DestiCorp 2.0

On Homecoming and Wayfinding - re-thinking sustainable tourism

It’s rare that I have to turn down the chance to speak because of a date conflict. But on Feb 18^th, I couldn’t be in two places at once. I had to forgo the chance to speak at  TEDX in Whistler because of a previous commitment to speak at the TIDES Conference in Samoa, a mere 15,000 miles away.

I’d never been to the South Pacific before and it turned out to be one place that exceeded even my expectations – my imagination stimulated at a young age by the Rogers and Hammerstein musical of the same name!

Despite having made a living from this phenomenon called “tourism” (as researcher, planner, marketer, educator, strategist and visionary-futurist), I have always experienced a love-hate relationship with it. I have seen mass tourism bring both pleasure and benefit to many, but also change landscapes, carelessly consume precious resources, and destroy cultures ironically in areas that, hitherto,  had lived in a sustainable manner for thousands of years

My personal wake up call occurred concurrently with my 40^th birthday, some twenty years ago, when I attended PATA’s Annual Conference in Bali at the shiny new, purpose-built tourism complex/ghetto at Nusa Dua.  What I experienced there sickened me to the core and I nearly quit working in tourism for good. In a mere 16 years, much of the Bali I had encountered and fallen in love with in 1972 had disappeared. I had been so privileged to experience a sustainable, cohesive, vibrant culture having first stepped on its bounteous shores when there was no electricity on the island (the Balinese enjoyed complete food security, producing enough on the island to meet their needs), when life continued as it had done for thousands of years, when generous acts of hospitality were extended for no thought of gain, when there was no begging, when every act (including the renting of a motorbike) was considered sacred; and where communities met under Banyen trees to the warm light of candles and Tilley lamps and relived the myths and legends through shadow puppet plays and complex dance and story telling. My experience there was profoundly transformative and started a spiritual journey that has lasted a lifetime.

So it was with some trepidation that I set off for Samoa and it was with huge delight that I discovered a place committed to “being itself” while being under enormous pressure to welcome investment and change and attract visitors back to this beautiful island.  I was speaking at a conference designed to attract investment in a tourism “industry” that accounts for some 35% of GDP;  that is the primary source of export revenue; and that had recently been knocked back by the force of a devastating Tsunami.

As it is only for Samoans to determine their future and chose the kind of economy they can grow and sustain, I felt the best thing I could do was instill confidence that Samoans could, with wise choices, sustain their deeply held values and attract a kind of visitor who would align with those values and respect their unique culture and setting. I had been given a great title – Investing in Future Values – that enabled me to show how industrial tourism was based on a set of assumptions that are now being challenged and discarded; and that there is a growing market for authentic experiences of diverse cultures and a desire by visitors to find meaning as well as accrue souvenirs from their travel. I went so far as to suggest that, for many,  a trip to Samoa (which means sacred center) might be likened to that of a prodigal son’s homecoming. 

The essence of my message, is that the industrial model is, just that, a model of reality based on a set of assumptions that are only now being examined and rejected. Within so-called developed societies, there is growing evidence within every aspect of human endeavour that a new paradigm is emerging and western societies have much to learn from those indigenous cultures our industrial system has so often threatened with destruction.  Western society is literally “coming home” and back into a balance with the biosphere that is considered vital by societies we have falsely labeled as less developed. 

Anna Pollock Investing In Future Values

View more presentations from Anna Pollock.

While preparing for this talk, I became captivated and intrigued by the story of Polynesia’s development and their skill in long-distance navigation, a process known as The Art of Wayfinding.  Thousands of years ago, brave navigators and sailors of large canoes, set off into the eastern sunrise to find new lands, sailing vast distances against the prevailing winds with no navigational instruments through a process of dead reckoning. Navigators spent years learning how to read the sky, stars, currents, clouds and behaviour of marine life to determine their position and direction. This “Wayfinding” is not just a skill but a metaphor, a paradigm or mindset that enables a people to navigate their world. One of the most recent and accessible descriptions of the marvels of Polynesian culture takes the form of a chapter of a new book by Wade Davis, called The Wayfinders. Based on the Massey Lectures delivered in Canada last year. Davis describes how the holistic science and art of wayfinding is based on dead reckoning. 

