Hello! This is my first post and I'm having trouble finding someone to critique this essay. It's been difficult, but I would appreciate any and all feedback.
For all of its diversity, Travel and Tourism is a living, breathing global industry. And just like all industries, it is sensitive to socio-political fluctuations. It would be an understatement to say that the tragedy of September 11, 2001 has merely changed the tourism or travel industry. That event and others like it have actually exposed the painful divide between cultures, societies and governments that up until then had been hidden away in the backs of our minds. This exposure has lead to the changes, both negative and positive, we now see when we go to airports or talk to seasoned tour directors. Even so, there is a bright future ahead of us and I can easily envision myself participating in it.
What changes have you observed thus far in the industry?
We are all aware of how the travel and tourism industry currently functions, and sometimes dysfunctions, so allow me to offer a slice of the past to illustrate the degree of change. The earliest memory I have of traveling is when I was perhaps seven years old. I was going to spend some time with my father and I was actually going to fly all by myself on Piedmont Airlines; a big deal but soon a routine thing for me. My mother helped me check my bag, made sure I had my CareBear and favorite drink and kissed me goodbye at the boarding gate. The whole process took minutes and loitering around the very small airport was wholly unnecessary except to watch the planes take off and land. During the flight, there was plenty of snacks and drinks, the Captain came out to talk to me, and I even received a winged pin. The best part was that the first person I saw getting off the plane was my father, arms open, waiting for me at the gate.
The travel culture of my youth is, irrevocably, lost because those the great political and social chasms between people have yet to be resolved and dealt with. But it must be pointed out that not all of the changes in these last 20 years began with fears of terrorism. Supply and demand will always be the single most powerful influence in how any industry progresses, particularly travel. With more people, from extremely diverse backgrounds, wanting to go farther quicker, demanding more flights and the ability to carry bigger luggage onto bigger airplanes docked at bigger airports with better amenities, it is no wonder that flying has simultaneously become more hectic, more sophisticated but much less romantic.
What changes do you anticipate in the future of the industry?
Regretfully, the mechanical and procedural travel aspects of the tourist's experience will not become any more emotionally satisfying than it is now unless certain needs can be met. Supply and demand ensures that no matter how many kiosks there are, there will always be the potential for the formation of a line. Granted, there are technological positives to which we can always look forward. For instance, vessels, from airplanes to coaches, can only become more physically comfortable as seats are ergonomically designed. Even the future of cuisine looks promising, as the culinary trend of fusion takes off with the diversification of clientèle and their palettes. But those changes do not directly contribute to the improvement of the Real Reason human beings consider traveling a leisure activity. The changes that I anticipate are changes that increase the chances of interaction and access to information, and meet the standards of sustainable travel.
The travel industry is first and foremost service, or people, oriented. As we transition from voyeuristic tourism to participating travel, tour operators and service providers will need to facilitate and encourage those encounters. For instance, the increase in the active travel, with its emphasis on "doing as the Romans do", speaks of travelers' equating the value of their trip to how deep they are able to experience the destination's lifestyle. Second, increasing access to information is becoming more important, as tourists move more into the FIT category. MyTourGuide.com, a site which provides downloadable, audiovisual, self-guided tours anywhere in the world, is yet another step towards unleashing the adventurer within the tourist. Finally, it is clear that as the FIT emerges from a grassroots concept to a mainstream style, so too does the idea of sustainable tourism. Whether this turns out to be a fad or a revolution, the travel industry must continue to consider the economic sustainability and environmental impact of tourism on the local level. As FIT's can tell us, by eating at family-owned restaurants, taking public transportation and hiring local guides when possible, tour operators can provide that intimate and authentic experience tourists have grown to desire.
Where do you see your future potential in the industry?
As someone whose vocation was born during an economic recession, I have already seen the negative side of fluctuations in our business, but because I also continue to see the successes of peers, I realize that the dawn of revitalized tourism is swiftly approaching. For my own part, I have discovered new ways in which I can benefit and grow despite and because of these changes I have pointed out. As a technologically savvy tour guide, I am poised to gain much as tour operators reorganize their operations, leaving clipboards and envelopes behind as they rely on netbooks and email. As a novice, MyTourGuide.com is the perfect forum for me to establish myself as an authority on the many destinations I have experienced. I can create my own independent brand which will grant travelers more access to not only more information, but also give them that sense of control while still facilitating their inter-cultural participation and tending to their individual interests. Unimaginable 20 years ago, was the ability of a tour guide to virtually give tours for anyone, anywhere at any time.
However, my potential does not only lie in being an "armchair tour guide". Returning to the concept of an ever-widening rift separating peoples and governments as we stumble into a fully globalized world, it is imperative that we remember what a great writer once said: "travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrowmindedness". As a seasoned FIT, a woman, a minority and a former teacher, I have experienced this truism countless times and through this career, I intend to continue helping travelers and locals to communicate, share, learn from and ultimately trust each other so that one day the idea of a child being able to meet her father at the boarding gate will not be so far fetched. The success of the travel industry requires that individuals like myself -- unafraid of technological advances, culturally and linguistically agile.
