on someone's recommendation. Moreover, according to the research, negative information will spread much faster than positive information. That is why the creation of a tourist product should not bypass the issue of service quality. It will be the key to commercial success. Tourist offices and hotels, restaurants and travel agencies can have the same material base, but at the same time differ from each other in exactly the level of service. For some firms, this is the main trump card in the competition. In the world practice, there are certain rules, according to which an effective service is created. Their observance allows creating and guaranteeing further promotion of the tourist product. Let's consider these rules in more detail.

Conditions for creating quality services

Promotion of the tourist product will be impossible if the following principles are not taken into account when forming it:

- the maximum possible correspondence of the services offered to the nature of consumption and the requirements of consumers;
- the inseparability of service links with marketing, its key tasks and principles;
- flexibility of the services offered to the client due to a change in his preferences.

In addition, the implementation of the tourist product will be possible only if it creates concern for personnel when it is created. This includes the creation of ergonomics of jobs, the clear formulation of rules that are binding for all employees, etc. It is necessary to trace elements such as courtesy and goodwill, the ability to effectively do their work, as well as a spirit for further self-improvement.

The third principle, which must be observed when creating a tourist product, is the optimization of the activities of the company's management bodies. So, with a long chain of passage of the received order there is a high probability of making mistakes. Optimum is considered such structure of the organization of activity by the company when the number of elements entering into it is extremely small. Only in this case, the tourist product can be created without compromising its quality.

There is another principle that is necessary to ensure the normal operation of the enterprise that provides services to travelers. It consists in comprehensive, complete and objective control over the quality of the service provided. And for this it is necessary:

- create special control services;

- create methods and criteria that will allow to correlate the requirements of existing standards with the actual state of affairs;

- involve guests in the evaluation of the quality of services provided;

- create self-monitoring systems for personnel;

- constantly work with groups of quality.

The need for comfortable conditions

Throughout its history, the tourism products market confirms the immutability of the role of enterprises providing services to travelers. Today, as in all previous times, a guest needs to be met, and then watered, fed and put to bed. Only in contrast to the famous fairy-tale hero, today's travelers appreciate the high level of comfort and quite a large number of services.

A modern tourist product must meet the different needs of guests. For example, for our compatriots comfortable is a hotel with a good mini-bar and a developed service system. In this case, the snacks and drinks offered in it should be for every taste and preferably inexpensive. But American tourists consider it comfortable for the hotel, in which rooms there is a place for making cocktails, and where ice can be brought at any time. Also, guests from this country will certainly appreciate the high level of security. A well-developed network of food establishments is important for Europeans. They also pay attention to the equipment of bathrooms. Japanese during the trip is important to get the necessary information in a timely manner. They will highly appreciate the presence of restaurants with oriental cuisine.

How can a company working in the market create a comfortable tourist product of activity? The product, that is, the services offered to travelers, should be sufficient, and at the same time their universality is important. The complex of constituent components must necessarily include such areas of comfort as:

- information;
- economic;
- aesthetic;
- household;
- psychological.

Information comfort

A quality tourist product can be offered to travelers only on condition of a full description of the hotel, catering facilities, as well as all objects entering the hotel sphere. This information is provided to guests prior to arrival at the final point of the route. It is important for the tour operator to show photos reflecting the kinds of design of rooms and rooms, as well as to acquaint travelers with the prices and the complex of services offered by the hotel. To study such information the tourist can and on specially created site of the company. With the help of modern technology, guests can virtually walk through the hotel, look at the restaurant's kitchen, get acquainted with the interior of rooms, fitness center equipment, etc.

Important components of information comfort are also:

- special systems of pictograms that can help guests navigate within the walls of the hotel;
- the awareness of the working staff, able to answer all the questions of tourists not only about the hotel, but also about the country in which they arrived.

Economic comfort

This concept includes a convenient for the tourist calculation system. It includes bonuses and deposits, club cards and other incentive measures aimed at the desire of the traveler to use the services of excursion bureaus, catering enterprises, etc. located in this hotel. Such a move is the goal of the whole created quality system. Particular attention is paid to club cards, which allow attracting and retaining the client. In this case, the withdrawal of cash from circulation is a big plus in any business. After all, this greatly reduces the likelihood of risk of raid, fraud and theft. The client receives a real discount, saving his money.

Aesthetic comfort

Why do guests choose this or that hotel? They are attracted by the aesthetic design of the interior, creating an atmosphere of home warmth and coziness. It:

- a unified style of premises, corresponding to the general orientation of the enterprise;
- non-irritating guest color gamut;
- the use of finishing materials, corresponding to the level of hygiene and safety.

Household comfort

This concept implies the creation of appropriate conditions necessary for the normal residence of the guest. Household comfort implies the optimal temperature and humidity in the premises, as well as the convenience of furniture. To create such conditions, enterprises use the necessary equipment. These are air conditioners and air purifiers. It is also important to purchase and install comfortable furniture.

Psychological comfort

This is a very complex concept. It covers all the comfort components discussed above. If at least one of the elements listed above is missing, then the mood of the tourist will certainly be spoiled.

But at the same time, psychological comfort is created by the staff. It directly depends on the respect and hospitality of employees. Disregard for travelers leads to a sharp decline in the quality of the tourist product.

Drawing up and signing a contract

The fact of reaching agreement between the parties, which are the seller and the buyer, must always be legally fixed. For the implementation of this procedure, a contract for the sale of a tourist product is signed. This document must be inherent in the certainty and clarity of the content. All this will predetermine the specific features of the rights and obligations of both sides.

The main subject, which considers the contract of a tourist product, is the provision of a pre-determined set of services. At the same time, the document should indicate their price and the timeframe during which the tourist product will be realized.

The signed contract must stipulate:

- destination;
- means of transport used for the delivery of tourists to and from the place of rest;
- points and dates of departure, as well as return from the trip;
- the degree of comfort of the hotel and the type of food provided;
- itinerary;
- the existence of special requirements presented by the consumer.

All other conditions contained in the contract must comply with the requirements of the current legislative acts.