WRAPPED IN HOPE

WRAPPED IN HOPE

by | Jun 11, 2021

WRAPPED IN HOPE

‘To cherish a desire with anticipation,’ is Merriam-Webster’s lovely definition of HOPE. This week, we wrapped up RISE – Season 3. Taking a break until Season 4 launches in September, many around us look towards the mid-year holiday season and the ‘next normal’ as parts of the world begin to ease border restrictions and destinations welcome back tourists. Our wish is to leave behind apprehension, and advance with hope. This is done, however, whilst acutely aware of the fact that many parts of the world are still suffering, with  COVID-19 continuing to threaten lives and livelihoods. Prayers remain strong. As does hope.

The ongoing uncertainty of these times embeds how, during the past year and a half, we’ve all strived to remain positive and hopeful whilst trying to predict personal and professional outcomes. Any risk assessment and mitigation process requires looking at worst case scenarios – being prepared for those whilst hopefully anticipating the best outcomes! This is sensible, and it remains the only viable approach because, let’s be honest, the one thing we’ve learned this year is that predicting the future is a risky business in itself!  The brilliant Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue was our Executive in Residence for last Monday’s Season 3 Finale of RISE, and the timing was perfect, because Anita and Demian were able to ask him all the questions we’re all thinking and are desperate to have answered. 

 

What we need to  know

 

Mostly, we want to know what the travel sector – destination governments, tour operators, airlines, etc. – are doing to ensure we can get back out there and safely enjoy our vacations. For you, our RISE viewers, this is relevant from a business perspective as Travel, Tourism and Hospitality practitioners, but also as people who just want to have a holiday!

 

We need reliable information to feel safe to travel – we need to re-establish some sense of control in terms of health & safety, mobility (especially around border crossings), and cost. There are just too many risks emerging as rules and regulations seem to keep changing.

 

Dan emphasised the value of predictable protocols. He also stated the importance of destinations having adequate resources and infrastructure in place, suggesting that ‘well-prepared places with tourist – centric posture will attract travelers.’

 

What we do know

 

Our RISE audience poll told us that forced quarantine and isolation is still the issue that concerns 2/3 of travelers most when considering overseas holidays. Dan agreed that this reflects his experience, saying ‘traveller confidence in being able to travel and not get Covid is skyrocketing, but unfortunately the concern with respect to border closures, quarantine, and friction in the travel process continues to be significant.’

 

Our wish-list for the next normal

 

  • Clarity and consistency around travel regulations and requirements from Governments
  • Clear communication and messaging of the protocols from all stakeholders
  • A smooth transition from restrictions to travel freedom (with no surprises of reversal back to restrictions)
  • Co-operation and collaboration between industry sectors
  • Empowerment – we all crave a sense of control again. Yes, we need to know that risk is being managed at government and organisational levels, but we also want accurate and reliable information that allows us to make our own decisions again, with a degree of security that we can make the right ones based on the correct information.
  • A greater focus on sustainability, finally
  • A changed approach to labour within the industry. We said this is a wish-list, so yes, we are going there! The lovable grouch Demian suggested that Anita was dreaming when she argued in the TKO debate that the industry would change their approach to labour, being more conscious of and responsive to employee wellbeing. We all (even Demian) hope that positive change will come from the past year!
  • Sustained resilience – we’ve learned much from the pandemic, and our hope is that the resilience we’ve built personally and professionally will be carried with us as we move forward, and that we’ll work together, assisting each other in maintaining this too.

Lastly, we hope the technology that’s been developed in response to this pandemic will assist in preventing the next, so the traumatic experience of the past year may remain there… in the past. 

For now,  ‘arm doors and cross check!’ We move forward with hope and confidence. Whether you are looking to safely enjoy a long-awaited holiday, or staying put and productive behind a computer screen, RISE is here with you to embrace the next normal. And we are excited to welcome you back for RISE Season 4 in September! Until then, well you know the drill: stay safe, stay strong, stay hopeful.

Register here to catch us live, or to watch previous episodes. Thank you for being an invaluable part of RISE. 

