A somewhat surreal experience actually – one an approximate 2,000-year old living thing whose name means “Lord of the Forest” and the other, a mere babe in the woods actually, at about 120 years old (Eiffel Tower was built in 1889) that draws the eye of every visitor to Paris.

At 300m, Eiffel Tower of course towers over Tane Mahuta (51.2m) but size really doesn’t matter, I think, in cases such as these. It is what they inspire in you that matters.

Looking up at Tane Mahuta is awe-inspiring in itself but when accompanied by a story and a song, is spine-chilling and this video I took during my visit to this attraction shows the power of storytelling and interpretation to create an experience that burns in your memory for a long time. 

On the other hand, for me, Eiffel Tower is better viewed from a distance than close up. And it is the drama it lends to the city skyline that defines this Parisian piece of architecture.

Going from one to the other in less than a week made me realise one, how small and connected our world is; two, the contrasts between a new world and an old world and three, how Asia is more and more the bridge between the two worlds. New Zealand knows it has to look to Asia to grow its economy and Europe realises it needs to engage more with Asia to prop up its ailing economy.

As 2010 draws to a close, we in Asia stand at an exciting time in history. When I was in Paris, I visited the Shangri-La Hotel that will soft open in the city on December 17.

It is the group’s first in Europe but more significantly, it signals the rise of a new power in the world – the Hong Kong-based company bought the former home of Prince Roland Bonaparte, the grand-nephew of Napoleon Bonaparte, and spent four years and I am sure millions of Euros restoring the late 19th century historical mansion into a 81-room luxury hotel.

History meets hospitality, East meets West, French fuses with Chinese. The blurring of boundaries and the collapse of walls. Now isn’t that a great thought to enter the new year with?

Here are some more thoughts to enter 2011 with.

1. Online will become part of mainstream in Asia. It will no longer be us vs them, online vs offline, high tech vs high touch. More traditional travel agents will move into the online space and online travel agents will use new technologies to create human empathy and direct relationships with customers.

2. Across the industry, we will see more investments in own branded websites, social media and mobile, and in applications, devices and platforms. However limited resources will demand players pick their bets carefully. You can’t do everything well, so you’ll have to do a few things really well. Time to pick your horses.

3. More companies will move into creating owned media (defined as ‘delivered from a company to consumers through channels created by the company). They will look for content that speaks to their personality and that conveys their company’s purpose. Companies that still think in silos – marketing vs public relations or social media vs public relations – will lose ground.

4. The web and Internet have moved from mass to me. People are suffering from information over-overload, social media fatigue and mobile app confusion. The companies that figure out how to talk to the “me” with purpose and meaning – no matter the channel – will win.

5. Virtual fuses with real – how I am made to deal with a supplier online is how I expect to interact with it offline. I want to get what I see, and I want to feel what I get. I don’t want to deal with a split personality.

6. The war for talent will break out. The price to pay for the lack of investment in the right education and training for the right mindset and skills and now that a new era dawns in marketing as well as customer expectations, the scramble for talent is on. Creative individuals who know their groove will pick the right companies with the right groove.

Yes, as I travelled across the continents in the last month of 2010, I felt slightly overwhelmed by all that’s going on in our world. Environmental issues, political problems, continuing terrorist scares, heightened security, new moves by the new lords of the world – Google, Apple, TripAdvisor, Facebook, Microsoft – it’s hard to keep track let alone stay on top of things.

But remember, like Tane Mahuta who’s seen it all, you remain strong by sticking to your roots and, like Eiffel, having a strong sense of purpose.

May you grow ever stronger in the new year.

Featured image credit (Driving on an empty road towards the setting sun): Ockra/iStock