1.Norway (as a country) sees tourism as an important part of its economy 2.International visitors are an important and growing part of this sector 3.Oppland as a County relies more on tourism than Norway as a country 4.The mountainous parts of Oppland rely more on tourism than the rest of the County 5.National Parks, globally, are seen as assets that can be of benefit to their communities and the local economy 6.National Parks need additional resources to manage visitors if they are to deliver these benefits Some Statements of Facts:

Inspire Look/ Book Book Travel/ Book Visit Keep in Touch Think of the visitor journey…. Create Tourism Experiences? Where can you add the greatest value to develop the experience?

1.National Parks can be a huge tourism asset and can benefit their communities Key Points

National Parks as an Attraction

Search for Authenticity at all levels from traditional, modern and contemporary MUST be genuine, true to the product and connect to your customer. Visitors want the ‘real deal’

The increase in social and spiritual awareness Recharge mental and physical batteries Consumers look to combine their holiday with fitness or wellbeing activities

Path Erosion

1.Connect with people where they are 2.Make it possible to experience NPs in half a day/full day 3.Focus on the early moments …first impressions matter A Few Points in Summary

What will this mean? You will probably have to spend more money on visitor management You can do a lot more to promote the Parks Communities should celebrate THEIR National Parks

2.Understand the international market Key Point …….They don’t know what you know!

The absolute quest for security and safety

easy access to interesting, spectacular and helpful content

a.Sell the buzz - Use of Images b.Links c.Use of local names often means nothing – what is the offering? d.Control the Message - Are NPs a tourist asset?

Provide at least an English version See your world through others eyes

Key Point 3.Value v quality

Understanding customer’s journey central to consistent customer service. Less patience for variable delivery. C₃: Consistency, Consistency, Consistency.

The quest for quality and value Value Disparity Value for money still doesn’t mean cheap. Emotional Uncertainty Increasing uncertainy about predicting financial future

The critical role of technology 78% trust recommendations 14% trust advertising

Be ‘Talk Provoking’ Sell the Experience not just the Product

You will be judged by the WHOLE visitor journey ……not just one element of it! …but, if one bit is poor then that will spoil the whole experience for many visitors

Key Point 4.Co-operation and Partnerships are Vital

International visitors do not recognise internal boundaries They are not interested in local or national agencies They want a seam-less product The product has to be significant enough to standout in the marketplace

Conclusions Norway has a wonderful natural environment It has huge potential to attract high spending foreign visitors The National Parks can be an important asset for the tourism sector At the moment the National Parks are largely invisible for foreign visitors

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