The Role of Indigenous Tourism in Developing Conscious Hosts

The Role of Indigenous Tourism in Developing Conscious
Hosts and Accelerating the Tourism Shift

Background
In
a
previous
paper,
Can
Tourism
Change
its
Operating
Model,
I
presented
some
preliminary

thoughts
regarding
the
need
for
a
new
model
to
emerge
that
offsets
the
harm
caused
by
an

industrial
model
that
has
dominated
tourism’s
growth
over
the
past
60
years.

Here
I
share
my
current
thinking
about
the
role
that

tourism
providers
(hosts)
can
play
in
bringing

about
the
shift
and
their
need
to
adopt
a
very
different
mindset
to
that
which
has
underpinned
the

old
model.
While
the
way
leading
thinkers
and
practitioners
of
responsible,
eco,
sustainable,
geo

and
fair
trade
tourism
see
the
world
(their
worldview
or
mindset)
may
have
some
similarities
to
the

worldview
held
by
indigenous
peoples,
the
role
that
indigenous
tourism
can
play
in
helping
the
shift

has
not
been
fully
recognized
or
acknowledged.

This
paper
constitutes
a
Dirst
attempt
on
my
part
to
address
that
imbalance
and
stimulate
a
rich

exchange
of
ideas
and
concepts
between
all
parties
in
order
to
accelerate
the
emergence
of
a
new

model:

Conscious
Travel

The Power of Place and The Role of Indigenous Hosts
The
shift
from
a
mass,
industrialised
form
of

tourism
will
require
a
shift
in
focus
from
"products"
to

"places."

Products
are
artiDicial
creations
that
can
be
reproduced
and
undersold
and,
as
a
result,
become

commodities
that
only
generate
diminishing
returns
to
their
owner/sellers.

Places,
on
the
other
hand,
cannot
be
reproduced
-‐
unless
you
have
13.5
billion
years
to
wait
–
as

each
place
is
both
geographically
and
historically
unique.
The
visitor's
experience
is
subjective

(personal
and
emotional)
and
speciDic
to
the
time
when
they
experience
the
place.

Thus,
in
a
sense,

“places”

have
uniqueness
to
the
power
of
four
(value
of
a
place
=
geography
*
history
*
visitor
*
the

timing
of
their
experience).
Uniqueness
and
scarcity
will
recoup
higher
yields
than
bland
sameness

and
homogeneity.

Furthermore,
the
focus
on
products
accentuates
the
sense
of
fragmentation
that
dominates
travel

Anna Pollock • email: annapollock@me.com • Founder, Conscious Travel
1

and
tourism
and
does
not
recognize
that
our
guests
have
complete
experiences
made
of
several

elements.
Focusing
on
a
guest’s

“place
experience”
necessitates
collaboration
and
working
together

as
a
community.

So
the
big
questions
of
the
day
are
–
how
do
we
make
that
shift
from
product
to
place?

And
what

would
that
shift
look
like?
Given
the
fact
that
tourism
is
a
network,
change
will
have
to
come
from

within
the
system,
and
from
the
bottom
up.
That’s
why
I
place
so
much
focus
on
the
role
of
the
host

in
initiating
change
in
order
to
attract
a
customer
who
will
value
their
experience
more
highly.

We

know
that

"conscious
travelers"
want
to
experience
a
place
different
in
character
from
their
origin;

seek
what
they
deem
to
be
"real",
authentic,
local
and
exotic;
wish
to
slow
down
and
savour
their

experience;
want
to
learn
and
are
keen
to
ensure
their
visit
beneDits
the
local
community.
Who
else

but
the
hosts
within
a
community
will
bear
the
brunt
of
responsibility
for
meeting
these
desires?

So
leaving
it
to
the
DMO
to
commission
yet
another
branding
strategy
or
to
the
local
Council
to

undertake
another
beautiDication
project
and
grant
a
licence
to
a
farmer’s
market,
won’t
work.
After

a
while
every
rejuvenated
community
starts
to
look
the
same
too
and
every
brand
merges
into

another!

Hosts

(i.e.,
tourism
communities)
need
to
adopt
a
new
set
of
lenses
for
perceiving
their
world
and

shaping
their
values.
For
as
long
as
hosts
approach
the
problem
of
yield
with
the
same
mindset
that

created
the
lack
of
it,
they
are
doomed
to
experience
the
same
results.

But
there
is

no
need
to
start
with
a
blank
sheet.
Huge
lessons
are
to
be
learned
from
indigenous

people
throughout
the
globe
4irstly
because
they
have
the
most
vital
sense
of
place,
and

secondly.
because
they
express
the
cultural
diversity
so
vital
to
our
health
as
humanity.

Indigenous
peoples
were
able
to
live
sustainably
and
in
relative
harmony
with
nature
for
thousands

of
years
largely
because
they
had
a
different
mindset
to
the
one
that
has
dominated
perception
in

the
so-‐called
industrialised
world
for
the
past
300
years
or
so.

