High-Yield Tourism

Why does tourism need its own strategic development model?Each destination is unique, and is at a different stage of its lifecycle. And tourism isn't even an industry, it is a collection of services. Yet, most countries, regions or cities deploy standard models such as SWOT that were developed for companies and organisations whose functions and objectives are entirely different. In this week's show, Gary and Jens discuss adapting specifically for tourism, the SOAR framework (Strengths, Opportunities, Aspirations & Results), which was formulated by two economists in 2009 to shift the focus from problem finding to possibility seeking. The journey takes us from Maldives, Faroe Islands and Finland to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Chile, Thailand, Japan and  South Korea. En route, we discuss whether destinations should (or shouldn't) covet ideas from their competitors, and if complementary destination partnerships are viable. Plus, what is Destination Beige, and how does it drain value from a destination? And how do you effectively measure purpose and meaning, not just arrivals and revenue?

"Spatial, economic and social processes shape tourism development - and tourism, in turn, reshapes economic spaces.” This week, Gary chats with Joao Romao, Associate Professor at Yasuda Women’s University in Japan, about his new book, Economic Geography of Tourism. An economist, tourism policy advisor and former journalist and travel documentary maker, Joao places contemporary tourism in the context of shifting global economic, technological, societal, environmental and political challenges. In alignment with us here at High-Yield Tourism, his book advocates for “tourism strategies that are economically viable, and effectively sustainable, inclusive and resilient.” We take a journey from Japan to South East Asia, South America and Europe to discuss the evolving socio-economic and ecological issues confronting destinations. We debate whether sustainable or regenerative tourism practices can be achieved within market-regulated economies. And, we contrast the positive benefits of technological advancements for destinations with the increasing concentration of travel data among a few tech giants. We finish by breaking down a key tenet of the book, "There is a lot of transformation and gentrification of cities as a result of tourism," and the spatial issues this is creating for tourism planners and policymakers on all continents.

“Youth travellers are the biggest spenders in New Zealand. They stay a minimum of 8 weeks, and visit between 7 and 9 regions which gives us fantastic national dispersal.” New Zealand has historically championed backpacking and youth tourism, a segment of international travel that many destinations overlook. But is it high-yield? You bet. And it delivers priceless word-of-mouth advocacy. In tandem with a successful Working Holiday Visa scheme, world-class adventure travel offerings - think: skydiving, white-water rafting, mountain biking and bungee jumping - and innovative, high-experience hostel brands, youth travel continues to drive New Zealand’s visitor economy. This week, Gary chats with Rotorua-based Haydn Marriner, Board Chair of the Backpacker, Youth & Adventure Tourism Association of New Zealand (BYATA), to discuss its 5-year plan to further transform travel for adventure-seeking young people. A key tenet is building sector insights, benchmarking youth tourism performance and developing new adventure products. This will help build the case to secure "funding for growth" and enable the 18-35-year-old segment to power New Zealand's goal of doubling tourism turnover by 2050.

Inspired by a visit to a sumo tournament in Japan, this week's show explores how destinations build themed tourism experiences around the ceremonies and customs of ancient martial arts. Gary and Jens journey from Japan to China, South Korea, Thailand and the beach boardwalks of Brazil to assess three sub-segments of martial arts tourism, and why they really matter for destinations. Is martial arts tourism purely about entertainment, or should it delve deeper into the rituals and traditions of ancient civilisations? How are martial arts culture seekers different to fitness travellers, and where are the overlaps? Plus, how do martial arts segue with dance, music, cuisine and art to promote national branding and soft power? And where are the capacity limits? As transitioning a niche tourism segment into the mainstream risks commodification and over-commercialisation, is pricing and a sense of perceived exclusivity the only way to prevent the dilution, distortion or appropriation of traditional combat cultures?   South Korea 

"For differently abled people, it can be frightening to travel overseas. There is often a gap in information about accessible services to help them plan and manage their trips." These challenges are exacerbated in South East Asia, where infrastructure and services are only starting to be optimised for travellers with accessible needs - and few specialist tour companies are leading the way forward. This week, Gary is joined by Yock Song Law, Co-founder & CEO of Ludus Lab, a Singapore-based start-up focused on accessible travel, training and development. Yock Song spent more than a decade with the Singapore Tourism Board, and is a board member for the Ras al Khaimah Tourism Development Authority. We discuss why terms like 'Accessible' and 'Inclusive' travel are used interchangeably, but have different applications. Yock Song explains how he is developing training programmes for tour guides with disabilities, and what he has learned from the expectations of his clients from the US and Europe. We also address how ageing populations are altering travel service requirements in advanced economies, and the diverse challenges for travellers with physical and sensory disabilities in hotels, on public and private transport and at tourism attractions. Plus, what is the role of governments and tourism boards in designing travel experiences to be more holistic, inclusive and meaningful for all visitors? And do policies, regulations and certifications need revising to ensure tourism industry opportunities are available to everyone?

