Co-authored with Maria Hakkarainen.
The search for personalized tourism experiences has been one of the most influential trends in recent years. This trend, among others, has become increasingly relevant during the Covid-19 pandemic. The struggle of the tourism industry with the pandemic has forced tourism operators to look for new possibilities, increasing the personalization of their services. In doing so, they have also given more attention to another popular trend, namely, locality and everyday life. Local tourism experiences can mean, for example, staying in a small accommodation, attending cultural events or learning about food and local gastronomy.

Tourism in transformation and change
Traditional tourism customer journeys are experiencing a metamorphosis, from standardized mass tourism services to more personalized mundane tourism experiences. In the same way, tourism companies have started adapting their offerings and marketing strategies to the local market. Indeed, more attention have been given to local tourists as potential future customers. This transformation and diversification of tourism services have opened the door to new entrepreneurs. For example, sharing economy opetators have made their way to the tourism market. It is through sharing economy platforms that private individuals have the opportunity to create their own services and promote them in a globalized tourism industry.

In addition to accommodation and experiences, the sharing economy platforms have been forerunners in developing and offering virtual experiences. For an example, check Airbnb and Doerz online tourism experiences, which were recently introduced into the market. This is just a proof of how the operating culture of tourism is changing and in many different ways. It is a fact that the sharing economy, and digitalisation offer new opportunities for designing the responsible tourism services of the future. They can and should be used to develop your business - whether you are a company or a private person in search for new sources of income.
Relevant links and literature:
García-Rosell, José-Carlos (2017). Matkailun tuotekehitys [Tourism product development]. In: Johan Edelheim and Heli Ilola (Eds.), Matkailututkimuksen avainkäsiteet [Key Concepts in Tourism Research], Rovaniemi, Lapland University Press.
Haanpää, Minni, García-Rosell, José-Carlos and Kyyrä, Sanna (2013). Ennakoiva tuotekehitys matkailussa [Foresight and product development in tourism]. In Soile Veijola (Ed.), Matkailututkimuksen lukukirja [Readings in tourism research], Rovaniemi, Lapland University Press.
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