Travel firms take focus off 'cheap'

Examples of how that can work abound. Starbucks, he said, sells more than coffee. It sells an experience. And Harris once worked for a company that was able to sell travel packages to frigid Montreal in February by selling the idea of romanticism.

Making the transition to selling experiences rather than just cheap trips is difficult, he said, but he noted that Utah's approach to tourism promotion is right on target.

"Everything I've seen about Utah in my preparation to be here today really focuses on that, and I think that's exactly what the right message is," he said. "It's about the outdoor experiences. It's about natural beauty. It's about what you can experience when you get closer to nature. And I think that's exactly the right way that we should be selling travel, frankly."

Harris said online travel sites also can make better use of technology by employing non-generic e-mails, home page personalization, VIP programs and unique offers for certain types of shoppers.

The tourism conference, sponsored by the Utah Tourism Industry Coalition and the Utah Office of Tourism, continues today with a discussion on tourism as economic development by author Maury Forman and a presentation by Judy Walden on creating "A Sense of Place." Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. will speak about Utah's tourism industry, and the Tourism Hall of Fame awards and the first-ever Utah Tourism Marketing and Advertising awards will be presented during the closing luncheon.

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