A fundamental fact about tourism is that it encompasses many diverse cultures.
This is because tourists come from all over the world and global cultures are diverse. It is this diversity that makes tourism so unique and motivates us to travel. Visiting different countries provides us an opportunity to learn about different cultures, the people’s lifestyles, behaviors, attitudes, traditions, manners, etc.
When tourists visit our destination, we must be cognizant of their cultures to better serve them.
CEO, Tom Mehrmann who led Ocean Park from strength to strength consistently related the importance of “being relevant to the market you serve.” For Ocean Park, its largest tourist market was mainland China. This market overshadowed all the regional markets combined in attendance and revenues. While the residents of Hong Kong are Chinese, and there are similarities in their cultures with that of the mainland, there are some marked differences. It is important to recognize the cultural differences and to ensure that the service rendered addresses these differences.
A simple example is language. In Hong Kong, Cantonese is the predominant spoken dialect while in China, it is Putonghua (Mandarin). English is the universal language. To be relevant to all guests at Ocean Park, all audio announcements, printed materials, directional signage, etc. were presented in Cantonese, Putonghua, and English.
Another example is food. Muslim visitors from Malaysia and Indonesia require “Halal” food, a major aspect of their culture. Food is a very important part of most cultures. To better cater to this market, Ocean Park introduced Halal food in several of its restaurants. The Park also only serves seafood from sustainable sources and removed Shark’s Fin from all its menus. This was relevant to the conservation efforts of the park as well as the cultural demands of many of its visitors.
Language, food, music, and brand positioning can be tailored for today’s customers and tomorrow’s customers.
We may not be able to change the hardware, but we can adjust the software to be relevant. Cultural relevance should be integrated into all corporate strategies and new offerings. The more you understand your customers, the more you can be relevant to them. If you are not relevant to their cultures, customers will go elsewhere.
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