So, the United States has (a year into Russia's attack on Ukraine) issued a warning that Americans should avoid travel to Russia.
Russia shot back that its citizens should avoid travel to Canada because of racism, street gangs and "a rather harsh climate."
Harsher than Russia?
Coming back from the inaugural Board Leadership for Destinations Symposium last week, I was seated next to a gaggle of Gen Zs at DFW. One was holding court, railing upon how his generation was getting screwed over by the government with the Ponzi scheme we call Social Security. His audience appeared to be hearing this existential truth for the first time.
Dude had his facts straight, the estimates of the longevity of the program absolutely on track...I was duly impressed as I listened to his impassioned call to action to his friends.
And then, he said, "my advise to you is to stop putting your money into Social Security and invest in a 401k."
Err...that's not how it works.
But, maybe it should.
Those that have been following (and shaking their head in disbelief) the political machinations over the Aloha State's contract for Tourism Marketing will not be surprised when they hear that bills in both the House and Senate intend to dismantle the Hawaii Tourism Association.
For politicians, it's often more advantageous to their individual brand to replace than reimagine...and we now have pending legislation that would do just that.
The House bill would create a "destination management" agency and it would be headed by a three-member commission appointed by the governor.
And that would be a better solution? A three-member commission appointed by a Governor?
And just how would that produce any measure of diverse thought, deliberation and action?
Anyone?
As the Southwest Airlines meltdown played out over the holidays, I went searching for a book in my library that I likely hadn't touched in 20 years. Nuts! (by Kevin and Jackie Freiberg) tells the fascinating saga of Southwest's initial fight for life and ultimate emergence as a dominant player in the airline world. And, they did it by breaking all the rules.
What caused me to pull the book for a skim was an open letter from a veteran Southwest pilot that explained that early leadership of the company was based on operational optimization. Things changed when accountants took over from founder Herb Kelleher.
What also apparently changed was the unwavering focus Herb had on placing employees first. One of my favorite stories about the Southwest Airlines culture was that you'd never find the then 60-something CEO in his office on the day before Thanksgiving (one of the busiest travel days of the year) because he would be on the tarmac at Love's Field slinging luggage with the baggage handlers. That's leadership.
Though the book is approaching its 30th anniversary, Nuts! is worth your time...because Herb's vision and leadership was timeless.
We close each year of blog posts with a plea for the coming year. From hunger to inhumanity and the environment to runaway government, we've been sharing these songs since 2006.
There are those moments in which songs mysteriously shuffle forward, as if there is an invisible force directing your next move...and that happened yesterday in the shower, listening to my new waterproof bluetooth speaker. I had pretty much decided on a track earlier in the week...but shifted gears upon hearing a song I certainly hadn't expected to fill the room.
This year, it's our wish for the world to care from Nickelback.
And as we lie beneath the stars,We realize how small we are.If they could love like you and meImagine what the world could be.
Imagine, indeed.
Best wishes for a caring New Year....and we look forward to catching up on the other side.
That's what the pundits say (and who exactly anointed them as such?). Recession is coming.
What if there were no pundits? Would we think we're heading over the cliff?
Doubtful.
In an effort to increase viewership, these individuals that are often chosen more for their looks than their intellect or experience have the ability to sway public opinion and markets.
While it will take days to sort out reality from conspiracy theory...the mid-term election process is complete.
No more incessant TV ads or online pleas for campaign contributions. The hundreds of dollars spent on direct mail to our home alone that influenced absolutely no one (except for one we received last weekend from an independent candidate that featured her extended family posing with rifles that confirmed...yeah, no), I can pretty much ignore. The 3 e-mails a day asking for more money for the same candidate? I gotta shake my head.
As I'm not privy to the research that may back up the approach I experienced this cycle (please tell me this crap works on everyone else and it's just me), let me share my thoughts on how campaigns are getting this all wrong.
