Building business through networking

The value of networking to tourism is now widely recognized, but given the 

industry's constant day to day, operational & time demands, its virtues as a development and growth strategy can easily be overlooked. 

And successful networking is not only a great marketing and customer growth tool, it also lies at the heart of successful industry partnership generation.

Networking has already proved to be an essential tool for 'not for profit' tourism attractions, but even this industry sector could benefit from the extra opportunities opened up by e.g. 'wildcard networking' initiatives (explained below) or more strategic and finely targeted networking programs pursuing clearly defined corporate goals. Investigating the value of 'staff networks' is a further option.

The effectiveness of the 'not for profit' sector can often also be enhanced by more actively (and directly) drawing upon their memberships' goodwill and wider social & political influence and links. This resource paper revisits some of the basics of networking.

Networking with your community

     Mutual respect and personal relationships

Successful local networking with government, business colleagues and the wider community is founded on maintaining mutual respect and building happy and productive personal relationships. Promoting inclusiveness and avoiding stereotyping also greatly helps. Community networking activities can often open up significant new partnership and project development opportunities. 

     New opportunities and economic development benefits

More often than not, this process can help identify new business, marketing & investment opportunities for tourism operators and/or their broader tourism destination. Enhanced regional economic development is a further likely outcome  (particularly when the process is well conceived and properly managed, with a more strategic approach adopted).

     Casting a wider net

The wider the preliminary community network established, the more potential doors of opportunity opened up and accessed. (Including additional networks of likely value.)  Networking is based on different zones of contact, which can be readily widened.

     'Word of mouth' outcomes

The level of goodwill developed closely connects to the value placed by the community on you and your business.

An appreciative and supportive local community are the best possible source of powerful, all important 'word of mouth' publicity.

 'Wildcard' networking

Networking initiatives do not always have to be limited to tapping into the most logical and seemingly relevant of your potential new contacts (i.e. people and organizations).  Sometimes exploring some 'less immediately obvious', wildcard initiatives can pay off handsomely. Your own vision and needs and theirs may connect in an unexpected, mutually beneficial way, that only becomes evident as a result of bothering to make contact and explore the potential for a relationship in the first place. (Tapping into an existing local network of capable community arts and craft practitioners for new creative outcomes, skills &  ideas is just one example here.) 

Building tourism and industry networks

 Sharing the benefits of greater cooperation

Building business involves accessing new networks and/or gaining maximum value from existing ones. And the more active the networking, the more likely that the advantages of greater cooperative activity will be exposed and explored.

Successful tourism networking opens the door to industry co-operation aimed at achieving common goals and mutual benefits. For example, through pooling business and market 'intelligence' and fostering greater customer and industry information exchange and learning. Exploring 'wildcard' possibilities 'across & between industries' (other than tourism) is a further potentially rewarding option. 

 Making the 'impossible' possible

Pooling business-based resources & funding allows regional tourism attractions, services and destinations to undertake practical and mutually beneficial market research - that would otherwise be too expensive to commission. 

Other more common examples of networking cooperation in tourism include 'business referrals' in the accommodation and food service sectors, and partnering in marketing activities in areas such as - brochure, advertisement and website creation; Trade Show and Visitor Center promotions; and the joint hosting of local familiarization visits arranged for media or travel writers.

 Stronger cross promotion and a competitive mix of experiences

Industry networking can also help break down some counterproductive forms of local or regional 'competitiveness' ... and help boost destination and product diversity & appeal by enthusiastic, 'seamless' cross promotion of each others attractions and activities.

Such strengthening and broadening of the local 'visitor experience mix' builds your appeal within a highly competitive market place.

For these reasons and more, networking is a highly effective investment of time and resources ... and management priorities.