 

LEADERSHIP – STEPPING UP AND CHECKING IN

LEADERSHIP – STEPPING UP AND CHECKING IN

by | May 28, 2021

LEADERSHIP – STEPPING UP AND CHECKING IN

–

They say crisis reveals one’s true strengths. This crisis, this year, has been revealing like few others –  a surreal year in which we’ve all experienced moments beyond belief. Moments when we consciously acknowledge we’re seeing a different world from what we’ve seen before or could ever have anticipated. Throughout this past year RISE has been here to report, help make sense of, and discuss new developments, separating the noise from the news.

Contributing so richly to these conversations, have been our Execs In Residence, an array of extraordinary leaders from all sectors of our Travel, Tourism and Hospitality industry. Each has brought a fresh perspective and inspired us with their insight and their calm and optimistic approach to dealing with each challenge as it’s arisen. The RISE team has also observed, as our hosts Anita and Demian have facilitated thought leadership through RISE and have led their clients and students in navigating the way forward.

 

tHE INSPIRATION

 

Last week on RISE we were joined by Fred Dixon, CEO of NYC & Company as well as the CEO of Singapore Tourism Board, Keith Tan. Both are forward-thinking leaders from iconic global Tourism Cities. They shared their challenges and their perspectives on supporting tourism in their cities and remaining future-focused. One of our viewers asked Keith what was the most important thing he’d learned as a leader this year. His response became the inspiration for the topic of this Blog; “Stay calm and prepare for all possibilities. There are all sorts of things that could happen, surprises that come along the way. The crises and the challenges can come from anywhere, so I think as the leader of any organisation, we have to be prepared to roll with the punches and continue to imbue our teams with a sense of optimism.”

THE TOLL

 

Why? Because it’s absolutely true that this is what’s expected of leaders, whether you’re the leader of a family, a class, a company or a country. And it’s what great leaders do – they deliver on the expectation that they remain calm in the face of adversity, and they instill that same sense of calm and resilience in those they’re leading safely through the crisis. But what is the personal cost and toll on those who lead? Who checks in on them to see how they’re coping? Self-care seems another responsibility they themselves must undertake.  As we move through and beyond this crisis, it’s important to remember that sometimes the psychological effects are only felt when the immediate crisis is over, once we have the time to reflect and assess. So, we looked a little closer at what this means and how we can mitigate the personal toll of leadership through crisis. We all feel the weight of leadership to some degree, whether we’re leading a small family or a business empire!

 

A Professional Perspective

 

RISE – AND SHINE talked with Colin Wilford who is a Clinical Psychologist, Leadership & Executive Coach and CEO of  Wilford Scholes. We asked him about his observations and experience of the psychological toll on leaders during crises. He states that any organisational crisis, whether financial, emotional or medical has a profound psychological effect on the leaders of that organisation, for these 3 reasons:   

RESPONSIBILITY

The leader, like a parent, feels directly responsible for the safety and well-being of all those under their care. This deep sense of responsibility dramatically increases the amount of stress experienced by the leader concerning those they lead especially when that leader is empathic and people orientated. 

GUILT

When anyone suffers from the effects of a crisis, the leader naturally feels it’s their fault even though this may be irrational. During the past year many have faced painful decisions like reducing staff numbers or discontinuing contracts. Taking on that guilt is a common response and they wonder why they can’t sleep or why they are less patient than before.   

RELUCTANCE TO DELEGATE

Often the leader feels solely responsible for fixing the problem. Despite their own training and mentoring, they feel the weight of it all being up to them to provide relief and resolution and so they often neglect to share the load and have others provide solutions. 

 

Colin suggests these 5 steps when leading through and beyond a crisis:

 

1. Never try to deal with the crisis on your own. Always involve other capable work colleagues who    can share the load. 

2. Make sure you talk with a mentor or trusted associate about your feelings, fears and thoughts.        This process will help you be more aware of the impact on you and what you can do about it.  

3. Know that there is a solution to every crisis and you may need to research who has dealt with this before and what they did to resolve it. 

4. Remind yourself that you are not expected to know all the answers and that often all you can do is merely facilitate and encourage others to find their own solutions. 

