It’s onerous to imagine that one other 12 months has come to an finish, and as I mirror again on 2024, it’s a combination of every thing – the nice, the dangerous and the ugly. However the factor I’ve been struck with most in these previous few days is how HOPE continues to lift us up day-after-day. Regardless of the challenges – the conflicts, the division, and the sheer overwhelm of all of the difficulties we face in our varied companies, organizations, and locations – there stays hope.
Hope after I sat within the Vacation spot Accelerators at our occasions in Quito, Kitzbühel, Asheville, and Panama Metropolis – the place an important and chosen query to debate was, “How can we appeal to the correct kind of accountable traveler?” This shift is monumental when you concentrate on it. Till not too long ago, many tourism progress methods have been solely speaking about rising the top-line variety of guests, which as everyone knows, isn’t a holistic measure of the worth vacationers can carry, and left unchecked, can result in problematic burdens for native communities.
Hope after I attended our Local weather Innovation Convention in Bergen and Alesund, Norway, the place I discovered about cutting-edge applied sciences and modern methods to deal with local weather change. There, I heard veteran operators say, “, that is the primary time in a very long time I’ve had some hope for the long run,” and noticed leaders throughout the trade totally purchase in and interact with the work ATTA has been doing with Tomorrow’s Air.
Hope after I listened to an ecolodge operator in Fiji throughout AdventureNEXT describe Cyclone Winston, which hit the area virtually 10 years in the past. It utterly obliterated their operation and buildings, however they persevered and confronted tragedy with grit – they’re now again on their ft due to their fierce dedication to rebuild.
Hope after I heard the story of a tour operator in Fiji who went to the U.S. and British embassies in the course of the pandemic and pleaded for monetary assist as a result of enterprise had utterly dried up. The embassy workers got here up with a plan to rent the operator and his guides to drive medical doctors to villages. Because of this, they have been in a position to prolong medical care to distant areas and his enterprise may survive by means of the disaster.
Hope and pleasure within the technique of co-creating the track “Unidos en la Aventura” with the band Making Films and tons of of members from all world wide in Quito, Kitzbühel, and Asheville. The message and great thing about the track is exclusive to all of us, the ATTA neighborhood!
A whole lot of unimaginable tales of hope spring to thoughts from this previous 12 months, and I’m grateful to have been in my position for the final 20 years with the ATTA and to be blessed with the presence of all of you at our occasions and different international gatherings. That hope springs from the collective caring and motion that occurs after we work collectively, look out for each other, and assist one another.
If issues are going splendidly for you, I urge you to think about those that aren’t in that place and see if there’s a technique to lend a serving to hand, or create some constructive impression on these round you. Proper right here in our personal journey journey neighborhood, we’ve got members affected by the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Asheville and members who’re going by means of the nightmare of conflict in Lebanon and the West Financial institution. I not too long ago heard a couple of small firm struggling as a result of a overseas mining operation has dirty their waterways and seashores, depriving them of a meals supply and ruining the out of doors property for visitors to get pleasure from. One other operator needed to abandon his lodge in Myanmar for the protection of his household; he later obtained pictures from his neighbors that confirmed navy teams destroying it.
Gabi and I assist a corporation that aids refugees, and so they not too long ago despatched this message within the mail to us:
“Could we who rejoice the vacations within the heat glow of a house bear in mind refugees who’re sleeping outdoors tonight,
Could we who collect round a bountiful desk of meals with family and friends bear in mind these whose hearts are aching far-off from these they love
Could this season that celebrates peace on earth remind us to wish for these whose lives are disrupted by violence and oppression
Allow us to ACT and SPEAK on behalf of these whose fingers are tied and voices silenced…”
I really like working on this neighborhood of journey journey professionals. You’re the most caring, brave, modern, and considerate group of individuals in any trade I’ve ever heard of. Breaking bread with you all world wide this 12 months has given me hope for what we are able to accomplish within the years to come back, and I hope it’s finished that for you too.
As Thornton Could stated at our second Journey Journey World Summit again in 2006, “Your community will maintain you secure.” Thanks all for being who you might be, being a part of a collective power for good, and for holding one another in neighborhood all 12 months lengthy.