“You only know where you are by knowing precisely where you have been and how you got to where you are. One’s position at any one time is determined solely on the basis of distance and direction travelled since leaving the last known point. You don’t look up at the stars and know where you are, you need to know where you have come from by memorizing from where you have sailed.” And, just as importantly, you need to see your destination clearly in your mind, if you ever wish to find it in an ocean as vast as the Pacific.

In the spirit of wayfinding, let me look back to where I started this post – reminiscing about a place that existed before industrial values triumphed over indigenous ones; and dreaming about a new place where a different kind of tourism activity could occur.  I also mentioned TEDX in Whistler, recent host to the world – is it coincidence or synchrony that the keynote speaker, standing on the podium I was also intended to occupy, was none other than Wade Davis who proposed brilliantly that sustainable tourism should be about visiting and learning from the indigenous peoples of the world! 

If there ever was a time when we need to find our way, to develop a new way of doing tourism, it is now. Such change can only happen when we open up our minds to new and different models of reality – when we change our mindsets, our worldviews, our paradigm. For many this will be a homecoming; for others it will represent a discovery of a new land, but, regardless of which, it is time to shift now and seek new navigators for the journey ahead. Wade’s TEDX presentation is a really good place to start:

Click this link to see Wade's TedX presentation:

 

Will DMOs* survive the next decade?

I was recently asked to write a paper on the likely changing role of DMOs. Having spent my entire career working with this institution in various parts of the globe, and intending to do so going forward, I’ve a keen interest in an accurate answer. 

This afternoon, two blog posts from very reputable sources caught my attention: 

Douglas Quimby from Phocuswright wrote a post titled Destinations: The Online Marketing Disconnect, justifiably bemoaning the fact that DMOs seem so unwilling to move significant chunks of their marketing budgets into the online space. I don’t know Douglas personally, but hope to meet up with him at the PhocusWright Conference in Florida mid November. I imagine him to be a bright, talented Gen X or Yer who ”gets it” i.e finds it impossible to imagine how destinations couldn’t see the obvious benefits of playing aggressively in the online space. 

The commentators to his post are each highly credentialed to speak and deplored the lack of appropriate measuring tools, lack of expertise and education. I suggested that the real problem is “culture” and to see why, please follow the thread…here.  As further evidence of the challenge, I’d  also recommend you read the last blog post from Vicky at Highland Business Research:  It Shouldn’t be This Difficult.   In this post, I can hear the frustrated anguish of someone who is incredibly talented and productive appear to hit a wall or be pushing a boulder up hill. I’m hoping it was her last blog post because she is sunning herself on a beach and has not given up the DMO community for good. 

The second very different post was from a DMO executive – one of the leading lights in social media (and, don’t get me wrong, there are many very talented people in DMOs pushing the edge of the envelope- see my blog roll as a starter. Troy from Denver was writing for the new e-marketing and travel site called, Toonz.com that should be bookmarked quickly by anyone in travel marketing. His post was called How The Industry Will Save the World – so you can see why it got my attention!!

Troy has a brilliant reputation for applying social media to marketing destinations.  So this was quite a step away from his normal territory. Having identified that climate change is an important issue, he appears to be applying travel marketers’ normal and contagious enthusiasm and proposes:  

The time has arrived to lend our voice to the congregation and become a part of the solution.  The travel industry…utilizing technology…can help lead the way.

Well I really hope so. And I welcome Troy and his highly talented e-marketing peers to join the conversation – quickly. But I doubt that the travel industry will save the world – if it’s at all fortunate, it might just save itself. But only if the DMOs recognize and own up to the fact that they are a major part of the problem. The transport cost of most international tourists constitute the bulk of carbon emissions. No one currently takes responsibility for that.  Tourism has to change if it is to make a positive contribution to a very different economy that is emerging from the melting rubble of the old. 

