Inclusive Tourism Training.

BIF Myanmar (May + June, 2015)

Nyaung Shwe:

Why include a ‘Field Trip’

As part of the five day Inclusive Tourism Business training program held in

Nyaung Shwe, Inle Lake (June 1 to 5, 2015), a ‘Field Trip’ around Nyaung

Shwe was undertaken.

This presentation documents the planning and engagement activities,

as well as the feedback received from the participants.Author: Steve Noakes

Date: 07 June 2015

1. Planning – preparing the participants for the activity.

2. Four photos submitted in the competition.

3. Journal created by the ‘winning team’ in the

photographic competition.

4. Feedback from participants at the end of this training

day.

5. Additional benefits of the Field Trip approach.

Contents:

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3

1. Planning – preparing the participants for the

activity.

The following slides were used at the beginning of the

day to clearly explain why the Field Trip was included as

a ‘pivot activity’ midway in the five day training program.

Nyaung Shwe:

Field Trip Planning & Feedback

Inclusive Tourism Training.BIF Myanmar.

May + June, 2015.

Day 3.Wednesday.Field Trip. Nyaung Shwe

Training objectives for the Field Trip

5

By the end of the Field Trip, participants would have:

1) Observed & recorded various local area tourism services &

goods

2) Noted examples of innovative enterprises promoting/selling

those services & goods

3) Given consideration to how the above examples might be able to

adapt their product offering (or create a new product offer) which

embraces concepts of inclusive business

4) Experimented with online social media from the tourist viewpoint

5) Considered their findings within their own small group (Case

Study)

Training objectives (continued)

6

6) Reported their findings back to

all workshop participants

7) Engaged in dialogue with all

workshop participants to explain

and consider their case study

findings

8) Started to think creatively about

how to develop inclusive tourism

business products which can

include more low income people

Participatory training methods today

7

Provides a real situation for that requires active

participation

Will build respect & understanding of differences

within your group & between your group

Provides opportunities for sharing information - you

get to discuss and analyse experiences

As the ‘actors’, you are the resource to participate &

share experiences

a) You will be divided into four groups.

b) As you undertake your field trip you will develop your

observations/experiences from the viewpoint of that ‘typical’ group.

c) When you give your case study/report in the afternoon, you will do

it from the perspective of that ‘typical’ group.

Each group will represent:

Different international source markets (countries/cultures)

Different stakeholders/sectors –

(i) International tourist perspective – Group A (China & USA)

(ii) International tourist perspective – Group B (Thailand & France)

(iii) International travel agent/tour operator perspective (Australia)

(iv) International NGO perspective (United Kingdom)

How it works

8

If it is to survive and prosper, an inclusive tourism product (in fact

ANY tourism product) has to sell at profitable levels – knowing

what & how to sell to your customer is the way to make business

profits.

If the market is the international visitor, the more we understand

the customers motivations, attitudes, beliefs, needs and wants, the

better chance we have to offer them something they will purchase.

A customer’s purchase decision making process will be

influenced by many factors - including their cultural, social and

economic situation.

We want to look at the issues & opportunities for inclusive tourism

products from different perspectives

Why ‘role play’ different cultures & sectors?

9

Reminder: Purchase decision making process

10

Cu

ltu

ral, S

ocia

l, E

co

no

mic

in

flu

en

ce

rs

Source: www.thoughtyoumayask.com

The sales funnel follows the decision making process of the consumer

Reminder: Sales Funnel

11

Dreaming

Competitive Set

Planning

Experiencing

Booking

Sharing

I want to go on

holiday…

Should I go to

Peru or

Myanmar this

year?I’ve decided to go

to

Myanmar…what

should I do

there?How do I book

and pay for my

trip?This country is fantastic!

I want to share my

experience with my

friends and family

12

My role today Your role today

About your role …

13

Imagine …

You’re an international traveller …

it’s your first visit to Myanmar.

Back home, you have a successful, well rewarded

job in a big city.