For all of its diversity, Travel and Tourism is a living, breathing global industry. And just like all industries, it is sensitive to socio-political fluctuations. It would be an understatement to say that the tragedy of September 11, 2001 has merely changed the tourism or travel industry. That event and others like it have actually exposed the painful divide between cultures, societies and governments that up until then had been hidden away in the backs of our minds. This exposure has lead to the changes, both negative and positive, we now see when we go to airports or talk to seasoned tour directors. Even so, there is a bright future ahead of us and I can easily envision myself participating in it.
What changes have you observed thus far in the industry?
We are all aware of how the travel and tourism industry currently functions, and sometimes dysfunctions, so allow me to offer a slice of the past to illustrate the degree of change. The earliest memory I have of traveling is when I was perhaps seven years old. I was going to spend some time with my father and I was actually going to fly all by myself on Piedmont Airlines; a big deal but soon a routine thing for me. My mother helped me check my bag, made sure I had my CareBear and favorite drink and kissed me goodbye at the boarding gate. The whole process took minutes and loitering around the very small airport was wholly unnecessary except to watch the planes take off and land. During the flight, there was plenty of snacks and drinks, the Captain came out to talk to me, and I even received a winged pin. The best part was that the first person I saw getting off the plane was my father, arms open, waiting for me at the gate.
The travel culture of my youth is, irrevocably, lost because those the great political and social chasms between people have yet to be resolved and dealt with. But it must be pointed out that not all of the changes in these last 20 years began with fears of terrorism. Supply and demand will always be the single most powerful influence in how any industry progresses, particularly travel. With more people, from extremely diverse backgrounds, wanting to go farther quicker, demanding more flights and the ability to carry bigger luggage onto bigger airplanes docked at bigger airports with better amenities, it is no wonder that flying has simultaneously become more hectic, more sophisticated but much less romantic.
What changes do you anticipate in the future of the industry?
Regretfully, the mechanical and procedural travel aspects of the tourist's experience will not become any more emotionally satisfying than it is now unless certain needs can be met. Supply and demand ensures that no matter how many kiosks there are, there will always be the potential for the formation of a line. Granted, there are technological positives to which we can always look forward. For instance, vessels, from airplanes to coaches, can only become more physically comfortable as seats are ergonomically designed. Even the future of cuisine looks promising, as the culinary trend of fusion takes off with the diversification of clientèle and their palettes. But those changes do not directly contribute to the improvement of the Real Reason human beings consider traveling a leisure activity. The changes that I anticipate are changes that increase the chances of interaction and access to information, and meet the standards of sustainable travel.
The travel industry is first and foremost service, or people, oriented. As we transition from voyeuristic tourism to participating travel, tour operators and service providers will need to facilitate and encourage those encounters. For instance, the increase in the active travel, with its emphasis on "doing as the Romans do", speaks of travelers' equating the value of their trip to how deep they are able to experience the destination's lifestyle. Second, increasing access to information is becoming more important, as tourists move more into the FIT category. MyTourGuide.com, a site which provides downloadable, audiovisual, self-guided tours anywhere in the world, is yet another step towards unleashing the adventurer within the tourist. Finally, it is clear that as the FIT emerges from a grassroots concept to a mainstream style, so too does the idea of sustainable tourism. Whether this turns out to be a fad or a revolution, the travel industry must continue to consider the economic sustainability and environmental impact of tourism on the local level. As FIT's can tell us, by eating at family-owned restaurants, taking public transportation and hiring local guides when possible, tour operators can provide that intimate and authentic experience tourists have grown to desire.
Where do you see your future potential in the industry?
As someone whose vocation was born during an economic recession, I have already seen the negative side of fluctuations in our business, but because I also continue to see the successes of peers, I realize that the dawn of revitalized tourism is swiftly approaching. For my own part, I have discovered new ways in which I can benefit and grow despite and because of these changes I have pointed out. As a technologically savvy tour guide, I am poised to gain much as tour operators reorganize their operations, leaving clipboards and envelopes behind as they rely on netbooks and email. As a novice, MyTourGuide.com is the perfect forum for me to establish myself as an authority on the many destinations I have experienced. I can create my own independent brand which will grant travelers more access to not only more information, but also give them that sense of control while still facilitating their inter-cultural participation and tending to their individual interests. Unimaginable 20 years ago, was the ability of a tour guide to virtually give tours for anyone, anywhere at any time.
However, my potential does not only lie in being an "armchair tour guide". Returning to the concept of an ever-widening rift separating peoples and governments as we stumble into a fully globalized world, it is imperative that we remember what a great writer once said: "travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrowmindedness". As a seasoned FIT, a woman, a minority and a former teacher, I have experienced this truism countless times and through this career, I intend to continue helping travelers and locals to communicate, share, learn from and ultimately trust each other so that one day the idea of a child being able to meet her father at the boarding gate will not be so far fetched. The success of the travel industry requires that individuals like myself -- unafraid of technological advances, culturally and linguistically agile.
