Cosmos and Avalon Waterways’ Giles Hawke discusses how the travel industry can help make a difference to people’s lives
By all accounts, this peak period has been pretty successful for everyone. There has been a real sense of some normality returning and of agents and operators being busy, with plenty of talk of pre-pandemic booking levels and records being broken, which is excellent news.
As business returns, it feels like an apt time to reflect on the amazing good fortune that most of us enjoy in terms of prosperity and the ability to live comfortable lives in a way that many on this planet don’t. Yes, we’ve had a couple of tough years, but the fundamentals of our industry are such that the sector we work in has a great resilience, and many prosperous businesses as a result.
It can be easy to feel aggrieved at the pressures on our monthly pay packets and the relative reduction in living standards we are experiencing as wages struggle to keep pace with the rising costs of living. But we in the travel industry are generally able to feed and clothe ourselves, visit amazing destinations and experience things that the majority of people in this world can only dream of.
I am fortunate to be involved in different ways with a number of charities and organisations that offer regular reminders of the privileged lives we live relative to a large proportion of people in the world. I have helped raise funds for the Family Holiday Charity, Abta LifeLine, Just a Drop and Planeterra recently, as well as donated to causes such as Shelter, Crisis and the DEC.
Better lives
These organisations fulfil different roles and support diverse causes, but they are all essential for providing better futures for those who are generally less fortunate than the majority of readers of Travel Weekly.
There are almost daily reminders in the news of the lengths to which people will go to seek a better life. Whatever your views on immigration, at a human level it is hard not to feel compassion for those who risk their lives to get to a better place and who aspire to the type of existence we are so fortunate to have.
This desperation for a better existence is a clear demonstration of the financial benefits of tourism in developing areas of the world. If those of us in the developed world can spread our spend by travelling to areas of the world desperately in need of income, and make sure we spend in places where much of that money goes into local pockets, we can help to raise more people out of poverty and develop the standards of living for more. When customers ask about sustainability and what travel is doing, I think we can talk about this economic benefit, at the heart of our industry, that travelling brings to developing regions. And with customers who aren’t asking these questions, I feel we should be proactively telling them.
The gift of giving
I also think we can talk about the organisations within travel which are there to help others in need. There are so many people in this industry who do so much to help others through fundraising efforts or simply through donating to these fundraising efforts whenever they are asked. I am always amazed and humbled by the generosity of people when requesting sponsorship for something and never take it for granted that people will donate.
We are overwhelmed with pressure on our bank balances and requests for sponsorship for the next event or activity that people want to get involved in, and I am aware of “giving fatigue” that people might experience when being constantly asked to give for good causes. That said, if people can afford even £1 or £5 to help someone else who might be less fortunate than themselves, then surely we should be happy to do so to make a positive difference to another life?
So, as you start to recover from the exertions of a successful peaks booking period and think about your next campaign or sales drive, spare a thought for those less fortunate than yourself. The next time someone comes to you and asks for sponsorship, consider yourself privileged to be able to make a small donation that could make a massive difference to someone else.