Morena
It was great to be back on board the expedition ship Coral Adventurer for a recent eleven days journey in Aotearoa.
As we cruised from Te Whanganui a Tara/Wellington to Piopiotahi/Milford Sound, it was time to korero the stories of Aotearoa, particularly our conservation successes and failures.
Sharing these types of stories can be challenging. There are many different interpretive techniques that can be used to ensure guests are both entertained, learn, challenged and have fun. We often see guides who don’t do this. Rather they concentrate on content: not the delivery.
In our view delivery is more important that content. Sure you need to know your “stuff” but it is how its is delivered that will make the experience memorable. This is especially so if the weather conditions are challenging, the birds are not singing or the dolphins aren’t where they are supposed to be! How you deliver an experience in those condition puts you into mastering interpretation – or not.
We’ve taken groups through thigh deep water, eaten some plants that taste like asparagus, compared salmon to politicians and danced on a ships tender. Now thats entertainment!
As Simon McArthur put it “Interpretation is not information. Great interpretation leaves people moved, their assumptions challenged and their interest in learning stimulated. Good interpretation is still thought about at breakfast the next morning, or over the dinner table the next week.“
There were of course many other conversations during the days onboard about life in America and life in Aotearoa.
Thanks to our American guests https://www.olivia.com/ for being such a fun group.
Ka kite ano
Malcolm
Coral Adventurer at sea
Morena
The old adage that big is better is not always true, in this case small is definitely better!
It has been great to work with Coral Expeditions again.Over the past few months we have been working with Coral Expeditions to facilitate access to the Sub-Antarctic Islands and Rēkohu or the Chatham Islands.
Having successfully renewed and obtained new concessions for the company, we continue to work with the Department of Conservation over Entry Permit’s to the Sub-Antarctics.
Commencing operations on the Great Barrier Reef 40 years ago, Coral Expeditions now takes the art of expedition cruising to the far-flung lands of the Kimberley, Tasmania and the Small Islands of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific (including Aotearoa).
Holding between 72 and 120 passengers, the fleet of three modern vessels, focuses on sharing some of the most remote parts of the world with expert guidance and warm hospitality.
We have written about the benefits of small ship cruising on a number of occasions. Our post from 2012 is still largely relevant
You can find out more about Coral Expeditions NZ expeditions here.
Ka kite
Malcolm
Morena
We have previously discussed the importance of storytelling in a number of previous blogs (https://www.interpretationnz.co.nz/nzx-the-art-of-the-story/).
Stories are the key component of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs which focuses on human motivation. Maslow later went on to expand his thinking and added: Cognitive – people generally want to learn and know things about their world and their places in it. Aesthetic – interacting with beauty and creative form. Transcendence – the drive to look beyond the physical self in search of meaning.
The role, power and relevance of Maslow’s thinking is also backed by facts. Steve Ballantyne noted a few in his blog at https://www.brandiq.co.nz/why-stories-stick-2/.
We especially like the following: “Neuroscience has proven that stories are over 20 times more memorable than facts. That’s because more areas of the brain are actively engaged when we are processing a story vs facts and data.”
“When deeply engrossed in a great story, our brains release hormones (dopamine, oxytocin and cortisol) which can create empathy and emotional engagement and help with embedding memories.”
All too often, we encounter lousy storytelling—a list of facts and meaningless words held together by a fragile thread.
Disengagement with the storyteller and the experience follow very quickly. If your storytelling isn’t delivering talk to us about how we can shift your storytelling to new heights.
Ka kite
Malcolm
Storytelling in action
Morena
The art of the story is a conversation starter which is often discussed, but is just as often given lip service by many in the tourism sector.
There are just as many definitions of storytelling as there are stories! We like this version from the National Storytelling Network (with our modifications): Storytelling is the interactive art of using words and actions to spark visitor engagement and change.
We believe there are five key elements of storytelling. These are:
Of course storytelling can be combined with other art experiences which run the whole gambit of the genre.
We recently experienced a “how not to tell a story” tourism activity. Our guide did manage to partly deliver some limited form of functional interaction. The other elements of effective storytelling were not even touched on. This was a missed opportunity for a business which is at the premium end of the market.
Are your stories delivering what your visitors want? Talk to us about we can work with you to deliver an effective story experience for your initiative.
Ka kite ano
Story telling in action at Sanctuary Mountain
Morena
For this months blog we thought we would look at the art of inspiration/leadership in the visitor sector.
This thinking came to our front of mind last week when we dined out in a tourism focused town. As the only diners that night we received adequate service, but no more. This is in sharp contrast to the situation we encountered while filling up the car with petrol on the West Coast last year. In this case the attendant thanked us for choosing to use their service station and spend our money with them, as opposed to someone else.
After our dining experience I reflected on what was a lost opportunity for the hospitality business. My view is that any business echos the leadership and inspirational traits of it’s leaders.
Over the years I have been lucky enough to have worked with some amazing and inspiring leaders. One thing they all had in common was that they showed some or all of the traits noted below, and in some cases more.
