Product development is an important component of tourism planning and aids decision makers and industry practitioners to achieve the triple bottom-line (environmental, social and economic development).
The Ecotourism Product Development (EPD) workshop will show participants the steps in putting together memorable and recommendable visitor experiences. It will share insights from actual products of local communities that were crafted using cutting edge tools. Participants will discover how to craft products from outstanding natural and cultural assets. They will also learn how to prevent the negative impacts of mass tourism while getting return for their investments and the community benefiting economically from the enterprises.
EPD is a comprehensive training based on a model template that promotes inclusive growth through the crafting of products that communities will own and operate. A product development toolkit will be shared which provides a handy guide for creating unique and high value products that address the needs and preferences of specific market segments.
8 KEY TAKE-AWAYS
At the end of the workshop, participants will equip themselves with:
- An ecotourism business model that highlights a life enhancing and memorable experience as the value proposition;
- Product development tools that help articulate the different product elements;
- Strategies to elevate experiences from being interesting to life changing;
- Skills on profiling market segments and identifying target markets for specific products;
- The concept of “product-market fit” and why it is important to first identify the target market before the creation of a product;
- Methods on product costing and how to make them profitable;
- Approaches to increasing the value of a product and strengthening the brand of a destination;
- Knowledge on how to achieve economic goals through the creation and sale of ecotourism products.
WHY YOU SHOULD ATTEND
- Product development is an important component of tourism planning and is beneficial to achieving environmental, social and economic development;
- Life enhancing and memorable products can increase a destinations’ competitive advantage;
- Proper costing will help communities and LGUs attain economic prosperity and make ecotourism sites sustainable;
- Skills and knowledge on product development enhances one’s understanding of how a local tourism industry can thrive, for the benefit of the visitors, the community and the environment.
TOPICS
The following topics are covered during the workshop:
- Basic concepts on product development
- Packaging experiences
- Creating your value proposition
- Product market fit
- Ecotourism business model and wealth generation for rural communities
- Creating an itinerary and costing your product
- Standards of service
- Marketing and branding
The first Ecotourism Product Development Workshop was conducted in November 2016. Click here for more information. No schedule yet for the next workshop. Please stay tuned!
