This year’s pandemic dealt a huge blow to the travel and tourism industry, but despite the setbacks and challenges, we believe deeply in what the U.S. Travel Association calls the unbreakable “Spirit of Travel.”
While we are settled at home this National Travel and Tourism Week, our hope in the future of this industry is stronger than ever before. Why are we so confident? Here are three of the biggest reasons:
- We will always crave connection and adventure. The travel industry has faced upheaval over and over, but people continue to make their way back to the roads and skies, because humans fundamentally are explorers. We are just hardwired for it.
- This crisis is bringing out the unique spirit of each community's local workforce. After all, the reason people travel is because they want to experience the genuine culture of a place that feels foreign, but ultimately makes them feel at home. In destinations across the globe, from Lexington to Estonia, destinations and their partners are rallying to inspire travelers and even drum up business—whether it’s in the form of take-out orders or tips for virtual tour content.
- Travel will help propel long-term economic recovery in cities across the world. In fact, one of the most critical indicators that will tell us that economies have turned a corner is for travel to return. It has always been and will continue to be a key sign of recovery and ultimately, prosperity, that will deliver hope to communities worldwide.
“The true spirit of the travel industry is in its workforce,” said U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow. “It is the workers who will help power America’s economic recovery, which is why Congress must continue to do everything it can to support them through this painful time.”
To get involved, find out more about the CARES Act, the largest economic relief package in our nation’s history, including major provisions delivering economic support to travel businesses, travel workers and their families.
And remember to keep the faith!