Instead
of
trying
to
absorb
indigenous
cultures
into
the
tourism
mainstream,
conscious
hosts
will

commit
to
listening
and
learning
from
some
of
the
oldest,
most
sustainable
cultures
on
the
planet.

More
importantly,
tourism
can,
IF
consciously
and
sensitively
undertaken,

potentially
assist
in
the

preservation
of
what
Wade
Davis
calls
the
“ethnosphere”
-‐
a
term
describing
“the
sum
total
of
all

thoughts
and
intuitions,
myths
and
beliefs,
ideas
and
inspirations
brought
into
being
by
human
being

since
the
dawn
of
consciousness.” 1
While
much
attention
is
now
being
paid
to
the
loss
of
biodiversity

on
the
planet,
the
destruction
of
our
cultural
diversity
is
generally
ignored.
Anthropologists
predict

that
fully
50%
of
the
7000
languages
spoken
around
the
world
today
will
disappear
in
our
lifetime.

As
Wade
Davis
so
eloquently
describes
the
loss:
“Every
language
is
an
old-growth
forest
of
the
mind,

a
watershed
of
thought,
an
ecosystem
of
spiritual
possibilities.

I
do
not
believe,
nor
am
I
suggesting,
that
we
try
to
turn
the
clock
back
-‐
simply
that
we
honour
the

wisdom
and
knowledge
our
indigenous
kin
have
safeguarded;
revisit
the
values
we
have
lost
in
our

rush
towards
“progress;”
and
apply
them
in
fresh
ways
appropriate
to
our
time.

As
a
person
of
British
origin
(mostly
Celt),

infused
with
a
lifetime
of
western
education
and

experience
in
a
consumer
society,
I
can
only
present
my
perceptions
–
based
on
limited
observation

and
experience
–
of
the
indigenous
worldview.

I
appeal
therefore
to
my
indigenous
friends
and

colleagues
to
add
to
this
discussion.

Features of an Indigenous World View
I
believe
the
indigenous
"worldview"
has
six
core
features
that,
if
adopted
and
applied
by
hosts
in
a

tourism
community
would
deliver
more
sustainable
incomes
to
hosts,
more
beneDits
to
host

communities
and
more
delight
to
guests.

2

1.
A
Sense
of
Kinship
Indigenous
people
enjoy
a
very
different

relationship
with
the
natural
environment
than

those
of
us
brought
up
in
European
and
North

American
cultures.

Earth
is
not
seen
as
a
separate

lumberyard
of
resources
to
be
exploited
–
taken,

hoarded
and
used
for
the
purpose
of
individual

wealth
creation
-‐
but
as
part
of
an
organic
living

system
that
connects
all
life
in
a
cycle
of
give
and

take,
death
and
re-‐birth.
A
person
with
an

indigenous
perspective
wouldn't
talk
about
walking

in
Nature
as
if
Nature
were
a
separate
place.

Instead,
they
would
see
themselves
as
an
integral,

inseparable
aspect
of
a
Nature
whose
whole
could
not
be
reduced
to
individual
components.

In
an
indigenous
community,
other
life
forms
are
viewed
as
kin
-‐
the
Lakota
have
a
prayer
Mitakuye

Oyasin
which
means
All
My
Relations
honouring
the
sacredness
of
each
person's
individual
spiritual

path,
and
acknowledging
the
sacredness
of
all
life
(human,
animal,
plant,
etc.).

Luther
Standing
Bear,
a
great
leader
of
the
Lakota
expressed
this
integral
sense
of
kinship
this
way

in
19332:

"From
Wakan
Tanka,
the
Great
Spirit,
there
came
a
great
unifying
life
force
that
Flowed
in
and

through
all
things
--
the
Flowers
of
the
plains,
blowing
winds,
rocks,
trees,
birds,
animals
--
and
was
the

same
force
that
had
been
breathed
into
the
First
man.
Thus
all
things
were
kindred,
and
were
brought

together
by
the
same
Great
Mystery.”

Life
on
this
earth
and
all
the
aspects
that
sustain
life
and
happiness
(earth,
air,
Dire,
and
water
that,

together,
provide
sustenance
plus
the
materials
to
create
shelter
and
tools)
are
experienced
as

precious
gifts
that
must
be
acknowledged
appreciated
and
reciprocated.

A
concept
core
to

Polynesian
culture
is
“UTU”
-‐
the
notion
of
reciprocity
and
balance.

Andean
peoples
refer
to
“sacred
reciprocity”
as
ayni,

One
of
the
most
enduring
ceremonies

expressing
ayni
in
indigenous
Andean
life
is
the
practice
of
making
offerings,
or
despachos,
to
the

Pachamama,
Mother
Earth.
3

Indigenous
peoples
have
been
extending
hospitality
to
invaders
for
most
of
their
recent
history

and,
given
their
sense
of
kinship
and
given
their
sense
of
UTU
(as
deDined
in
Polynesia),
they
are
as

practiced
as
they
are
generous.

