Breaking Travel News investigates: It is the worst of times, it is the best of times

We live in a strange world. It may be tempting to paint the future black, and full of uncertainties. I have chosen not to do this, because I believe that now is the time to mentally switch gears. To exemplify, I have borrowed a quote from Charles Dickens’ “A Tale of Two Cities” and turned it around for the title of this year’s outlook. Even if they may be difficult to recognise, there are opportunities. Even if we are humble and modest about what lies ahead, now is the time to seize these opportunities. And seize them we must. Allow me to explain.

Last year, I mentioned the upcoming “années folles”, the “roaring twenties”. Not in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how wild just the first year, 2020, would be. The corona virus keeps half the world in lockdown and is taking its toll across the globe. Hundreds of thousands are losing their jobs, bankruptcy follows bankruptcy.

At the same time, we see how quickly and radically we can all adapt to new situations. Digitisation takes giant leaps in a few weeks that would otherwise take years. Innovative ideas emerge in every corner. People shift their entire value system, personally and professionally. Businesses adapt their corporate beliefs and purpose to a new perspective.

This year is undeniably a turning point. It will continue to shape all our lives for years to come into what will become known as the post-Covid New Normal. So, what does that mean for 2021? And why should it be the time to seize opportunities?

Big changes are ahead

The shot across the bow that Covid-19 was and is - for those who were lucky and nothing worse happened - has left us all a little more vulnerable than we had ever thought we were. I am sure many of us have argued with the greatest conviction, even with our closest friends, about the right measures to take. Because of these differences of opinion that we have developed, or more often than not trustfully adopted, friendships may have broken down that were once untearable. Indeed, this crisis uncovered personalities and awoke emotions that we once used to manage and control so well.

For weeks, I have been noticing that people in my immediate or somewhat more distant surroundings are asking themselves the big questions. Quite a few are very closely examining their job situation, their entire lifestyle, their relationships with fellow human beings. I assume that many “big questions” will lead to “big decisions” in the new year. After all, and with a little wink, may these upcoming New Year’s resolutions be finally the ones we take seriously enough to really follow through?

Big decisions on big questions – I would find that a mainly positive thing. The turning point that the pandemic is offers us a unique opportunity to think about certain things in a more fundamental way. To change perspective, sustainably.

I am obviously not pretending to be that mastermind with a general “plan” that would let us navigate through the challenges of the year ahead. That would not be prudent, given that this crisis has hit people and businesses in very particular and highly complex ways. But I would like to share some of my observations, as I have done in recent years. Maybe there is a takeaway in it for all of you, whether in the travel industry or else.

Let’s look at 2021 as a departure, a start, an awakening!

An opportunity of this magnitude does not come along very often: companies, brands and especially executives can and should be innovative creators, enablers, sense-makers, impulse generators in 2021. They should convey a sense of community, create positive experiences and offer very specific, concrete, hands-on support in everyday life.

If 2020 has taught us anything, it is to be more grateful for what we have. To be humble about what we have achieved. But to remain confident in the positive impact we will make in the future. Covid-19 has shaken things up, big time, but never should we allow it to make us lose our optimism. Be ambitious! The past is the past, your attitude can only affect the future. I made a big move in 2020 myself, confident that my tank full of energy and positive outlook will lead me on the right path. That does not mean in any way that I am not respectful of the challenges ahead.

What we need more than ever is an aspiration and a desire, even in a most uncertain world, to contribute to sustainable progress for us, our families and the communities we serve as individuals and businesses.

Yes, we can do this!

More Information

Aviation analyst Peter Baumgartner is the chairman of the board of directors and Metrocore Aviation Group.