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Interviews
Enlightening. Perspectives. Insightful.
Through these nine captivating interviews, you can read about different perspectives, the challenges, opportunities, and potential future directions of offshore tourism. With each interview, we unravel a new layer of understanding, painting a comprehensive picture of offshore tourism's past, present, and future. This remarkable collection of voices sheds light on the interplay between economic prosperity, social exchange, environmental conservation, legal and political perspectives, technological innovation aswell as research.
Below are short summaries of all the interviews. Klick on the pictures to read more about a specific interview.
National Park Manager
Anders Tysklind
The Kosterhavet National Park, for which Anders is the national manager, is influenced by several different guidelines and laws that they must follow and adapt to. Therefore, during this interview, we focused on the legal perspective in order to identify and understand how these laws impact the offshore tourism industry.
Interviewed by: Klara, Elina, & Viktoria
Length of interview: 30 minutes
Marine biologist
Maria Bodin
We contacted Maria in order to clarify our ideas and thoughts regarding the data we will be collecting. Maria contributes with very interesting perspectives since she is involved in several projects within the subject. She also mentioned that she was interested in accessing the sea temperature data we will be collecting, especially in combination with some other type of data from the ocean!
Interviewed by: Klara, Saga, & Elina
Length of interview: 20 minutes
Researcher
Erik Lundberg
Erik, who is a researcher in Gothenburg specialized in marketing, had a deep understanding of trends in marine tourism and tourist consumption. One trend that Erik identified was the growing pleasure among travelers to not only relax and enjoy during their vacations, but also to get opportunities for learning and personal development during their journeys!
Interviewed by: Klara, Elina, & Viktoria
Length of interview: 22 minutes
Sales and marketing manager
Stefan Olsson
We interviewed Stefan to gain a better understanding of the economic perspective of offshore tourism. The industry grew during the pandemic as international travel opportunities were limited. This, instead, led to more people buying boats and vacationing within Sweden. An additional positive aspect for the industry that Stefan mentioned was that despite the increased fuel prices, he doesn't perceive a significant decrease in tourism at sea.
Interviewed by: Agnes, Saga, & Viktoria
Length of interview: 27 minutes
Parent
Lisa Magnusson
Lisa grew up by the sea and has always loved being out on the boat with her family. Therefore she has a lot of experience in tourism at sea, and we focused our questions during the interview on the social perspective of the industry. Lisa was very positive about our idea of engaging families in the data collection and expressed an interest in using the sensor together with her own family during their vacations.
Interviewed by: Agnes, Saga, & Elina
Length of interview: 25 minutes
Teacher
Ingela Hansson
Ingela loves living near the sea and has owned her own sailboat together with her family for 35 years now. Both with her experience in sea tourism, but also her profession as a middle school teacher, we chose to focus on the social perspective during this interview. She provided several interesting responses and was very positive about our idea of integrating our sensor into schools!
Interviewed by: Klara, Elina, & Viktoria
Length of interview: 22 minutes
Project manager
Stena Teknik
The interviewed person, who has chosen to be anonymous, works as a project manager at Stena Teknik. Stena Teknik works on developing the technology for their ships, which is why we decided to focus on the technical perspective of the industry during this interview. He provided us with several examples of how technological innovation has impacted them!
Interviewed by: Agnes, Saga, & Elina
Anonymous
Length of interview: 20 minutes
Symbiosis developer
Louise Staxäng Torbäck
In this interview, we focused on how the environmental perspective impacts offshore tourism. Louise, a symbiosis developer, provided an understanding of the significance of environmental factors who impact the industry. Louise observes an increased demand from visitors to prioritize sustainability, where more and more people are aware of the environment and want to get a deeper understanding.
Interviewed by: Klara, Saga, & Agnes
Length of interview: 25 minutes
Anne Gunnäs
Business developer
Maria Kilbo
Tourism manager
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The focus in this interview was mainly on the political perspective on the offshore tourism. Except for bringing us great insights in the industry with political perspectives, Maria and Anne, from the municipality, were very interested in using our temperature data that we will be collecting!
