Who dares wins: Who will hit the reset button?
A “GT” Insight into the mind of the man who leads one of the world’s significant travel & tourism industry organisations: Dr Mario Hardy, chief of the Pacific Asia Travel Association. What does he think about the crisis in which our industry finds itself?
Over the past few months, we are reminded every day that the travel & tourism industry is going through its most severe crisis ever. However, as the saying goes “in every crisis there is an opportunity”, and in this instance the opportunity is to hit the reset button.
I feel privileged to have travelled to 99 countries and was looking forward to my 100th country this month, but due to the current situation this will have to wait. Nonetheless, during my travels I have seen tourism done correctly and I have seen the damage it can do to a destination. I have spent most of my life living in a large city, so every chance I get to escape to nature is a blessing.
However, when I see beaches full of trash, stripped forests, and once beautiful landscapes turned into a sprawling city, my heart and soul are in anguish. When I see archaeological sites spoiled by the excessive number of visitors trampling its beautiful grounds, I dream of the time when they were still undiscovered.
The current COVID-19 pandemic has given the industry an incredible opportunity to restart tourism the way it should be; although I wonder which destinations will be willing to hit the reset button. Who will take this opportunity to “pause” and clean up the environment? Which destination will rethink how we measure success in terms of positive contributions to local tourism community as opposed to overall visitor volume? Which cities will be brave enough to end vehicle traffic in historic areas and instead turn them into quiet, pollution-free pedestrian areas for all to enjoy?
I believe destinations that take advantage of this time to re-evaluate their approach to tourism will be the real winners in the post COVID-19 era. The future success of travel & tourism belongs to those destinations and brands that demonstrate tangible, measurable sustainability practices and act responsibly towards their residents and visitors.
Few places in the world remain as they were meant to be. I hope we can take this opportunity to correct the mistakes we have made in the past.
During times like these, I dream of climbing to the top of a world born anew; going deep into an unspoiled forest; or diving to the bottom of the deep blue sea. I dream of exploring the many beautiful places I have yet to visit.
I dream of travel.
Featured image (top of post): Push to reset the world. By Jose Antonio Gallego Vázquez (CC0) via unsplash. Feat. a Space Utopian sticker.
About the author
Dr Mario Hardy was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) in November 2014. He has also served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the PATA Foundation.
With 30 years of experience in aviation-related businesses, data analytics, technology, and corporate leadership, Mario is the founder of Venture Capital firm MAP2 | Ventures, a technology-centric investment fund. He is an advisor for and shareholder in more than 15 privately-owned technology businesses spread over four continents.
Mario serves on advisory boards for the Global Tourism Economic Forum, the Global Tourism Resilience Centre, Hong Kong Polytechnic University’s Hospitality and Tourism School, Guilin Tourism University, and the Middle East Travel and Tourism Development Network Centre.
The Honorary Doctorate bestowed upon Mario by Capilano University in 2016 recognises his philanthropic work in Cambodia where he helped develop a school for underprivileged children, and for his role in the development of a community-based tourism project in Vietnam.
In 2017, Mario graduated from the Executive Program of Singularity University. He was also honoured as a Global Ambassador of Peace Through Tourism by the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism.