Take my word for it. There are no quick fixes. The current leadership of the tourism “industry” has first to shift its perception and see tourism as the analogue extension of the IT community – both simply connect people and places. They need to work together and fast to find a way of enabling the act of travel to coexist with the act of communication. Both have to find a way of delivering value without living beyond the physical means of the environment to support it. 

In summary – there are two major forces threatening and re-shaping DMOs: 

1. The need to deploy technology effectively or get out of the way; and 

2. The need to ensure destinations can live within the physical limits set by the host environment. 

DMOs could play a positive role in each endeavour but it will mean seeing things differently (a mindset shift); doing things differently ( a culture shift) and doing different things – a role change. Nothing serious – but certainly NOT “business as usual!!!”

To quote Troy – let the conversation continue but PLEASE may it soon lead to action. A good place to start is to join and support The Icarus Foundation, formed some 3 years ago to encourage the tourism industry to become more climate friendly. 

But  now we've started a conversation: what do think DMOs have to do to survive the next decade?

* DMO is the acronym used to describe Destination Marketing Organizations (responsible for attracting visitors to a place).

Social Media - déjà vue?

An overwhelming sense of déjà vue is the emotion most often aroused in response to the tidal wave of enthusiasm for the marvels of “social media.” The current hype reminds me of George Santayana’s warning, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

First I want to thank Tim Malbon (@malbon) of Made By Many for his blog post drawing my attention to a recent article by David Armano in the Havard Business Review and available here. 

David is a brilliant designer who has proven able to illustrate graphically and potently some of the major changes in how we see our world, and our relations with each other. I use his images, slides and quotes frequently and with gratitude as well as attribution! See below left.

David and Tim both make the valid point that the term “social media’ is being trivialized by marketers and promoters who see the emergence of such communication tools as Facebook and Twitter as nothing more than another set of distribution channels that can be used to reach and influence a customer. 

Even McKinsey, the epitome of mainstream consulting, is in on the act – triumphantly and proudly claiming in a recent article, The Consumer Decision Journey, that they have  (just?)discovered that “a more sophisticated approach to marketing is required – one that enables marketers to move aggressively beyond purely push-style communication, to influence consumer-driven touch points along what they have decided to call “a consumer decision journey.”  

Their research with some 20,000 companies provides further proof of the cyclical, dynamic nature of the customer buying process – as opposed to the linear, funnel model that has dominated marketing thinking. Their interactive exhibit shows how the number of brands in a consideration set can vary according to the attitudes and experience of the customer (are they passive or loyal), stage in the cycle, and effects of events that trigger purchases. It’s a good article and worth a serious read. 

But perhaps it is a sign of my age or a need for some summer sunshine, but I feel I have seen it all before. Around the time of the dot com bust, the corporate world was also fixating on Customer Relationship Management – spending millions on software that would enable them to personalize their messages and “manage” customer relations. Authors of the  McKinsey article mentioned earlier speak about “managing word-of-mouth.”

CRM Has Only Had Limited Results - will Social Media Fare Better?

Many felt back in 2002 that CRM was not delivering on its promise and there was much soul searching as to the reasons why. In 2002, I wrote a paper on the subject called  Dancing With the Customer in an attempt to dig beneath the surface and examine why CRM was unlikely to succeed despite the millions spent on it. The premises and arguments made 7 years ago could be applied with very little change to an analysis of why use of “social media” will, in general, generate the same mixed and often unsatisfactory results for those who have not really understood what's going on beneath the surface.  

Back in the late 90s and early 00s we asked whether bad software design was the issue. Was the problem a technical one or was it structural? Was it the way companies are organized into functional silos that was the source of the problem? Nearly a decade later, McKinsey concludes their essay with the suggestion that organizational structure does indeed present the major impediment and that the customer-facing activities of web sites, PR, loyalty programs need to be integrated and given appropriate leadership. 

Where I disagree with McKinsey

But I am sure, as I was in 2002, that the problem goes much deeper than the need for functional integration. Siloed structures reflect a culture, a shared understanding of “the ways things are or work around here.” 

