28 Jun Building back…

2021 will be remembered as a reset year. After decades of tourism growth, the pandemic delivered a devasting year for our industry and now we are starting to make our way forward again. It’s not going to be the same, but can it be better? As we get ready for the new normal – here are a couple of priorities for the coming years.

1. Building back better takes leadership that balances the immediate with the strategic. Focusing on the short-term without attention to the long-term – or vice versa – just won’t work.
2. It will take work. Research by my colleagues Marshall and Sydnor show that it is rare for small businesses to recover better – at least in the first few years following a crisis. Collectively we must beat the odds.
3. We need to work together. Tourism is a complex, collaborative activity. All tourism stakeholders have a role to play if we are to improve the tourism system from the inside out.
4. We must avoid false dichotomies: It’s not true that things are either sustainable or cost-effective – they can be the same.
5. This is personal. Too often we overlook the human dimensions of these challenges, but they shouldn’t be overlooked. One of the most important factors in resilience is social capital and the strength of our networks in times of trouble. Building back better means more than restarting businesses, it means building skills and capabilities to meet the next big challenge.