I’m
sure you’ve noticed that there’s all too often a disconnect between what
destination marketers promise in a destination brand, and what the on-the-ground experience is for
visitors. To put it politely, some of
these promises can be more aspirational rather than deliverable!
But
in my destination management experience, I’ve learnt a highly effective and
visible way of showcasing your destination character on the ground. The trick is to introduce (and if necessary,
subsidise) an iconic transportation mode to the busiest part of your
destination, e.g. along the mainstreet, the river, or the waterfront. And when I say iconic, I mean it should be so
distinctive that it distinguishes your destination from the next. Of course, it also needs to be authentic to
your destination brand. The effect is
this:
·
Transportation
visually creates movement and movement – essential elements for bringing a
place or a space to life
·
Your
distinctive mode of transport (e.g. horse-and-carriage, tuk tuk, bumboat, trishaw
or tram) can be a highly visual and colourful means of telling your destination
story
·
The
speed at which your transportation mode travels can be slightly disruptive to
the surrounding flow of vehicular or pedestrian traffic – and this is a great
thing if you want people to stop and pay attention! Think of it as a moving billboard for your
destination. Or the equivalent of a
theme park mascot.
·
Stimulates
all the senses, creating more memorable experiences for locals and
visitors. A passing horse-and-carriage,
for example, activates all your senses – sight, sound, and even smell!
Here’s
a collection of places I’ve visited where the local transportation mode is
etched in my memory as a colourful and inseparable part of the destination
character.
Within Quebec’s Walled Fortress, you can still experience the sights, sounds and smells of the 1600’s. Well, at new millennium prices. The horse-drawn carriages add a romantic and multi-sensory charm to this heritage site, and are perfectly in character with the destination story. Even my partner who wasn’t too chuffed with the smell (see picture above), fell in love with this city.
Yellow taxis are as quintessentially New York as the Empire State Building, hot dogs and pastrami on rye. The fact that there are just so many of them makes these bright cabs stand out as a city icon. The lesson for destination planners: pick a unique and highly visible design feature – the colour yellow in this case – and use it generously as part of a destination theme.
Every world within the Disneyland theme park features at least one different mode of transport – and they’re all colourful and multi-sensory. Apart from carrying guests around the park, or transporting the audience through a ride, these people-movers are an integral part of the park design to create movement and motion. Even on a quiet day, if you stand still there appears to be so much activity around you. This is because there’s always a train, a monorail, a horse and carriage, or a multitude of other modes of transportation meandering throughout the park in the background.
Horse and carts on Gili Trawangan, Indonesia
The sound of hoofs in the sand is all you'll hear from this taxi |
This tiny but popular resort island off Lombok has a charming laid-back character.
And although there are hundreds of laid-back island destinations in
Indonesia, this one is popular with tourists looking to get off the beaten
track because of its authentic character. And as this picture shows,
nothing says authentically laid-back like a horse and cart. Especially
when that's the only mode of transportation to get around the island.
Golf buggies on Hamilton Island, Queensland,
Australia
Oprah & Gayle commandeer a buggy |
This is where
I grew up - in the tourist area of the Whitsundays, famous for its 74 islands
along the Great Barrier Reef. And the most famous island is Hamilton
Island where my parents owned a restaurant. They also owned a golf buggy,
because that's the main form of transport (coincidentally that's also how I first learnt to drive!). The
fleet of buggies zig-zagging across the island not only provide a fun mode of
transportation, but from a destination management perspective, the buggies are
also a key element in maintaining the resort character. This is after all
a small town in its own right - accommodating up to 5,000 guests and anywhere
between 1,000 to 2,000 staff.
Several of
the buggies are also themed - including a Batmobile and a limousine
- injecting more fun into the destination character. Even Oprah took
a spin on a buggy when we invited her to Queensland, following our Tourism
Queensland "Best Job In The World" campaign.
Bumboats along the Singapore River
Traditional bumboats are an authentic link to Singapore's past |
One of my
first projects to revitalise the Singapore River & Marina Bay districts for
the Singapore Tourism Board was to "bring life back to the river".
We did this by introducing bumboats to ply the waterways in an effort to
visually draw attention to the river, adding colour and movement, and showcasing
the rich local heritage.
Horse-drawn carriages, Quebec, Canada
It's not just the memories that linger |
Within Quebec’s Walled Fortress, you can still experience the sights, sounds and smells of the 1600’s. Well, at new millennium prices. The horse-drawn carriages add a romantic and multi-sensory charm to this heritage site, and are perfectly in character with the destination story. Even my partner who wasn’t too chuffed with the smell (see picture above), fell in love with this city.
Tuk tuks in Phuket, Thailand
Part of the
fun of Phuket is riding in one of the colourful tuk tuks at local prices. Or at least trying to bargain for local
prices. These colourful cabs that line
the streets are as much a part of the landscape as are floral-clad tourists
haggling with stall owners for Red Bull
t-shirts and wooden chopsticks.
New York City Yellow Taxis
The ubiquitous NY tourist photo with a line of yellow cabs |
Yellow taxis are as quintessentially New York as the Empire State Building, hot dogs and pastrami on rye. The fact that there are just so many of them makes these bright cabs stand out as a city icon. The lesson for destination planners: pick a unique and highly visible design feature – the colour yellow in this case – and use it generously as part of a destination theme.
Disneyland, Anaheim, USA
Every world within the Disneyland theme park features at least one different mode of transport – and they’re all colourful and multi-sensory. Apart from carrying guests around the park, or transporting the audience through a ride, these people-movers are an integral part of the park design to create movement and motion. Even on a quiet day, if you stand still there appears to be so much activity around you. This is because there’s always a train, a monorail, a horse and carriage, or a multitude of other modes of transportation meandering throughout the park in the background.
Trishaws in Singapore
Mark Webber tries to hitch a ride on a trishaw |
If you’re
walking through the crowded streets of Singapore’s ethnic quarters – Little India,
Chinatown, Arab Street, or the Singapore River – you’ll more than likely hear
the quaint (if not annoying) ringaling
of bicycle bells as a fleet of trishaws comes forcing its way through the
crowd. These trishaw uncles are true destination characters, and an authentic
part of the Singapore heritage landscape.
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