DeepDossier /eng
| RUS
The essence of it all:
The core essence of the DeepDossier Project is to create comprehensive analytical "dossiers" for individual hospitality properties. The project is described as a pilot study of resorts on Koh Phangan, initially focusing on the Haad Rin area. The content of the project is derived from a wide range of open data sources. This methodology is referred to as an "All-Source Search".
The sources include:
- Official Data: Websites, business registers, press releases ("what the company says about itself").
- Guest Reviews: From various platforms like Booking, TripAdvisor, Agoda, forums, and social networks ("real customer experience").
- Media: Local and global news, articles, blogs, and guidebooks ("what independent observers and history say").
- Informal Sources ("Shadow Zones"): Information from interviews, local discussions, details about owners and connections that are not advertised, and hypotheses about plans or informal arrangements ("what is hidden beneath the surface").
For each property, all this disparate information is systematically gathered and structured into a detailed "dossier". This dossier is intended to be a complete portrait of the subject, covering its history, ownership and management (often noting real families or specific individuals), uniqueness, reputation, how it earns money, the risks it faces, and any "hidden opportunities or problems" or "gray areas" ("shadow aspects"). Every fact included is cross-verified with multiple sources where possible to ensure reliability.
A crucial part of the DeepDossier project involves analyzing multiple dossiers together. By comparing several properties, especially those in the same area or competing with each other, the project aims to find patterns and understand the "Big Picture". This comparative analysis allows the identification of how different properties handle common problems, their varied approaches to business, hidden connections, local "rules of the game," factors determining resilience, and features that others could adopt.
Significantly, increasing the number of analyzed resorts from a small number (e.g., 10) to a larger scale (e.g., 300-400) dramatically enhances the ability to identify "supra-system" resources and patterns. This growth in understanding is described as far exceeding a simple linear progression due to the nature of network analysis and pattern recognition. At this larger scale, the project can map out dominant families and business groups across the entire region, determining ownership structures and how different ventures are connected. This level of analysis provides a comprehensive understanding of the local power structure and business networks, moving from understanding individual properties to understanding the regional tourism ecosystem structure and dynamics. "Supra-system insights" are defined as high-level patterns and understandings emerging from analyzing multiple data points, revealing systemic issues or opportunities across a region or industry.
The research also explicitly identifies and discusses "shadow zones" or unverified information that is difficult or impossible to publicly confirm across properties. Examples include precise land lease terms, internal financial metrics, unofficial agreements (e.g., with local authorities regarding noise or parties), rumors about partnerships or succession plans. Recognizing these "shadow zones" is highlighted as a regularity of the research process itself, indicating that a part of the operational reality and local relationships exists outside official sources. This contrasts with the ideal enhanced understanding that would include specific financial metrics, exact ownership structures, and detailed operational insights which are often hard to obtain from public sources alone.
Benefit for the market:
The DeepDossier project aims to provide significant benefits to resort owners and managers and the wider market. The report generated offers a deep and multi-faceted understanding of a specific property or a group of properties. This allows the reader to see the hidden mechanisms, real problems, and true competitive advantages. By understanding the interactions within the "forest" rather than just individual "trees," participants gain insights into the structure and dynamics of the regional tourism system.
Specifically, for the participants (such as the resort owners/managers included in the study), the research helps them gain a deeper understanding of their role in the market and potential avenues for growth. The reports offer in-depth insights into the strengths and challenges of the local hospitality industry. The analysis provides a basis for strategic assessment and decision-making, enabling owners/managers to understand the competitive landscape and their position within it.
The project team expresses a strong desire for feedback and collaboration from owners and managers to make the reports as accurate and useful as possible. This collaborative approach is intended to ensure that all parties gain mutual benefit from the deep insights provided. The insights derived from comparing multiple properties, such as shared challenges like managing the duality of being a 'party hub' and a 'tranquil retreat' or operating within 'shadow zones,' are presented as valuable precisely because they are visible from a collective perspective and can inform potential solutions or strategies.