Think of tourism: How design thinking guests really enthusiastic!

Think of tourism: How design thinking guests really enthusiastic!

In alpine tourism there is a constant flow of new product developments, but this is often implemented without real demand or comprehensive market examinations. Gerhard Gstettner, an experienced tourism director and brand developer, criticizes this approach as inadequate. He emphasizes that many products are often developed past the needs of the guests, which leads to a dysbalance between supply and demand. This illustrates the need to better understand the actual needs of the guests before new offers are developed. [Ots] reports that the entire process usually begins with ideas in the team, but is often implemented by the guests without valuable feedback.

In order to remedy the current deficit in product development, Gstettner proposes to use "Design Thinking", a method established in the industry. It begins with the identification of a specific topic or problem in a team, followed by an open listening to the guests, which includes their actual needs. It becomes clear that guests often have different problems than the developers assumed. After listening, a prototype is developed that is tested and optimized. The use of this methodology requires time effort, but can save money in the long term and avoid undesirable developments.

Design Thinking in detail

The process of design thinking comprises six essential phases. In the first phase, understanding, techniques such as the "Design Challenge" or stakeholder maps are used to get a comprehensive image of the target group. In the observation phase, methods such as the explorative interview or market trend analyzes are used, while the point of view is defined in the synthesis phase, for example by creating personas or user journey mapping. This systematic approach is also important in the tourism industry. [Tomorrow] emphasizes that each method is described in detail and is often supplemented with templates to facilitate use.

Creativity techniques such as brainstorming, headstand method or brainwriting can be used in the phase of ideas. The prototyping follows, in which the first performances are visualized by simple mock-ups. Finally, the functionality of the prototypes is checked in the last phase of the talent. Methods such as user tests or expert interviews are used here to obtain further feedback and make adjustments.

Adaptation to current conditions

The need to adapt to changed conditions in tourism is obvious. Tourist companies such as hotels and restaurants in particular face the challenge of developing innovative products and services both online and offline in order to remain competitive. In this context, the workshop "Design Thinking in Tourism" is offered, which aims to promote creativity and customer orientation. The workshop gives the participants a comprehensive method set for solving specific questions and problems in their own practice. [Innominds] describes that the methods are learned pragmatically using concrete examples and applied directly to individual situations.

The results of the workshops are not only documented theoretically, but also in a photo protocol that helps the participants to further use the methods in everyday life. The core content includes Customer Journey Mapping, Design Thinking, Storyboarding and other creative approaches to develop unforgettable customer experiences.

The use of design thinking in the tourism industry ensures that products are developed not only for guests, but together with them. In times of scarce budgets and increasing interchangeability of offers, this approach is becoming increasingly important.