2.
A
Sense
of
Place
I
believe
it
is
this
Sense
of
Kinship
that
fuels
and
enables
the
deep

sense
of
place
held
by
indigenous
people.
Every
day
when
they

step
out
of
their
dwelling,
they
experience
being
surrounded
by

the
spirits
of
their
ancestors,
an
extended
family
of
brothers,

sisters,
aunts,
uncles,
cousins,
and
grandparents,
mingling
with

the
spirits
of
all
beings
(plants,
animals,
minerals)
located
in
their

immediate
vicinity.

This
immersion
in
a
real
but
invisible
web
of
connection

strengthens
that
sense
of
identity
with
and
belonging
to
a
speciDic

place
and
engenders
an
acute
awareness
of
the
natural
world.

Deeper
than
that
sense
of
connection
lies
an
innate
recognition

and
inner
knowing
that
form
is
not
the
only
reality.
All
form
is,
in

fact,
a
manifestation
of
spirit
and
energy.
Invisible
forces
shape

and
mould
the
external
forms
that
our
physical
senses
perceive.

3

The
Kogi,
a
tribe
in
the
Andean
mountains
of
Columbia
argue
that
there
is
no
life
without
thought.

Their
enlightened
ones
–
the
Mamas
–
dedicate
their
lives
to
holding
all
planetary
life
in
balance.
4

Every
place
accumulates
in
its
“place
memory”
the
patterns
of
interaction
between
life
forms
that

shape
its
essence
or
spirit.
This
invisible
force,
that
resides
in
people,
animals,
places
and
inanimate

objects,
is
referred
to
as
MANA
in
Polynesian
cultures
and
its
presence
makes
all
places
sacred
to

indigenous
people.

It
is
this
Sense
of
Place
that
enables
indigenous
people
to
effortlessly
offer
the
“authentic”

experience
conscious
travelers
seek.
But
authenticity
can
never
be
manufactured.
It’s
the
natural

state
of
things
that
emerges
from
connection
to
a
place
and
is
expressed
in
the
language,
art,
food,

ritual,
dance,
daily
routine,
and
prayers
associated
with
each
place
and
community.

Connectedness

leads
to
authenticity
that
expresses
the
integrity,
the
essence,
or
the
spirit
of
a
community.

3.
A
Sense
of
Respect
When
you
see
all
life
forms
as
connected,
as
your

relations,
as
your
family;
when
you
sense
or
see
no

separation
and
know
in
the
depth
of
your
being
that

what
you
do
to
others
(either
in
this
generation
or
in

generations
to
follow)
is
being
done
to
you;
you

develop
a
healthy
respect
for
all
life
forms.
The

master
carver
will
thank
a
tree
prior
to
its
felling
for

giving
its
life,
its
strength
and
suppleness
to
become
a

safe
canoe
capable
of
traversing
vast
distances
of
the

PaciDic
Ocean.

In
addition
to
these
rituals
that
arise
from
a
sense
of

UTU,
reciprocity,
and
give
and
take,
indigenous

cultures
also
develop
a
complex
set
of
rules
to
ensure

that
its
people
understand
and
obey
nature’s
laws.

Known
as
TAPU,
these
rules
set
boundaries
on

human
behaviour.
They
form
the
cultural
glue
that
bind

a
people
together
and
enable
them
to
sustain
a
livelihood
on
the
land.

In
Australian
aboriginal
cultures,
for
example,
it
is
TAPU
for
humans
to
walk
on
Uluru,
yet
every

year
ignorant
and
indifferent
tourists
disregard
the
polite
requests
made
by
local
residents
to
obey

this
injunction.

In
this
video
link,
you’‘ll
meet
an
indigenous
but
thoroughly
modern
Samoan
high
chief,

Vaimasenu’u
Zita
Sefo
Martel,
operator
of
an
inbound
tour
company,
talk
about
the
power
of
TAPU

in
her
country
where
there
is
concern
that
rising
incomes
and
western
developments
are
slowly

undermining
the
cultural
tapestry
that
sustained
Samoan
culture
for
centuries.
5

4.
A
Sense
of
Custodianship
The
word
most
frequently
associated
with
indigenous
cultures
all
over
the
world
is
“custodianship”.

Not
only
does
the
tribe
enjoy
the
gift
of
life
and
the
place
it
occupies,
but
lives
the
responsibility
for

taking
care
of
it.

The
word
CARE
seems
more
appropriate
than
the
word
responsibility
which
seems
to
suggest
an

act
of
duty
rather
than
an
act
of
joy.
The
reason
the
Golden
Rule
of
“do
unto
others
as
you
would
do

unto
yourself”
applies
in
indigenous
culture
is
perhaps
because
there
is
little
sense
of
separation

and
estrangement
-‐
we
all
breathe
the
same
air;
we
all
are
made
of
the
same
star
dust;
we
all
are

one.

