04/09/2026
I scheduled a 30-minute meeting.
It ended almost two hours later.
But exploratory tourism meetings are like that! We covered tourism data, AI, capacity building, government policy, marketing, infrastructure and everything in between.
My five takeaways:
Tourism is built on relationships. Formal letters matter, but sometimes a call to a trusted “tourism friend” is what gets things moving.
Focus on what you can influence. Changing government policy can sometimes feel like waiting for good, pure molasses to run uphill on a cold day. Until then, create change within your own corner.
Tourism SMEs need structure. They operate in a VUCA environment: volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. Strong systems must still allow businesses to remain agile and flexible.
Digital-first means more than posting on social media. It means accurate information, a useful website, managed reviews and listings, clear booking pathways, and content that search engines and AI platforms can understand.
Most importantly, once travellers discover you, they must be able to take the next step confidently.
Capacity building cannot be an afterthought. Businesses need more than information. They need practical support to turn knowledge into systems, decisions and action.
The meeting ran almost 90 minutes over, but the conclusion was clear:
Tourism’s biggest challenges are deeply connected. We cannot discuss marketing without data, AI without digital readiness, infrastructure without policy, or growth without capacity building.
Sometimes, the most productive meetings refuse to fit neatly into the scheduled half-hour, but still plant rich ideas for progress.
