• About
  • Blog
  • Working together
  • Testimonials
  • Contact

Girl Gone Travel

Girl Gone Travel

Travel
/
May 18, 2021

Travel is Slowly Opening Up. Now What?

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share

We are a little over a year in since global travel shut down. Many places still have closed borders, and though more privileged nations, such as here in the United States, are feeling a little relief – for the most part, there are still some pockets not progressing as quickly as others – there are still countries (such as India and Brazil), that are really suffering and others who do not yet have reliable access to vaccines (i.e., many Caribbean nations). Nonetheless, people are planning their trips.

But the pandemic has changed us. And by us, I don’t mean everyone, but a lot of us. We can see it in people’s lack of response to the callbacks to work and offices. People have genuinely had a moment of self-reflection and awakening and in many cases have chosen a path that they believe is better for them and far more fulfilling than when this whole thing started.

We are seeing this shift the most in the service industry. Restaurants and other hospitality-driven businesses are struggling with low applications. That’s not to say that the people who would have chosen to work as servers, or cooks, or wait staff, etc., are not working at all. It means they have chosen to no longer work in environments where they are overworked, underpaid, taken for granted, and unappreciated – not just by their employers, but by us, the consumer.

A lot of this sentiment came about in many ways during the pandemic itself while restaurants and bars and others tried to balance mask mandates and maintaining the comfort and happiness of their customers. While management and owners did the right thing in implementing safety mandates, they also have left the burden of enforcing these mandates to their minimum-waged, overworked staffs, many of whom deal with belligerent, abusive, and in many cases dangerous customers – an incredible ask, often with very little support from the higher-ups.

And for some, it has gotten to the point where they don’t see that path being worth it anymore. And now business owners are left at a loss, though truthfully, it is a loss for all of us.

There is no doubt that this is an opportunity for corporate heads and managers and business owners, large and small, to really take a hard look at the business model standards and leadership examples they have set and the ways in which they have failed their teams.

A person’s dignity, self-worth, and entitlement to respect are not included in the price of your steak special or airline ticket.

But it is also incumbent upon us to listen and reconsider the ways in which we treat those invisible and not so invisible workers who truly complement our hospitality experiences, whether we are dining out for brunch, or wine tasting for the afternoon or traveling on a plane. Local voices matter. We as travelers and as consumers have to also rethink – and maybe for some of you, relearn – what it means to be a customer, what we are entitled to, and what our money really affords us, and start to understand that a person’s dignity, self-worth, and entitlement to respect is not included in the price of our steak special or airline ticket. These things are not negotiable or dependent on our mood.

Personally, as someone with Caribbean roots, who grew up seeing abusive, entitled, and over-privileged foreigners freely take from and mistreat members of my community whose job has been to cater to them during their vacation, I am truly delighted in seeing the industry workers speak up and demand better. I am proud of those who have spoken up in their own countries against governments who have been too lenient with travel restrictions and tourists’ bad behavior.

If this pandemic has taught us anything is that we all should be better and kinder, not just with ourselves, but with others around us.

We are not entitled to our trips or our vacations, especially to destinations whose communities are still struggling to recover, but as travel opens up and more of you return out into the world – whether it is on a road trip or to a tropical beach, use this opportunity to see the humanity in anyone and everyone who works to make that trip a pleasant one for you and yours. Be respectful of the rules in place, whatever mandates are still being followed, and of the fact that these people have left their own families and home to make your travel experiences a comfortable and pleasant one – sometimes at the risk of their own health.

It is time to go back into the world with the goal of being better humans, or face accountability when you are not. It is time to reimagine hospitality and give power to the voices of those who are the backbone of the industry. Because while it may feel like we are slowly going back to normal, there is no going back to the ways things were. And for that, we should all be grateful.

Related

Enjoyed this post? Give it some love and share!
Share
Pin this Post
Share this Post
Carol Cain

Brooklyn native Carol is happiest when on an adventure, whether close to home or farther away. She is a small business owner and travel writer. In addition to creating Girl Gone Travel, she is the Founder and Principal of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. She's mom to three wonderful sons and wife to a handsome Irish/Scot. She lives, works, and plays in the beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY.