The
following
description
from
the
Te
Papa
Museum
in
Wellington
sums
up
what
a
sense
of
care

means
to
the
Maori:

“Each
iwi
(tribe)
has
its
own
mana
(authority
and
power)
handed
down
from
ancient
times.
With
this
comes
the
responsibility
of
kaitiakitanga
(guardianship).
Iwi
are
charged
with

protecting
and
looking
after
their
ancestral
lands
and
waters,
their
resources,
and
their

4

values
and
customs,
as
well
as
with
deciding
how
they
will
be
used.

In
Maori
custom,
iwi
are
the
guardians
of
their
rohe
(tribal
areas)
for
generations
to
come.
So

we
don’t
think
only
about
the
present,
but
also
work
to
preserve
the
life-sustaining
properties

of
our
forests,
lands,
and
waters
for
the
future.

5.
A
Sense
of
Time
and
Pace
Indigenous
people
do
not
perceive
time
in
fragments
along
a
linear
“arrow
like”
chain
from
past

through
present
and
future
but
as
a
circular
movement
associated
with
cyclical,
seasonal
changes

(movement
of
the
moon,
sun
and
stars)
and
the
natural
ebb
and
Dlow
of
life
(birth,
growth,

maturation,
reDlection,
death).
As
a
result,
their
perspective
is
multi
generational
and
their
present

always
encompasses
the
wisdom
of
their
ancestors
accrued
over
time
through
past
experiences.

They
are
able
to
consider
a
topic
from
many
perspectives
and
don’t
get
stuck
believing
that
a

contemporary
perspective
is
the
only
one
worth
using.
Events
occur
“when
the
time
is
right
and
the

circumstances
propitious
or
favourable”

and
not
according
to
some
speciDic
point
in
a
calendar.

Indigenous
people
live
the
“slow
life”
because
such
a
way
of
living
is
vital
to
sustain
the
connection

with
all
the
life
that
teams
around
them.
They
are
unhurried
in
order
to
be
able
to
observe,
to
listen,

to
hear
and
pay
attention
to
the
guidance
that
is
being
offered
by
life
at
every
moment.
They
know

how
to
savour
experience.
They
live
what
the
conscious
traveller
seeks.

6.
A
Sense
of

Aliveness

Indigenous
people
don’t
live
in
a
dead
world
of
things,
of

efDicient
but
soulless
processes,
and
planned
but
sterile

spaces
Dilled
with
objects
engineered
not
grown,

manufactured
not
crafted.
They
experience
the
world
as
it
is

–
alive
–
messy,
organic,
sometimes
dirty,
other
times

exquisitely
beautiful,
sometimes
profoundly
painful
and

other
times
inspirational
and
ever
changing.

Indigenous
people
know
how
to
celebrate
life
–
the
good,

the
bad
and
the
ugly
–
in
all
kinds
of
creative
ways
–
through

painting,
architecture,
drumming,
song,
dance,
storytelling

and
poetry.
In
their
societies
they
have
shamans,
magicians,

jesters,
clowns,
entertainers,
dancers,
singers
just
like
many

other
cultures.
Anyone
and
everyone
is
considered
capable
of
contributing
to
the
celebration.
Each

form
of
celebration
reDlects
the
unique
place
in
which
it
takes
place.
And
it’s
a
celebration
of
the

sheer
miracle
of
being
alive
and
the
ineffable
joy
and
mystery
of
creation
itself.

Celebration
isn’t
an
event
that
someone
organizes
so
specialists
can
perform
and
others
pay
to

watch.
Celebration
is
never
a
transaction
but
a
communal
dance
or
conversation
–
sometimes
a

ritualistic
one
-‐
among
people
with
each
other
and
with
life
itself.
These
kinds
of
celebrations
have

healing
qualities
as
you
will
see
from
this
description
out
of
a
desperately
poor
village
in
Zimbabwe.

In
Africa
–
besieged
by
grief
and
loss,
endlessly
suffering
from
abuse,
hunger,
disease
–
it
is

still
possible
to
experience
what
it
means
to
be
fully
human,
fully
alive.
In
moments
of
grief,

people
stand
up
and
dance,
not
to
deny
the
pain,
but
to
use
that
searing
energy
and

metabolize
it
into
movement,
even
into
joy.
In
moments
of
frustration,
people
convert
the
red

energy
of
anger
into
intense
physical
rhythms
–
singing,
clapping,
drumming.…..

In
this
we

are
witnessing
alchemical
transformation,
working
with
the
darkest
human
emotions
and

turning
them
into
brief
moments
of
gold.
6

To
be
alive
is
to
be
whole
–
all
aspects
of
your
being
(physical,
mental,
emotion
and
spiritual)

spinning
on
all
four
cylinders.
Now
here’s
where
the
connection
with
travel
gets
really
interesting.

The
word
“holiday”
actually
means
“
a
day
to
be
holy”
or
made
whole.
So-‐called
primitive
people

recognized
that
a
life
of
all
work
and
no
play
would
dessicate
the
spirit
and
deprive
it
of
its
vitality.