Mail: maria.kilbo@lysekil.se
Mail: anne.gunnas@lysekil.se
Interviewed by: Klara, Saga, Agnes & Viktoria
Length of interview: 35 minutes
Offshore tourism industry
The industry Deep Dive
The offshore tourism industry encompasses various stakeholders who play crucial roles in its dynamics and success. At the center of this industry are the travelers themselves, seeking leisure, adventure, and cultural experiences in far-off places. These tourists have diverse demands and interests, ranging from cultural immersion to comfort and convenience. To cater to their needs, tourism businesses must understand and fulfill these demands, offering unique and personalized experiences.
Key stakeholders in the offshore tourism industry include tour operators, transportation firms, dining establishments, and destination management organizations (DMOs). Tour operators and activity suppliers offer a wide range of excursions and activities like water sports, cultural outings, and wildlife encounters based on tourists' interests and preferences. Transportation firms ensure reliable and efficient travel options by air, sea, or land to reach distant locations. DMOs, including local tourism boards and governmental entities, play a vital role in managing and promoting tourism in offshore destinations. They collaborate with stakeholders to develop tourism plans, marketing initiatives, aiming to attract visitors and provide extraordinary experiences.
The offshore tourism sector adds value by offering breathtaking natural scenery, including attractive beaches, pristine waterways, and diverse marine life. Protecting and managing these natural resources sustainably is crucial for the long-term success of the industry. Creating value in the industry also relies on providing exceptional service quality, including a welcoming and knowledgeable staff, tailored experiences, attention to detail, and meeting customer demands. Embracing sustainability and ethical behavior, such as implementing eco-friendly policies and contributing to regional economic growth and social welfare, is essential for value generation.
To dig deeper into the factors that might affect the industry in the future, a PESTEL-analysis has been made. In the table below all forces that have been identified in the analysis are listed. For more details, please download the full version.
Thereafter an impact-uncertainty matrix has been made to identify the most critical uncertainties (red stars) and the certain and important trends (blue stars). If you want to read more about all of these, read the full version.
Future scenarios
A scenario matrix is a tool used to analyze and explore various possible future scenarios and their potential consequences. In our case, four different scenarios have been developed based on the two most significant impacts on our industry, as described above. These scenarios have then been analyzed, and their potential outcomes have been discussed. By using a scenario matrix, we can visualize and investigate different possible future opportunities and risks that may affect the industry. By defining the most important influences and identifying different scenarios, we can gain a deeper understanding of our industry and any potential changes or opportunities that may arise in the future.
Travel restrictions and economic growth/recession may be two of the most critical uncertainties in the offshore tourism industry due to their profound impact on the industry's performance. Travel restrictions, such as border closures, strict entry requirements or even domestic travel ban, as during the pandemic Covid-19, directly hinder the flow of tourists, resulting in a significant decline in visitor numbers and revenue for destinations heavily reliant on tourism. These restrictions can be imposed due to various factors like political instability, health crises, or security concerns.
On the other hand, economic growth or recession greatly influences people's disposable income and willingness to spend on travel. During periods of economic growth, individuals tend to have more financial resources, leading to increased travel demand and expenditure. Conversely, during recessions, people are more likely to tighten their budgets, reducing their discretionary spending, including travel.
As these two factors have a significant impact on the industry, a scenario matrix has been created to discuss and analyze their effects. Four different scenarios have been developed based on the contrasting outcomes of these two factors combined and the possible outcome of each scenario has been discussed.
Source: Leading in a digital world, Lecture 9 Scenario Thinking & Wrap up, 2023-05-15
Download the PDF-document below to read the full version of the industry deep dive and see the references. Enjoy!
The future for the industry - Exponential technologies
In the future, the offshore tourism industry will witness the accelerated digitalization, driven by advancements in digital technologies, data ecosystems, and AI. This digital transformation will introduce a wide range of smart equipment and platforms, revolutionizing the industry in several ways.
AI and machine learning will shape the future of maritime tourism, offering personalized experiences through chatbots and virtual assistants. By leveraging data ecosystems and AI algorithms, customer preferences can be understood, improving the booking process. Analyzing data will provide valuable insights for businesses to optimize offerings and enhance decision-making. Digital technologies will also enhance safety and security through real-time monitoring. Establishing robust data ecosystems with privacy and ethics in mind is crucial for responsible and secure digitalization in the industry.
Source: Leading in a digital world: Lecture 3, Digital technologies & Lecture 7, Data Ecosystems and AI.
