Tunisia, destination that uses situation analysis

How to Conduct a Situation Analysis to Develop a Tourism Strategy?

Written by Madison Tomaso on December 2, 2022. Posted in Blog.

What is A Situation Analysis?

Tourists at destination after successful tourism strategy — A successful tourism destination requires situation analysis.

Traveling to a destination can feel like an individual journey. But, did you know that most tourism destinations develop thoughtful strategies to ensure their destinations attract visitors in intentional and measured ways? A tourism strategy is designed to highlight a destination’s best aspects, such as food and history, while also offering solutions to tourism challenges that a destination might face, such as limited infrastructure. A successful tourism strategy is a first step to making a country safe, educational, and enjoyable for travelers. Essential to every tourism strategy is a situation analysis that details the supply and demand of tourism to the destination along with the opportunities and challenges that a destination faces using techniques such as stakeholder interviews, online data analysis, and on-the-ground assessments.

Why is a Situation Analysis Important?

The tourism industry is a critical source of jobs and economic growth, as well as a decisive factor in a nation’s sustainable development. While a tourism strategy is necessary to help develop tourism, a cookie-cutter approach will not be effective at addressing each destination’s unique circumstances. Thus, individualized situation analyses are critical for creating an effective tourism strategy. In this blog, we will examine some guidelines for performing an impactful situation analysis, as well as the use of situation analysis in one growing destination, Tunisia.

Situation Analysis, as Explained by the World Bank

Analyzing data for situation analysis — Data analysis is a crucial aspect of conducting a situation analysis.

How do tourism practitioners go about conducting a situation analysis of a destination? Solimar International, for example, follows the strategy guidelines outlined by the World Bank, a global partnership dedicated to using sustainable solutions to combat poverty. Per the World Bank’s method, there are four essential steps to conducting a successful situation analysis.

Project planning
Desk-based research
An in-country evaluation
An analysis of their data to compile a report detailing both their research and conclusions

Each step requires complex research, discussion, and analysis. Within these guidelines, the World Bank also offers detailed suggestions on how to complete each step: A situation analysis team must interview a range of stakeholders within a country’s tourism industry, everyone from artisans selling goods to travel booking agents. Desk research entails compiling and studying all documents relevant to the destination’s tourism, and the statistical analysis of comparing the performance of the country to similar countries. This data must then be analyzed to identify the opportunities, challenges, and solutions surrounding the destination. Finally, the World Bank advises the team to use all their data, research, and analysis to create the final tourism strategy document.

What Should be Included in the Final Report?

Because the main objective of a situation analysis is to identify both the biggest opportunities and constraints associated with a given destination, the report therefore must outline the destination’s offerings. These can include anything from thriving wineries to well-preserved cultural sites. However, the report must also acknowledge the challenges that were pinpointed by the analysis. Issues such as poor infrastructure or lack of safety can be major hindrances to tourism. In addition, a proper analysis should identify potential solutions to the constraints, and these should be included in the report as well. It is also crucial for the report to list key stakeholders in the local tourism industry, in addition to potential partners that may help to implement the plan. This detail ensures that the plan includes everyone who has a vested interest in helping the strategy succeed.

Practical Application: How A Situation Analysis was Used in Creating Tunisia’s Tourism Strategy

View of Tunisia, destination using situation analysis — *Tunisia is a beautiful destination for tourists to enjoy*

Tunisia is a wonderful destination, with numerous activities for tourists to enjoy. It is rife with opportunities for successful tourism, from a Mediterranean coastline to historical sites. However, the destination is not yet on par with nearby destinations such as Morocco and Egypt. Tunisia receives approximately a million tourists per year, and the country hopes to grow its tourism sector. To achieve this, Solimar is currently working on the USAID Visit Tunisia program Tunisia’s tourism visibility. One of the program’s initial goals was to develop a national tourism strategy, which included a comprehensive situation analysis.

