Technology Innovations in Tourism - with Michael Nees
11/09/22 • 46 min
As we continue to challenge our current mindset about the definition of tourism, and what it has the potential to be, we seek guests who have boldly taken action in new and exciting directions to explore alternative tourism models. In this episode we talk with Michael Nees, an inbound tour operator who is exploring the possibilities and potential of technology to create innovative and immersive tourism experiences. Michael has developed a range of Virtual Journeys that are so much more than just a video - they are an immersive experience for the senses and the closest thing to really being there.
Michael’s infinitely curious nature, his ‘imagine this’ approach and long-term thinking place him as an innovative leader in our sector. Michael shares his concerns for the climate challenges we will face, and our need to be adaptive and resilient. He recognises the urgent need to think differently about tourism models, and has a deep desire not to go back to business as usual, but instead to start shifting his mindset to think about how tourism can be different. He asks how tourism can reduce its carbon footprint, and still serve travellers through immersive storytelling.
This episode is not an in depth exploration of the various types of technology (virtual, augmented, extended reality) but rather an invitation for listeners to challenge their perceptions of what tourism is, to take a long-term view of our sector, consider the potential that technological innovations offer tourism, and to open our minds to new ways forward for our sector.
Join our LinkedIn network of likeminded professionals exploring what a regenerative future for tourism can look like. We'd love to see you there and hear your thoughts on this episode.
Get in touch with Michael:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelnees/
Email: [email protected]
Show notes and links
Virtual Journeys NZ - Michael’s business
Alex Honnold “The Soloist” free-climbing VR Experience
Research from Jeremy Bailenson and other Standford Researchers
New Zealand Nature Highlights - Arthur Chin’s online farm tour
“Journey into the deep sea” - National Geographic virtual experience showing fragile coral ecosystems
Want to explore what regenerative tourism looks like in practice? Join our GOOD Awaits multi-day Aotearoa New Zealand Experience in March 2023
https://www.good-travel.org/good-trips/good-awaits-new-zealand
Credits:
GOOD Awaits is hosted by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major. Audio production and music is by Clarrie Macklin.
Contact us:
Josie Major - [email protected]
Debbie Clarke - [email protected]
Special Thanks to NZ National Commission for UNESCO for supporting this 2nd season of our podcast.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodawaits.substack.com
As we continue to challenge our current mindset about the definition of tourism, and what it has the potential to be, we seek guests who have boldly taken action in new and exciting directions to explore alternative tourism models. In this episode we talk with Michael Nees, an inbound tour operator who is exploring the possibilities and potential of technology to create innovative and immersive tourism experiences. Michael has developed a range of Virtual Journeys that are so much more than just a video - they are an immersive experience for the senses and the closest thing to really being there.
Michael’s infinitely curious nature, his ‘imagine this’ approach and long-term thinking place him as an innovative leader in our sector. Michael shares his concerns for the climate challenges we will face, and our need to be adaptive and resilient. He recognises the urgent need to think differently about tourism models, and has a deep desire not to go back to business as usual, but instead to start shifting his mindset to think about how tourism can be different. He asks how tourism can reduce its carbon footprint, and still serve travellers through immersive storytelling.
This episode is not an in depth exploration of the various types of technology (virtual, augmented, extended reality) but rather an invitation for listeners to challenge their perceptions of what tourism is, to take a long-term view of our sector, consider the potential that technological innovations offer tourism, and to open our minds to new ways forward for our sector.
Join our LinkedIn network of likeminded professionals exploring what a regenerative future for tourism can look like. We'd love to see you there and hear your thoughts on this episode.
Get in touch with Michael:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelnees/
Email: [email protected]
Show notes and links
Virtual Journeys NZ - Michael’s business
Alex Honnold “The Soloist” free-climbing VR Experience
Research from Jeremy Bailenson and other Standford Researchers
New Zealand Nature Highlights - Arthur Chin’s online farm tour
“Journey into the deep sea” - National Geographic virtual experience showing fragile coral ecosystems
Want to explore what regenerative tourism looks like in practice? Join our GOOD Awaits multi-day Aotearoa New Zealand Experience in March 2023
https://www.good-travel.org/good-trips/good-awaits-new-zealand
Credits:
GOOD Awaits is hosted by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major. Audio production and music is by Clarrie Macklin.
Contact us:
Josie Major - [email protected]
Debbie Clarke - [email protected]
Special Thanks to NZ National Commission for UNESCO for supporting this 2nd season of our podcast.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodawaits.substack.com
Previous Episode
Destination Management for Regenerative Tourism - Part 2
This episode is the second in a two part mini series, with this episode focusing on two regions who share the community engagement processes they’re going through to develop their destination management plans.