In your country, you would be described as being in

the ‘middle-to-higher’ socio-economic group (good

education, good job, good income, high standard of

living)

Image source: www.adaptastraining.com

About your new character today

14

You were born, raised, well educated and now work in one of these

cities:

1. Shanghai (so you are a ‘typical’ Chinese – you were from a one child family &

your parents worked hard to get you a good education & ‘started’ in life - follow

a Confucius philosophy)

2. Bangkok (so you are a ‘typical’ sophisticated, urban Thai – you are Buddhist)

3. San Francisco (so you are a ‘typical’ American – in this case you could be

described as a liberal thinking, caring Democrat)

4. Paris (so you are ‘typically’ French/European – in this case, you’re interested in

food, art, literature, philosophy & music)

5. London (so you are ‘typically’ English – in this case, you’re OK to like to talk

about the weather, have a cup of tea & stand in waiting lines

6. Sydney (so you are a ‘typical’ Australian – in this case, rather relaxed &

casual, enjoy a cold beer)

Let’s now allocate you to your group before we progress

with more details:

(i) International tourist perspective – Group A (China & USA)

(ii) International tourist perspective – Group B (Thailand &

France)

(iii) International travel agent/tour operator perspective

(Australia)

(iv) International NGO perspective (United Kingdom - England)

Four groups with different perspectives

15

(i) International tourist perspective –

Group A (China & USA)

16

(ii) International tourist perspective

Group B (Thailand & France)

17

(iii) International travel agent/tour operator

perspective (Australia)

18

OK – well, maybe not so ‘typical’ !

(iv) International NGO perspective

(United Kingdom - English)

19

Your NGO is

in Yangon to

study the

impact of

rapid tourism

development

on

marginalised

ethnic groups.

Opportunities

Exploitation

Being ‘left-

behind’

Conflicts

Take about 10 minutes.

Each group discusses & agrees on at least FIVE points that would

describe their ‘typical’ profile.

So – in Group A (China & USA) & in Group B - Thai or French:

Work out who will take perspective of either China or the Americans

OR – for Group B – Thai or French.

You must travel together as one group

Chinese sharing experience with Americas, Thailand visitors sharing

with French.

Your first task:

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Your first task (continued)

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ALL FOUR GROUPS: a ‘typical’ profile …

Agree on characteristics such as:

(1) Age range

(2) Gender

(3) International travel experience

(4) Motivation for travelling to Nyaung Shwe/Inle Lake

(5) What type of traveller do you represent (e.g. a ‘responsible

traveller’, ‘cultural’ tourism, ‘business tourism’, ‘spiritual

tourism’, just a ‘typical’ holiday visitor on a travel package etc)

(6) Where did you get your information about travel to Myanmar

from?

You will commence your field trip from this hotel.

You will FINISH your field trip back here (12:30 pm) -

for lunch.

If needed, contact telephone:

Thar Lin Htet 09258113737

Htike: 09 259643929

Start & Finish of your field trip walk

22

Each group has arrived in Nyaung Shwe by airplane in

to Heho.

You are staying here at 81 Hotel

You have been with each other for 3 days already, so

you know each other in your group.

The scenario

23

Your group is going to take a walk around the key

tourist attractions in Nyaung Shwe – will take about 2

hours.

The scenario

24

You have arrived

on Sunday.

You only have

foreign currency &

you want to

exchange to Kyat.

The banks are

closed.

What will you do?

The scenario: What you will do…

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1. As a first time visitor, you walk

to the Tourist Information

Office.

1. Get information about what to

do, what to see in Nyaung

Shwe & Inle Lakes region.

1. How good was the information

you collected?

1. As a visitor, find out how you

would get access to internet.

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What you will do

What?

1. Observe a range

of local area

services and

goods available

to tourists

How?

Make a list that would be of interest to a tourist or a

international travel agent/tour operator packaging

the Nyaung Shwe experience – or NGO:

a) Local tour operators (includes Guides)

b) Transport operators (what types are available

to tourists?)

c) Accommodation – what types, approximate

costs

d) Food & beverage outlets – includes

restaurants

e) Souvenir & craft outlets – what types are

available, where are they located (e.g. street

side, shopping mall etc)

f) Visitor information services

g) Landmarks, sites, attractions

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What you will do

What?

2. Identify examples

of innovation

amongst the local

tourism industry

How?

In regards to ‘things’ a tourist can see, do,

or purchase, make notes on things you see

what could be described as ‘innovative’.