The reality is that most corporations view marketing as a battle or power struggle and the language used to describe marketing gives this attitude away.  Customers are targeted in order that markets are captured, competitors are slaughtered and consumers are persuaded to do something of direct benefit to the marketer. In 2009, with no tongue in cheek, McKinsey personnel can write: “If marketing has one goal, it’s to reach customers at the moments that most influence their decisions – to seek those moments when consumers are open to influence.” In a culture that considers the company as predator and the customer the prey, then the term “open to influence” likely equates to “at their weakest and most vulnerable” (my words).  Is this not why second glazing salesmen and debt collectors always call at dinner time?

Again McKinsey reveals the power of implicit culture in the concluding sentence of their essay when they write “marketers need to view the change not as a loss of power over their customers but as an opportunity to be in the right place at the right time, giving them the information and support they need to make the right decisions.” 

So it's not structure but culture and a deeply ingrained mindset that's the problem.If you don't fix that, no amount of tweets, followers or fans are going to make a sustained difference. 

Today’s consumers don’t need to be persuaded to consume – they spend their entire day having to consume – but they can and do need to be supported. As any aid agency will tell you, people cannot be supported unless they are treated respectfully as equals and until there is a fundamental shift in mindset that sees donor and recipient,  company and customer as engaged in a mutually beneficial conversation, transaction or, as I have suggested, a dance. 

Social Media Is Not a Fashion but a Symptom

Social media is not a fashion or even a trend but a symptom and sign of a much deeper shift in the relationship between producer and consumer; employee and customer. It’s a fundamental mindset shift that is both enabling and being enabled by the availability of interactive, digitized media and tools.

It is, as early architects of web 1.0 and 2.0 discerned at the turn of the Millennium, about a fundamental shift in both power and perception. As Armano writes: 

 

It never used to be called “social media”. eBay and Amazon never talked of “social media” - they talked about “service” and “community”. They spoke of the potency of The Web to smash old business models, flatten out-dated hierarchies and wrench power away from the centre and towards the edges to create new types of value exchange. Communications is but a tiny fragment of this revolution - albeit massively interesting and important - and yet it’s the campaign-flavoured, comms-focused stuff that defines - and limits - “social media” for most businesses.

In the Dancing with the Customer paper, I also focus on service and community: 

So winning enterprises are those that conceive of themselves as inter-connected business webs or trading communities held together by a common customer. The customer sits at the centre of an orbit not at the end of a chain. Winning enterprises are those with the most “intelligence” – i.e. are able to sense and respond to visitor needs in real time. They are able to exchange and circulate this intelligence to all members of the community so that the visitor’s whole experience is a positive one. 

So if you want to really ensure that your company or destination stays ahead of this revolution, you’ll spend less time wondering about your Facebook strategy, measuring the number of followers or even checking your Twitter grade and spend more time thinking through how you work collaboratively with others to design a profitable ecosystem that provides the deep support customers seek and deserve. For industries like tourism that are suffering the ravages of commodification, such a systems  approach is the only one that will save us from self-destruction. It's also an approach that requires an unparalleled level of collaboration.

So for summer reading that is guaranteed to “change your mind”, don’t read "Twitter for Dummies" or "100 Ways to Succeed with Social Media" but revisit The Cluetrain Manifesto, or pick up Rushkoff’s prescient analysis, Life Inc., Tapscott’s Wikinomics;  Clay Shirky's Here Comes Everybody or,  perhaps,  dip into the prescient, profound but much under appreciated The Support Economy by Shuboff and Maxmin to discover the scope, scale and pace of deep change that's  happening out there. 

Alternatively, enjoy the kids, the beach or the ice cream and come back here and pick up the Reader's Digest versions of the above and have a great summer vacation!

And remember – you are not at war; life’s a dance. 

Enjoy the summer.

Calling on Tourism CEOs to Dig Deeper

It is a cliché to identify our world as one in which change is the only constant. Overuse of this concept has minimized its meaning and power and misuse has lead to confusion and miscalculation.

In our opinion there are three types of change as illustrated in the familiar image of the iceberg.