As destinations globally are starting to think about a regenerative approach to destination management, we’re honoured to share the journey that Aotearoa New Zealand’s 31 Regional Tourism Organisations (RTOs) initiated during the pause of the pandemic. At the request of the NZ government, and with the support of government funding, New Zealand’s RTOs have engaged in destination management planning and many have begun the journey towards a regenerative approach to tourism.
We speak first with Tim Barke, General Manager at Lake Wanaka Tourism. Tim describes the opportunity tourism has now to ‘get it right’ for future generations and also for the industry to remain viable in the future. Tim encourages everyone to get involved in their community, and he’s leading by example, volunteering for multiple organisations across his community, demonstrating his commitment, both personally and professionally, to his place.
We also speak with Tania Burt, General Manager at Northland Inc who describes the importance of taking engagement on the road into communities for a highly localised process that results in more authentic, place-specific feedback from residents. Tania also speaks of how Northland’s destination management plan is a living document, part of a living process, that requires regular reviews and iterations in order to be fully committed to both people and living ecosystems. Tania is deeply involved in her place and stresses the importance that we all work towards net good, “because it’s what the world needs of us right now.”
Join our LinkedIn network of likeminded professionals exploring what a regenerative future for tourism can look like. We'd love to see you there and hear your thoughts on this episode.
Thanks to:
Tim Barke - General Manager at Lake Wanaka Tourism
Tania Burt - General Manager at Northland Inc
Show notes and links
Lake Wanaka Regenerative Tourism by 2030
Taitokerau Northland Destination Management Plan
Glossary:
(Our guests will often use words from Te Reo Māori, New Zealand's indigenous language, in their interviews. We welcome and celebrate this, and for listeners outside of New Zealand for whom these may be unfamiliar, we offer an interpretation here to aid your understanding. For more detail, you can reference https://maoridictionary.co.nz/. We also offer explanations of acronyms and other industry terminology used in hope of making GOOD Awaits more accessible.)
Aotearoa - New Zealand
Taonga - treasure, socially or cultural valuable objects, resources, phenomenon, ideas and techniques
Taoka - treasure, anything prized
Mana - prestige, authority, control, power, influence, status, spiritual power, charisma - mana is a supernatural force in a person, place or object.
Mauri - life force, vital essence
Kaupapa - purpose, policy or values
Ngāi Tahu - tribal group of the South Island, sometimes called Kāi Tahu
Whakapapa – genealogy, lineage
Te Ao Māori - The Māori world
Tangata Whenua - “people of the land”, Māori people local to a particular area
Mana Whenua - Māori people who have historic and territorial rights over the land
Iwi - tribe, people
Hapu - kinship group, clan, subtribe
Mahi - work
____________
Want to explore what regenerative tourism could look like in practice? Join our GOOD Awaits Aotearoa New Zealand Experience in March 2023.
Find out more here: https://www.good-travel.org/good-trips/good-awaits-new-zealand
____________
Credits
GOOD Awaits is hosted by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major. Audio Production and music is by Clarrie Macklin.
Contact us:
Special Thanks to NZ National Commission...
Next Episode
Tourism’s Interconnectedness: Regenerative Food Systems - Part One with Angela Clifford
As we continue to explore tourism’s purpose in a VUCA world, and how tourism can add value and capability to other systems, this is the first of 3 episodes exploring how tourism can support regenerative food systems, local food resiliency, and help shape local food stories. We interview guests who are in both the food and tourism sectors, who think about systems level impact, and who exemplify the potential tourism has to interact with and add value to food systems in particular.
Angela Clifford is the CEO of Eat NZ, an Aotearoa food collective which spans all aspects of our food system. Angela is a passionate advocate for food as a way to deepen our connections to people and to places, to understand other cultures, and to find our way back to food stories that heal us and the planet. Angela co-owns The Food Farm, a regenerative permaculture property, and has deep wisdom about living systems and regeneration. Angela provides tangible examples for how tourism can help guests discover culture through food and build and strengthen networks between food producers, growers, and hospitality businesses to support community resilience.
Our multi-day regenerative tourism experience, GOOD Awaits Aotearoa New Zealand, visits Angela on The Food Farm. This is a unique opportunity to spend time with this inspiring woman who is working at a systems level to create change. Learn more about this trip here.
Join our LinkedIn network of likeminded professionals exploring what a regenerative future for tourism can look like. We'd love to see you there and hear your thoughts on this episode.
Get in touch with Angela:
LinkedIn: Angela Clifford
Show notes and links
Want to explore what regenerative tourism looks like in practice? Join our GOOD Awaits multi-day Aotearoa New Zealand Experience in March 2023
https://www.good-travel.org/good-trips/good-awaits-new-zealand
Credits:
GOOD Awaits is hosted by Debbie Clarke and Josie Major. Audio production and music is by Clarrie Macklin.
Contact us:
Josie Major - [email protected]
Debbie Clarke - [email protected]
Special Thanks to NZ National Commission for UNESCO for supporting this 2nd season of our podcast.
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit goodawaits.substack.com
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