5. Change your perspective to realise that a crisis is there to teach you and make you more effective and experienced as a leader and try to avoid focusing on the crisis always being a bad thing.  

 

WE’RE ALL DIFFERENT

 

Anita points out , “we should try to refrain from judging how other leaders have responded to a crisis, especially when a shared crisis like this past year. We all have different wiring, and therefore different responses. We all need to be sensitive to different people’s abilities to endure struggles in different ways.”

As travel restarts, lockdowns ease in some parts and we look to the next normal, it’s important to check in on our resilient selves, take the time to acknowledge the toll this year has taken and take the necessary steps to ensure that resilience remains and that we’re able to enjoy moving forward! 

So…‘Arm Doors and Cross Check’ –  which also happens to be the title of our final episode of Season 3 next week! Don’t miss any clues about what Season 4 will bring. Anita and Demian are delighted to be sharing the RISE stage with Dan Richards, CEO of Global Rescue. Be there, same time and place to hear what Dan has to say about what destinations and travel companies are doing to help us all get back out there safely. 

 

Register here to catch us live, or to watch previous episodes. Thank you for being an invaluable part of RISE. 

 

2021 LIVING TRENDS – TAKE THEM OR LEAVE THEM?

2021 LIVING TRENDS – TAKE THEM OR LEAVE THEM?

by | May 14, 2021

2021 LIVING TRENDS – TAKE THEM OR LEAVE THEM?

 

On RISE we love examining which of the lifestyle changes from the past year people are keen to hold onto, and which we’re ready to drop…

 

Last week’s episode of RISE focused on how the forced WFH (working from home) culture impacting millions worldwide has had an impact on the Real Estate industry and how this also links to the Travel, Tourism and Hospitality industry. A fascinating connection between closed borders and opening of not only domestic tourism, but the domestic holiday home market. The lovely Dr Andrew Golding, CEO of Pam Golding Properties was our Exec in Residence, speaking with Anita and Demian about some of the lifestyle trends that have emerged globally – the consequences of working from home, traveling closer to home and investing more in home.

 

moving on out

 

Working from home has been normalised, virtual meeting an accepted way of working. Which is why business travel seems unlikely to return to previous levels in the mid-term. Then there are the zoom towns emerging outside of metro centres and commuter belts – often in holiday towns! Andrew mentioned that many of Pam Golding Properties’ clients feel that if they can work from anywhere, then they should seriously consider buying homes based on where they’d like to live. Living near the office is no longer an imperative. 

 

Many of us in the T,T&H industry don’t have the option of working from home. For those who do… the jury seems to be out on this phenomenon. Some love it, and others can’t wait to get back to their work spaces. There appears a strong correlation between working from home with young children and fleeing back to the relative peace and quiet of the office!

 

In our RISE polls last week only 6% of our viewers said that they’d enjoyed ‘nothing’ about working from home. This compared to 50% declaring that they’d most enjoyed the flexibility and time management advantages. Whilst there are obvious psychological advantages to working from home, there’s also the risk of burnout due to blurred boundaries between work hours and home hours. Some also find the disconnection and isolation from colleagues damaging to mental health. Evidence of the latter concern is supported by our first RISE poll on Monday, which indicated that 80% of our viewers were most excited by either ‘in person collaboration’ or ‘seeing colleagues/classmates in person’ when thinking about returning to the workplace. 

 

Moving on up

 

The prospect of continued work from home presents many of us with the dilemma of how to make it sustainable. We’re not talking about environmental sustainability here. Rather, we’re looking at how to make it work when we have multiple family members living and working in the same space. Again… this is not for everyone. If it is an appealing and viable option, there are considerations around living and working space. From a residential real estate perspective, this means we’re seeing an increase in consumers either upsizing and buying larger properties or renovating to increase living and leisure space. Andrew mentioned renovation trends including multiple home offices, increased living and leisure spaces, and the addition of home leisure facilities such as gyms, tennis courts, pools and spa tubs. The question is, are we likely to continue more home-based leisure activities, or will we be raring to re-join our community gyms and tennis clubs? 