Thus
tourism
had
its
earliest
foundations
in
the
need
to
be
whole
or
to
be
healed.
People
took
time

5

off
to
celebrate
life
in
the
form
of
festivals
and
days
of
spiritual
worship
and
celebration.
A
critical

part
of
those
events
was
recognition
of
the
spiritual
sources
(the
Gods
and
spirits)
that
made
the

time
and
event
sacred
or
holy
and
gave
it
meaning.

Note:

this
is
a
very
cursory
summary
of
a
way
of
seeing
that
is
incredibly
profound
and
rich.
It
may

not
be
100%
accurate
and
certainly
only
scratches
the
surface.
But
is
hopefully
sufDicient
at
this

moment
to
stimulate
curiosity
and
open
up
a
dialogue.

The Role of Hosts in Shifting Tourism from One Model to Another
The
shift
in
operating
model
cannot
be
envisioned
or
lead
from
the
“top
down”
through

amendments
to
tourism
policies;
the
introduction
of
rewards
(incentives)
or
punishments
(taxes,

levies,
surcharges
etc);
imposition
of
checklists,
criteria
and
certiDication
even
though
each
of
these

instruments
may
help
in
some
cases
accelerate
or
guide
the
shift.

The
shift
will
occur
one
host
at
a
time
-‐
when
individual
providers
decide
that
there
has
to
be
a

better
way
to
provide
a
living
for
themselves
and
their
families,
to
Dind
meaning
and
purpose
in

doing
so,
to
generate
net
beneDit
to
the
broader
community
and
to
ensure
long
term
vitality,

resilience
and
adaptability.

Hosts
will
discover
that
the
shift
is
easier,
less
risky
and
more
fun
when
it
is
attempted
in
good

company
by
collaborating
with
peers,
including
some
competitors,

in
their
community.
In
any
given

destination,
if
just
5%
of
providers
commit
to
becoming
Conscious
Hosts
and
helping
each
other

make
the
shift
then
change
is
assured.

The
movement
from
an
industrial
to
an
ecological
model
requires
a
shift
in
the
role
and
activities
of

hosts.
In
the
industrial
model
the
hosts
is
a
cog
in
a
machine
-‐
a
specialist
who
depends
on
a
speciDic

set
of
knowledge
and
skills
to
undertake
particular
functions:
hotel
manager,
activity
operator,

inbound
tour
operator,
event
manager,
etc.
In
the
emerging
new

model
-‐
where
the
focus
is
on
supporting
a
customer’s

experience
of
a
place
-‐
the
host
must
assume
a
broader
spectrum

of
roles.

He
or
she
doesn’t
need
to
do
all
well
but:

a)

be
aware
that
they
must
play
many
of
the
roles
some
of
the

time;
and

b)

chose
those
roles
which
their
personality,
personal
passions

and
talents
are
most
suited
and
excel
at
those.

Note:
I
am
assuming
that
the
host
will
have
mastered

conventional
business
/
management
skills.
What’s
presented

here
are
the
functions
that
must
be
undertaken
and
the
roles
that

must
be
fulDilled
in
a
destination
community
if
the
hosts
and

residents
are
to
attract,
engage
and
support
conscious
travellers
most
effectively.

Please
note
also

that
I
am
not
being
prescriptive
about
HOW
these
roles
are
fulFilled
as
I
am
convinced
that
each

individual
host
and
the
community
of
hosts
they
form
will
express
these
roles
in
unique
ways
to
reFlect

their
uniqueness
as
people
and
the
uniqueness
of
the
place
in
which
they
operate.

1. Be
Connectors
The
intelligence
of
any
system
depends
not
on
the
number
of
elements
(neurons,
hubs,
self

organising
agents)
but
on
the
quantity
and
quality
of
connections
between
them.
Contrary
to

popular
perception,
the
intelligence
of
any
organism
(cell,
human
body,
human
organisation)
lies

in
its
membrane
(how
and
where
it
interfaces
with
the
environment)
as
opposed
to
its
nucleus.

Thus
a
vitally
important
role
of
a
host
in
any
community
is
to
connect
people
(guest
to
guest;

guest
to
other
hosts;
hosts
to
hosts;
and
hosts
to
the
rest
of
community)and
to
provide
settings

that
enable
those
encounters
to
be
fruitful
in
terms
of
the
production
of
new
ideas
(innovation)

and
their
diffusion.
Hosts
need
to
master
this
task
both
online
and
ofDline.

Sadly,
conventional
approaches
to
economic
development
under
appreciate
and
undervalue
this

6

connecting
function.
As
all
economic
sectors
are
valued
and
rated
according
to
their

“productivity”
(GDP
per
unit
or
per
capita)
tourism
scores
poorly
and
is
often
disdained
as
a

result.
What
is
not
appreciated
is
the
fact
that
the
travel
sector
-‐
through
its
daily
contact
with

visitors
to
a
community
-‐
is,
in
fact
acting
as
the
“membrane”
that
enables
the
community
to
Dirst

learn
of
changes
in
the
surrounding
environment
that
could
affect
its
future.

