Discussion about entry: Lapa Rios Ecolodge: Ecotourism and Luxury in a Class by Itself
This is discussion about Lapa Rios Ecolodge: Ecotourism and Luxury in a Class by Itself.
This is discussion about Lapa Rios Ecolodge: Ecotourism and Luxury in a Class by Itself.
Comments
This is already a world renown project that many look up to. My question relates to how is the marketing of your property different because of the responsible tourism practices? Do you sell through different channels? I assume your marketing communications have also changed, relying more on below the line free marketing (press coverage and so on). Do you also think your prices can be higher, or your occupancy higher, because of your geotourism type practices?
Our responsible tourism practices definitely lead us to take a different marketing approach than your average, non-responsible tourism, destination. We like to focus more on spreading our message by word-of-mouth, as we have found that most people who believe in responsible tourism trust more in the first-hand experiences of others and less on press coverage. And to answer this question, yes, we believe that people will pay a higher price (and our occupancy will be higher) when we continue to participate in geotourism practices. We believe that these days, people are looking for authentic and unique travel experiences, ones that truly connect them with different cultures. We are seeing more and more awareness with this issue, especially with the advent of tools such as the Certificate for Sustainable Tourism (CST), which allows consumers to better identify responsible tourism destinations.