Marbella (Málaga), (EFE).- Spain has everything to continue being a benchmark international tourist destination, says the ambassador of the Forbes Travel Guide and luxury expert, Filip Boyen, for whom the challenge is to offer visitors experiences authentic ones that create emotional connections with the destiny.
Spain has natural beauty, beaches, good weather, incredible quality food, great people, culture and history, the necessary ingredients to make it a successful tourist enclave, the Forbes ambassador explained to EFE in an interview.
The pandemic has completely changed the expectations of the traveler and the need for connection between client and staff has been reinforced, says Boyen after attending the graduation of students from the Swiss hotel school Les Roches in Marbella (Málaga), where they have been trained many of the current managers of national and international luxury hotels.
Right after the covid, tourists decided to return to places they already knew, where they felt good and had had fantastic experiences, not only because of the security that these places provided them but, again, because of the human aspect and the treatment of their staff. stands out.
New sites and unique experiences
Now the visitor has begun to look for new places and unique experiences, he feels very attracted by the tradition and local personality of each destination -Boyen specifically- so it is important that the establishments integrate with the enclave, its culture, its crafts and else.
What currently makes the difference between one place and another -between one establishment and another- is not only the level of their services, but the ability to let the visitor be himself, underlines the Forbes travel and luxury expert in Spain.
The more natural and spontaneous a traveler can be at his destination, the better, since -in his opinion- it is at that moment when the emotional connection is created and the loyalty that, after all, is what will make him come back the following year, not a rewards or loyalty card.
The human factor is key to attracting and retaining the traveler, so seeking, attracting and retaining young talent for the industry is another of the main challenges facing the tourism sector, he stresses.
And at this point it is very important to know and adapt to the needs of this new generation of professionals, so if the hotels do not do their homework to try to reach an understanding with them, it will be very difficult, he assures.
What is your company doing to improve the world?
These new generations are very curious and are especially interested in issues such as sustainability to the point that before committing to a company they want to know, for example, what this company is doing to improve the world, and they remember one of the young people who have recently interviewed.
The problem of the shortage of qualified personnel in the hotel industry is not exclusive to Spain, he comments, it is also observed in other countries and in cities like London (United Kingdom) hotels have almost a hundred vacancies to fill, precisely due to lack of suitable staff.
The British tourist – who has traveled to Spain and the Costa del Sol on vacation for years, attracted by its sun, its food and its people – insists that he is a faithful tourist who feels comfortable in Spain.
And as for the United Kingdom market, the country where Boyen currently resides and which he knows quite well, he is convinced that he is not going to stop traveling to Spain just because of Brexit, although he admits that now it is somewhat more difficult for him.
Regarding Marbella, he points out that it has a very positive and consolidated reputation to this day, in addition to authenticity, something that is essential for tourists and that both authorities and businessmen know and continue to cultivate together with hotels and tourist services. luxury. EFE