To complete the analysis, Solimar interviewed major stakeholders in Tunisia, including those in the public and private sectors. It is critical to converse with stakeholders in order to understand the expectations for the plan’s results and to provide further insight into the destination’s current tourism situation. Extensive desk research was conducted this included comparing Tunisia’s data to that of competing countries, and reading previous strategies and relevant documents for Tunisia. Solimar also reviewed all available tourism sector data from Tunisia. Through this data, Solimar was able to better understand both the problems and advantage tourism faced in Tunisia. Finally, Solimar analyzed the statistics from Tunisia’s tourism sector. Using this data and analysis, Solimar was able to form a solid foundation of the country’s current tourism industry to inform the development of recommendations for the National Tourism Strategy.

Interested in learning more about strategic planning for tourism? Be sure to like Solimar on Facebook to stay updated on our latest projects!

How to Eat Sustainably While Traveling

Written by Megan O'Beirne on October 19, 2022. Posted in Blog, Uncategorized.

Fall intern Megan O’Beirne has worked as a sustainability professional in the luxury hospitality industry, first in Laamu Atoll, Maldives and then in Cartagena, Colombia. Given her vast international experience and passion for the environment, she has adopted what she calls her “food philosophy” in regards to food on the road. Read on to find out her thoughts on how to eat sustainably while traveling:

We all grapple with the question of what to eat while traveling. Do you maintain a healthy diet or indulge? Do you try unfamiliar flavors or crave comfort food? Is my next destination vegan/vegetarian friendly? Throughout my time living, working, and traveling abroad, I have developed what I have come to call my food philosophy. It guides my efforts to make sustainable choices when it comes to dining on vacation.

Fisherman shucking oysters and urchins by hand on the beach — *Eating fresh oysters and urchins on the beach in Cartagena, Colombia can support local, artisanal fishermen.*

Putting my Vegetarian Diet on Hold

When I first started studying environmental science, I decided that if I was going to practice what I preach as an environmentalist, I was going to eat a vegetarian diet. Upon further realization that animals still need to be raised to produce their byproducts, and therefore still have the same environmental impact, I thought I had to become vegan. This lasted about six months until I left the United States for the first time and studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. With my first solo steps into the world came the desire to experience every part of the new culture I was immersed in, and a huge part of that is food. I put my veganism on hold while I lived in the land of smoked herring, crispy pork, and Danish street hotdogs.

Various foods and breads on a board — *Denmark is one of the world’s largest pork producers, accounting for half of the country’s agricultural exports.*

Shifting from Vegetarian to Locavore

When I started working as the Sustainability Manager at Six Senses Laamu, a luxury eco-resort in the Maldives, I was once again faced with a vegetarian’s dilemma. Maldives is a low-lying nation in the Indian Ocean whose 1,200 islands make up only 1% of the country’s territory, while the other 99% is sea. Staples include tuna, chili, and coconut in various forms for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Here is where I came to terms with two important distinctions between cooking for myself at home and eating out in the world. The first is that Maldives has limited land area for crop production. The vegetables that are imported by ship or plane from abroad are not nearly as environmentally friendly as the tuna that was caught yesterday by pole-and-line fisherman with one of the most sustainable fishing methods in the world.

Secondly, when someone invites me into their home for a meal, I find it difficult to ask for something special to be prepared for me if meat is being served. Sharing food is a universal language that connects people from different cultures, and I revel in trying new cuisines if that means sitting down at the table with someone new. With these sentiments in mind, I began shifting from vegetarian to locavore, or someone who eats locally and seasonally whenever possible.

Do Your Research on What is Locally Sustainable

A few years later, I visited my brother in New Zealand and learned that deer were introduced for sport hunting. The population of the invasive species grew out of control, eventually contributing to deforestation. The deer would eat the pine tree saplings before they had a chance to grow into full-size trees. Hunters were given the task of culling the population, while some were captured for deer farming. Thus, venison chops, sliders, and pies popped up on menus across the country.

