Posts Tagged ‘Maungatautari’
NZx: wildlife, us and our motivations
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:
- 20% said that the opportunity to view wildlife is one of the most important factors in their travel decisions(most important decision factor);
- 51% said that opportunity to view wildlife is included as part of their travel decisions (one decision factor);
- 28% said that viewing wildlife is not included as part of their travel decisions, but they enjoy seeing wildlife while on holidays (not a decision factor)
Those interviewed were asked how could the wildlife experience be improved. Key responses included:
- see more wildlife – number, variety and different aspects of
- have more time/improve the timing and logistics of tours
- have more interaction with wildlife
- improve visitor management, in particular, to have fewer visitors/smaller groups
- enhanced interpretation, both guide knowledge and non personal
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
NZx – October 31st : delivering on the promise
Naumai
It’s that time of the year again.Hopefully you have your team in place, well trained and ready to go!
Recently we took part in a discussion with Tai Poutini Polytechnic, employers and others associated with tourism on the West Coast. We discussed the opportunities and issues that involve training those involved in tourism.
Much of the discussion was based on the qualities of a guide. How do you take someone that may have all the necessary technical skill (i.e. hard) but needs coaching on the (so called “softer”) skills of guiding i.e. people management ? I think there was general agreement in the group that the biggest need was in the latter. For example how do you mentor an eighteen year old to lead, inspire, entertain and enlighten a 60 year old visitor from another country?
In this blog we look at some some of the qualities we should be training just about anyone involved in tourism, but particularly guides.
Charm / ātahu
Every person in your group is looking for information and more importantly, entertainment, from their guide. Remember we are now an entertainment centric society. A guide should always be constantly looking for opportunities to charm and involve your group in doing things, rather than just listening.
An active C drive / mātau
You may of course be a very charming person but if you don’t have the mātau then your’e on the back foot from the start. Yes you need to know facts, figures and anything else somebody on a tour might ask you. You also need to be prepared to find an answer and get back to people. Make sure you engage with everyone in the group and facilitate discussion between the group.
Stories / tito
Visitors (some) love hearing facts behind the topic of interest e.g. Tane Mahuta, but above all visitors love their guide to share a personal story about the topic. Stories engage people’s minds and more importantly hearts. Facts alone do not.
Organisation and flexibility / nahanaha
You need to be super organised and flexible if you want to be a great guide. The group will have certain expectations about what the are expecting to see. You need to deliver on those, and make sure your timing for pre-booked events is perfect. At the same time you need to be flexible. If an attraction is suddenly closed you need to find an alternative!
Humour / whakataka
Your visitors are on holiday; they want to be entertained. That includes the use of humour. It’s a skill to be developed but can ease a difficult situation, reassure visitors, make them laugh and add real value to a situation. While jokes are part of this, the most important part is you as the leader facilitating the humour in an appropriate way.
Empathy / aroha
You can be assured that somewhere, sometime, when you have a group something will happen to someone in the group. It may be lost luggage, bad news from back home, a cultural issue,or any myriad of issues. In this situation aroha will get you a long way, make your guests feel valued and can assist in solving the issue.
You can read some other interesting views of the qualities that make a great guide, and a tourism host, here and here!
Ka kite ano
Malcolm
Guiding at Maungatautari
NZx 4th December: Restoring the DOC
Naumai
So what’s new the Department of Conservation is restructuring….yet again.
This seems to be a reoccurring event, at least every few years. Combine this with distinct shift to off load many of the Department’s responsibilities onto community groups and you have to shake your head.
In our case we are effectively doing the Department’s job. With a paltry budget of over $ 1.5 million we struggle to protect what we have. Yet we are investing in and creating a new future for much of New Zealand’s endangered wildlife and taonga. Go figure how that works!
I don’t blame the Department for the current situation. Political masters are at work here and DOC has always been an easy target for politicians.
The once proud mission cry of “restoring the dawn chorus” once struck a chord with many New Zealanders.
Perhaps it should be now reworded to say “restoring the DOC”.
Ka kite ano
Malcolm
keeping the bad things out and our taonga safe
NZx 23rd October – life revisited…
Naumai
Since my last post I have moved to the North Island to take on a role as General Manager at www.maungatrust.org
I am still available to talk to you about your visitor experience opportunities – in whatever capacity.
My blogs on visitor experiences and tourism start again this week…so if you’re interested watch this space there’s plenty to blog about!
Ka kite ano
Four week old “Pounamu” a taonga from the South Island but born and bred on Maungatautari