Re-invention of the hiking industry, 9th World Congress Snow & Mountain Tourism

BEST FOOT FORWARDTHE RE-INVENTION OF THE HIKING INDUSTRY

#mountainlikers #unwto @cathyodowd

9TH WORLD CONGRESS OF

SNOW AND MOUNTAIN TOURISM SANT JULIA, ANDORRA

3 APRIL 2016

9th World Congress on Snow and Mountain Tourism

SHORT TERM TRENDS CONTAIN GOOD

NEWS

THE OUTDOOR

MARKET IS GROWING RAPIDLY


https://www.sportengland.org/media/3275/outdoors-participation-report-v2-lr-spreads.pdf




HIKING IS A GATEWAY

ACTIVITY BRINGING IN NEW

PARTICIPANTS


ADVENTUROUS PEOPLE TURN TO HILL WALKING WITH AGE. IT ENABLES THEM TO CONTINUE BEING ONE OF THE TRIBE.

Emily Rodway, editor TGO

HIKING IS THE

ACTIVITY PEOPLE RETURN TO WITH AGE



http://health.gov/paguidelines/guidelines/chapter2.aspx

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/18/how-taking-a-hike-can-mak_n_5584809.html

HIKING IS GOOD FOR

PHYSICAL HEALTH

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/07/18/how-taking-a-hike-can-mak_n_5584809.html


http://www.mind.org.uk/media/2976123/how-to-improve-your-wellbeing-through-physical-activity-and-sport.pdfhttp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21495519 http://www.apa.org/monitor/2011/12/exercise.aspx http://www.outsideonline.com/2048391/adhd-fuel-adventure HIKING

IS GOOD FOR MENTAL HEALTH



CORE MARKET WHITE

WEALTHY OLDER



THE KEY HIKING

DEMOGRAPHIC IS GROWING


SHORT TERM TRENDS CONTAIN GOOD

NEWS

‣ outdoor market growing rapidly

‣ good for physical health

‣ good for mental health

‣ the outdoor activity people are most likely to begin with

‣ the activity people return to in older age

‣ core demographic older & wealthy

‣ core demographic growing


HOW WE MARKET TO HIKERS IS CHANGING



IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO

HAVE A WEBSITE


http://www.outsidemediakit.com/audience_circulation.php

TRADITIONAL OUTDOOR MEDIA

IS IN DECLINE


SOCIAL MEDIA STARS ARE ON THE

RISE


http://www.fastcocreate.com/3054309/behind-the-brand/ how-the-north-face-uses-hardcore-exploration-to-inspire-everybody-else?

http://www.outsideonline.com/2027506/pics-or-it-didnt-happen

SOCIAL MEDIA OFFERS

NEW MARKETING AVENUES


HIKING CLIENTS WANT TO SHARE THE EXPERIENCE



WE NEED TO ADD VALUE, TO OFFER THINGS THE CLIENTS CAN’T EASILY ARRANGE THEMSELVES.

Pär Lindholm, owner Active Spain

WE RUN TRIPS THAT ARE VERY WELL RESEARCHED AND WE ARE CAREFUL WITH OUR UNIQUE SELLING POINTS, WE CHARGE A BIT MORE BUT OUR CLIENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY ARE PAYING FOR. MOST OF OUR CLIENTS ARE LOYAL.

Julia Tregaskis-Allen, co-founder Tracks and Trails

I WORK WITH CHOIRS IN THE UK TO OFFER SINGING AND HIKING HOLIDAYS, AND WITH YOGA TEACHERS. A LOT OF FINDING THE RIGHT

NETWORKS IS DONE VIA FACEBOOK GROUPS.

Tanya Perrett, founder Live Breathe Hike


HIKERS WANT AN ENRICHED

EXPERIENCE


IN UNDERSTANDING THE DIFFERENT NEEDS AND MOTIVES OF HIKERS, WE NEED TO INVEST IN A NEW QUALITY OF HIKING EXPERIENCE RELATED TO INFRASTRUCTURE, TRAILS AND DESTINATIONS.

http://www.wanderstudie.projectm.de

FRANZISKA THIELE

TOURIST DESTINATIONS

NEED TO INVEST


LONG TERM TRENDS CONTAIN BAD

NEWS


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Percentage_of_Population_Living_in_urban_areas_1950-2050.png

URBAN LIVING

RELENTLESSLY ON THE RISE

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Percentage_of_Population_Living_in_urban_areas_1950-2050.png



WE NEED TO GET YOUNG

PEOPLE OUTDOORS



WE REACH

YOUNGSTERS THROUGH FAMILY


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2307431/Children-today-read-chores-HOMEWORK-play-outside.htmlhttp://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/16/childre-nature-outside-play-health

TODAY’S KIDS STAY INDOORS


https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/481299/mene-headline-report-2014-15.pdf

DOGS GET OUT

MORE THAN KIDS DO

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/481299/mene-headline-report-2014-15.pdf


http://www.cnet.com/news/climbing-in-virtual-reality/http://www.pcworld.com/article/3019511/ces/ everest-vr-demo-triggered-my-fear-of-heights-and-nearly-brought-me-to-my-knees.html

VIRTUAL REALITY TAKES YOU OUTDOORS

FROM THE SOFA

VIRTUAL REALITY IS

SMALL NOW BUT THAT WILL CHANGE

Mark Zuckerberg


"WE BELIEVE THIS KIND OF IMMERSIVE, AUGMENTED REALITY WILL BECOME A PART OF DAILY LIFE FOR BILLIONS OF PEOPLE."

http://www.inc.com/graham-winfrey/mark-zuckerberg-virtual-reality.html


PEOPLE PERCEIVE THE OUTDOORS AS

CROWDEDhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/galleries/Tourist-traps-the-worlds-most-crowded-places/crowd-machu/

SUMMIT RIDGE OF EVEREST


“MONT BLANC IS A HEAP OF GARBAGE, A MOUNTAIN COVERED WITH THE CRAP, URINE AND DETRITUS OF THE LAST 50 YEARS.”

Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of Saint-Gervais

http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/popularity-of-mont-blanc-makes-climbing-it-more-dangerous-a-990885.html

NEGATIVE IMPACT OF GROWING NUMBERS



https://barefootandrunningblind.wordpress.com/2014/09/14/utmb-ultra-trail-du-mud-bath/

“MONT BLANC IS A HEAP OF GARBAGE, A MOUNTAIN COVERED WITH THE CRAP, URINE AND DETRITUS OF THE LAST 50 YEARS.”

Jean-Marc Peillex, mayor of Saint-Gervais


NEGATIVE IMPACT OF GROWING NUMBERS



LONG TERM TRENDS CONTAIN BAD

NEWS

‣ the world is increasingly urban

‣ those who start young stay with outdoor sports

‣ but children less and less likely to spend time outdoors

‣ virtual reality aims to provide the drama without the effort

‣ people perceive outdoor areas as overcrowded

‣ and the rise in numbers is doing real damage


HOW CAN THE MARKET BE

EXPANDED?


CORE MARKET LIMITED

TO HEALTHY WEALTHY

WHITE


EUROPEAN AND NORTH AMERICAN MARKET IS 98% OF THE BUSINESS.

TOURISTS OUT OF ASIA ARE A POTENTIAL BOOM MARKET, ESPECIALLY THE CHINESE.

I HAVE HAD ONE GROUP LIKE THAT AND IT TURNED OUT TO BE A NIGHTMARE, BECAUSE OF LANGUAGE AND CULTURAL BARRIERS.

South African hiking guide

LANGUAGE & CULTURAL BARRIERS TO EXPANDING

MARKET


MILLENNIUM HIKES, AN INITIATIVE AIMED AT DEVELOPING INTERNATIONAL CROSS-CULTURAL HIKES AS SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PRODUCTS

Catherine Germier-Hamel, CEO, Millennium Destinations

NEED CREATIVE

INITIATIVES TO EXPAND MARKET

http://www.millennium-destinations.com/millennium-tours.html

http://www.millennium-destinations.com/millennium-tours.html


DO YOU REALLY WANT TO GUIDE 15 NOISY KIDS? YOU WANT TO GUIDE ONE PERSON FOR DOUBLE THE MONEY AND A FRACTION OF THE HASSLE.

BLACK PEOPLE DON’T CLIMB ROCKS, THE WHOLE IDEA OF GOING OUT THERE IS A WHITE MIDDLE-CLASS CONCEPT.

South African hiking guide


BARRIERS TO ENTRY ARE

COMPLEX


http://www.outdoorafro.com

http://gripped.com/routes/kai-lightner-joins-the-9a-club-with-era-vella/

OUR ASSUMPTIONS

ARE OFTEN WRONG


FIND PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY DOING THESE THINGS.

RATHER THAN HAVING PRIVILEGED, WELL-INTENTIONED WHITE PEOPLE COMING INTO THESE COMMUNITIES AND SAYING THIS IS GOOD FOR YOU, HAVE PEOPLE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY SAYING “HEY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS BROUGHT JOY TO MY LIFE.”

LET IT COME FROM WITHIN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD.

http://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Gap-Changing-Face-Outdoors/dp/1594858683/

http://joytripproject.com/James Mills, The Joy Trip Project

FIND AMBASSADORS

INSIDE NEW MARKETS



HIKING STARTS IN

URBAN SPACES


HOW CAN THE MARKET BE

EXPANDED?

‣ look beyond the core demographic

‣ find creative way to overcome language & cultural barriers

‣ don’t write off underrepresented groups

‣ look for hiking ambassadors within marginalised communities

‣ push for renovation of urban outdoor space

‣ hiking starts close to home



HIKING OFFERS HUGE

POTENTIAL FOR GROWTH



INDUSTRY LACKS UNITED

VOICE & CUSTOMER

FOCUS


#mountainlikers #unwto @cathyodowd

MANY OPPORTUNITIES BUT A COMPLEX ENVIRONMENT

BEST FOOT FORWARDTHE RE-INVENTION OF THE HIKING INDUSTRY

Cathy O'Dowd

FIND OUT MORE AT: WEB: CATHYODOWD.COM TWITTER: @CATHYODOWD INSTAGRAM: CATHY_ODOWD

WATCH THE FULL PRESENTATION ON YOUTUBE


https://youtu.be/mgI1PTP1uc0

http://cathyodowd.com

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Re-invention of the hiking industry, 9th World Congress Snow & Mountain Tourism