I would never order a deer burger anywhere else in the world, but in New Zealand it made sense because of two more realizations that now contribute to my philosophy. Eating based on where you are is the way to eat fresh ingredients, with a low carbon footprint, that are culturally appropriate, and made by people who have practiced the preparation methods for generations. That deer burger also helped combat deforestation, which seemed like a worthy cause for me to break the environmentalists’ code of conduct and eat meat. There are endless examples of other ways our food systems can be climate positive through reforestation, restoration, and regeneration. Finding these is the key to how to eat sustainably while traveling.

Deer in a field with telephone poles and wires — *Deer farming began in New Zealand and the country remains the world’s largest producer and exporter.*

The Most Sustainable Diet is the One that is Right for You

Venison in New Zealand, tuna in Maldives, and pork in Denmark made their way into my diet during my travels, but did not reserve a permanent place in my home kitchen. These foods brought me authentic experiences that were closer to the people, religions, economies, and social structures of the communities I visited than if I had stuck to my principles as a strict vegetarian. I now avoid the vegetarian label, even though I cook plant-based meals for myself at home. Instead, I eat based on what is local, fresh, seasonal, culturally appropriate, and on special occasions — whatever the chef or grandmother in the kitchen says is the house specialty. How to eat sustainably while traveling is what works best for you.

We all know we should be eating less meat, buying less junk food, and using less plastic. But at the end of the day, we should all make decisions around what goes on our plate based on what makes the most sense for our own bodies, minds, and hearts. You can learn more about how to travel sustainably from these useful links, or by following Solimar International on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Bon appétit, buen provecho, and itadakimasu!

Two female chefs serving a bowl of soup and smiling — *Words of wisdom: always make friends with the cooks and say yes to the chef’s special.*

an ocean front tent where visitors can enjoy a covid free travel

COVID and Tourism: How have things changed?

Written by Eliot Heiss on April 12, 2022. Posted in Blog, Uncategorized.

Two years since COVID-19 began, how has the tourism industry changed?

People love to travel, and in the modern world it has never been easier. While the COVID-19 pandemic brought our expanding globalized world to a screeching halt, it has become clear during the past two years that the international tourism industry is not going anywhere, and we all hope COVID only impacts us in the short-term.

Modern tourists experience benefits including learning about our shared world and understanding other people’s perspectives in addition to the quality time spent relaxing with family and friends. At Solimar International, we resonate with all these goals and help build our projects accordingly. We focus on sustainable economic growth, inclusiveness, mutual understanding, and resource efficiency.

A Changing World for a Pandemic Tourist

As lockdowns are lifted and new variants appear in news headlines, tourists are met with an ever-changing set of protocols before they can travel abroad. Boarding airlines, trains, and crossing the border require vaccine passports, a negative COVID-19 test, face masks, and in many cases government forms, which have complicated the travel process.

It is often confusing for both the traveler and the staff facilitating the journey, especially when documents are in varying languages and formats. However, travelers and the tourism industry have done a remarkable job adapting to this new era and finding acceptable solutions that have kept travel possible in many cases.

These procedures add several steps to the already planning-intensive process of international travel. These measures add a basic level of security and mental reassurance that there are COVID-19 safeguards in place. Every country operates differently, but for European countries, the Re-open EU website is a good summary.

These restrictions have also made some tourists feel extremely hesitant. Between rolling lockdowns and ever-changing restrictions tourists worry if they will be able to make it to their destination. This has caused many tourists to move away from air travel and towards domestic holidays. This takes away the stress of potentially getting sick or being stranded in another country. For some people, domestic travel is the only option, with flight bans still in place from country to country. For travelers based in North America, Solimar has helped to create sustainable tourism projects around the United States.

Travelers largely remain eager and determined, even in the midst of COVID spikes, to explore the world and get the most out of their vacation. Governments and tourism companies are doing their best to accommodate this, with socially distanced tours and promises to open to other countries as soon as possible. Tourism companies, airlines, hotels and restaurants all desperately wish to return to pre-COVID crowds and profits. Countries find their governments under constant pressure to re-open for this reason. Everyone has an interest in maintaining our past level of global tourism and returning to the way things were pre pandemic.

tourists walking masks covid 19 — Tourists taking on new responsibilities to travel

How can I be a responsible tourist during the pandemic?

