I have some facility in writing because I enjoy it and usually even always know what I'm going to talk about. Today I have written and deleted the title a dozen times and I simply don't know how to continue. I stop, and I think this is the feeling that countless companies and teams in Tourism must also feel at this moment. We have a glimmer of hope with the opening of some flights, but now that we have to react, we don't even know-how. The solution... move on. Even if it doesn't come out perfect right away.

After almost 6 months stopped, here comes a new beginning. Full of uncertainties, insecurities, and still with many unanswered questions. How can we take advantage of this opportunity and start again what we have been looking forward to so much?

There is no right answer to this question. For we also don't believe in the phrase that we often hear "we are all in the same boat". We are not all in the same boat. Yes, we are all in the same sea, still with stormy days. But some are with speedboats, others with ships, and others in small rubber rowing boats. We don't have the right navigation chart, but we do have one certainty: for all of us to stay afloat, the solution has to be joint.

Nor do we believe that we will enter a new normal. The world as we knew it has changed and none of us is exactly the same person we were a year ago. But we don't talk about a new normal. We are talking about new demands, new paradigms, and even new realities and challenges that we will have to learn to deal with. And for new realities, we will have to look for new ways of thinking, new leadership, and even greater investment in People.

The solution is not linear, and the answer may even have some complexity, but there are 6 Paradigms about which we have complete certainty, and on which any tourism company must build:

1. PEOPLE

People must be at the center of all decisions. They will be the main foundation for the success of any business. Respect. Sense of belonging. Involvement. People as part of the solution. Training and continuous learning. A genuine concern for teams, in a positive corporate culture, of sharing and co-creation.

2. PLANET

More than sustainability, regeneration. A Regenerative Creative Tourism in full communion with the communities where it is inserted. A circular connection and sharing on an environmental, socio-cultural, and economic level. Respect for all these dimensions, with Tourism as an integrating industry with other industries, in a common benefit.

3. PROFITS

The companies are in a fragile situation and urgently need to start being profitable. But they won't be able to do it alone. Creative solutions together, contributing to the development of local businesses. Circular Economy. Sustainable Capitalism with an equitable distribution of wealth.

4. PURPOSE

Companies do not need to reinvent themselves. They need to go back to their essence, to the true reason for their existence. More than creating products and offerings, we need to seek our authenticity and share it creatively with all generations. More than selling, we have to generate and nurture lasting emotional relationships with those who visit us. Because we are unique and that hasn't changed.

5. PLANNING

Anticipate different scenarios, build solutions based on different possibilities for the future. It is a fact that we almost need a crystal ball, but having a strategy, even if it is not the ideal one, is better than not having one at all. Not knowing where we are going and what we want to achieve is not a solution. OKRs and KPIs have to be constant.

6. POSITIVITY

To believe that it is still possible, that it is worthwhile to continue in an industry that builds Happiness. That we all miss so much to see at its best. We don't want to reach the 2019 numbers, not in their profitability, but in the consequences and through the path we were following without realizing the sacrifices we are subjecting ourselves to. We don't need to do more, we need to do better. And today, with resilience, believing in a better future.

I'm still not sure if this is what I wanted to write about, but it stays anyway. In a world of uncertainty, (MU)VUCA or BANI, as you prefer, it is hard to be sure of all the steps to take. But the important thing is to move forward, believing in our individual value and mainly in the value of the collective.

Let’s go…