Of course there have been a number of leaders that didn’t reflect these traits, their leadership style is probably best summed up in this link
The future challenge for managers/mentors/team leaders across the visitor sector will be ensuring they implement these traits (and others) as our borders open up. Do you inspire/lead/mentor using these building blocks?
Thanks to Vala Afshar from Salesforce for the prompt!
Ka kite ano
Morena
Where does the the essence of of place fit into the future of New Zealand tourism?
Essence of place refers to the emotive bonds and attachments people develop or experience in particular locations and environments, at scales ranging from the home to the nation. Sense of place is also used to describe the distinctiveness or unique character of particular localities and regions.
There has been considerable academic research into the role essence of a place plays in tourism – particularly branding of a destination. In New Zealand researchers at the University of Otago found “understanding sense of place, and positioning the people of the place at the centre of a branding strategy” is the most effective form of developing and enhancing a destination brand.
As Jonathan Tourtellot notes an essence of a place is more than just another term for geographical character. Sense of place can stir the soul, inspiring song, art, literature, and passionate allegiance – surely every marketers dream!
The takeaway message is that place attributes, and how they are communicated and understood, have become integral to tourism. This will be increasingly important as the multitude of destinations compete in a post-COVID world.
How well does your destination differentiate from others pushing the essence of their place – both real and imagined?
Ka kite ano
Nau mai
This blog discusses the critical differences between destination branding and destination marketing.
Destination branding and therefore by default, destination management is, or should be, a no brainer for any RTO or Economic Development Agency.
The historic default for many organisations has been to fall back on marketing as the prime driver for “managing destinations”. However as Tom Buncle notes; ” It would be arrogant to assume we create destination brands. We don’t. Apart from places such as Las Vegas and Dubai, we cannot manufacture a destination.
Generally, (a) place has been around for generations and is defined by its history, culture, topography, way of life, built and natural environment, and people.
Destination branding is about identifying the destination’s strongest and most competitively appealing assets in the eyes of its prospective visitors, building a story from these that makes the destination stand out above its competitors, and running this narrative consistently through all marketing communications.
Ideally, it also means people in the destination behaving in a way that reflects the destination’s brand values (friendly, unorthodox, creative etc.), and particularly the destination’s ‘frontline ambassadors’: those with whom visitors come into contact – from border guards to taxi-drivers, shop assistants, guides, and staff in hotels and resorts.
Running this ‘destination DNA’ through every act of communication helps reinforce the destination’s competitive identity over time.
The brand forms the basis of a destination’s marketing communications. Marketing tends to have become synonymous in the destination world with promotion.
In other words: Destination branding is about who you are; Destination marketing is about how you communicate who you are.”
We think Tom has nailed it with his reference to stories as a basis for destination branding and therefore destination management!
Our view is that destination branding brings the brand alive, it gives a heart to the stories of that place. This component provides the synergy and integration between destination branding and management.
That’s not to say that Destination branding and marketing are exclusive.
As Mike Ferreira notes “While destination marketing helps in positioning a particular destination as an attractive brand, the role of destination management is to ensure its sustainability over a prolonged period of time.”
Ka kite ano
Nau mai
This month we consider progress on NZ Inc’s drive towards sustainability.
One of the key drivers of wider sustainability goals is Tourism Aotearoa. Their most recent goals focus on four aspects: Visitor – Deliver outstanding visitor experiences Community – New Zealanders are welcoming hosts Environment – Aotearoa is enhanced by tourism Economic – Grow tourism’s contribution to New Zealand’s economy
“Since its release 18 months ago of the New Zealand Tourism Sustainability Commitment, now has more than 1000 tourism businesses signed up. Last year TIA and six other New Zealand organisations launched Tiaki – Care for New Zealand, an initiative that actively encourages international and domestic travellers to act as guardians of Aotearoa.”
Of course Tourism Aotearoa champions these achievements. However a close look at their performance suggests there is still a long way to go with the goal of minimizing tourism’s environmental footprint falling by 7%. Smaller falls are recorded in sustainable growth and community satisfaction. Overall the tourism industry’s scorecard sits at 8.1, well short of the 9.4 goal for 2025.
A quick look at the Ministry of Environments, Environment Aotearoa 2019, is sad reading. Key findings include:
Issue 1: Our native plants, animals, and ecosystems are under threat Issue 2: Changes to the vegetation on our land are degrading the soil and water Issue 3: Urban growth is reducing versatile land and native biodiversity Issue 4: Our waterways are polluted in farming areas Issue 5: Our environment is polluted in urban areas Issue 6: Taking water changes flows which affects our freshwater ecosystems Issue 7: The way we fish is affecting the health of our ocean environment Issue 8: New Zealand has high greenhouse gas emissions per person Issue 9: Climate change is already affecting Aotearoa New Zealand
And then we need to consider the this years UN Report. Its short and blunt stating “the most comprehensive and rigorous assessment on the state of the environment completed by the UN in the last five years has been published , warning that damage to the planet is so dire that people’s health will be increasingly threatened unless urgent action is taken.
