tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11569206.post4632357820606529984..comments2023-10-11T10:57:26.122-04:00Comments on Gil The Jenius: F___ The Tourism CompanyGCSchmidthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07735900094879466498noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11569206.post-87664821782040227312010-03-24T22:08:55.236-04:002010-03-24T22:08:55.236-04:00Hi Gil:
Thanks much for your prompt response. I a...Hi Gil:<br /><br />Thanks much for your prompt response. I agree. Puerto Rico is not prepared at all for what will be their (our) biggest rival, in terms of tourism (and perhaps even other service industries). Particularly if Cuba, which is visually stunning, adopts a strategy of tourism as growth (instead of graft, to refer to your 07 post)PR's current circensian spectacle will not provide enough to level it.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08253539429061027711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11569206.post-91341531357147507542010-03-24T21:47:15.402-04:002010-03-24T21:47:15.402-04:00Thanks for asking. The total Tourism money figure ...Thanks for asking. The total Tourism money figure is from the government's own statistics on employment and the Budgets for FY 2009 and 2010 involving agencies that "support" the Tourism Company, namely the Rums of Puerto Rico and Convention Center. Why did I lump them with Tourism? Because the persons I spoke to pointed out the link. The marketing figure comes partially from Tourism press releases and was adjusted by My conversation with Tourism Company employees. <br /><br />These people--who asked I not mention their names--have worked in the Tourism Company for many years. They all know Me from the mid-1990s when I did consulting work for tourism-related companies and they know I am The Jenius. In fact, that's why they had a few cups of coffee with Me. They gave Me a lengthy description of what's going on in this agency as far as who runs what, where they're from, why they do what they do and how they keep making obvious mistakes. I took their input, checked as many facts as I could (the conversation was in January 2010 and I like to work fast) and then rendered it all from My own perspective, careful to avoid pointing an inadvertent finger at My "sources."<br /><br />As for the Internet side of the story, I used Google to compile overall tourism-related Web use, zeroed in on the overall U.S and European market and then did My own "vacation planning" aimed at "going" to Puerto Rico. What I wrote was a synthesis of what I found from over a dozen sources, with some websites listed below. Notice their percentages of Web use for travel are higher than My estimated 61%; I factored in that many travelers here have relatives and don't really need to "explore" on the Web beyond maybe checking airfares.<br /><br />The historical data (We're #2! Or #3!) comes from several sources, but even Our government has acknowledged We are no longer "King of the Caribbean." Nice of them to do so, as they "unhelped" Us for so long.<br /><br />The rest of the post is My own opinion, but the BIATCH is real, not conspiracy theory paranoia. Porta del Sur and Porta Caribe are the ugly, misshapen stepmonkeys of the Tourism Company and a bad idea to boot. Our overall appeal to the U.S. market We slobber for has definitely dropped and We don't think of any other countries in Europe except Spain. Did you know there are over 94,000 Japanese golfers who pay thousands of dollars--some as much as $100,000 a year--to merely KEEP their names on golf club/course waiting lists? Could We market something to them? I know! But are We doing anything about it? Of course not, because We think: "They speak Japanese. They are scary."<br /><br />The only scary thing about all this is that We are facing a juggernaut in Cuba that will become--by 2012, I bet--THE big destination for U.S. travelers to the Caribbean and We will be chanting sadly "We're #4! Or #5!"<br /><br /><br />http://www.tourismroi.com/InteriorTemplate.aspx?id=32418<br /><br />http://www.imediaconnection.com/content/7663.imc<br /><br />http://www.mediapost.com/publications/index.cfm?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=4944GCSchmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07735900094879466498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11569206.post-20700036560094131312010-03-24T18:49:39.617-04:002010-03-24T18:49:39.617-04:00Hi Gil:
I commend you for your post, particularly ...Hi Gil:<br />I commend you for your post, particularly because discussions like this are much needed in PR. However, I wanted to ask you, if you would not mind providing, what are your sources? Where are you gathering your information from? I'd love to know. Thanks.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08253539429061027711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11569206.post-35180578369554603882010-03-12T11:59:51.431-04:002010-03-12T11:59:51.431-04:00Heck I'll do it for $2 Million.Heck I'll do it for $2 Million.ElTanknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11569206.post-68312374042872600202010-03-11T04:29:42.188-04:002010-03-11T04:29:42.188-04:00It's too bad that a "Tourism Evaluation S...It's too bad that a "Tourism Evaluation System" is actually needed in this case. You would think... at least one of those snappy MBAs would be able to spot the key issues. =)<br /><br />It definitely seems to be failed marketing at both the advertising and product levels.<br /><br />They don't get enough people to come, but those who do have a great probability of being disappointed with various satisfaction criteria.<br /><br />$175 million. Wow. I may be over confident here, but give me 20 hand picked individuals and some office space and I could put a nice up-tick on the tourism revenues just from sitting in front of a keyboard. I'll do it for $75 million. ;)The Insiderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01141271519765142626noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11569206.post-57999183938527935462010-03-10T23:08:00.836-04:002010-03-10T23:08:00.836-04:00Ray, I've used the website you mention as star...Ray, I've used the website you mention as starting points for short trips around the Island, so I commend you for mentioning the site. It is a useful and impressive offering. <br /><br />Beato, I agree with all your points. I'm stressing here the need to get these corporate shills off the public payroll and start doing more "personal" marketing for Puerto Rico, as somewhat delineated in My other tourism-related posts.GCSchmidthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07735900094879466498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11569206.post-35517505403804979012010-03-10T22:20:29.665-04:002010-03-10T22:20:29.665-04:00Actually don't just blame the Tourism Company....Actually don't just blame the Tourism Company. Why tourists are leaving for other destinations? Cost. Do you think Dominican employees get paid at least minimum wage? have employee benefits? union work? Yet they work happily and don't bitch about it. Because they know this insures future returns.<br />Ask yourself why our union employees spend their vacations in Punta Cana rather than let's say Isla Verde.<br />We did this ourselves, The Tourism Company was just the catalytic.Beatohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04061547910120363116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11569206.post-54782270041234804822010-03-10T19:27:25.072-04:002010-03-10T19:27:25.072-04:00We're doing our part (on our own dime) to help...We're doing our part (on our own dime) to help over at <a href="http://www.puertoricodaytrips.com" rel="nofollow">PuertoRicoDayTrips.com</a>.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11901740534454428395noreply@blogger.com