Tourism Matters
Tourism Matters explores careers, capability and the people shaping the tourism industry. Host Carmen Bold speaks with professionals, leaders and educators from across the sector about how they built their careers, the lessons they’ve learned along the way, and where the industry is heading next. The podcast offers insight for anyone working in tourism, considering a career in the industry, or responsible for developing the next generation of talent.
Tourism Matters
Zac Watson: Tourism Careers, Digital Leadership and Building High-Performing Teams
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In this episode of Tourism Matters, join Carmen Bold as she chats with Zac Watson about building a career in tourism, from studying tourism management at Lincoln University to working across tourism attractions, regional tourism development and digital marketing.
Zac shares insights from roles with organisations including Merlin Entertainments, Haka Tourism Group, Auckland Unlimited and Maverick Digital. The conversation explores networking, leadership, mentorship and the growing role of digital marketing and distribution in the visitor economy.
What you'll take away from this episode
• How studying tourism can lead to opportunities across many parts of the industry
• Why networking and industry involvement matter for building tourism careers
• The value of entry-level roles in developing sector knowledge and experience
• How digital marketing and distribution channels influence tourism growth
• Leadership lessons from sport, teamwork and building strong workplace culture
• Practical advice for young professionals entering the tourism industry
About Zac
Zac Watson has built his career across tourism attractions, regional tourism organisations and digital marketing. His experience includes roles with Merlin Entertainments, Haka Tourism Group, Auckland Unlimited and Maverick Digital, working across tourism product development, destination marketing and digital strategy.
Zac has also been actively involved in the tourism industry through organisations such as the Young Tourism Export Council of New Zealand, supporting leadership development and networking across the visitor economy.
Connect with Zac: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zdwatson/
Connect with Carmen: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carmen-bold/
Organisations and industry references mentioned
Tourism Industry Aotearoa: https://www.tia.org.nz
Lincoln University: https://www.lincoln.ac.nz
Young Tourism Export Council: https://www.tourismexportcouncil.org.nz/ytec/
Auckland Unlimited: https://www.aucklandnz.com
Merlin Entertainments: https://www.merlinentertainments.biz
Haka Tourism Group: https://hakatours.com
Maverick Tourism: https://maverick-tourism.com/
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Zac Watson and his tourism career
04:00 Studying tourism at Lincoln University and early industry exposure
08:30 Entry into the tourism industry and early roles in attractions
13:00 The value of studying tourism and understanding the sector
17:00 Mentorship, recruitment and building strong teams
22:00 Destination development and regional tourism roles
27:00 Industry networking and the Young Tourism Export Council
32:00 Digital marketing and tourism distribution channels
37:00 Data, seasonality and targeted tourism marketing
43:00 Leadership style and building a positive workplace culture
48:00 Mentorship, relationships and industry involvement
54:00 Recruitment advice and hiring for attitude
62:00 Professional development and learning from mentors
71:00 Building high-performing tourism teams
78:00 Advice for young professionals entering tourism
86:00 Reflections on the tourism industry and future aspirations