Similarly,
within

conventional
tourism
organisations,
the
frontline
(the
membrane
or
skin
of
an
organisation)
is

considered
of
peripheral
importance
(pun
intended!);
paid
least
and
rarely
included
in
strategic

decision
making
even
though
it
is
probably
most
in
tune
with
the
changing
needs
and
opinions
of

guests.

2. Be
Attractors
Along
with
many
others
I
have
described
the
shift
of
marketing
from
“Push
to
Pull”
-‐
see
here.
The

role
of

hosts
will

shift
from
promoting
or
pushing
a
message
somewhat
intrusively
on
a
target
to

one
of
listening
to
an
ideal
customer
in
order
to
learn
how
best
to
serve
and
support
them

Marketing
is
now
about
identifying
who
would
make
the
ideal
customers
based
on
the
host’s

values,
ideals
and
sense
of
purpose
that
have
informed

“We cannot win this battle to save species and
shaped
the
experience
on
offer;
then
attracting
that

guest
by
creating
an
emotional
connection.
The
best
way

and environment without forging an to
do
the
latter
is
through
creative
story
telling
about
the

place
and
the
personalities
who
have
shaped
it.

emotional bond between ourselves and
Conscious
hosts
will
therefore
apply
themselves
to
really

nature as well - for we will not fight to save understand
what
makes
their
place
special
and
different

what we do not love.” Stephen J. Gould by
acquiring
an
in-‐depth
knowledge
of
its
history,

geography

and
cultural
anthropology.

Hosts
will
be
the

ardent
champions
and
interpreters
for
their
place
NOT
by

simply
claiming
it
is
the
best
place
on
earth
but
by
communicating
its
unique
qualities
and

particular
ways
of
providing
delight
and
satisfaction.
Their
stories
shouldn’t
be
limited
to
topics

that
are
entertaining
or
quaint
but
should
really
help
the
guest
feel
that
they
have
got
under
the

skin
of
community
by
understanding
not
just
its
past
but
its
aspirations
for
the
future.

Hosts,
therefore,
are
the
attractors,
the
magnets
that
pull
guests
towards
a
place
because
they
are

able
to
tell
its
stories
and
communicate
its
essence,

its
spirit.

Their
passion
and
enthusiasm
will

ideally
“infect”
their
guests
such
that
they
too
become
ardent
champions
and
“infect”
their
peers

when
they
return
home.

7

In
New
Zealand,
in
a
ground
breaking
study
called
“Standing
in
My
Shoes”:
they
have
called
this

process
of
creating
infection
“creating
wow
or
ihi”
deDined
“as
aspects
of
an
overall
visitor

experience
or
components
of
the
experience
that
engage
and
connect
with
visitors
to
stimulate

them
emotionally,
physically
or
spiritually
and
create
a
powerful
memory”.

'Ihi'
is
the
Māori
term
for
a
mental
wowing,
a
spine
tingling,
shudder-inducing,
forceful

experience
that
stimulates
the
senses
and
leaves
a
powerful
impression
in
the
mind
of
the

recipient.
It
sits
alongside
two
complementary
concepts.

Other
aspects
of
ihi
can

include;Wana:
amazing,
glorious,
energetic,
uplifting
and
Wehi:
awe-inspiring,
fearsome.7

So
given
what
ihi
means,
It
is
not
too
far
fetched
to
suggest
-‐
as
we
did
in
this
post
a
while
ago,
when

musing
about
the
deep
purpose
of
travel,
that
the
real
goal
here
is
to
help
guests
“fall
in
love”
with
a

place
by
experiencing
a
sense
of
wonder
and
awe.

Stephen
Gould
has
suggested
that
we
will
not

Dight
to
save
what
we
do
not
love
and
David
Orr,
another
ecologist,
has
commented:
“I
do
not
know

whether
it
is
possible
to
love
the
planet
or
not,
but
I
do
know
it
is
possible
to
love
the
places
we
can
see,

touch,
smell
and
experience.”

Psychologist
Eric
Fromm
was
the
Dirst
to
describe
the
concept
of
biophilia
-‐
a
psychological

orientation
of
being
attracted
to
all
that
is
alive
and
vital
and
the
term
literally
means
“love
of
life
or

love
of
living
systems”.
More
recently
the
word
became
the
title
of
a
book
on
the
subject
by

Edward

O.
Wilson
and
was
deDined
as
“the
urge
to
afDiliate
with
other
forms
of
life.”

All
of
which
stress
the

need
for
hosts
to
get
in
touch
with
and
satisfy
the
deeper
emotional,
psychological
and
often

spiritual
motivations
of
their
guests
and
not
just
focus
on
material
comforts
or
operational

efDiciencies.

A
framework
for
attracting
and
engaging
international
visitors
that
resulted
in
ihi
is
reproduced

from
the
Standing
in
My
Shoes
report
in
the
Digure
below.

3.

