The primary audience for most tourism organizations.

Capture their attention.

Establish trust and address comfort and security concerns.

Demonstrate products and destinations in terms that resonate with and appeal to your target markets. Address concerns of various parties involved in purchase decision-making (within a family, for example).

Address specific activity interests directly.

Address emotional aspects of travel. When appropriate, address tourists' desire for self-actualization through tourism experiences.

Provide targeted incentives or de-emphasize destinations, activities, and travel times based on your goals.

Establish realistic expectations about tourism experiences on offer.

Lead tourist toward contacting you (for destination marketing offices, direct also toward contact with local operators, attractions, and amenities, or outbound operators at tourist's point of origin).

Collect information from potential customers at each point of contact. Use customer relation management software to track your communications with them. Maintain high ethical standards with respect to their personal information.

Provide resources for travel preparation.

Confirm, post-purchase, that tourist has made a good decision and address common preparation concerns.

Realize that service and hospitality during tourism experience is one of most important types of communication with tourist. The tourism experience should make promotional communication ring true. Address this with training, where possible.

Stay in contact with past customers using opt-in, print or email newsletters. Provide value to give customer a reason to request newsletter and to read it.

Seeking a spot of serenity somewhere in universe, I recently booked a deep-discount dodgy berth on ‘White Elephant Express Space Shuttle’, to a little known place in a galaxy far, far away.

“IT” (otherwise known as HD 36405.b) is not your average “oddball” exo-solar planet made of rock that wobbles on its end and zips around a nearby star in less than 2.46 days.

Most linear thinkers have a great deal of difficulty even comprehending why on earth anyone in their “right mind” would be interested in visiting a planet called “IT”. Not being a linear thinker with an investment in “right” answer, I didn’t give a hoot. After all, what does one (who walks on water and listens to miffed mortals all day long) do for a frigging night off, now I ask you?

If truth be told, (after reading random excerpts from “The Itty Bitty Bunkum Book About Life, Universe and Practically Everything Under Sun Not To Mention Stuff Going On In Remote Galaxies), I was simply delirious. According to its noted author, Dr. Jarn Leffer, “IT is a ’must-see’ for those with little time on their hands and a passionate interest in Innocuous Things.”

As planets go, “IT” is a pretty ho-hum celestial pit-stop with perhaps one exception… welcome notice that reads, “Cosmic Cowboys - Welcome to furthest unexplored outreaches of Galaxy … Home to Flop Fairy and Oodles of Gadflies!”