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More than two years ago, I designed and put it into operation electric car chargers in Camp Šimuni on the island of Pag.
Charging of electric vehicles for guests is still completely free. When designing, I also provided for new chargers, and during the reconstruction of that part of the Camp, I laid an additional underground line of 4x185mm2, for the future, if much stronger and faster chargers need to be installed...
I made it as if I was working for myself.
Today (06.08.2024) Google surprised me with a message that my post on Google Maps reached 1.500.000 views. In this age when everyone is talking about fewer guests, getting so much attention for free is a remarkable achievement.
This is the future of the tourist offer, not a discussion about the price of ice cream scoops. If I posted an extremely low price for a scoop of ice cream, that post would not attract any attention or motivate anyone to come to a place.
The added value included in the price is key. The number of owners of electric vehicles is becoming significant. Due to the higher price of electric vehicles, we can classify the owners as richer than average. Every "electric car owner" can certainly afford any fuel price. He can afford to go to a filling station where filling is charged.
It's not a matter of price, but there is no owner of an electric vehicle who will not be happy about a free charger at the place where he is on vacation. That's it a sign to the guest that someone respects him and to reward him with it.
A few years ago, I installed electric chargers in about twenty places. The eternal hotels and camps asked to be make a billing system. Do you know what the result is?
After a year or two, they call me to turn off billing because nobody uses those chargers!
The charger that I suggested to them without charge costs ten times less than the charger with charge! For that different price, they could charge the guests' cars for free for several years. Fortunately, the Management of Camp Šimuni accepted my proposal and Google today confirms that it was correct. This readership of 1.500.000 people costs tens of thousands of euros in marketing investment. And my publication costs nothing.
That added value in the price of the tourist service is the only correct way.
Can price fish in a restaurant be bigger. But behind that price it should stand quality. If it is written that that fish or that squid is fresh, caught last night, then it really should be so. If a guest has ordered an expensive dish, the restaurant manager should have style and treat the guests to a bottle of quality wine, which costs 5-10% of the price of the ordered dish. If you already rent apartments at a high price, give your guests 5-10% of added value for free. And let your apartments be equipped and clean just the way you would want them to be as a guest.
For example: when I design electricity in the building, I always put three Suko sockets in a row by the bedside table. One is for the night lamp, the other two are for the guest. Everyone has cell phones, laptops, tablets... It's a disaster when the guest has to unplug the night light to plug in the charger! So are those regular sockets on the wall added value.
And not to mention. There is no wisdom there. Valorize your tourist service in a way that think about how much you would be willing to pay for it and what would make you happy as an added value of your service that you don't have to pay for.
Author: Damir Lacković, head of investments in tourism
Photos: Rathaphon Nanthapreecha, Taryn Elliot Pexels / Illustration: hrturism