Perhaps, the aim is to have the option of either. As Andrew says, ‘everyone needs to plan for uncertainty, and whilst it’s always been important, the living environment is now of paramount importance.’

 

Moving IN

 

Another emerging trend is to move the family home to the countryside, and live in a micro-apartment in the city, or a co-sharing space during the week. Both concepts originated before COVID19, but have become more popular, and possibly even more affordable than before, as business real estate spaces have been vacated with corporates and retailers vacating cities. Will co-living spaces emerge as the preferred option for first-time home buyers due to affordability as we move beyond lockdown? In addition to affordability, co-living spaces also have the potential to provide a bridge for recent graduates between living at home (or university) and living independently. 

 

Luxe living – bring on the bubbles!

 

This covers 2 of the new lifestyle ‘bubble’ trends – 

  • Moving into communities or gated estates in which work, home, leisure and recreation can all be enjoyed on one site. Examples of this are golf, equestrian or eco estates.
  • Multiple family groups – either relatives or friends moving into the same luxury lifestyle estate or community so they may remain proximal to each other in the event of further lockdowns. This is especially relevant for multi-generational families.

Whilst the advantages of these trends are obvious, so – we feel, are the disadvantages. Did someone say claustrophobia? Like most other lifestyle choices… a blissful option to some would have others running screaming for freedom – and variety – or on the other end of the spectrum, more privacy.

Whatever our lifestyle preferences, 2021 has served up some interesting choices as we move into the next normal, some which we may never have considered in our pre-pandemic existence. They’ll also have a significant impact on our Travel, Tourism and Hospitality business decisions as we pivot to respond to and embrace the changing ways in which our customers live their lives, spend their work and leisure time, and the changing locations in which they choose to do so. 

Wouldn’t we all love a crystal ball right about now?

 

Register here to catch us live, or to watch previous episodes. Thank you for being an invaluable part of RISE. 

ONE YEAR ON, TOGETHER WE RISE

ONE YEAR ON, TOGETHER WE RISE

by | Apr 30, 2021

ONE YEAR ON, TOGETHER WE RISE

RISE has just celebrated our Special 1st Anniversary episode. It’s been a year of contrasts. At the same time being a time of loss, of fear, challenge, uncertainty, and personal isolation, it’s also been a year of unprecedented innovation, of unity, camaraderie, and hope. And so, one year on, to celebrate this milestone, we paused to reflect, to share, and to re-inspire. We were proud to feature 18 of our almost 60 Execs in Residence from previous episodes – global leaders through 3 seasons of RISE who shared messages of their personal hopes for the future of our industry. Alongside them, our impressive, eloquent and intuitive EHL student guests Christina Klaas, Alex Radojevic and Lena Chan certainly gave us reason to feel optimistic that the future of Travel, Tourism & Hospitality is in highly capable and compassionate hands!

Responding to the personal nature of the messages, Lena’s unsurprised comment was that ‘the only way forward is to show that we’re united in our vulnerability.’ This simple truth inspired us to dig a little deeper and look at the personal insights we the RISE team gained this year. Some of them are more comfortable truths than others. Some are helpful, and empowering, and worth holding onto as we move into the future – into the next normal. Others are more uncomfortable realities that we’d like to either leave behind us, find a way of working with, or adjusting to so we can move forward.

We’ve all become more intimately acquainted with work colleagues – our humanity and vulnerability exposed as we’ve worked from home, juggling work and family life, giving others insight into our homes, through our virtual connection with the outside world.

This year has concentrated and amplified our experiences and reactions – good and bad. Love, gratitude, meaning and hope – also fear, loss, anxiety, and vulnerability.

Our RISE Team was inspired– and in some cases, prodded to dig a little deeper, and share with you what each of us have learned about ourselves this year.

 

GRACE

 

“The Power of the hug: I can honestly say I have never realised just how much I have taken a hug for granted.

We hug for many reasons: a hello, a goodbye, a thank you or a sorry. I truly believe it can fix so much. Throughout this whole year, it is what I have yearned for so much. There are many moments over this past year that stick in my mind, but the ones that really stir emotions are those that contain a hug. The first hug outside my household was with my sister when she was able to bubble with us, we held that hug until the tears stopped. Hugging my Nana at Christmas, nearly a whole year after I was last able to hug her, I never wanted to let her go. As we go into the “next normal” and as restrictions start to ease, there will be so many things that will return to an old sense of normality, but one thing I will not let return, will be me taking another hug for granted.”