Remember from Day 1, Session # 3:

Product, Process, Marketing, Organisational

Product innovation: Goods/services that are new or significantly improved

– technical specifications, components & materials, software, user

friendliness etc

Process innovation: New or significantly improved product or delivery

method – changes in techniques, equipment, software etc

Marketing innovation: New marketing methods involving significant

changes in product design or packaging, product placement, promotion,

pricing etc.

Organisational innovation:

New organisational method in business

practices, workplace organisation or

external relations.

Reminder: Concept of ‘innovation’

28See more at: http://www.oecd.org/site/innovationstrategy/defininginnovation.htm

Local example: Aqua Lilies Day Spa

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New Idea

30

Attract

international

tourists who

could help to

Improve the

English

language skills

of the local

young women

women who

work at the

Spa.

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The Innovation

Education:

The owner/manager: Learn about ‘volunteer

tourism’

The staff: Be educated about volunteer tourists –

why they do it, what motivates them etc

Research & Development (R & D)

Market for volunteer tourist

Personal & business benefit from improved

English language skills

Type of product (visitor experience) to be

created

Support structure:

Can provide self contained room for volunteer &

some meals

Technology transfer:

Internet, Social media

New product: ‘Volunteer Tourism’

‘Do Well & Do Good’ in Nyaung Shwe.

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Management: By the owner –

introduction of the volunteers,

developing & managing

relationships

Marketing: New product name,

Online & off-line promotional

messages & materials, etc

Investment: Prepare living room

for volunteer(s)

‘The tourist: ‘Do Well’ – for the tourism – who gets an inexpensive

holiday in Nyaung Shwe, meets local people etc

The staff: Increased English language skills – helps to increase

customer service, product sales & ‘life’ opportunities

Come & stay in Nyaung Shwe

- For only US$5 a day

Other examples of possible innovation for tourism

products (visitor experiences) in Nyaung Shwe

33

34

What you will do

What?

3. Explore how local

tourism suppliers

could adapt their

product offering

towards the inclusive

business approach

How?

Note any examples you see of:

a. Employment of under-age workers

b. Unsafe work practices in any

business/attraction/activity a tourist might

visit

c. Where you see evidence or – or potential

evidence – for conflict between individuals,

between organisations, between public

officials & citizens/workers/tourists,

between custodians of sites (e.g. pagoda) &

tourists etc

Discuss how your particular group of

‘tourists’ might encourage tourism suppliers

to adapt their product towards an inclusive

business approach

Group D: What you will do as a UK NGO

35

1. Investigate how the tomatoes get to Nyaung Shwe – who does what?

2. What types of places that tourists go to would buy those tomatoes?

3. Think creatively - how could the boxes be used to create a new product

offer - which embraces concepts of inclusive business?

All groups:

36

You loss you wallet

(money, credit cards, ID

etc) and your passport.

You contact the hot line

you see on a road-side

sign.

What happens?

All groups:

37

You saw a Trip Advisor

review of the ‘Unique

Superb Food House’

You read a nice story

about Ko Okka & Ma Ni.

You decide to find it &

visit.

You have been told they

offer a FREE tea or

coffee + small snack to

BIF training participants.

Was it an easy place to find? (Maps, GPS, road-side signs etc)?

As a visitor, what was the experience like?

Unique Superb Food House

38

Ko Okka and Ma Ni …

- will give you tea/coffee & a little snack up to value of K 500

Unique Superb Food House

39

After your experience

with

Ko Okka and Ma Ni –

(on your mobile phone

or back at 81 Hotel or

when you get home) …

Make a Trip Advisor

comment on Unique

Superb Food House.

WIN the ‘Natasha Prize’

40

1. Find this location

(near Unique

Superb Food

House).

2. Take a fun/crazy

group photo that

can go on

Facebook and be

seen be all your

friends back in your

home country.

Natasha will judge the best photo from one

group … on Friday the winning group for the

‘Natasha Prize’ will be announced.

