Presentation to leaders of Samoa's tourism community in Apia, Samoa, June 11th 2012

1. Catering to the Conscious Traveller
Building Tourism in Samoa Together
The Orator Hotel, Apia, Samoa, June 11th, 2012
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2. www.conscioustourism.wordpress.com
www.slideshare.net/AnnaP

3. SCOPE
• What’s happening in the world “out there”
• Introducing the Conscious Traveller
– Characteristics
– Benefits
• The Samoa Situation
• Critical Questions That Need Addressing
• Six Suggested Areas of Work

5. Tourism is BIG Business Globally
Direct contribution to the global economy $2 trillion
direct and indirect contribution $6.5 trillion
International Trips over 1 billion
Jobs 1 in 12
2012 Growth – projected 2.8%
Projected annual growth (2012-2022) 4.0%
Source: World Travel and Tourism Council, 2012

6. The Tourism Tsunami
Source: UNWTO - Growth in International Trips 1950-2020

7. BIOPHYSICAL REALITIES
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8. Big Business IS Getting the Message
“ population
growth, exploitation of
natural resources, climate
change and other factors
are putting the world on a
development trajectory
that is not sustainable…if
we fail to alter our
patterns of production
and consumption, things
will begin to go badly
wrong”
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9. Costs and Risk to Increase
“ The resources on which businesses
rely will become more difficult to
access and more costly. There will
be an increasing strain on
infrastructure and natural systems
as patterns of economic growth
and wealth change. Physical
assets and supply chains will be
affected by the unpredictable
results of a warming world. And
business will be confronted with
an ever more complex web of
legislation and fiscal instruments.”
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10. Big Business is Concerned About these Issues
1. Climate Change 6. Urbanization
2. Energy and Fuel 7. Disparate
3. Material resource prosperity
Scarcity
8. Food security
4. Water Scarcity
9. Ecosystem Decline
5. Population &
Consumption 10. Deforestation
growth
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11. Huge Impact on Personal Values & Perception
When our values change, then everything changes
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12. Global Tourism

13. Congestion

14. 2. Congestion

15. 2. Resident Backlash

16. 2. Resident Backlash

17. 2. Irresponsiblity

18. 3. Lack of Supply

19. 4. Resignation?

20. 5. Waste

21. 6. Sameness
Airports
Resorts
Shopping malls
Fast food outlets
Wineries

22. 7. Connectivity = Complexity

23. 7. Fragmentation

24. 8. Demand Volatility

25. 8. Volatility

26. 9. Diminishing Returns

27. 10. Rising Costs

28. 11.Changing Consumer Values

29. New Consumers still want MORE, but they are
defining that differently.
Now they seek more meaning, more deeply felt
connections, more substance, more control and a
greater sense of purpose.

32. Conscious

33. The Conscious •Youthful, wired, highly educated, majority
female
Consumer
•Three times more likely to try new things
•Three times more likely to reward or punish a
brand based on corporate practice
•Dedicated “box turner” but doesn’t trust
corporate declaration
•Even in the recession, the majority believe it
important to make choices based on
environmental and social benefits
•More than half are willing to pay more for
sustainable brands
Asks “what’s in it for we?”
The Conscious Consumer Report, 2009, BBMG

34. DOING GOOD IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS: 2012
•66% of consumers would
prefer to buy products from
companies that give back to
society
•62% would prefer to work
for such companies
•59% would prefer to invest
in such companies
•46% would be willing to
pay extra for products and
services from these
companies
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35. What do
Conscious Travellers
want?

36. • Authentic, Local, Quirky
• Personal &Customised
• Experiential and Immersive
• Slow, Sensual & to be Savoured
• INDIGENOUS TOURISM IS “HOT”

37. •Wine & sunsets
•Local Food
•Star Gazing
•Indigenous Stories
•Conversations around a campfire
Image: http://www.redbubble.com/people/voyager/works/3731604-uluru---uluru-kata-tjuta-national-park---australia

38. • Authentic, Local, Quirky
• Personal &Customised
• Experiential and Immersive
• Slow, Sensual & to be Savoured
• Transformational – Change Me

39. Help Your Customers See the
World Differently
The Role of Indigenous Tourism – see Pollock paper on www.slideshare.net/AnnaP

40. • Authentic, Local, Quirky
• Personal &Customised
• Experiential and Immersive
• Slow, Sensual & to be Savoured
• Transformational – Change Me
• Show me you care – be a responsible
provider/destination

41. Show Me You Care
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42. • Authentic, Local, Quirky
• Personal &Customised
• Experiential and Immersive
• Slow, Sensual & to be Savoured
• Transformational – Change Me
• Let me share
• Show me you care – be a responsible
provider/destination
• Let me show I care
• Use “kindred spirit” intermediaries

43. Support Their Causes
Let Them
Participate and Co-Create

44. 1. Local, Authentic, Quirky
2. Personal &Customised
3. Experiential and Immersive
4. Slow, Sensual & to be Savoured
5. Transformational – Change Me
6. Let me share
7. Show me you care – responsible providers
8. Let me show I care
9. Use “kindred spirit” intermediaries
10.Will become your advocate

