The paradigm shift to define the future of tourism
The paradigm shift we need to define the future of tourism with Anna Pollock [EP71]
Summary
Dolores Semeraro interviews tourism expert and internationally acclaimed keynote speaker and thought leader Anna Pollock on the paradigm shift to define the future of tourism. Her journey in travel and tourism, the evolution of tourism from a network to an industry, and the shift towards technology and the early adoption of the internet and its tools.
In this interview Anna Pollock constructively criticises the tourism industry‘s focus on growth and productivity, leading to over-tourism and environmental degradation. She advocated for a regenerative approach, emphasising community involvement, local pride, and sustainable practices.
Talking to Dolores Semeraro, Anna Pollock called for a paradigm shift in thinking, stressing the importance of ecological literacy, community responsibility, and the need for political leadership to align with sustainable tourism goals.
The highlights
- Complexity of tourism and the disparity among organizations in embracing sustainability failing to consider tourism a network instead of an industry, ultimately needing a paradigm shift in managing this large, decentralized industry
- Importance of understanding the root causes of the current crises and the need to address them holistically looking at the historical growth of tourism and its shift from hospitality to an economic engine and how this led to over-tourism and well-known negative impacts.
- The need for honesty and transparency in the tourism industry and the importance of addressing the true costs of tourism for local communities. Particularly the need for a shift away from extractive practices and towards a more empowering approach to tourism.
- Mindset that a sustainable tourism professional should have and what are the key points of mapping such a mindset.
The importance of community and culture in shaping tourism experiences and the importance of understanding the true value of tourism and the need to shift away from a growth-focused mindset.
Role of technology in tourism and the need for a shift away from a focus on quantity and growth towards a focus on quality and sustainability.
About Anna Pollock
Anna Pollock is a true iconic voice in tourism, a woman that has seen, first hand, some of the most radical events across the tourism industry over the years, and was able to so passionately and graciously take all those lucky enough to work with her on a journey of resilience, curiosity and innovation.
She sees herself as a sense maker, communicator, and catalyst happy to delve beneath surface details in order to discern and describe the shape and power of underlying forces. She is driven by curiosity in finding patterns and asking the most important questions.
She is an acclaimed keynote speaker, Co-founder and co-developer the UK’s first internet-based digital destination management system and founder of Conscious Travel to help others make sense of an increasingly bewildering world and feel confident to take actions.