 

SARA

 

“The importance of not taking small things for granted such as going to the gym/the office or seeing friends at a restaurant.  Also, saying “No” or “I don’t have time” to work tasks sometimes, to allow time to get out of my room (which is also my office) and get a change of scenery so that I can come back to work with more energy the next day.”

 

DEMIAN

 

“I like working barefoot.”

Translation: I’m a big hearted softie who cares more than I like to let on, and I’m worried that it’s starting to show!

 

JESSICA

 

“As much as I am disorganised as a person, when it comes to work or my family – I don’t like half-measures. With schools open and shut, work lives and routine changed from ‘before’, I had to learn to accept I could no longer attempt to give 100% of myself to every area of my life. When your kids are playing next to your desk, as you try and maintain some semblance of professionalism in a meeting, you learn that you can only do what you can do. I’ve learned that this is okay, well I am at least trying to accept that it is okay. Burning out won’t help anyone, so my big shift has been finding focus in those windows of normality. Being okay with the 60% days, knowing that a window will open again and I’ll be able to still deliver work that I’m proud of.”

 

mAnuel

 

It was a Thursday in January in the home office and I was so busy I couldn’t keep up with the work given to me nor would I have made the deadline ahead. I had just cancelled another meeting with friends when I realised it is alright to say: “I need help, I can’t do this alone”. It’s good to know your strengths, accepting help became one of them.

 

Joanne

 

“As a natural introvert, I realised how much energy I expend on presenting a more extroverted façade, because work and social life require it. There were parts of lockdown that felt more comfortable to me than ‘normal life’. The upside is that I’ve become more comfortable that this is who I am and that I don’t have to fake extroversion. The downside is that some aspects of getting out there again are quite daunting after a year of not having to. Fortunately even introverts like some social connection, and everyone seems keen for more real human contact now.”

 

ANITA

 

“The COVID-19 crisis taught me that as much as I, we, can all endure crises, it is usually for a limited period of time. This time has been different. It was long, hard, endless. Which has meant there was nowhere to hide, especially from colleagues with whom we usually manage our ‘on’ presence. Sometimes you just have to call off a meeting minutes before because a meltdown is just too near the surface. Sometimes you don’t notice the signs and the meltdown happens publicly. All times you just want to hide. This is where this time has been a strange gift – being able to find safety, kindness and understanding in the presence of people you never knew you could trust to simply let you be human, as scary and messy and grouchy as that may be. Because quite honestly, we’re all going through this scary time together.”

 

For many, it’s been a year of self-discovery. We’ve faced personal challenges, and discovered in ourselves, different strengths and vulnerabilities, but the one universal truth, as pointed out by Lena, is our ‘pent up demand for human contact.’ Alex shared his excitement at the prospect of getting together in person to work again, stressing how during his time of social isolation in Melbourne, he’d realised just how much we need social contact, and how “socialisation is important to survive.” In the context of employment, Christina emphasised how after this year, employee wellbeing will be an important consideration for any organisation.

 

A Psychologist’s view

 

We asked Clinical Psychologist, Shona Lowes of Equilibria Psychology, which lesson from this year we should carry with us into the future as we move beyond the pandemic, and for a tool to assist us in moving forward positively.

‘I think the pandemic has been an opportunity to pause our busy lives and to re-evaluate what is important to us in relation to work, leisure and social life. 

‘Reflecting on the past year can be really helpful to ensure you move forward in a way that suits you and meets your needs for social and leisure activities. Write in a journal all the thoughts that come to your mind in response to: 

‘What have I learnt about myself through this pandemic’

‘What have I enjoyed or engaged in more during the enforced lockdowns’

‘What did I miss or not miss from my pre-pandemic life’

Then write a plan for yourself going forward to ensure you continue with the things you enjoy and gain a balance that fits you.’