Be
Educators
If
a
new
model
is
to
replace
industrial
tourism,
the

number
and
proportion
of

conscious
travellers

must

expand.
Conscious
Hosts
are
the
ones
who
have
direct

contact
with
guests
and
often
have
the
best

opportunities
through
conversations
or
by
living
their

own
values
to
guide
guest
behaviour
and
help
their

guest
make
conscious
travel
decisions.
This
involves
far

more
than
the
discrete
placement
of
laminated
signs
in

bathrooms
telling
guests
to
hang
up
their
towels.
It

means
taking
every
opportunity
to
show
guests
how
to

respect
local
traditions;
how
to
behave;
how
to
select

responsible
suppliers;
and
how
to
ensure
that
their

spending
beneDits
the
local
community.

Conscious
hosts
should
also
remember
that
customers

are
not
always
right
and
that
travel,
especially
international
travel,
isn’t
a
right
but
a
privilege.

When
visitors
cross
into
another
country,
they
carry
a
responsibility
to
respect
the
rights
and
way

of
life
of
their
hosts.

In
this
respect,
hosts
are
encouraged
to
follow
the
advice
of

Vaimasenu’u
Sefo

Martel,
the
Polynesian
leader
speaking
in
the
video
included
on
page
4
of
this
paper,

and
“own
your

own
Dierceness”
that
comes
from
a
deep
sense
of
identiDication
with
a
place
and
its
peoples
and
a

passion
to
protect
both.

The
effectiveness
with
which
hosts
can
inDluence
guests’
future
travel
choices
and
behaviour
will,

however,
depend
on
the
extent
to
which
they
are
fulDilling
the
Difth
role
as
active
custodians.

8

4.

Be
Custodians
As
conscious
hosts
will
love
the
place
in
which
they
work
and
be
passionate
about
helping
their

guests
fully
enjoy
its
uniqueness,
then
they
too
will
naturally
wish
to
protect
it.
Furthermore,
since

hosts
depend
on
a
healthy,
balanced
ecosystem
and
the
rich,
diverse
cultures
that
form
the
distinct,

vibrant
places
that
are
the
settings
for
their
guest’s
experiences,
they
shoulder
a
direct

responsibility
for
its
stewardship.

Thus
Conscious
Hosts
will
be
active,
effective
and
committed

”agents
for
change”
in
their
communities
advocating
and
often
enabling
measures
to
conserve

environments,
regenerate
local
cultures
and
prevent
further
damage
and
deterioration.

At
the
very
least,
conscious
hosts
will
be
walking
their
talk
and
treading
lightly
on
the
earth,
doing

all
they
can
to
minimise
waste
and
use
of
non-‐renewable
resources.
They
will
create
“Places
That

Care”
and
measure
and
monitor
their
progress
so
that
any
claims
regarding
responsibility
can

immediately
be
proven
true.

5.

Be
Awakeners
One
of
the
tragedies
of
modern
society
is
that

its
members
are
often
so
busy
packing
so

many
things
into
a
day
that
they
forget
how
to

live!

Furthermore,
the
sheer
volume
of

abrasive
stimuli
that
assault
our
senses
cause

many
to
resort
to
what
has
been
described
as

“pyschic
numbing”
in
order
to
cope.
In
fact
it
is

this
very
assault
on
our
senses
that
causes

many
to
want
to
“escape”,
to
“get
away”
on

vacation.

The
pace
of
modern
society
further

aggravates
the
problem.
Clearly
this
is

evidence
that
more
is
not
always
better.

So
in
this
context
the
role
of
the
Conscious

Host
is
to
help
the
guest
slow
down
in
the
destination;
learn
to
fully
savour
their
experience
by

awakening
all
their
senses;
and
wake
up
to
a
genuine
sense
of
aliveness.

6.

Be
Magician
Healers

Who
Transform
As
was
described
in
the
previous
paper,
Can
Tourism
Change
its
Operating
Model,
many
guests
are

changing
their
values
-‐
no
longer
interested
on
acquisition
of
either
things
or
experiences
but

seeking
some
form
of
personal
growth
and
transformation.
Many
are
viewing
travel
as
an

opportunity
to
see
things
differently
or
to
be
changed
in
some
way.

Pine
and
Gilmore,
authors
of
the
seminal
work,
The
Experience
Economy,

were
the
Dirst
to
identify

The
Transformation
Economy
as
the
likely
next
phase
in
the
increasingly
complex
saga
of

consumption.

Experiences
are
not
the
Final
offering.
Companies
can
escape
the
commoditization
trap
by
the
same

route
as
all
other
offerings:
customisation.
When
you
customise
an
experience
to
make
it
just
right
for

the
individual
–
providing
exactly
what
he
or
she
needs
right
now
–
you
cannot
help
changing
that

individual.
When
you
customize
an
experience,
you
automatically
turn
it
into
a
transformation….

With
transformations,
the
economic
offering
of
a
company
is
the
individual
person
or
company

changed
as
the
result
of
what
the
company
does.
With
transformations,
the
customer
is
the
product!

The
individual
buyer
of
the
transformation
essentially
says,
“change
me”.

