Storytelling_Ecotourist Resort

Challenge & Selection    The challenge is to keep a small ecotourist resort on a 30,000 acre of private reserve, at the top-of-mind while  the entire world is on lockdown from COVID-19 so that when they are free to travel again, this will be their  first destination. This boutique resort boasts an extraordinary population of rare tropical birds and elusive  wildlife living the pristine rain forest; animals like the jaguar, ocelot or panther. The rooms are standalone  cabañas where guests can sit on wrap-around verandas and look for birds without walking more than a few  feet.  The lodge is run by staff who has lived on the property their entire lives and the rain forest is as familiar  to them as our drive to work is for us.    Application    To accomplish this goal, I will opt to use Storytelling (Module 2) to engage past guests to learn about their  experiences at the lodge. I will interview several groups to guests, broken down into the regions they are from,  age brackets, those who are repeat guests, those who bring family, and those who are avid naturalists. Each  will be asked to tell their story of visiting Chan Chich Lodge. They’ll be asked how they found it, what they  enjoyed about their visit, and what special memories they came away with.    Insight & Approach    These insights will help develop a story of the adventure of visiting this remote lodge and build a scenario  through storytelling that brings each of them, and potential guests, into our narrative. This will engage them  through a well written story that “connects to the emotions, the characters and the values of the people that  live the product every day.”1    In the first few interviews our past guests have told stories of how much fun they had tracking the jaguar. As a  result, we have purchased several camera traps and we are now posting sightings on social media telling  everyone what species were seen, when and where. Everything we post is about what we are doing and what  is waiting for our guests when they return.    One interviewee spoke about an agricultural tour they took of the farm connected with the lodge, to see the  vegetable gardens and coffee plants. This experience engaged them in the Farm-to-table culinary style used by  the kitchen. This made them feel like our intent and their experience was genuine. We are now preparing  posts of the vegetables in bloom and recipes the chef is developing.    All this, using the storytelling tool will assist us to find out what the consumer wants from the ecolodge and  what we can do to keep the narrative alive until they can be a part of it again.    Once the interviews are complete, I will know more about its efficacy and possibly structure future questions  for the story differently. At present, we have past guests’ experiences to rely on for our content.

1 Mike Atkinson, Global Leadership Development Director, Mars, Inc.


Storytelling_Ecotourist Resort Challenge & Selection The challenge is to keep a small ecotourist resort on a 30,000 acre of private reserve , at the top - of - mind while the entire world is on lockdown from COVID-19 so that when they are free to travel again , this will be their first destination . This boutique resort boasts an extraordinary population of rare tropical birds and elusive wildlife living the pristine rain forest ; animals like the jaguar , ocelot or panther . The rooms are standalone cabañas where guests can sit on wrap - around verandas and look for birds without walking more than a few feet . The lodge is run by staff who has lived on the property their entire lives and the rain forest is as familiar to them as our drive to work is for us . Application To accomplish this goal , I will opt to use Storytelling ( Module 2 ) to engage past guests to learn about their experiences at the lodge . I will interview several groups to guests , broken down into the regions they are from , age brackets , those who are repeat guests , those who bring family , and those who are avid naturalists . Each will be asked to tell their story of visiting Chan Chich Lodge . They ’ll be asked how they found it , what they enjoyed about their visit , and what special memories they came away with . Insight & Approach These insights will help develop a story of the adventure of visiting this remote lodge and build a scenario through storytelling that brings each of them , and potential guests , into our narrative . This will engage them through a well written story that “ connects to the emotions , the characters and the values of the people that live the product every day . ”1 In the first few interviews our past guests have told stories of how much fun they had tracking the jaguar . As a result , we have purchased several camera traps and we are now posting sightings on social media telling everyone what species were seen , when and where . Everything we post is about what we are doing and what is waiting for our guests when they return . One interviewee spoke about an agricultural tour they took of the farm connected with the lodge , to see the vegetable gardens and coffee plants . This experience engaged them in the Farm - to - table culinary style used by the kitchen . This made them feel like our intent and their experience was genuine . We are now preparing posts of the vegetables in bloom and recipes the chef is developing . All this , using the storytelling tool will assist us to find out what the consumer wants from the ecolodge and what we can do to keep the narrative alive until they can be a part of it again . Once the interviews are complete , I will know more about its efficacy and possibly structure future questions for the story differently . At present , we have past guests ’ experiences to rely on for our content . 1 Mike Atkinson , Global Leadership Development Director , Mars , Inc.