 

REaching out – Moving Forward

 

Finally, our Chief Wizard, Jessica says “This year the world’s collective trauma has been more transparent. So many loved ones lost, the world over, friends and colleagues losing jobs, and the lack of social connection that we still don’t fully know the consequences of. Reach out to those who are hurting, reach out to those who seem the strongest, we have all been through some type of trauma this year, and it doesn’t heal the minute the world opens again.”

All our RISE guests over the past year, have all been told that whatever happens backstage on RISE, it’s ‘because Jessica says so.’ The reason being, she’s a smart Texan who knows what she’s about, so if she says so, it makes sense, and there’s a good chance that everything will turn out just fine!

Speaking of moving on… next on RISE, we’ll be talking with Andrew Golding, CEO of Pam Golding Properties about one trend from the past year that we’ll be continuing into the medium term future – working from home! What impact has this had on Real Estate? Join RISE,  Anita Mendiratta, & Prof Demian Hodari (henceforth known as The Barefoot Professor) to find out!

 

Register here to catch us live, or to watch previous episodes. Thank you for being an invaluable part of RISE. 

How Has Your Relationship With Food Changed Over The Past Year?

How Has Your Relationship With Food Changed Over The Past Year?

by | Apr 19, 2021

How Has Your Relationship With Food Changed Over The Past Year?

 

Food, glorious food! What is your relationship with it? And has that relationship changed over the past year being locked in? We’ve all been there – alone with our cravings, needing comfort, deserving a reward, wearing stretchy waistlines! 

 

On Monday’s RISE, we made a meal of it – chatting with Barb Stuckey, President and Chief Innovation Officer at Mattson and Alex Hardy, Regional Director, Consumer and Market Intelligence at General Mills. We dished up rich discussion around food innovation from a business and consumer perspective, how those innovations have been impacted by the pandemic, which are here to stay and the trends we may see continuing. 

 

As you know by now, we like to dig a little deeper in RISE – AND SHINE. So this week, we’re asking how you’d describe your personal relationship with food after a year of pandemic-dining? “Is that a thing,” you ask? Yes it is! We just made it up. 

 

A Love Affair

 

 

Many of us, during a pandemic or not, do have an ongoing love affair with food. It’s usually there when you need it, it can be comforting, entertaining, and healing. What’s not to love? Well, too much of it isn’t a good thing, and most of us food lovers can attest to indulging more than usual over the past year – especially during the height of lockdown. If you’re a food lover who wasn’t one of those participating in solo charitable runs or following the exercise gurus doing online workouts, then chances are you’ll also have piled on some ‘lockdown pounds’ and the whole ‘foodie affair’ may have progressed beyond the honeymoon phase and descended into the ‘I need some space to rediscover who I am on my own’ phase.

 

A Love  – Hate Relationship

 

Who amongst us doesn’t relate to this dynamic? Especially when it comes to having to prepare meals ourselves, which we’ve all been doing more of over the past year! We love eating, but we don’t love cooking. We love eating, but we’re bored with eating at home. We love eating but we hate piling on the pounds. Notice how mostly, we do love eating! Alex Hardy said one of the trends he’d noticed was that a year ago people were initially enjoying cooking more, but then pulled back from it as they became bored with having to cook 3 times a day, 7 days a week. No need for a show of hands here… we’re united on this one! As Alex pointed out, businesses have taken note of this, and commerce has responded with innovations designed to ease this burden! We have only to look at the surge in popularity of pre–prepared healthy meal kits. We can’t be certain which idea we love more – not having to decide what to make, or not having to shop for specific ingredients. Both! We love both!

 

The Great entertainer

 

Food has always had a fun factor! Whether it’s the enjoyment of trying different recipes and styles of food preparation, or the entertainment association of going out to eat with friends – a meal has always had the potential to create a sense of occasion. In the context of this past year, we should probably separate this category into ME and THEM.

ME

Will we ever forget the sourdough and banana-bread baking phases of lockdown? Have nations ever been so united in baking experimentation? It’s safe to say millions of us around the world entertained ourselves at some point during this pandemic, by experimenting with food preparation. This increased interest in cooking seems likely to continue! Our RISE audience POLL 1 reflected that cooking from scratch is the behaviour most people (59%) will continue into the next normal.