45. Discover New Media & New Channels

51. • Authentic, Local, Quirky
• Personal &Customised
• Experiential and Immersive
• Slow, Sensual & to be Savoured
• Transformational – Change Me
• Let me share
• Show me you care – responsible providers
• Let me show I care
• Use “kindred spirit” intermediaries
• Hungry for content – help me become your
advocate

52. Harnessing Social Media Will Take Time & Commitment

53. Why Attract, Engage & Support the
Conscious Traveller?
If you get it right, they’ll ..
1. Reward you with higher yields
2. Help market your destination, or company
3. Favour responsible suppliers, encourage “best
practice,”
4. Reduce costs
(energy, waste, turnover, employee
engagement)
5. Help ensure you stay ahead of demand
6. Reduce the volatility
7. Generate more net benefit to local economies
8. Help protect & rejuvenate ecosystems and
culture & retain bio & cultural diversity

54. The Samoa Situation

55. Static demand since 2008

56. Commercial Holiday Traffic Worse Hit
Overall drop in demand by 17.3% since 2008

59. Australia -2012

61. New Zealand -2012

62. STRENGTHS
Proximity to fastest growing markets
Samoan owned - boutique
Samoan Cultural Vitality
Pristine Scenery
Pacific-Polynesian

63. WEAKNESSES
Sluggish, declining demand
Over Supply
Remote
Small
Under performing

64. Tourism in Samoa at a Crossroads
Decisions Have to Be Made 64

65. Issues to Consider
• What kind of future do you wish to create?
– Drift, driven by winds and currents
– Set a course to those islands over the eastern
horizon….
• What will it take to thrive in times of turbulent
change?
• Who do you want to benefit from tourism?
• What kind of tourist do you wish to attract?

66. What will it take to thrive in
times of turbulent change?
• Vitality
• Vision + clarity of purpose, focus
• Resilience – capacity to adapt
• Self-determination, shared ownership
• Collaboration
• Imagination & Innovation – commitment to
continuous learning

67. Who do you want to
benefit from tourism development ?
• International Developers – build it & they will come
• International Wholesalers
• Local tourism operators
• Other Samoan businesses
• Samoan citizens
• Your grandchildren?

68. What Kind of Customer
Do You wish to Attract?
• Mass Tourists
– Price conscious but demanding
– Often indifferent to culture
– Wholesaler channels
– Limited opportunity for advocacy
– High Impact, low yield
• Conscious Travellers
– Low impact, high yield
– Dispersed, engaged
– Deal direct: mostly online

69. Some Suggestions
1.Focus on and Measure what matters – aim at
generating the greatest NET benefit to Samoa
– Visitor Types
• Leisure visitors using commercial facilities
• VFR visitors with potential to use commercial facilities
• Business/event visitors with potential for leisure
experiences
– Building more room capacity without building
demand does not create vitality

70. Some Suggestions
2. Work together to deliver the whole experience
– “We are Samoa” “one beat” “fautasi”
– Think about the customer’s whole experience:
accommodation, attractions, events, activities, transport, food &
beverage
– Collaboration, transparency, efficiency &
accountability
• you’re too small to waste resources or go it alone
– Maximise cross selling: put the customer’s interests
first

71. Some Suggestions
3. Show You Care by Acting responsibly
– The decade of the Pacific
– Gualofa and Pacific Voyaging
– Clean up Samoa!
• If you can change to driving on the left
• If you can hange dateline
• You can clean up the plastic waste
– Green Samoa: commit to alternative energy, water
conservation and waste management
– The story of your trying will pay dividends in terms of
publicity and visitor support

72. Some Suggestions
3. Invest the time and money in “Attraction” Digital
Marketing
– Identify niches in key markets
– Develop experiences that would appeal
• Gardeners, nature lovers, hikers, women’s groups, cyclists,
writers, artists, painters, photographers, foodies, film, fashion
– Work with new intermediaries, associations,
bloggers/writers, celebrities. Start with diaspora, then
move beyond
– Develop rich content (images, text) about Samoa that can
be shared and re-used.
• eg Australian Tourism Data Warehouse
– Imagine, Learn & Share together
– Tell stories about you and your country (video)
– FIX THE ONLINE INFRASTRUCTURE

73. Some Suggestions
4. Prepare the stage – ensure visitors can engage
with & experience the richness of Samoa
– New attractions and events
– Museum – your real strength is your culture; your
relationship with the Pacific
– Make it easy for the visitor to enjoy Samoa
• Paper Visitor Guide produced by Samoans for distribution in
Samoa
• Electronic Guides (smartphone apps; mobile apps)
– Purpose: extend length of stay, increase spend, create
advocates!

74. Some Suggestions
6. Invest in Service Improvements
– Conscious travellers don’t buy on price but spend
on perceived value
– Share the cost of training and service
– Details: use local material & skills whenever
possible
– Aim for Authenticity & Sincerity: be true to
yourselves – but do it your way!

75. Some Suggestions
6. Invest in continuous learning
– Market intelligence – by interest group and source
market
– Monitor and share performance external and
internal
– Identify new distribution channels
– Imagine and test Ways of differentiating

76. Fa’afetaiLava!
www.slideshare.net/AnnaP
annapollock@me.com
www.conscioustourism.wordpress.com