Incredibly, I only met Frida more intimately in a formation with Carla Furtado on Happiness Skills. Since then, I have had the greatest admiration for her, and every time we talk about resilience, in fact, Frida Kahlo appears in her representation.

But in reality, what does all this have to do with Tourism?

RESILIENCE in its definition means the property of bodies that return to their original form after having suffered deformation or shock. In a more figurative sense, it illustrates the capacity of those who adapt to bad weather, changes or misfortunes, and a natural tendency to recover or easily overcome the problems that appear.

Tourism needs all this... only the return to the original has to be improved.

This is where Frida, a woman ahead of her time, teaches us with her life, that even in the face of all adversities we must always blossom our days, and not be afraid to show what makes us unique, whether we are talking about People or Business. Especially in Tourism...

Frida was authentic and did not care about the standards that society imposed.

"misfortune did not take on the character of tragedy: she felt he had enough energy to do anything.” And this is also how Tourism flourishes again. Not caring about the standards, but only about its authenticity, taking care of the communities where it is inserted. #buildbackbetter. Although they forced us to stop, we need to have the capacity and energy to return stronger and with companies more aware of their impact. Humanized companies, far from pre-established economic standards and with People at the center of decisions. We don't need to follow the market; we need to bet on differentiation for authenticity.

Frida respected and loved the culture of her country.

Her colorful clothes remind us of her country of origin. Even living in the USA, she often celebrated her origin with gastronomy, music, and typical objects. Tourism also has to show respect for the culture of the communities where exist. Respect not only the culture but also the environment and the history and legacy. Tourism does not have to be intrusive, but inclusive and work in a fair circular economy for all its participants. It is time to think only about disproportionate growth, we already realize how fragile it makes us. It's time to regenerate, to build, to co-create. Sustainability, Integration of People, Planet, Income. Balance.

Frida always lived passionately and had a love for her life.

Even though many were misfortunes and health problems, with a unique form and resilience, the activist, a lighted defender of her ideals, loved and lived intensely despite all the obstacles imposed by life. She stated that "tragedy is the most ridiculous thing there is" and that "nothing is worth more than laughter”. The same has to happen with every professional and every company when restarting its activity. Our passion for Tourism has strengthened our resilience to overcome this year, even if many will not see a solution in the near future. Remember why you started... Remember the reason for your company's existence, and instead of working only for profit, work for that essence. Companies with Purpose.

One more year of challenges and many uncertainties awaits us, but it will be only those, who are resilient, strengthen their companies now, adapt, succeed to prosper. We were all paying a very high price for the results we were achieving. We still have time to build better. Tourism does not need to be a villain, it can be a hero in the recovery of a fragile economy, as long as it stops seeing itself as a mere economic activity and starts to position itself as a collaborative industry. We need LEADERS WITH PURPOSE, who also have the resilience and courage to follow that path that we know maybe the longest and most difficult, but that we are aware that this is what we should take: the construction of a REGENERATIVE TOURISM.