41

What you will do after lunch:

1) About 45 minutes total for each group to develop your own

case study on an innovative, inclusive new tourism product –

remember your perspective will be from:

Different cultural lenses (Chinese, Thai, French, English, American,

Australian)

Different perspectives as a tourist, as a travel agent or as an NGO

What are the problems and opportunities tourism entrepreneurs

and officials may face in developing inclusive tourism business

products

(i.e. to include more low income and/or marginalised people)

42

What you will do after lunch:

Then each group will present their case study for discussion &

reflection on tourism experiences in Nyaung Shwe from the

perspective of your ‘cultural lense’ …

- include any opportunities for inclusive business innovation

Photos were randomly selected from open internet sources – Google images

• Walking shoes & hat

• Paper (or hand held devise) for taking notes

• Bottle of drinking water

• If it rains ….

+

A positive attitude!

Remember …

43

QUESTIONS

2. Four photos submitted in the competition

45

46

The Natasha Award

The prize for each member of the winning

photo will be to help you with marketing of

your business:

Steve will help you to set up a free on-line

account with:

Slideshare.com

&

Issuu.com

47

Chinese & American group

48

Thailand &

French group

49

Australian Tour Operator group

50

UK NGO group

and the winner is …

51

52

Thailand &

French

tourists !

3. Journal created by the ‘winning team’ in the

photographic competition.

Used when they did their presentation to all the other participants in

the training program.

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55

56

57

58

59

60

61

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63

64

65

66

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4. Feedback from participants at the end of this

training day.

Responses to the question:

What did you find most useful today?

68

Many knowledge, participation in groups, warmly & hospitality of

each other, sharing to each other.

Positive attitude communicate with people.

Team work, thinking from the tourists point of view is really effective

for us in improving/innovating process.

Team work & new idea of innovation tourism.

Seen the different things from the point of view of tourist.

Group working together & brain-storming for one particular.

The Field Trip & Group Discussion & Presentation make the lessons

in previous days come reality and bring practical not to forget and

make clear to understand the concept.

Now we know clearly what we have to do and what we need to do.

Responses to the question:

What did you find most useful today?

69

Database we obtained during field trip.

Teamwork/members with different ideas worked together to be the

best.

Experience wonderful. Perfect. Knowledgable. Everything I get!

Inclusive tourism and innovation tourism – I learnt a lot from

presenting on the case study.

I realized that so many things to do innovation in our environment and

community. All the sectors need to participate to develop tourism

sector. We observed central part of Nyaung Shwe.

Learning, sharing is caring from the four group presentation when

about the knowledge is like that. I think community work is more better

for us – something like that.

Today all useful for me.

70

The useful what we have done for today are the Field Trip because we have

got all information and place and what we can do for inclusive tourism.

Yes, I get a lot of new idea for our town and good future. I find most useful

today, we have more good plan and we can do good idea and new

innovation and more interesting place for tourism.

When we walk around NS we notice what should we do more. What they

need to renovate, new creation.

The people will help for tourist. How we go to do, where anythings they help.

Its good.

How to make a package sale of world travellers.

Excellent day.

I found that we can do more activities for the tourist.

I think teamwork is most useful today.

Responses to the question:

What did you find most useful today?

71

5. Additional benefits of the Field Trip approach.

The issues:

The tourism related business sector in Nyaung Shwe does not

have a history of establishing and managing any effective

structured networking through some form of active business

association.

The different ‘actors’ in the local industry generally act

independently, with no collective or cohesive ‘voice’ to represent

their common interests and to undertake any strategic destination

marketing activities.

Additional benefits

72

An individual tourism business will ‘do better’ if the destination

management and destination marketing is effective.

Because such organisations and networks to do the destination

level activities don’t exist in any real effective sense, within

Nyaung Shwe, there is little history, experience, awareness or

capacity to undertake those activities.

The issues (continued)

73

‘Market informality has made it challenging to establish the effective

formal business relationships that are evident in ‘successful’

tourism destinations.’ Steve Noakes

The Field Trip (and the overall five day training program) gave the

opportunity for most local area participants to meet each other, take

in some new knowledge, experiences and skills and create a new

business network.

That network has commenced online, with the Facebook site open

only to those who have completed the five day training program.

The BIF Inclusive Tourism Training program is the catalyst for a new

local tourism & travel sector business network – much needed in

the destination.

Additional benefits

74

And thank you all …

Best wishes in your future inclusive tourism business

success …

Do well, do good ….

Do No Harm!