If
the
Experience
Economy
is
the
commercial
expression
of
the
networked
Knowledge
/Information

Age,
then
it
is
fair
to
say
that
the
Transformation
Economy
is
the
outer,
transactional
expression
of

the
emerging
Age
of
Meaning
when
Dinally
the
needs
of
a
human’s
spirit
and
soul
are
met
in
the

marketplace
of
ideas
and
personal
services
rather
than
in
the
cloister,
temple
or
mosque.

And
here’s
the
rub.
Transformations
cannot
be
extracted,
made,
delivered
or
even
staged,
they
can

only
be
guided.
Transformations
occur
within
the
customer
and
can
only
be
made
by
them.

Transformative
transactions
are
truly
co-‐creative.

All
of
which
points
to
the
Conscious
Host’s
Dinal,

9

and
perhaps,
most
important
role
and
that
is
of
healer/magician.
Someone
who
creates
the

conditions
for
personal
transformation
to
occur.

Conclusion
Clearly,
I
am
suggesting
that
the
tourism
provider
(host)
of
tomorrow
will
be
expected
to
perform
a

very
much
more
demanding
set
of
roles
than
they
currently
assume
today.
But
unless
the
nature
of

the
guests’
experience
is
signiDicantly
enriched
through
a
more
profound,
meaningful
and

transformative
encounter
with
a
place
and
its
people,
providers
will
Dind
it
harder
to
prevent
being

dragged
down
the
steep
slope
of
commodiDication.
Thanks
to
the
rising
cost
of
all
inputs
(energy,

water,
food,
labour)
it
is
possible,
and
even
likely,
that
the
the
real
cost
of
travel
will
increase
and

consumers
will
travel
internationally
less
frequently.
All
the
more
reason
to
ensure
that
those
highly

prized
international
trips
generate
more
meaning
and
satisfaction
for
the
customer
and
more

beneDit
and
meaning
for
the
host
and
host
community.

Thus
the
task
ahead
is
integration
of
an
ancient,
indigenous
approach
to
a
very
contemporary

phenomenon.
The
following
chart
(on
Page
10)

shows
the
real
value
that
application
of
an

indigenous
perspective
could
have
to
shaping
an
energising
the
expanded
roles
of
a
conscious
host.

INTEGRATING
INDIGENOUS
PERSPECTIVES
INTO

THE
ROLE
OF
A
CONSCIOUS
HOST

Indigenous Values Role of a Impact of an Indigenous
Conscious Host Worldview

KINSHIP CONNECTOR Host recognises that he/she are part
of a community in which
collaboration and mutual support
are essential. Host is the social hub
and acts as connector - linking
guests to the host community, to
other guests and the land/setting in
which the experience occurs

PLACE ATTRACTOR Host expresses, interprets what’s
unique about the place; helps
orchestrate the guests’ experience
to ensure authenticity

RESPECT EDUCATOR Host teaches by example what it
means to be a conscious guest and
respect local traditions and
customs;

CARE CUSTODIAN Host take responsibility for being
the change agent and steward in
terms of environmental
regeneration and cultural
preservation.

TIME & PACE AWAKENER Host helps the guest slow down and
empty (vacate) in order that he/she
can be truly present and enjoy an
experience that delights all the
senses.

ALIVENESS HEALER/ Host helps create the conditions
whereby the guest can return home
MAGICIAN changed in a way that generates
deeper satisfaction and fulﬁllment.

10

The
new
frontier
for
tourism
will
be
found
in
every
community
where
there
is
a
group
of
curious,

determined
providers
willing
to
work
together,
to
experiment,
try,
fail
and
try
again
to
bring
about
a

new
form
of
tourism
that
is
environmentally
sustainable,
socially
just
and
spiritually
fulDilling.

Hopefully
these
ideas
might
provide
one
stepping
stone
towards
creating
that
reality.
I
appeal
to
my

readers
-‐
especially
those
to
resonate
with
these
ideas
-‐
to
add
their
own.

April
2012,
New
Zealand
Anna
Pollock
theconscioushost@gmail.com
PS.
With
nostalgia
I
noted
today
that
20
years
have
passed
since
I
made
my
Dirst
attempt
at
weaving
in
an

indigenous
perspective
to
tourism
in
Shifting
Gears

FOOTNOTES

1 The Wayfinders - Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World, Wade Davis,The

University of Western Australia Publishing, 2009.
2 Source: Ben Sherman, President, Native American Tourism Alliance in e-mail
correspondence. I am indebted to Ben for his input to this essay/
3 Pachamama Alliance http://www.pachamama.org/blog/new-moon-action-make-an-offering-
to-our-mother-earth
4 Aluna - new documentary about the Kogi: http://www.alunathemovie.com/the-message
5 Polynesian Xplorer Blog: www.polyxblog.wordpress.com

6 Walk Out Walk On - A Learning Journey into Communities Daring to Live the Future Now

by Margaret Wheatley & Deborah Frieze, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2011
7 Standing In Our Shoes: http://www.mch.govt.nz/files/engage%20full%20report_0.pdf

11

The Role of Indigenous Tourism in Developing Conscious Hosts

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