Seasons always change.
September is a fascinating month in Kentucky, where The Group Travel Leader is based. At the beginning, it often feels the same as August — hot and languid. Labor Day, for us, is a summer holiday. But despite the warmth, there’s a lingering sense that fall is coming. Even though the temperature may be the same, something about the air just feels different.
Over the years, I have noticed two common reactions to the coming change. Some people try to hold onto summer as long as possible, almost in denial. They insist on wearing shorts and sandals even when nights turn chilly. Others look forward to fall and speed its coming. You’ll find them wearing sweaters and sipping pumpkin-spice drinks while the temperature is still in the mid-80s.
I’ll admit I have found myself in both these camps at different times. But the older I get, the more I have come to accept that seasons change on their own terms. The change will happen, I know, but nothing I do can affect its pace. Trying to delay it or accelerate it only leaves me feeling foolish. The best I can do is stay nimble and dress for each day’s weather as it comes.
As I think about that, it makes me glad we publish our annual Buyer’s Guide for the Group Travel Industry in our September issue. With change literally in the air, September feels like the right time to tackle the changes and challenges happening in the tourism industry as well. That’s what we have done again this year, collecting expert insights on topics ranging from overtourism to the intersection of travel and mental wellness. You’ll find it all in this issue.
Working on these articles, I can’t help but notice some areas of our industry that seem ripe for change. Affordability is one of them. For a couple years now, I’ve been saying the intense pace of price increases in tourism can’t be sustained for long. And while prices in many places remain stubbornly high, there are indications that the increases are leveling off. A few major travel companies have even hinted they may adjust prices to meet what they see as a softening demand.
Another change that seems imminent to me is the widespread adoption of tech tools for tour promotions and operations. A growing ecosystem of software, apps and websites is poised to become the standard toolkit for professionals who want to thrive and grow in group tourism. And I’m afraid that travel planners who fail to adopt them may soon find that the world — and their customers — have passed them by.
These and other changes will affect everyone differently. For some people in our industry, these trends represent massive opportunities. For others, they bring significant challenges.
Wherever you sit, though, know that what you’re experiencing now is a season that will someday change. Perhaps you can do to some things affect the timing of that change. But there are likely to be some factors you can’t control, as well as one or two nobody can even anticipate.
Maybe, then, the best any of us can do is look for signs that the seasons are changing — and learn how to change with them.
