The uncertainties of the Future in Tourism make us think more and more about what direction we will take... Not only do we not know which way, but we don't even know how to (re)start. And so, does it make sense to talk about Happiness and Well-Being in Business? Does it make sense to stop analyzing only GDP as a development indicator for countries and start looking at the GNH?
Yes, it does. More than ever!
We are tired... of struggling, of striving to keep our business running. Trying to keep the business open… but then let's stop and be honest. Were we following the right path? Were we running the companies the right way? Were we respecting People?
And even when we do not have leadership positions, how were we acting? Did we really feel connected with the company? Did we feel safe, motivated? Did we even know what the objectives were, what the future plans were? Or did we get in, do we do our jobs and get out?
We could continue with an endless list of questions. This does not have to be a time of non-conformity, but of analysis and evaluation, of awareness and of assuming that we can, WE MUST ACT DIFFERENTLY.
There is much talk of reinventing ourselves, but in what way and for what direction?
PEOPLE have to be put at the center of companies and decisions.
LEADERS have to be LEADERS and not managers managing numbers.
Companies must work for a PURPOSE and not for profit.
Tourism must be REGENERATIVE and not just an economic activity.
But in a society that is constantly measured only by GDP growth, in an industry that only recently was celebrating the "growth" in the numbers of tourists arriving in our country, will we now achieve a change in mentality? Speaking of GNH, is this not too esoteric? We are sure again: the time is now!
Building a new reality based on happiness may even sound utopian, as we spend years fighting only for financial growth. But there are countless global movements that already demonstrate that aggregating economic growth and human well-being is not only possible but that it is a road with no turning back and with countless benefits. GDP and the vast majority of economic analysis data or even the analysis data of any tourism company, although effective in short management, do not take into account some fundamental points such as the environmental costs and impact of its growth and especially equality, justice, quality of life and the well-being and happiness of employees, teams, society.
When making decisions, regardless of their scope or impact, if we consider only purely economic analyses, we may even find solutions with some positive results, but at what cost? What consequences will we have in the medium and long term in a relentless pursuit of profit alone? What impacts will we have on the environment, on society, and on economic sustainability itself? Are we really building something better for everyone? Because one thing is for sure, everything we do will get back to us...
So, we believe this is the right time to review your company, your business, the way you work, and even your contribution to the work you do. RESILIENCE.
We will need to have the strength and determination, the courage to break with paradigms and mentalities. We must be able to get out of this state of survival in which many of us are, to bring about a positive change around us. History and Humanity have already told us over time that those who survive are not the strongest or the smartest, but those who have the ability to adapt...
We are not unrealistic, and we are not ignoring the difficulties and challenging times of today, but we believe that only with a change in this direction will we succeed.
GIH THOR - Gross Internal Happiness in Tourism, HOspitality, and Restaurants
We will make this one of our flags today and in the future. Because this must be our path... there is no other.
One final question... is this index of Happiness, the GNH, something that our politicians and official Tourism bodies should also think about? We have no doubt, the answer is yes! And with what focus and concern? On People!
PS - we are not being pioneers, just following what is the right path and already started by other entities such as the United Nations with the World Happiness Report; the OECD, and the European Commission with the Beyond GDP tool. And if we want to be more tangible and local, the UK now has the Office for National Statistics working with GNH parameters.
There is the Wellbeing Economy Governments initiative, created in 2018 by Iceland, Scotland, and New Zealand, which simply transforms a disruptive and people-only policy.