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 sh...

"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 conte...

“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...

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...

"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....

"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 tha...

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, Can...

“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...

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...

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 D...

Tourism conferences and the travel media are awash with discussions, references to and articles about "Authentic Experiences" - and the need to engage with and sate travellers' diversifying desires for meaning, fun and fulfilment. But authenticity is a subjective and flexible term, so are the travel industry and travel consumers talking the same language when it comes to the types of experiences p...

High-yield tourism focuses on optimising source markets and segments - but is this compatible with destination capacity building? To kickstart Season 2 of the High-Yield Tourism Podcast, Gary and Jens discuss the challenges of effectively segmenting tourism markets in Asia, Africa, the Middle East & Europe. As competition to attract tourists intensifies, modern travellers want both customized...

"The pandemic changed everything." In 2019, Thailand received almost 40 million visitors but a two-year border closure saw "the travel industry basically shut down" during Covid. Chattan Kunjara recently retired after a 37-year career at the Tourism Authority of Thailand, achieving the title of Deputy Governor. In a compelling chat, he tells Gary and Jens how Thailand has turned around its tourism...

The multi-segmented Muslim travel market is rapidly growing and diversifying – and becoming increasingly influential in global tourism. This week, Gary and Jens welcome Fazal Bahardeen, Founder of Singapore-based CrescentRating, to discuss how destinations are rethinking their approach to Muslim tourism. Fazal explains the halal travel segments that are best suited to high-yield tourism, and provi...

Since reopening in 2022, Australia has implemented an International Diversification Strategy for its Visitor Economy. This week, Gary welcomes Samantha Palmer, General Manager of Visitor Economy & Client Programs at AUSTRADE for an in-depth chat about using research and industry insights to rethink every aspect of the visitor economy ecosystem - from indigenous tourism to mountain biking, and...

This week, Gary and Jens discuss the changing economics of tourism in the post-pandemic era, and argue that irrational labels like 'mass' and 'luxury' simply don't work any more. Myriad factors will drive strategy shifts to focus not only on profit and resilience in tourism, but also the costs, leakages and societal impacts. So, where is the intrinsic value in modern tourism? What is 'organic push...

Jens enjoys an illuminating discussion with Raj Gyawali, Founder of Social Tours in Nepal. Jens and Raj explore a range of concepts, including Lifetime Experiences, Narrative Storytelling, Seasonal Discovery, Sustainable Regeneration and Spiritual Adventure, in this beautiful Himalayan nation, which offers so much more for high-yield travellers than soaring mountains.

Gary and Jens chat to Jon Mamela, Chief Commercial Officer of Travel Alberta about developing high-yield tourism in one of Canada’s most beautiful provinces. Promoted as Canada’s Wild Side, Alberta is home to destinations like Lake Louise, Banff and Jasper National Park. Jon discusses Travel Alberta's new strategic approach as the province positions tourism as a pillar of economic diversification.

What is the role of cultural stewardship in new tourism strategies? This week, Gary welcomes Hafsa H. Mbamba, CEO of the Zanzibar Commission for Tourism, and Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, to discuss how cultural heritage is being reframed to support market diversification. We explore strategies and practices that empower local communities, preserve cultural heritage, and ensure that tour...

Gary and Jens reflect on their trip to Cebu, the Philippines, to attend the 1st UN Tourism Forum on Gastronomy Tourism for Asia Pacific. The event formed part of the annual UN Tourism Commission Meeting for East Asia & the Pacific and South Asia. It brought together official delegations from across the region to discuss the future of culinary tourism in the context of post-pandemic re-growth a...

Gary and Jens have been travelling around Asia, Europe and the Middle East over the past month speaking at travel conferences and in the media to discuss high-yield tourism strategies. In episode 3, we review how tourism leaders gathered at events in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Macao, Dubai, Barcelona & Kathmandu are confronting the challenges of high-volume tourism. The issue is gaining urgency as t...

In episode 2, Gary and Jens discuss High-Yield Tourism within Asia Pacific’s dynamic growth context. The journey takes us from Thailand and Singapore to China, Japan and South Korea and Mongolia and Saudi Arabia. Travellers across the region are living out their lifestyle passions when they travel - and destinations and tourism brands are seeking to respond. But visitor numbers are rising fast onc...

In the rush to recover from the pandemic, many destinations have sought to match pre-Covid arrivals. A backlash is developing. Public sentiment against mass tourism is hardening in many places. Can High-Yield Tourism marketing confront the new challenges facing visitor economies? Hosted by Gary Bowerman: an Asia-based travel & consumer analyst, conference speaker and consultant, & Dr. Jens...