It is with great emotion that I am connecting with you today as Australian borders are now officially open after two years of lockdown and New Zealand has announced the calendar and phases to gradually reopen to the world in the course of 2022.
We were really proud to see Fiji leading the way with their reopening on the 1st of December 2021, with some really inspiring and authentic experiences, you can find out more on the webinar ATTA hosted for them: ‘Fiji, where happiness finds you’.
Fortunately, despite the challenging situation, domestic travel and staycation have been booming, especially with adventure travel experiences and the need to reconnect with nature and rediscover your own land and culture. According to recent studies, this trend is here to stay for a while as international travelers gradually come back. Do you agree?
We would love to get your feedback in our 2022 Adventure Travel Industry Trends Snapshot Survey. You can read more on this topic in Adventure Travel Trends 2022 from our Senior Research Manager Heather Kelly.
Being closed to the world has pushed the industry to be more creative and innovative in Oceania through technology and virtual tourism experiences. ATTA New Zealand ambassador, Freya Watkinson from VEXPLORE shares more in Technology, Tourism, and New Zealand.
The incredibly challenging situation in the entire world has also inspired some amazing initiatives creating a wave of support, care and collaboration, between our peers and helping those most in need. We have all heard about the Intrepid Travel Vaccine equity campaign, but World Expeditions has also provided incredible support with their ‘Lend a Hand’ appeal campaign towards Nepal, Peru, Tanzania, Kenya, and India. World Expedition has also been a model of resilience throughout the pandemics thanks to creative thinking and flexibility. Read more about World Expeditions in World Expeditions ‘Lend a Hand’ Appeal Campaign and Resilience.
Resilience…
Here is a word we have been hearing so much in the last 2 years, but what does resilience really mean for each of us? According to the definition from the dictionary, it means ‘the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.’ I am not sure about how quickly, but I know that through domestic travel, and other creative initiatives, our industry here in Oceania, not only survived but thrived and remains stronger than ever, ready to face any new challenge.
Find out how Tourism Tasmania faced their very own resilience as well as their push towards sustainability in Tasmania, a Model of Resilience and Sustainability.
Here at ATTA, we strongly believe that our Adventure Travel Industry has a responsibility to lead the way for good and we are delighted to announce that we will be producing in the coming months a series of ‘Meet the Experts’ webinars dedicated to the Oceania Region. Each webinar will be followed by a Think Tank session with an open discussion so that you can all share your experience and together we can think of ways to improve our industry.
We will start in April with our first session around Indigenous and Community-Based Tourism, the second session will focus on Climate Change and Tourism in the Pacific Islands. Stay tuned for more details.
The month of May will bring the travel trade to you with ATE in Australia, FTE in Fiji, and Trenz in New Zealand. Some will be virtual, others in person. I won’t be able to travel from Europe to Oceania this year but I will be connected virtually and hope to meet each and every one of you personally!
In the meantime, feel free to connect with our Oceania team. None of all what we do would be possible without our amazing team and ambassadors at ATTA supporting you.
ATTA Oceania Team
ATTA Oceania Ambassadors
- Freya Watkinson, Founder of VEXPLORE, Ambassador New Zealand
- Caroline Pemberton, Television Presenter & Producer, Climbing the Seven Summits, Ambassador Australia
- Huw Kingston, Adventurer, Environmentalists, Writer, and Speaker, Ambassador Australia
- Fuchsia Claire Sims, Co-Founder of Adventure Junky, Ambassador Australia