The Visitor Journey: the new road to success

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this case study to explain how the Visitor Journey framework was used by the London Development Agency to improve the accessibility of London as a tourist destination for disabled and non‐disabled visitors.

Design/methodology/approach

The Visitor Journey is a new approach to developing tourism strategies that is centred entirely around the visitor. It follows the visitor through a sequence of events and emotions from the initial planning stages, to leaving the home environment, through the return journey and beyond as a continuous visitor journey. The framework consists of six key interrelated stages.

Findings

This study highlights how the visitor encounters the services of a vast range of organizations and businesses during a trip. It shows how the framework becomes particularly powerful when it is used by a whole range of organizations within a destination or region. By using it the London Development Agency identified a range of actions that they needed to take with their partners to improve the quality of the overall experience for the visitor.

Practical implications

Providing the needs of the visitor or customer are considered first, the Visitor Journey framework can be applied to virtually any project, or specific market segments such as families, walkers, and those with disabilities. It can be used by individual organization to improve their own individual performance but has most impact when used collaboratively with partners.

Originality/value

This paper outlines a new approach to developing tourism strategies and is of value to any organization with a stake in the tourism industry.

Citation

Lane, M. (2007), "The Visitor Journey: the new road to success", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 19 No. 3, pp. 248-254. https://doi.org/10.1108/09596110710739949