• Surface change which takes the form of trends in fashion, modes of speech, popular technology, management fads etc. They are easily visible - representing 1/8th of the iceberg - with new trends quickly attracting attention and possessing a relatively short life span. Their length of influence is determined to the extent that they are rooted in stronger change forces.

• Systemic change which reflect a deeper set of dynamics associated with the economy (eg., the rise of the middle class), demographics, changing consumer and personal values, big technological developments (e. g., the arrival of the phone or car), emergence of new political ideologies. They take longer to emerge and be recognized; last longer, and, if significant enough in strength and power, can be taken as reflecting the norm by any given population.
  
  The dominance of the automobile in American society and the pervasive belief that every American has the right to own and use a car whenever and wherever is a societal force totally integrated with the rise of the middle class, the beliefs and aspirations of the Founding Fathers, the growth in prosperity, the cheapness of raw materials, energy and credit. But it goes deeper than that. The western obsession with the automobile reflects a much deeper set of beliefs and unexamined assumptions and beliefs about how humans view the world, and their relation with it and each other. These are paradigms, mindsets or worldviews.

• Paradigm change occurs much less frequently and results not in the modification of something familiar but a fundamental transformation - in everything. The last big paradigm shift occurred over a 200-250 year time period starting with people like Copernicus and Galileo who began to trust their powers of observation and measurement over the prevailing orthodoxy of a powerful institution - the Holy Catholic Church.

Paradigms are sets of beliefs and assumptions about how the world works or mental maps that we use to make sense of our world. They are agreements that, as they are used over and over again, have become invisible - it's the way things are - simply because they are used to filter out information that might be contradictory.They affect what we choose to see and what sense we make of the world. See some examples here.

We are living in a period of paradigm change as great as that which transformed medieval society into the Age of Enlightenment and saw science rise to predominance over religion. The challenge is that this transformative switch is not taking 250 years to emerge but is occurring over a period less than a century. Everything and everyone will be affected by it - the travel and tourism sector being no exception. Yet most tourism leaders remain either oblivious or unwilling to contemplate the implications.

We can be forgiven for our reluctance to venture into this space of "deep change" for a number of reasons:

1. The time horizons of leaders in tourism are inevitably short. They sell a time and located based service that is highly perishable.
2. Their investors and or political masters are interested in short term results not long term strategic planning, as they expect whatever issues arise to be on "someone else's watch".
3. Furthermore, there's no precedent. In the past paradigmatic change occurred gradually and almost imperceptibly over several generations. Life at the time might have been both confusing and exciting, but it was still manageable simply because the scale and depth of the change was not clear. If you have never seen or heard about an elephant before, it's hard to get frightened about the prospect of one charging out of the forest in a rage. It's also common for very enlightened folks to move easily between two paradigms. Newton the founder of mechanical physics and responsible for the rise of scientific inquiry and rationalism was a committed Alchemist (he tried to turn dross into gold in his spare time). I suspect several quantum physicists may play the lottery.

At DestiCorp we are convinced that it is both possible and vital that tourism leaders, especially those heading up destinations, national and international associations and agencies, and heads of multi-nationals start investing their time and intellect in understanding that nature and implications of paradigmatic change on their sector and the future livelihoods of the communities they serve. Unless they do, they will be ill equipped to understand let alone deal with the gale force winds of change gathering on the horizon and make the decisions TODAY that will create options for decision-makers tomorrow.

Subsequent posts will provide examples from tourism life that show these deeper forces at work - they'll be tagged with the category "deep change."

WOW! That's pretty heavy for tourism marketers, we know. But if you are interested in what happens after "your watch" as a result of your leadership today; if you have any interest in leaving a positive legacy, then you could do no better than start to understand what all this means.....

This web site is just a start of an exciting journey that will develop over time and hopefully lead to some very fruitful discussions.... Please join us here as we develop more material.

Over the next few days and months, we'll be adding thoughts on

• Tourism Trends and Fashions (2009 - 2010)
• Systemic Change Drivers
• Tourism Growth Forces - the Following Winds
• Tourism Growth Threats - the Head Winds