We asked QUO CEO David Keen about the evolving art of destination branding and what it means for locations aiming to position themselves as authentic, immersive travel experiences in today’s rapidly changing tourism landscape.
QUO: Every recent trend report on high-end tourism speaks to a growing desire for local immersion, cultural authenticity and enriching experiences.
Is the destination itself set to to play a bigger role in customers’ travel planning?
DK: I’ve been saying for years that in multiple destinations around the world, there’s a huge trend moving away from looking at old historic sites simply because we’re told we should. Instead, there’s a move towards total immersion in the city or village.
A global trend, very common in Bangkok, London and New York, is centred around food. Real local produce. People will no longer settle for ordinary. Travellers are becoming so globalised and well-travelled – particularly high-end travellers – that they know what good quality food is and what an incredible local dining experience entails. This could be a noodle shop on a corner in downtown Bangkok or a tapas restaurant on the outskirts of Madrid.
The experience, complemented by incredible local food and drink, is a trend that’s only going to grow. Initially desired by high-end tourists – who are now reaching outward and following backpackers into more unknown destinations – they’re searching for experiences that engage them with the destination, culture and truth of that place. This multi-dimensional nature of tourism is critical. It’s not just about what to see; it’s about what to feel, what to learn, and what to immerse in. The search for local immersion is not a search for authenticity; it’s a search for truth.
QUO: A destination could be anything from a sector of a city to an area of coastline or even an entire country. How does QUO approach the branding of such complex and multi-faceted entities?
DK: I think that if you take the Saudi Arabian context – which is a lovely example – or the Bhutanese, Sri Lankan, Maldivian contexts, or even somewhere like London, our approach is entirely individualised. The range of our experience and the depth of all our travels is possibly our biggest asset, and our greatest knowledge point and inspiration. We’re able to look at Bhutan as a country or Nine Elms as a dynamic borough of London, and crystallise the simple truths of the place by thinking of it as a dynamic human culture.
I often use the metaphor of a village on a hill. The visitor enters and is enraptured by a multitude of cultural points of reference – how they are greeted, the scent of the place, the rituals, its architecture, the way food is prepared, how people treat one another. Everywhere has these elements, whether a small part of a town or an entire country. Our job is to clarify them and shape them into what they would mean to a guest, a visitor. How do we want them to feel? We translate that emotion into something tangible, which we can then transmit so that our clients are able to leverage and build upon.
QUO: What winning conditions are needed for a destination to successfully brand itself?
DK: Truth. A sense of definition. A sense and understanding of the people. I believe all cultures have immense good within them, and all places have their own sense of hospitality. Their reason for human connection is real – if we can distil that reality into a format that we can transmit like any other brand, then we can clarify the greatest assets that destination has.
QUO: The pandemic has fundamentally changed tourism dynamics. Where is the impact most felt, and what can destinations do to be more appealing to post-Covid global travellers?
“Visitors are enraptured by multiple cultural points of reference – how they are greeted, the scent of the place, the rituals, its architecture, the way food is prepared, how people treat one another.”
DK: I’ve said this for a long time. I believe the pandemic – while it obviously had short-term tragedy and drove short-term change in how we travel – has had a much more dramatic impact on the longer-term perception of travel. Our learning is that life can be short, and because of that, just following the well-trodden trails that people historically went upon to find relaxation or enrich themselves doesn’t feel enough anymore. The pandemic has been a catalyst for a deeper human need to engage, that need for human connection – but without the crowds.
I’m here in Amsterdam and I commend the authorities for limiting mass tourism and restricting the number of hotels being built to control the number of visitors. I think that trend will probably expand. We will see a greater need for humanity to discover, explore, and experience rather than just sit on a beach or visit an ancient architectural site. People will want to immerse themselves more in a destination, living more like locals, eating like locals, and walking around easily and safely. The learnings mankind has taken from this period highlight that the yearning to learn more and understand different cultures – by living in them – is greater than it’s ever been.
QUO: How can an at-risk destination with a fragile ecosystem or a deeply preserved local culture and community balance the need for tourism growth with sustainability and preservation?
DK: Without being greedy. We must balance the responsibility of a destination to share its culture while ensuring that local populations and heritage are preserved and not homogenised. It’s a complex issue – more proactive actions should be taken to enrich the simple aspects of living a human experience there, rather than overwhelming local tourist attractions. This approach should pay dividends.
QUO: Where is a dream destination for you to work on?
I think of Sri Lanka. Despite suffering decades of political and economic disarray, it always seems to find a way to bounce back. I think it’s been misrepresented as a tourist destination when, in fact, on a relatively small island, you’ll find an incredible richness of culture in all its forms – historic, geographic, social, culinary, and the people. It has so much to give to the world, so much knowledge to share.
That’s the crux for me when it comes to the art of destination branding. For all types of tourists – particularly those well-travelled – the need we have is to gain knowledge. The need to learn more from cultures will become even greater for all of us. Through human connection, seeing, experiencing, eating, drinking, walking. All these experiences enable us to learn more. That yearning for knowledge is why we should expand our travel wisely. We should visit places we might have historically overlooked because there wasn’t a fancy hotel, but the trade-off is the invaluable knowledge we can gain.
