Travel..."to go on or as if on a trip or tour".¹ Is that all travel is about? I don't discount that travelers take their trips to see the wonders of the world like the Great Pyramid, the Eiffel Tower or the Grand Canyon, but is there more to travel than taking in these sights?
I recently returned from the National Tour Association's annual convention in Montreal, Canada. I noticed a theme begin to repeat itself throughout the 6 day event. We as travel professionals can help "shrink this planet." As part of the closing evening events, our convention chair put it eloquently, "We connect travelers with people who live and work all over the world, or even right next door. And every time they make a connection, we increase understanding between people. And when we increase understanding, the world becomes a smaller more peaceful place." (Dawn Rueckl, Well Gray Tours)
Its an inescapable fact that the world is enduring a time of strife. The media is relentless in its efforts to impress upon us the negative events around the globe. What's troublesome is that we aren't shown the positive events. The world is in troubling times to be sure, but for every sad event that takes place I'd submit hundreds of good things worldwide are taking place. In 2003-04 I was a member of the US Army serving in Iraq. I was asked to speak to a reporter that wanted to highlight my Army Reserve unit. After exchanging handshakes and introductions, I was asked if I'd like to share our story. I agreed on the condition that we not only talk about the ugliness we encountered on our tour of duty. His interest was slightly peaked, and he asked about "the positive things". I told him about the mother of a soldier in our unit mobilizing her church and community to gather necessities for some of the schools and orphanages that we had been bringing aid to. I emphasized how these people had sent literally truck loads of pencils, cots, paper, clothing and more to us via the mail at their own expense, and how willingly the soldiers in our unit volunteered to risk the journey to deliver these gifts. At that point all the reporter wanted to know was what happened to us en route. He wanted to hear the negatives, and forgot the profound act of charity.
For 18 years I've had the fortune to work in an industry that helps shrink the world. I've been lucky enough to see cultures meet, mix and gain understanding. I've seen sincere tears shed upon saying goodbye between new found friends whose nations had fought mercilessly in relatively recent wars. I don't make a lot of money in this industry, but these experiences are priceless.
If you have a moment, share a short story about your travels and how they've opened new doors for you. Maybe we can flood the internet with positive stories, and show how they vastly outweigh the bad.
1 (Merriam-Webster Dictionary; http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/travel)
