DSTV and the travel industry.

I could not help myself, and much to my wife’s horror I reconnected DSTV for July and August.  The sport available was far too attractive to resist  - the Wimbledon final; the Boks beating the All Blacks for the first time in a decade in New Zealand; not to mention  watching Natalie du Toit, Bolt and Phelps. I think my money has been well spent.

But what has this got to do with the travel industry?  I think it is one of the best ways of showing what is happening in the industry.  I gave up my subscription to DSTV for two reasons; firstly I had 100 channels and nothing to watch; and secondly I do not have a routine schedule that allows me to plan my viewing, so without a PVR I was forever missing my favourite shows. 

The solution was to take out a subscription at the local video store and pick up what I wanted, when I wanted.  When we lived in the UK the solution was to download the episodes and movies we wanted, unfortunately that is not available to us here (yet).  Well at least not legally or cost effectively.

This brings out the two points I want to raise – we look for two things, firstly convenience, and secondly experience.    In the travel industry it is no different.

Sport has become the draw card of the television stations because it offers an experience, a time limited, once-off opportunity.  You can’t now go back and experience the Wimbledon final.  You might be able to watch it again, but you can’t re-experience it .  And for this privilege people are prepared to pay.  We are prepared to pay for the ability to share the experience at the canteen on a Monday morning, relive the try and join in the thrill and excitement.  This is what people are looking for. 

From Travel it is the same.  It is the encounter with a great white; a sunset on a beach; or that encounter with the locals whilst sitting at a tavern.  Travellers are demanding more of the stuff that can’t be packaged, cloned and easily reproduced.  The challenge for travel companies is in making these experiences available and accessible.  It is about changing products and commodities into experiences.  How do we move from selling bed nights to selling the ultimate nights sleep?

The second element that makes this complex is added to this, travellers require convenience.  And that starts from the moment they begin looking into their holiday through to the final leg of their holiday.  And our international visitors are used to levels of convenience we may not be accustomed to.  

Technology enables us  to provide this convenience and service.  It allows us to give the control over to the traveller.  Much like I don’t want to be forced to watch Prison Break at 20:00 on a Monday,  I also don’t want to be forced to stand between certain hours to check in or check out.  Technology allows us to resolve these issues, to provide great convenience. 

What is required is an understanding of the customer and then an application of technology to give them the power to serve themselves and to solve their problems.

 My subscription runs out at the end of the Olympics as I don’t foresee any other great experiences DSTV can provide me and I certainly can’t be bothered to organise my life around  their broadcast schedule. 

On the other hand, Africa has an unlimited supply of outstanding travel  experiences.  Combine this with convenience and we will have a growing bunch of subscribers.