The report, which was produced by 250 scientists and experts from more than 70 countries, says that either we drastically scale up environmental protections, or cities and regions in Asia, the Middle East and Africa could see millions of premature deaths by mid-century. It also warns that pollutants in our freshwater systems will see anti-microbial resistance become a major cause of death by 2050 and endocrine disruptors impact male and female fertility, as well as child neurodevelopment.
We could go on…..the point is we have all been here before. These issues are not new they have all been raised before, in fact since the late 1990’s.
New Zealand’s tourism industry was a world leader in the late 1990’s with the introduction of Green Globe 21, an environmental programme based on certified continual environment improvement. That was until political interference in the shape of Tourism New Zealand’s Qualmark programme, and poor leadership from Tourism Aotearoa’s predecessor (TIANZ) sunk this initiative.
Check this report out from 2004 in which Lincoln University questions:
How Clean and Green is New Zealand Tourism? Lifecycle and Future Environmental Impacts.
We have a lot to do and not a lot of time in which to do achieve real gains.
Nga mihi
Malcolm
Nau mai!
Late, last summer in Coastal Otago; hoiho and visitors mixing in a small area of reserve land in a natural landscape. No interpreters present, and “common sense” guidelines being ignored by some.
With increasing number of visitors travelling to more remote places the potential threat to endangered wildlife is incrementally increasing. What drive visitors to seek wildlife interactions?
Considering the importance of this question there is a lack of recent research that suggests motivations and potential mitigation of any issue. One key study undertaken(in New Zealand and Australia) by CRC Tourism sets some important benchmarks in understanding, and thereby managing, visitors expectations.
Surveys asked visitors to rate how important opportunities to see wildlife are in their holiday travel decisions. Overall:
Those interviewed were asked how could the wildlife experience be improved. Key responses included:
Across a range of sites in both countries people seeking wildlife interactions were likely to be/have: older, have higher levels of education, stay longer, travel further, spend more, higher education levels and incomes, independent travellers, younger, female, younger, independent, use the internet for information, stay longer in the region.
Key themes around visitor satisfaction with wildlife experiences was higher for visitors who: learnt more about wildlife, rated their most memorable wildlife encounter as exciting, rated their most memorable wildlife encounter as natural ,place greater importance on seeing wildlife on holiday, are tour participants, are female, seek wildlife encounters in natural, environment, desire wildlife encounters with knowledgeable guides or staff present, and saw an animal for the first time in real life.
There is guidance in this research. Clues and actions we could take to better manage the interactions noted in the first paragraph.
In previous blogs we have touched on the importance of interpretation as the key facilitator of empowering better wildlife interactions, the need for companies to improve their social license to operate, and threats to our rare and endangered wildlife.
Wildlife interactions are a key plank of tourism in New Zealand /Aotearoa. We need enhanced research on wildlife interactions and agreed approaches to enhancing the visitor experience, and protecting the uncertain future of many of our natural taonga, across the country.
We need big picture, long term, balanced, decision making.
Ka kite ano
Malcolm
Four week old “Pounamu” born and bred on Maungatautari
Ata mārie
In our June blog we talked about cathedral thinking and how it might be applied to many of the “hot” topics facing New Zealand tourism.
This was top of my mind yesterday when I overheard a conversation about cruise ship visits. The local paper had reported that cruise ship numbers into Akaroa may double in the next ten years.The ensuring conversation wasn’t complimentary about this prospect, and I’m sure we will soon be hearing more about the perceived and real effects of this potential growth. This disconnect between tourism operators and local communities continues to underlie much of NZ tourism’s’ growth.
We think its about time cathedral thinking and action became a cornerstone of the NZ tourism experience.
One of the key proponents of this type of thinking is Rick Antonson former President and CEO of Tourism Vancouver, and Vice Chair of the Pacific Asia Travel Association based in Bangkok, Thailand.
As Antonson states “The concept of Cathedral Thinking stretches back to medieval times when architects, stonemasons and artisans laid plans and began construction of the soaring, cavernous structures that would one day serve as places of worship, community gathering spaces and safe havens. Those who began such work knew they’d never live to see their task completed. Yet their actions kept the living generation tethered to the future”
The concept of thinking as did these “cathedral builders”, is in Antonson’s mind synonymous with long term planning. Cathedral Thinking has been applied to space exploration, city planning, corporate mandates and other long-range goals that require decades of foresight and preparation so future generations can enjoy their full realization. Though there are many instances in which Cathedral Thinking can be applied, they all require the same foundation: a far-reaching vision, a well thought-out blueprint, and a shared commitment to long-term implementation.
A number of us were lucky enough to catch Rick’s keynote speech at the PATA Global Insights Conference in Auckland a couple of years ago.
You can catch one of Rick’s Tedx talks on the subject here.
It’s about time someone applied some cathedral thinking to New Zealand Inc and especially tourism!
It seems to us that it’s back to the future again….
Misguided or lack of action on topics such as the potential tourism levy, tourism’s environmental sustainability, short term political decisions around the Provincial Growth Fund, and little action on ensuring tourism has a social license to operate, are definitely not cathedral thinking!
Mā te wā
The sun slowly sets in Fiordland, is the same thing about to happen for NZ tourism?