"Attracting high-value tourists is an easy claim for destinations, but building a customised high-yield tourism strategy is complex and challenging." In recent months, we've noticed that the terms High-Yield and High-Value Tourism are being used interchangeably. We believe this a mistake. On this week's podcast, Gary and Jens discuss how the travel industry’s language shapes its direction, and that the distinction between high-value and high-yield tourism is about much more than semantics. Identifying and measuring the multiple sources of yield in tourism moves the debate inexorably away from competing on visitor arrivals and tourism expenditure. These are one-dimensional metrics that deliver flawed destination marketing and management and neglect the importance of community engagement. But it requires more than a mindset shift. Tourism planners need to delve beneath the top-line, and conceptualise what their destination could become by harnessing the myriad resources that are often relegated in the short-term race for tourism dollars. 

This week, High-Yield Tourism’s Co-Founder Dr. Jens Thraenhart visited Expo 2025 Osaka with his young daughter. In our new podcast, Gary and Jens discuss how forward-thinking destinations are using the 6-month Expo as a sandbox for immersing visitors of all ages in their culture, history, technology and tourism appeal. En route, Jens explores the innovative approaches of Australia, China, UAE, Canada, Germany, Peru, Japan, Austria and Pakistan that play to their own competitive advantages. We assess the visitor demographics at Expo 2025, and why this matters. Jens explains why micro-niches and passion tourism were strong differentiators for visitors when selecting their preferred national pavilions. Plus, we look at how destinations are using AI technology to overcome two key challenges in global tourism: engaging family travellers and tourists seeking outdoor adventure. What is the Popularity Paradox? And why are Soft Power and National Positioning dominant themes for all nations participating in Expo 2025?    

“Indonesia has the potential to lead in eco-tourism, in cultural heritage and in Muslim-friendly tourism, but only if we pair them with clarity, consistency and digital response. It tries to promote everything all at once, which dilutes the message.” A vast, beautiful and complex country, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago nation and home to Asia’s fifth-largest economy and the planet’s 4th-largest population. But tourism is disproportionately concentrated in Bali, which recorded 45% of inbound arrivals to Indonesia in 2024. In South East Asia, Indonesia lags behind Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam for tourism, attracting 13.1 million visitors in 2024, while generating 1.02 billion domestic trips. So why does it continually underperform for inbound tourism? This week, Gary is joined by Bali-based travel professional Nur Wulan T, who has worked for leading travel players like Garuda, Traveloka, Tiket.com, Oyo and STAAH, and is a speaker on tourism and hospitality issues. We discuss Indonesia’s infrastructure deficit, high domestic flight prices and Bali’s long-touted second airport. Plus we asses the mixed progress of Indonesia’s 5 Super Priority Destinations, Lake Toba, Borobudur, Labuan Bajo, Mandalika and Likupang. and the potential of Sumba and Papua. And, we look at what can be learned from Malaysia, UAE, Saudi Arabia and Japan, which are pushing creative boundaries in Muslim tourism.

From China to Chile, Norway to Namibia and the US to New Zealand, Dark Sky Tourism is a fast-diversifying niche segment. But how does the tourism industry and the scientific community distinguish between terms like Stargazing, Dark Sky Tourism and Astro Tourism, which get used interchangeably? Why are nocturnal conservation and light pollution legislation important? Who are dark sky tourists, and how are their interests changing? And how can tourism boards, hotels and tour operators effectively support the growth of dark sky tourism without further harming the planet's natural rhythms? This week, Gary Bowerman addresses all these issues and more with Megan Eaves, a UK-based travel and science writer and an expert on dark sky tourism. Megan is a delegate for DarkSky International, and author of the upcoming book, NightFaring: In Search of the Disappearing Darkness. The discussion segues from darkness retreats to spotting meteor showers, dark photography to night safaris, and why now is a good time to seek out the Aurora Borealis. Megan explains how dark sky parks and reserves are created and certified, and why a new dark sky lodging accreditation could encourage hotels, hostels and retreats to invest in low-impact light solutions. Plus, she shares case studies from destinations that are progressively managing dark sky tourism - and warns about the perils of 'Starwashing'.

The world of travel and tourism is still struggling to grasp the potential value of digital nomads. Are they remote workers? Are they laptop backpackers? Is digital nomadism a lifestyle? Is it a tourism segment? What is borderless living? What are Micro-Societies? Why is global mobility developing as a red-hot topic? Are co-working and co-living compatible concepts for destination marketing? Are Digital Nomad Visas real or "a PR stunt"? This week, Gary Bowerman is joined by Milos Pelucha, Co-Founder of Destinova, and a progressive advocate for remote work as a high-yield travel segment. Milos and Gary's conversation coincides with the climax of the 2025 Bansko Nomad Festival - the world's largest digital nomad gathering - in Bulgaria. We take a global journey through the critical issues of the remote working economy and the future of "borderless" tourism, from Armenia to China, Azores to Bhutan, Thailand to the French Alps, Morocco to Georgia and Vietnam to India. En route we breakdown the key components for destination marketers seeking to engage the fast-evolving 'work from anywhere' movement.