Celebrating World Tourism Day

This Sunday is World Tourism Day and perhaps this year more than ever before, it gives us the opportunity to appreciate how much travel can enrich our lives.

The world has, for the time being at least, become smaller as this pandemic temporarily closes borders and prevents people from moving as freely as they are used to. However, slowly but surely, that freedom to explore will return and as it does, World Tourism Day reminds us of the special role travel plays in our lives. It can be so personal – the trip you’ve promised yourself or your kids, a break you’ve saved hard for, or some long-awaited quality time with friends or family. It can also be transformational – a new country, culture or cuisine, a business opportunity to explore, a meeting of minds at an event, making new connections or lifetime memories with friends or loved ones.

Right now, for many of us, travel might involve shorter breaks much closer to home – places you can jump in the car and drive to. But I think lots of people have realised that a quick trip can mean just as much as a long holiday during these challenging times. Whatever your destination, travel is about connecting people and places – why you’re going, what you do when you get there, who you meet along the way, and how you’re looked after. These become our stories. These are the life experiences, big or small, that make us smile or sometimes shape who we are. And I know our hotel teams feel passionately about the role they play in them.

Both personally and professionally, travel and a love for discovering the world has enriched my life in so many ways. I’m originally from Boston and have been very fortunate to have worked for over 30 years in the hospitality industry, which has taken me all over the world. I started out working in restaurants as a teenager and that sparked a passion for this industry, which led me to attend the Hotel School at Cornell University and eventually to work for IHG.

My family and I lived in Sydney, Australia, for a while, which we loved, before we moved to Shanghai when I became IHG’s CEO for Greater China. Since 2013, my wife, two daughters and I have been living in the UK, and it is fascinating to look back at all our times together, the different cultures and experiences we’ve had. Away from work, I love to travel and explore with my family, and we have been privileged to see some of the wonders of the world in the places we have lived and visited.

Travel has given me so many important lessons, exciting experiences, lifelong friends and wonderful memories. It’s also taught me the value of embracing different cultures, and the benefits of seeing things from different perspectives, especially when working in a global business. This sentiment is part of this year’s World Tourism Day theme, which is about building peace, shifting perspectives and helping foster friendships between nations – because when people come together, amazing things can happen. I’m proud to say I see that every day at IHG.

The Covid-19 pandemic may have hit our industry hard this year and forced us to stay closer to home, but people will always have an innate desire to travel, explore and learn. Thankfully, every week, where rules allow, we’re seeing more guests steadily return to our hotels in different markets around the world. People are using travel to switch off from a very stressful year, reconnect with friends or family or return to work in the way they have always done.

When we look back at the magical times in our lives, so many are associated with travel. Those moments have been in shorter supply these past few months, but when the time is right, the world’s doors will fully open again and we will be able to create some new memories in time for next year’s World Tourism Day. In many ways, this is as much a time to celebrate the people who make our journeys so special, as it is about celebrating the joy of travel itself – and I know our amazing hotel teams all over the world are waiting to warmly welcome you, whenever you’re ready.