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Right at the centre of the New Zealand Tourism Task Force are the ideas of responsible and sustainable tourism with values, communities and people. We have brought together three thought leaders who will challenge our present thinking and illustrate a pathway forward. Dr Freya Higgins-Desbiolles (University of South Australia) challenges us to re-centre tourism focusing on the values of local communities, Professor Karen Smith (Wellington School of Business and Government) suggests we build the future of tourism through our people by cultivating tourism ambassadors, and Dr Chris Bottril, Chair of PATA delves into the concept of human capital and how workforces will change because of COVID-19 and automation.

Speakers

Dr. Freya Higgins-Desbiolles

Freya Higgins-Desbiolles is a Senior Lecturer in Tourism Management, Business Unit, University of South Australia. Her work focuses on social justice issues in tourism, hospitality, and events. She has worked with communities, non-governmental organisations and businesses that seek to harness tourism for human rights, justice, and equitable futures.

Topic: Socialising tourism: A reset agenda

Crises of overtourism, protests over tourism impacts and actual shutting down of tourism locations suggest that pre-COVID 19, tourism was reaching social and ecological limits. The proposal to ‘socialise tourism’ offers a way forward by re-centering tourism on the rights, interests, and needs of the local community where tourism occurs. In fact, Indigenous cultures (such as Māori and Aboriginal Australians) offer us examples of such socialisation as protocols and ceremonies were used to socialise the stranger and set the terms of welcome and engagement. This proposed agenda resets tourism to serve the public good and situates it within a context of social and ecological limits. Such an approach better ensures tourism supports rather than undermines equity, social justice, ecological justice, and well-being.

Dr Chris Bottrill

Dr. Chris Bottrill is a Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Tourism Management graduate and is the current elected Chair of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA). Chris is the current Director, International at Capilano University, Vancouver, BC and past Dean of three different Faculties overseeing schools of Tourism, Business, Motion Picture Arts, Outdoor Recreation, Human Kinetics and others. He has taught a wide array of tourism and management subjects in universities in Canada, New Zealand, USA, and Austria, and has designed and facilitated seven youth symposiums with over 20 universities in the Asia Pacific over the past four years. Chris has strong interests in human capital development in the tourism industry and has focused of late on the future of work and education and has presented on these topics at conferences and events in Nepal, Indonesia, Vietnam, and Canada over the last two years. He has completed over 50 tourism development projects around the globe. Recent activities include directing an acclaimed Vietnam Community Based Tourism project aimed at protecting ethnic hill tribe culture through tourism, and leading a Pacific Asia study on Indigenous Tourism and Human Rights.

Topic: The future for human capital development in tourism

Will my job in tourism be taken over by a robot? It’s a fair question, because in many cases, it already has. We would like to think that tourism is a people industry, so how do we make that case in the future? We have some tough challenges ahead to build our industry with relevant, progressive, and accessible training and credentials that are of value to the sector and individuals that invest in them. This session will look at the future of jobs in our industry and the challenge and opportunity that disruptive innovation presents through AI, robotics, big data, and other digital transformations in our sector. We will explore the future and needs of human capital development and the way that COVID-19 has accelerated and changed the way we educate and train and will need to, in the future.

Professor Karen Smith

Karen Smith is Professor of Tourism Management and Associate Dean (Learning and Teaching) for the Wellington School of Business and Government. Her research focuses on people and work in tourism and events, and volunteer management across a range of sectors. In 2019, she was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to volunteering and education. She is Chair of the Tourism Educators Forum Aotearoa and First Vice-Chair of CAUTHE – the Council for Australasian Tourism and Hospitality Education.

Topic: Cultivating tourism ambassadors in our communities

Interactions with people and cultures are core elements of what makes an outstanding visitor experience. Yet a community’s engagement with tourism can’t be taken for granted and negative impacts can bring tourism’s social license to operate into question. A commitment to quality jobs and decent work is important, as are volunteering opportunities in order to nurture tourism ambassadors who can enhance the experience of tourists and positively engage communities in tourism.

Chair

Dr Christian Schott

Dr Christian Schott is an Associate Professor of Tourism Management in the Wellington School of Business and Government (WSBG) at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand. His research interests include the impacts of tourism, climate change, education for sustainability, VR and education, and youth mobility. Christian is the Chair of the Principles of Responsible Management Education Steering Committee at WSBG and past Vice Chair of the sustainability-focused Tourism Education Futures Initiative. He is the recipient of the 2019 Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Sustainability Excellence Award and his research and conceptual work on virtual reality for sustainability education was presented the Bronze Award Oceania by the leading global education challenge ‘Reimagine Education’ in 2019.

Webinar organised by Ian Yeoman with support by Abi Hart and Collette Thaisen on behalf of the School of Management.