Gothenburg right on track

I´ve travelled quite a lot. Worldwide. Being a sales trainer, management consultant has made me somewhat sensitive when it comes to service and customer relations, especially where my (business) heart lies: tourism. C´mon, we´ve all been through it: Taxi´s that doesn´t show up, hotel receptionists acting like a headache, train delays and restaurant waitresses ignoring you. I hate to say it, but after a while you get used to it.

Not so in Gothenburg. I´m on my way back home from Sweden´s biggest travel trade fair, TUR 2010. Made my decision just 2 days before the opening and expected nothing but troubles. Usually, the town is fully booked, crowded with the swedish travel industry´s VIP´s and others. So also this time.

Saying I was late with my reservations is an understatement. Nevertheless, I managed to find a room, 10 minutes from the fair, thanks to PR-specialist Andrea Jovell Svensson, Tillvaxtakademin (Growth Academy). The rest is a tourism fairytale.

Nya Varvet Studios were formerly a prison for women, and an army compound. Today, the many buildings are renovated to a cosy hotel village. I´m not paid to say this, but must let you know that the rooms are excellent. Sea-view, 3-floors flats with a small kitchen, micro oven, flat-TV, refrigerator and absolutely outstanding beds (must have cost a fortune), their SEK 595/singlebed (US$ 90) a night is a bargain. 10 min´s drive from downtown Gothenburg with sea-view! Well, that´s not the best part. Their service is excellent, friendly and welcoming (I´m still not paid to say this). A simple, but nice b´fast, office equipment available 06.30 a.m. and – everybody smiled.

Needed a taxi. The tram took me roughly 1½ hour downtown, while driving were just 10 min´s for 160 SEK (~22$). Now, we all know taxi´s, anything can happen. Not this time. Or next.

I just say: VIP taxi. Call them if in Gothenburg, +46 31 670130. Excellent service. On time. friendly operators, serviceminded – and they remembered my name. I even got brands of the cars who were going to pick me up. The drivers called me a few minutes before arrival, just to say they´ll be there in 2 min´s.

So what´s the secret with Gothenburg? I checked with some other tourism professionals attending the fair. We agreed it´s not just a coincidence. Gothenburg has a strategy for tourism since a couple of years, with the aim of being a world class event organizer and we´ve just experienced that it´s not only words. It´s more of an attitude that´s spread among suppliers of tourism services. An attitude. Good one. They´ve even started working on a nature tourism strategy, being the 2nd biggest city of Sweden. From my point of view: Gothenburg is on track. And on time.

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