You May Also Like...

Christmas Tree Hunting in Long Island, NY

December 12, 2008

Fort Tryon Park, Washington Heights, NY

December 10, 2008

Winter afternoon in the Bronx Zoo, NY

December 16, 2008

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Previous Post
Most influential Travel Voice: Local’s
Next Post
From Farm to Winery to Table in Finger Lakes, NY

About me

Hi! I'm Carol! I am an award-winning travel blogger, a keynote speaker, and the Principal and owner of Brave World Media, a social media marketing, communications, and branding agency. I a wife to a handsome Irish/Scot and a mom to 3 sons and 2 puppies. Welcome to my blog where I share stories of my travels and professional public relations insights and advice. Thank you for reading and for your support!

Carol Cain

Categories

  • Asia5 Post(s)
  • Caribbean17 Post(s)
  • Central America4 Post(s)
  • Europe53 Post(s)
  • North America316 Post(s)
  • Oceana1 Post(s)

Contact

  • carol@girlgonetravel.com

Follow @girlgonetravel

I think back to a time when this country life woul I think back to a time when this country life would have never been a consideration. But here I am fully immersed in my beanie-and-flannel-wearing-pumpkin-picking-country-bliss lifestyle in the Finger Lakes. Sure, I gotta a lot of Brooklyn sass and attitude still, but damn, this is such a vibe too! 🥰🎃

This beautiful day was at @thepumpkinstand in Ovid, NY.

#citygirlcountrylife #fingerlakes #myflx #pumpkinpatch #pumpkin #fallinflx #autumn #countryliving
After working through the weekend, we needed a lit After working through the weekend, we needed a little rest in nature…but with some comfort amenities.

A stay at @firelightcamps in Ithaca was the perfect spot.

Our glamping tent was cozy, even with no heater or electricity and it was serene waking up surrounded by colorful trees and warm coffee (that hubby got from the main tent where they also serve a complimentary Continental breakfast).

You can explore the nearby Buttermilk Falls or venture easily into Downtown Ithaca.

But we were happy to just enjoy our deck and the calmness of it all before getting back to work.

They are booked often and quickly, so if thinking of a visit, plan early!

#natureescape #serenegetaways #fingerlakes #glamping #ithacany #naturelovers #staycation #camping #firelightcamps
Today was just 😍 #fingerlakes #fall #sweaterwe Today was just 😍

#fingerlakes #fall #sweaterweather #myflx #soflx #countryliving #countrydrive
Just a city girl living her best life in the count Just a city girl living her best life in the country! The Finger Lakes is stunning right now (she says every season). And the fam and I are making the most of fall 🍁🍂🥰

Where are you taking in foliage season? 

#fallleaves #autumnvibes #fingerlakes #soflx #myflx #winecountry #bliss #flxliving
Today, my David turns 25. What I have loved about Today, my David turns 25. What I have loved about being a mom is how much we have all grown TOGETHER. Seriously, any parent that feeds you this nonsense of having it all together is lying to you. We are all figuring it out as we go along, and nothing we do can predict if our kids will be great adults...you hope, you might get a glimpse, but "hard tellin, not knowin", as Travis says (LOLZ...Americanisms, amirite?)

David though is pretty amazing. We laugh so much together and his love for his family is something we feel every day, no matter where he may be in the world - as he has continued on the love for travel we instilled in him.

In this series of photos, I am sharing a few funnies we have exchanged as a family (thanks to Carla, his sweet GF), a real insight into how joyful he makes our days.

Motherhood can be such a PITA, but I look at this man David has become, and I am grateful for two things: 1) I didn't f*ck it up, and 2) of what a wonderful gift he is to the world.

Happy Birthday, David. We love you so much.

Last image: Many thanks to Stephen Bliss, Grand Theft Auto illustrator, for this gift.
My morning drive to get eggs for breakfast was pre My morning drive to get eggs for breakfast was pretty epic. 🍂

#fingerlakes #countryliving #lakelife #myflx #soflx #southernfingerlakes #keukalake

Copyright © 2023 Girl Gone Travel | Privacy Policy | Copyright Notice