THEM

Anita stated that “food has become activity, engagement, education and entertainment.” This is true for us as individuals but will also resonate with every parent out there who had to find ways of keeping kids entertained, engaged, and fed – all whilst working from home – but that’s a topic for another blog! For many of us, food has been a powerful aid in keeping our loved ones entertained, and constructively engaged in activity –  and with each other.

 

A HEALTHY DYNAMIC

 

 

Barb made the interesting point that we need to define what eating healthily means. For some of us it means eating ‘clean’, and eating ‘whole foods,’ or if we’re eating packaged foods, looking for recognisable ingredients. For others, eating ‘clean’ or ‘healthily’ means clean living, and eating sustainably for our environment. One of the food-related trends that she’s noticed over the past year, is that more people are making food choices based on environmental impact. This mirrors the more mindful and impact conscious tourist behaviours we’ve seen and discussed over the past year on RISE. Our RISE audience Poll 2 indicated the majority of our viewers (71%) are eating more healthily now than they were a year ago. Does this have to do with taking a proactive approach to fighting the virus, and giving ourselves the best chance of staying healthy? Alex mentioned this as another one of the food-related trends, leading to innovation over the past year. With people recognising immunity boosting value in food, he says he’s seeing “nature and science coming together in how we look at food.” 

 

 

I’m ALL ABOUT MOVING THROUGH THE STAGES

 

 

As with all these discussions, it’s possible you see a little of yourself in each of these food relationships. We may feel that our delightfully complex relationship with food contains many facets all at the same time, or some of us may feel we’ve progressively waded (or waddled) through all the different stages! 

 

Food relationship aside, who else just can’t wait to eat somewhere other than at home? It doesn’t matter that we’ve supported our local restaurants, and mitigated our ‘kitchen fatigue’ by eating restaurant take-outs at home. That was great for a while and eased the boredom and the monotony of home cooking. It doesn’t, however, replace the thrill, entertainment value and sense of occasion that we derive from getting out there and eating out. This will surely be good news for all the publicans, chefs and restaurateurs out there who can’t wait to welcome diners back to their establishments! Bon Appetit!

A special invitation to our RISE community across the world – Save The Date!! Next Monday, April 26th, is for our very special 1st Anniversary of RISE! Join us as we celebrate how far we’ve all come together over this past year. RISE was created with you, for you, because of you – so please join us as we celebrate you –  our outstanding RISE community. Some of the truly inspirational Executives in Residence we’ve featured in previous episodes of RISE will share their hopes and expectations for their businesses one year on. We are all so excited, but this RISE 1st Anniversary milestone would not be the same without YOU. See you there!

 

Register here to catch us live, or to watch previous episodes. Thank you for being an invaluable part of RISE. 

 

WHAT’S YOUR 2021 TRAVEL VIBE?

WHAT’S YOUR 2021 TRAVEL VIBE?

by | Apr 5, 2021

WHAT’S YOUR 2021 TRAVEL VIBE?

 

“There’s a travel vibe?” you ask. “Of course, there is” we say. How do we know this? Because we spend every week on RISE asking our viewers and our guests what’s happening in our Travel Tourism and Hospitality (TT&H) Industry and asking how you’re all feeling about various topics. So – what we can tell you is that the majority of people want to get out there!

 

Monday’s episode was called Gen-Z: Breaking Free! Click the link below to hear what our guests Adam Armstrong, CEO of Contiki Holidays and Eduardo Santander, CEO & Executive Director of the European Travel Commission & Chairman of the European Tourism Manifesto had to say about this interesting sector of the market, but first –  for fun we’ll have a look at the traveller vibe you most identify with, whether you’re Gen-Z or a Baby Boomer!

 

In our second poll, we asked our viewers, apart from the universal reason of wanting to reconnect with loved ones, “Why are you aching to travel again?” The majority of you – 35% said it was “to feel alive and some sense of normality again!

