THE SPARK & A SENSE OF WONDER

In December 1970, the former Editor of Fortune, Alvin Toffler, published Future Shock. His chapter entitled The Experience Makers provides an explosive, brilliant, picture of how society will consume culture and leisure experiences in the new millennium. It is astonishingly accurate in it predictions. For example, he states that ‘simulated and non-simulated experiences will be combined in ways that will sharply challenge man’s grasp of reality as we move towards interactive films….. If you can’t serve it up real, find a vicarious substitute.’

This body of work is enlightening and a must read for all of us working in the tourism and entertainment industries.

Toffler’s vision is extraordinarily accurate. His predictions about the dominance of virtual reality and technology in our lives is countered with a desire to see the new technology-driven experiential world balanced with real, authentic, experiences.

With the publication of The Spark & a Sense of Wonder in July, my co-author (Dr Alan Sandry) and I demonstrate how to create and enjoy great tourist experiences. We set out the importance of psychogeography in this process, we celebrate change-makers, we identify 20 great examples of best practice and we nominate 18 people to form the world’s first ever Hall of Fame for Great Experience Creators.

The book is available from www.graffeg.com