Vaughan Rowsell

Save NZ from the recession with tourism activism (actourvism)

Here is a nifty idea to combat the effects of the global recession in NZ.

Tourism is our biggest export earner right? We love people coming to our little bump on the edge of the planet, and as Kiwis we love hosting people and telling them how great our part of the world is.

Here is a really smart and free idea (if any are in fact free) I was toying with while CTO at Vianet. This is for Tourism NZ, or any one who wants to make NZ shine on the world tourism stage. A “My NZ” social media site. Here is how it could work.

• The site, say www.mynz.com is a place for New Zealanders and visitors to New Zealand to have conversations about how fantastic NZ is.
• Let everyone have a say in their own space/page, in their own words and in their own way, about why they love NZ.
• Let them upload their NZ in pictures, audio and video. Identify the places they love in maps, favourite samples of life in NZ, music, culture, poetry, film.
• Link off to other social channels like Twitter and Facebook, YouTube channels, Blogger and WordPress. Every time someone contributes with why they love NZ, channel it with tweets and posts out through their other networks, to their friends and associates. Make it easy for people to have conversations about NZ with the rest of the world.
• Connect with great kiwi companies promoting NZ through technology, like ProjectX Technology/Zoomin, Vianet.travel, EventFinder, Bookabach etc. Connect it through www.madefromnewzealand.com, Tourism NZ
• Get people blogging on mynz.com. Invite prominent kiwis to write.
• Get Tourism NZ tweeting and twitpic-ing on twitter.
• Give New Zealanders ownership, and make them a part of bringing people to NZ. Offer bookings of trips, accommodation, activities through mynz.com. If you bring someone in through your profile and network, and they book travel through the site, earn points, commission, tax credits, jelly beans or a ranking based on how many people you connect with and brought to NZ.
• Make every kiwi a sales agent for New Zealand. Start tourism activism, actourvism!
• Make it fun. Make it infectious. Spread NZ like a virus!

You could almost start it with a little bit of work for relatively low cost by using established social networks and free tools out there. You would just need to build the central cog, the glue, the brand.

It might sound wacky, but I think it would work! Think about it. Don’t you love telling the world how great our country is? What is the best form of promotion? Through word of mouth via people you identify with and trust.

Are the odd years good for you?

We have gone from an even year to an odd year. Does that matter?

I have a little superstition that the evens are bountiful and the odds are hard work. Now that’s not to be pessimistic and expect doom and gloom (gawd there are enough doom merchants around at the moment). No, I actually like the odd numbered years. They are nose down kind of years, and I always seem to get a lot done. Now of course this is all silly superstition.

So what did I plan in 08?

Read more, think more, be more
This is pretty hard to measure, but I have made a concerted effort to spend more quality time reading quality, having more quality thinking time and not feeling rushed. All in all I think I am more effective. So success.

Do more to enhance my way of living without relying on buying crap
We rented no DVD’s in 08. I gave myself a “discretionary spend” budget each week and stuck to it. I did buy a new TV, but my old one was had it, and I bought an iPhone. Neither of these things can be considered “crap”. Oh and I got a boat so I can get away from things that make you want to buy crap. So I think this is a success.

Grow a really impressive moustache
SUCCESS! I thoroughly enjoyed Movember 08 and having everyone ask me if I grew my mo in sub-30 days. Yeah right. I was asked if now I will shave it off. No, I think I will hold onto it for a while. It has become kinda attached.

Avoid marketing
This one was easy. I watched only the TVNZ Freeview channels with no ads, downloaded TV series I like (with no ads), and stopped reading newspapers. Once you pull away from the mainstream media that pretty much cuts it down to mailbox circulars and online ads. Neither of these actually register with me anyway.

Be a better person
Success. I was a notorious work-a-holic and often let my work get in the way of other nuisances like, healthy relationships and lifestyle. I am now a reformed work-a-holic. I still work hard but in measured doses. I left my full time operational role with Vianet, and started part time consultancy which has quickly become a regular thing. I spend more time with my family and love them even more. I have more time for friends, and the community. And most importantly I have more time for me.

Move more
I have lost 8kg in 08. I find it much easier to get off my arse now. It is great!

Love more
I spend more quality time with my family. My youngest daughter spent the first 2 years of her life with a never there dad. And when I was I was always thinking about work. I have discovered two beautiful girls living in my house and they become more delightful everyday.