 

‘TAKING BACK MY LIFE!’ TRAVELLER

 

We think many who gave this answer would identify with this travel vibe! Some call it ‘revenge travel’ – a term that emerged early on in the pandemic. RISE (particularly Anita) is not really a fan of the ‘revenge’ term. But we get the point. Whether it’s to take revenge on the pandemic and reclaim our lives, our plans, our holiday or personal development dreams, we are bursting with pent-up desire to get out there again and get on with our lives. We guess that many of our 18-35 year old viewers –  in this context referred to as “generation desperate” will also fall into this category. Grad trip, gap years, work experience, cultural exchanges, and honeymoons – these are all important life-stage experiences that have been missed or deferred, and what better way to prove that we’re undefeated and undeterred by this experience than to just get on with it? Hopefully the majority will do so safely and with due regard to the protocols so that we can all finally move out of lockdowns and restrictions! Demian’s video of Spring Break in Miami and the resulting state of emergency are a good example of how revenge travel can go wrong!

BUSINESS AS USUAL, EVEN IF UNUSUAL

 

This travel vibe may sound more matter of fact, and a little less exciting than exacting revenge, but many of us, from all the age demographics identify with it. We may not be desperate to travel at any cost, but we’d dearly love to be able to move about safely and  practically – to resume our business travel and to get back to taking family gatherings and special occasions for granted. We’d like to see our communities and businesses revived and have tourists back at our destinations.

 

CAUTIOUS

 

Paradoxically, those of us who may have fallen into this travel vibe, partly due to our life-stage demographic, and the resulting greater threat to health, are now the ones who’ll be front of the line when it comes to planning and booking our getaways! Adam referenced the fact that the generation most desperate to travel are at the back of the queue, and the older generation who’ve had earlier access to the vaccine are the ones who’ll be out there fastest! That’s not to say we can’t be cautious across all generations and demographics! Our caution may also be around protecting others, or fear of restrictions. Anita mentioned “the risk of travel is no longer the disease – the risk of travel is lockdowns, quarantines, regulations changing, and borders closing.” The challenge for us cautious travellers is that like everyone else, but to a greater degree, we’d love a little predictability. Eduardo referenced the challenge our industry faces in providing the predictability desired by tourists, stating that tourism is based on predictable facts, and we aren’t currently able to make many predictions!

RESOLUTELY MINDFUL

 

We’re not saying you can only identify with one vibe! We’ve spoken consistently over the past year of the momentum gained towards sustainable and mindful travel. We don’t like to speak too much about trends during a time when nothing about travel is predictable, but there are strong indications that across all demographics, mindful and conscious travel is an important factor in our travel decisions. So, there’s a strong likelihood, especially if you’re a “youth traveller,” that you may be plotting your revenge on this pandemic, planning your escape, all whilst choosing to leave the gentlest footprint possible! We can be great multitaskers too!

 

NO INTEREST

 

3% of our viewers in Poll 2 stated you “have no desire to travel right now.” Perhaps it’s the lack of predictability or the concern around the way others may behave, but for some, if we’re fortunate enough to have loved ones close by – the impetus just isn’t there right now. A holiday season, safely ensconced at home with loved ones, enjoying our local community and what it has to offer, or beginning to rebuild and reclaim other aspects of our lives and liberty stolen by this pandemic is just the right vibe for some of us!

Whatever your travel vibe, and whenever you feel ready to make your break for the freedom it offers, we can be secure in the knowledge, as Eduardo pointed out, that travel will always prevail. He also highlighted that ‘the purpose of travel is changing massively.’ Change may be daunting in its unpredictability but it’s also exciting – and in the case of our  TT&H industry, many of the changes we’re seeing indicate progress in securing the survival of our industry, our destinations, and our natural resources. Whilst acknowledging our losses, we do also like to keep an eye on the positives that have come out of this pandemic!

 

Next on RISE we’ll be “Making a Meal of It” and chatting about food innovation and trends with fabulous guests Barb Stuckey, President and Chief Innovation Officer at Mattson, and Alex Hardy, Regional Director, Consumer and Market Intelligence at General Mills. Join us. Same time and place!

 

Register here to catch us live, or to watch previous episodes. Thank you for being an invaluable part of RISE. 

 

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