Tourists and companies know international travel is possible. The emphasis is on how to do it responsibly, more than ever before. It has always been commendable for travelers to learn about the country they are visiting and to try to be culturally sensitive. However, now safety is also at stake. It is paramount that as tourists, we follow the rules and procedures of the country we are visiting. Often this means wearing a face mask in shops or crowded public spaces, or maintaining a distance on tours. These rules may not always be in place, and there is optimism that after Covid-19 the travel industry will come back even stronger.

As countries look at their tourism recovery strategies, there is a growing movement to reboot the tourism industry in a sustainable way. Due to the drop in traditional tourism, water consumption and CO2 emissions have decreased during the pandemic. This gives hope that after COVID-19, tourism can reorient its priorities to tackle other global issues like climate change. This scale of change relies on companies and tourism boards to move towards sustainable alternatives, but it will also take a shift in behavior for the tourists themselves. The first year of COVID travel showed that tourists are willing to try different travel plans. Instead of energy intensive activities such as cruises and luxury hotels, tourists opted for bike trips and camping. This shows that if the tourism industry provides, customers are willing to engage in more climate and COVID responsible behavior.

beaches are excellent covid safe destinations — Solimar International will continue to work with our partners to make travel safe and sustainable.

Early in the pandemic, island destinations became a haven for international tourists because of their isolation and better ability to control COVID-19. Solimar is working with our partners in Timor-Leste to establish a safe and sustainable destination for travelers to experience tropical island life. In addition, new players and destinations are entering the tourism industry, focusing on responsible ecotourism for the long term. We are here to facilitate that journey. Our partners in Guyana are creating an eco-tour to showcase their natural environment to small groups of travelers that make a huge impact on their economic recovery from the pandemic.

Solimar is committed to reinvigorating and expanding the international tourism industry. We also wish to help with any country’s destination recovery strategy. Our primary focus throughout this pandemic has been on safety and sustainability. Our partners are affected by the pandemic in similar ways, but with different challenges.

Interested in how we can help your destination recover from the impacts of COVID-19? Contact us to learn more.

Welcoming Solimar’s Spring 2022 Destination Development and Destination Marketing Internship Cohort

Written by Jenny Lundt on February 1, 2022. Posted in Uncategorized.

We recently kicked off our Spring 2022 Destination Development and Destination Marketing Internship cohort, working with 18 of the most talented budding tourism professionals from around the world. Our interns are from 12 different countries (such as China, Indonesia, Mexico, New Zealand, Italy, and more) and live, study, and work spread across the globe.

Each season, we are amazed at the vast talent and promise our interns share, and this semester was certainly no exception. We received a record-breaking number of applications for this cohort, and have selected the most qualified candidates. These ambitious professionals are joining some of our projects and helping with communications campaigns, DMO development, research, and content writing. They are working on our projects around the world from supporting Friends of Wallacea in Guyana, to Liberia, to Timor-Leste, New Hampshire, and beyond!

Without further ado, get to know the spring 2022 intern cohort and discover the amazing skills that make each one of them unique and talented.

Meet our Spring 2022 Destination Development and Destination Marketing Interns

Eliot Heiss – has significant experience with journalism and communications, as he hosts his own podcast! He has studied in different countries, including Canada and Austria. His degrees are in Political Science, with a specialization in international relations and environmental politics.

Jess Moore – has extensive experience in the field of tourism, with over 19 years working in the field. Her background is in Leisure Studies, and she has dedicated a big part of her career to working on luxury tourism. She has recently discovered a passion for sustainable tourism and wants to use her career to generate an impact.

Hannah Lambert – is incredibly passionate about adventure tourism and sustainability. She is an avid traveler and she is currently traveling through Asia teaching English. Her studies are in Natural Resource Tourism with a minor in Business Administration. Hannah is excited to see her work have an impact on the world.

Kylie Blank – is a junior at Cornell University. She is Majoring in Hotel Administration and minoring in Sustainable Business and Economic Policy. Kylie was inspired to take this internship to gain knowledge in the area of sustainability. She hopes to apply this knowledge into the area of hotel management that she has been actively involved in for many years.

