Our George Bailey Moment

“Strange, isn’t it? Each man’s life touches so many other lives. When he isn’t around, he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?” – Clarence The Angel, from Frank Capra’s “It’s A Wonderful Life”.

Every crisis brings new perspective and offers unprecedented opportunity. Such is true for the travel and tourism industry, courtesy of the COVID-19 global pandemic. Indeed, this may be our George Bailey moment.

For those who’ve somehow missed the non-stop broadcast of Capra’s It’s A Wonderful Life each December, George Bailey is an affable banker who foregoes his dream of worldwide travel and adventure out of duty to his family. Instead, George settles for a mundane life running the local savings & loan. Amidst a mid-life crisis and about to watch his career implode, George contemplates suicide. It’s then he meets up with Clarence, a heavenly angel-in-training who shows George what the world would be like without him. Turns out, the world is a much better place because of George. Lives are saved, jobs are created, businesses thrive, and the community is stronger.

For years, tourism professionals have complained about how little respect our industry receives. Roger Dow, CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, once jokingly referred to travel & tourism as the “Rodney Dangerfield of industry”. Review a state or regional economic development plan and notice how little attention is paid to travel and tourism. Dive into a regional transportation plan and note how little priority is applied to travel and tourism-related metrics. How much emphasis is given to travel and tourism during a President’s State of the Union address or a Governor’s State of the State address? Glance at the agenda for legislative caucus retreats or the League of Cities annual meeting and count how few sessions are dedicated to tourism policy. Worst of all, check out the number of cities and counties who brazenly consider robbing the coffers of tourism promoters for uses that are unlikely to sustain a healthy, growing visitor economy.

Admittedly, the travel and tourism industry can be its own worst enemy. Too often, the industry fails to speak with one unified voice. And because travel and tourism span many sectors of the local economy, a thorough economic analysis is required to grasp the full economic power of travel. 

Yet there’s no denying the economic power of travel & tourism. $2.6 Trillion in annual economic output. 1 in 10 jobs. $180 Billion in taxes generated. Yeah, travel & tourism is a powerful economic engine. And we’ve become experts at reciting those numbers, to the point that we often define ourselves this way. But herein lies the opportunity.

Travel & tourism is so much more than dollars and jobs. Travel enriches life and celebrates culture. Travel connects people, breaks down barriers and creates memories that will never be forgotten. Travel stimulates innovation and nurtures progress. Travel teaches, enlightens and inspires. Studies show that travel makes you healthier, happier and more productive. Travel & tourism is a force for good that transforms lives and communities.

It may seem difficult to articulate the intrinsic benefits of travel & tourism, especially when testifying at a budget hearing or pitching an economic incentive package for tourism infrastructure. But those days are behind us. Today, we are living in a world without travel --- empty airplanes, shuttered hotels, closed attractions and restaurants which only offer drive-thru or carryout. No vacation. No journey away for a long weekend. No golf trip, gambling junket or girlfriend getaway. No honeymoon or anniversary trip. No educational conference. As Dr. Phil would ask, “… so how’s that working for you?”

Like George Bailey, we’ve been given a glimpse into a world with no travel & tourism. And it isn’t pretty. From henceforth, we need not be bashful when pointing out the innumerable benefits of travel. We don’t have to limit our self-appraisal to economic impact and job creation. We certainlydon’t need to suffer the short-sighted assessment of ‘only low-paying service jobs.’ And we can confidently tout responsibility for much more than incremental tax revenues.

We spread joy. We inspire passion. We change lives. We make the world a better place. And, by the way, we generate lots of jobs and taxes and economic output, too.

To paraphrase Clarence the Angel, we’ve been given a wonderful gift: the opportunity to see just how much travel & tourism matters. Sadly, it took a global pandemic with tragic consequences. But as we rebuild our economy and revive the travel & tourism industry, we can boldly proclaim the many virtues of this economic juggernaut, without hesitation. Indeed, it’s a far more wonderful life when travel is a part of it. 

-Brad Dean