In this episode, host Nick Hall, together with Craig Everett from Holibob, delve into the experience ecosystem in tourism. They welcome experts including Natasha Martin from NEOM Nature Reserve, James Lemon from Stripe and Panos Kokkalis from Marketing Greece. Key discussions revolve around developing sustainable and high-value visitor experiences, integrating technology for seamless consumer journeys and scaling distribution in a fragmented market. The panel explores the role of digital tools in managing tourism, promoting local businesses and overcoming technical challenges. They also envision a future where AI and modern financial infrastructures enhance the experience ecosystem, fostering trust and personalisation. Tune in to learn about the latest trends and strategies shaping the tourism sector.

In this episode, join host Nick Hall and co-host for this series, Craig Everett, Co-Founder and CEO of Holibob, as they discuss the impact of generational shifts on tourism marketing with Lottie Norman from The Travel Corporation and Jeremy Jauncey from Beautiful Destinations. Together, they explore strategies for reaching younger travellers through social media, the evolving role of influencers and creators and the transformative potential of AI in content creation and customer engagement. Tune in to learn about the importance of authentically engaging with audiences through short-form video content, the role of AI in scaling operations and insights into the future of social commerce in travel.

Welcome to the third series of 'Leading Tourism's Transition,' in partnership with Holibob! Join host Nick Hall and co-host for this series, Craig Everett, Co-Founder and CEO of Holibob.  Together, they explore the importance of bookable experiences in today's tourism ecosystem. In this episode, they discuss sustainability in tourism with key industry players Annakaisa Ojala, Independent Consultant, Patrick Melchior from the Aruba Tourism Authority and Sara King from Intrepid Travel. Learn about the challenges and opportunities in creating sustainable, bookable experiences and how technology plays a critical role in shaping the future of travel. Tune in for insights on responsible tourism, driving demand and managing tourism pressures. Don't miss this engaging conversation on transforming tourism with purpose!

00:00 Introduction and Series Overview

00:51 Meet Holibob: Mission and Vision

02:05 Today's Topic: Sustainability in Tourism

02:37 Guest Introductions

05:05 Deep Dive: Sustainable Tourism Practices

10:09 Challenges and Opportunities in Sustainable Tourism

23:21 Technology's Role in Sustainable Tourism

29:38 Balancing Commercial Goals with Sustainability

31:59 Data and Technology in Managing Tourism

41:35 Future of Sustainable Tourism

44:38 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

In this episode, we're joined by Omar Van Beek, Business Intelligence Marketeer at Toerisme Veluwe Arnhem Nijmegen, who'll share insights into how the DMO is leveraging data to manage visitor flows and maximise the experiences for visitors and locals. Learn how to overcome data dependency and interpretation challenges to build a truly data-driven approach to destination management.

We'll explore how the Visitor Data Monitor, a tool developed using GPS data, provides real-time insights into visitor movement and behaviour and how it has evolved from its conceptualisation to the current iteration.

In the third and final episode of series 2, we focus on sustainability and how this is currently being addressed within the tourism sector.

In this episode, we're joined by our series co-host Birthe Menke, a PhD Fellow at the University of Southern Denmark. Her PhD analyses how tourism professionals navigate the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals to understand how they give meaning in a local context.

During this episode, we explore the industry's readiness to look ahead and consider different scenarios for creating better engagement where everybody benefits from creating a future where tourism is seen as a force for good.

Read the full article about this episode:

https://www.thinkdigital.travel/opinion/futures-sustainability-and-regeneration

In this second episode of Series Two, we look forward to 2050 and discuss where tourism is headed.

In this episode, we're joined by our series co-host Birthe Menke, a PhD Fellow at the University of Southern Denmark, and Ian Yeoman, Professor of Innovation - New Phenomena & Disruption at NHL Stenden. Ian is a professional futurologist specialising in travel and tourism.

During this episode, we explore the mega drivers behind trends. We also review some of the disruptors and how tourism futures are shaped by these developments. We will consider if it's possible to be confident about our predictions about the future and learn how to conduct scenario planning.

Read the full article about this episode:

https://www.thinkdigital.travel/opinion/looking-to-2050-where-is-tourism-headed

In this first episode of Season 2, we discuss how to use futures thinking and foresight in both our personal lives and a professional capacity.

This series is co-hosted by Birthe Menke, a PhD fellow in sustainable tourism development and co-design at the University of Southern Denmark. Birthe is studying how tourism professionals engage with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

In this episode, we're joined by Peter Bishop, Founder and Executive Director of Teach the Future. Peter previously directed the Master's degree in Foresight at the University of Houston.

During this episode, we explain the basics of futures thinking and foresight, why it is important to use these approaches and how they differ from developing strategies. We talk about how the world is constantly changing and the need to stop relying on predictive mindsets. Instead, we show the value of evaluating different scenarios and considering alternative futures. We discuss whether we have agency and influence over our future and the significance of being open to new ideas, learning through investigating different questions and using participatory approaches to design a better future.

Read the full article about this episode:

https://www.thinkdigital.travel/opinion/futures-foresight-basics-do-we-have-agency

This podcast series for the Digital Tourism Think Tackles some of the major shifts happening in tourism right now, through the lens of experts across our industry. This season will cover futures and foresight, where we'll discuss whether we have agency, looking towards 2050, and sustainability and regeneration.

In this third episode in our special three-part series, we sit down with Michelle Novotny, Lead Data Analyst at Klevr Places to explore the role that people place in the process of becoming more data-driven. We'll be exploring this burning question amongst what is without down one of the most challenging periods for the tourism industry when it comes to talent retention. Bring data to the mix, that gets a lot more challenging.

As we conclude this three-part series, we'll have Birke Valentin close-off the conversation and we thank her for her strong leadership on this all-important topic of data, sustainability and leadership.

Read the full article about this episode:

https://www.thinkdigital.travel/opinion/data-driven-destinations-investing-in-data-capabilities

In this second episode of Leading Tourism's Transition, we deep dive on how to ensure we have the right data and content to champion our sustainability efforts. With destinations globally all focused on data, how to we narrow down to make the right choices - from licensing to investing in our own first-party data.

This episode features Arturo Rafael Constantini Torres, Co-Founder of Brain Analytics & Innovation and Birke Valentin, our trusted expert on everything data and sustainability, co-hosting this first series.

Read the full article about this episode:

https://www.thinkdigital.travel/opinion/data-driven-destinations-selecting-the-right-data-content