First up, TV. Attack ads work. I hate 'em and I wish we could have a real conversation about the issues that demand our attention. But, they work...and I can ignore them if I choose.
But, here's my deal...the e-mail onslaught to which I was subjected this cycle was beyond laughable. And, I hafta wonder where they found the brainiac that ran their digital campaign.
After making the mistake of donating to a campaign, I averaged three e-mail a day asking for more...every day for the past two months. And, as late as 4:20pm on election day. Many missives thanked me for my contribution...so they clearly knew I was in. But, if you know someone is in, why would you be so needy as to ask them for more...three times a day for months at a stretch?
And maybe because I gave more than the candidate's initial request of $5, they thought I must be aware of the nuances of campaign finance reporting requirements. Because, why else were so many of their pleas related to meeting some random fundraising deadline that (let's be honest) means nothing to anyone who is not in the inner circle.
And then, they provide my contact data to out-of-state campaigns and I start getting pleas from random candidates across the nation? What...did the level of my contribution signal to your algorithm that I was a "true believer" and that I would give a shit about races around the country? And, assuming their database could assess my fairly independent past voting record, why would I get e-mails from fringe members of your party, expecting me to give more to your campaign because I received a request from them? The candidate in question ultimately lost...and there's at least a percentage point they forfeited because they had polarizing national candidates asking independents to give, as CCR once said, "more, more, more."
In this era of data, it is inexcusable to not be able to target supporters and contributors in a more sophisticated manor. But those that pose as political experts are often anything but. In years past, we've offered our services in perception analysis to campaigns to help hone their approaches and have been rejected by rank amateurs posing as campaign "experts" who thought they were all that and a bag of chips. The reason? They certainly didn't want consumer data to challenge their campaign strategy.
My guy lost. He didn't have to. His attack ads were actually very good. But his campaign crew was woefully unsophisticated in their digital approach.
You could have engaged me at a much higher and more meaningful level...but all you cared about was my money.
Sad, really.
For all of us.
Destinations International has been a thought leader on the topic of political boycotts against destinations. In a nutshell...such moves end up hurting a hospitality workforce that often doesn't have a dog in the fight while grandstanding politicians that issue these destination fatwas go about their lives, smug in the belief they've scored some votes among their supporters. And, we couldn't be in more agreement with DI's opposition to such initiatives.
But...then there is Russia in the months following their invasion and citizen-targeted bombardment of Ukraine. Does the philosophy behind boycotting change when innocents are being slaughtered and war crimes committed? And when American destinations are the beneficiaries of relocated events that have eschewed previously contracted Russian destinations?
Should be an interesting conversation at the Advocacy Summit next week.
For as long as I can remember, those who serve as Chair of Destinations International do so with an agenda that layers on top of the organization's Vision and Mission. It was the Environment for Rick Antonson and Transparency for the late Spurgeon Richardson...just to name a few.
For Visit Baltimore's Al Hutchinson, his role as Chair will be marked by "four pillars." And, he and I go deep on two of them (Workforce and DEI) on the latest episode of the DMOU Podcast that just dropped this morning. Plus, we'll discuss the HBCU Scholarship Program that is surpassing all initial expectations.
And...in the Bonus Round, the man who, at the age of 8, saw James Brown perform in concert reveals his favorite all time band.
Check it out.
As featured on last week's Travel Vertical podcast (as well as on DMOU), we've been casually tracking the evolution of job titles in the Destination Leadership sector. But, it's not just us.
According to The Daily Dose from Ozy, some governments have gotten "creative" in establishing ministries that also weren't a thing just a few years ago. Such as:
Japan: The Ministry of Loneliness (and one dedicated to public toilets).
India: The Ministry of Yoga.
Bolivia: The Ministry of Cultures, Decolonization and Depatriarchalization.
Afghanistan: The Ministry for Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice (i.e., removing women's rights).
Maybe America could use a new Ministry...
A Ministry dedicated to Truth.
Just a thought...
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