Thomas Kalchik – is an experienced young professional. Most recently, he has been involved in social responsibility in hotel chains and other types of non-profit work related to the tourism industry. He is extremely passionate about the power of tourism and wants to bring people together through travel.

Kim Sucré – looking out for the best study and research experience, Kim has adventured herself to study abroad in the UK and Italy. Her degree is in International Tourism Management, and her passions involve foreign cultures and languages. She is a member of her city’s Council for local tourism development, and she wants to continue to work in tourism development. She has already been applying her vast knowledge of tour planning and development to the Destination Marketing Internship!

Asfar Ahmad – is from Bangladesh but is currently based in Copenhagen, where he is completing his Master’s in Tourism. Asfar is looking forward to contributing with the projects and is hoping that his time with Solimar will boost his career.

Célia Hulin – has strong experience working with a DMC in Myanmar for over five years. She is ambitious and is completing her second Master’s in Hospitality, Entrepreneurship, and Innovation. Most recently, her interests have been focused on working directly with local communities.

Emma Barfus – has lived in multiple places across the United States, which enticed her interest to explore the world. She is currently finishing her degree in international studies. Emma believes that her time in Solimar will give her the tools to become a better professional in the future.

Adam Pudi Luddy – is an activist with a degree in Tourism Business. He is moved by issues such as inequality, human rights, climate change, gender, people empowerment, and poverty alleviation. Adam wishes to address these social issues through tourism and become a sustainable tourism specialist.

Alexandria Kleinschmidt – is passionate about earth science, and she graduated in Geological science from Boston College. She spent two years teaching English in Germany. During her time abroad, she was able to rekindle her passion for cultural and nature tourism, which led her to explore all continents on earth.

Antony Noyes – is very proud of his Japanese, Filipino, and Swedish heritage. Raised in San Francisco, he made sure to keep his family traditions alive by cooking traditional food and spending lots of time outdoors. Antony is very keen on sustainable tourism and is eager to help develop the World Heritage Journeys Silk Road project.

Janis Rehme – is a skilled and experienced young professional in the areas of customer service and event management. He is currently studying International Tourism Management in the Netherlands where he balances his studies with his passion for traveling, exploring nature and meeting new people.

Nina Wang – is based in Hong Kong, where she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Sustainable Tourism. She is passionate about exploring different cultures and being around nature. She hopes to contribute to sustainable tourism and envisions her internship at Solimar as a way of doing so.

Greta Dallan – has recently finished her Master’s in International Tourism Management at the University of Surrey. She is well traveled and eager to learn more about sustainable tourism and destination marketing and management. Her career goal is to improve the state of tourism in Italy, her home country.

Lisa Elmes-Bosshard – was born on the Caribbean island of St. Kitts. She has dedicated her life to the tourism industry, an industry in which she has occupied different positions throughout her career. She has traveled the world, from the Caribbean all the way through to Nepal. Now, Lisa dedicates her days to pursuing a Master’s in Sustainable Tourism studies at George Washington University. Her skills make her an ideal Destination Marketing Intern.

Jessica Pool – has great experience living abroad. She has lived in six countries in the last two years. She is currently pursuing an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s Degree in Latin American studies. Jessica strongly believes that tourism has the potential to improve life in communities if properly managed.

Caitlyn Marentette – is an undergraduate majoring in South Asia Studies. Her research interests center around the history of colonialism in modern India, Pakistan, linguistic diversity in South Asia, and the Gunpowder Empires. Caitlyn has been an editorial intern for an academic publishing journal for the last year and a half. After graduating, she hopes to continue her studies, pursuing a career in academic research on modern South Asia.

Did you enjoy reading about our interns? You can read their full bios here. If you have similar interests in gaining real world tourism experience, visit our internship information page and join our next season of virtual interns!

WE DEVELOP, MANAGE, AND MARKET SUSTAINABLE TOURISM DESTINATIONS

Tag: international travel