We can be a part of the change that is needed | Travel Research Online

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We can be a part of the change that is needed

As I sit in front of my computer trying to come up with words for my weekly column, they escape me. For those that know me, that is a rarity. So much wrong has happened in the world recently and most recently culminated in the streets of Dallas, Texas with a lone gunman shooting five police officers for no other reason than he wanted to shoot “white people.” While I thought, scratch that… I had hoped that we had moved far beyond the pettiness of race, it is apparent that we have so much more work to do. So, what does this have to do with travel? Despite some of the issues in the world today, I think we can learn a lesson from some of our global brothers and sisters.
Yes, there is violence all around; but take a closer look to the destinations we send our clients. For the most part, we see black and white getting along. We see Christian and Muslim getting along. And in reality, we may be more closely related than you might think—and it took a travel company to prove it!

Momondo (a company I had never heard of before last month) produced the shocking video below. In their “about us” page, they say…

Travelling is breaking boundaries. To travel is to fuel that inner spark of natural curiosity that leads us to explore. Leads us to pursue new ways, and see the world in a different light every day. Discover new places. People. Faces. Gestures. A world of unexpected opportunities.

Now, take a few minutes to watch this video.

It sort of opens your eyes, doesn’t it? In the simplest sense, we are all one. And as ambassadors of travel, we can do our part to help convey that message. We can help convey it to our colleagues, to our friends, and to our clients.

When we travel, we are the guests of someone else. And that someone may, at one time, be a guest of ours. The trip can be across the globe or it can be to your local convenience store. It is easy to say that we need to be more tolerant and understanding; but as ambassadors of travel and good will, we are in a unique position to actually do it and make a difference. I challenge everyone to abstain from engaging in the vitriolic rhetoric on social media. Present clear and common-sense solutions and thoughts to problems. Be kinder. Be more understanding of someone else’s plight. There is an old adage that you never know someone’s problems until you walk a mile in their shoes. But we are only able to walk in our own shoes… so try to imagine. It may be a small part of the solution, but many small parts will create change. Be a part of it. And thank you for allowing me the opportunity to pontificate a bit this week!

 

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