Marketing the Destination
The Windsor Castle and the Queen’s House used marketing heavily to promote their iconic legacies. They connect themselves heavily with the British Monarchy and promote that connection to reach more tourists.
These locations also use live action reenactments to tell the stories of the past Monarchs who have lived in these locations or have fought wars or made cultural impacts. They have old weapons and artifacts that were also part of these events in history and guided tours that explain the significance of these items.
Beverage Tourism and Bombay Sapphire
Going through the different distilleries on this trip was definitely one of my favorite excursions. These were unique experiences I didn’t think I would ever get to experience, they weren’t even on my radar. I learned so much about the processes and manufacturing that goes into these liquids. From the early stages to the bottling and shipping, we learned so much about each step of the process and got to see them in action. I have been really wanting to get more into spirits and brewing and this experience solidified that interest in me greatly.
When it came to Bombay, our tour guide Callum was amazing. He was able to give us the entire background behind the brand, the history behind the choosing of the location, and giving us the step by step process of the making of the gin. I had a magnificent time over at the distillery and thoroughly enjoyed the tour. The story behind Bombay and the way it came full circle as well as the attention to detail when it comes to the ingredients, really changed the way I view gin and the brand altogether.
Art, Design, and Immersion
The Tate Modern Museum and the Thames River Cruise were really immersive experiences. The Thames River Cruise was very enjoyable and it was one of the few guided tours we had where a tour guide was telling us about the different sites around us while on the boat tour. I also really enjoyed this specific experience because we just so happen to run into one of my friends from my previous Hospitality at Sea Study Abroad and her little brother. We had a brilliant time on the top floor looking at all the historic buildings and learning about the future of development in and around the Thames River.
The Tate Modern Museum was one of the last things we did during that specific day and the group I was with decided to see some of the main attractions and then go back and rest. It was really interesting to see the Modern Art and to see what the locals were interested in. I myself really enjoy art and love going to these types of exhibitions but I was so worn down by the end of this day that I was not fully there. The art we did see was quite abstract and very specific. It was not my personal favorite but I understood the appeal, I prefer earlier periods of art when going to museums.
I do think that these types of experiences cater to a specific area of hospitality. Specifically the tour, they had an onboard concessions and the staff was very friendly and helpful. They ensured safety and efficiency when boarding, ensured everyone was comfortable and provided insights on the excursion. Similarly, with the Art Museum, you need people to direct and assist in the gift shops, concessions, and in general on sight.
Professional Takeaways
I think these experiences taught me that there are specific niches for specific interests. It also showed me that there are ways to make it enjoyable even if it is not your cup of tea, it really depends on the interactions and what the guests choose to takeaway from the experience. I would use this in my future to understand that not everyone is going to love the place and you can still do your best to provide the best experience possible and make them as comfortable as possible.