Eat less
As part of my weight loss, I watch what I eat. I count everything. It is amazing how oblivious I was to the amount of crap going into my body. When you carefully measure the inputs you can get very predictable outputs, and this is the secret to success for most things. If you don’t measure the inputs, how can you possibly expect the right outputs. As Rowan once advised, measure everything!

Hate less
Lastly, as a result of all the above I find I am much happier, and thus don’t hate as much. There is still much that “grinds my gears” but I don’t hate it as much. I find that if I don’t like something, rather than hating it, I provide constructive criticism, and see if I can help them or it out so I don’t hate it some much.

Well what is ahead for 09? I think the above worked so I’m gonna stick with it. But there is one new thing to add. There is a project I have been toying around with as an idea for some time now. Occasionally I tinker away at it. But this year I am going to get it going. I will make a plan (using PlanHQ) of what I want to achieve and then give it quality time. This is a year of hard work you know.

Also I refuse to participate in the recession. I think it is all psycological anyway. Anyone who tries to get me to subscribe to the impending doom will get a quick dose of optimisim and sunshine.

Taking the piss out of oneself

It is always healthy to take the piss out of oneself. I recently cut all my hair off and there has been the snide remark or two. Here are a couple of role models I am basing my new look on.

Vaughan Evil

Perhaps my next job

Cute Cats (damn it)

Ok I don’t usually succumb to forwarding on email funnies, especially not when it comes to cute cats. My mum, bless her, can always be relied upon to send on any email funnies doing the rounds, at the rate of one a day, and I usually click-scan-trash (sorry Mum), but for a change, I found her latest “cute cats” amusing, okay I laughed out loud. Now I don’t know if this is a side affect of being a house dad for the last three weeks or not, but here are some of the highlights I just had to share.

If these are NOT funny, please tell me so I know I am going insane.

Garfield (minus Garfield)

I always find it interesting trying to look at things from new perspectives, question preconceived ideas. Here is a good example of a new angle on something you already know. By taking Garfield literally out of the picture, you are left with a whole new take on the life of Jon Arbuckle. A sad and lonely modern guy… I think the strips without Garfield are funnier, but kinda sad at the same time. Check out http://garfieldminusgarfield.net/ and you will see what I mean…

Being a responsible human

Why do we all feel compelled to work work work, then consume consume consume? Work, consume, die. I have decided this year that there is a mean spirited campaign going on involving the worlds marketers, manufacturers, drug companies, real estate agents and banks. They all want us to consume more, spend more, be bigger. Its a great con really, how they all convince us we need the bigger house, the bigger car, the latest thing, and how can we do it, well you can borrow more and work harder and when you get the new house and better car and newer thing, it all changes again and you are convinced again that there is a better suburb, cooler widget, faster ride. Hell look at the Joneses.

So I am starting to look at the decisions I am making now and before doing anything I am asking myself “why am I here making this decision and who wants me to make it?”

I was in the hardware shop the other day and as I entered I was dazzled by the awesome display of outdoor living. Fantastic new garden furniture, chairs, bbqs and outdoor fireplaces. God imagine the life we could have, our furniture is ratty and the canvas on our oudoor chairs is worn, and the pictures in the brochures handed to me by a diligent attendant of opulence and leisure look really good. I could be lying in the sun all day long all year, all it costs me is a few thousand dollars, a small price to pay. I will just have to work hard to pay it off is all.

Hang on a minute, work hard, life of leisure. Thats a bit of a conundrum. How can you work hard and live a life of leisure both at the same time? They almost had me, close but no cigar, so instead I borrowed a friends water blaster, bought some new canvas, went home and water-blasted everything while Mel took apart our old and tired canvas chairs and cut and sewed the new canvas we bought. She revived the chairs and I revived the deck and furniture. Now it looks like a million dollars all for $50, the price of the replacement canvas, and 2 hours of my life. Also we are reducing our carbon footprint, we saved a kwila tree and I dont have to drive the old stuff to the tip.

So this year is the year of being a responsible human. I am starting a campaign to fight the fever of consumerism. It will be small and private but I might write about it from time to time. To start here is a quick list of, so be it, new years resolutions, hell why not. Im only 4 days late:

Read more, think more, be more
Do more to enhance my way of living without relying on buying crap
Grow a really impressive moustache
Buy less crap
Avoid marketing – this is tricky as it seems to be everywhere, YouTube, cereal boxes, in the news media, even your best friend with their new iPhone. They all want you to buy crap.
Be a better person – I have this one every year
Move more
Love more
Eat less
Hate less

Well that is all, start small I say.