SHAPING WITH ATTITUDE
Shaping the Future with Attitude. - FAzit #DCHH20
The #DCHH20 has come to an end, and nearly 200 tourism professionals, hosts, service providers, and organizational representatives are on their way back to their places of work.
“Shaping the Future with Purpose” is the overarching conclusion drawn from the 18 sessions and 6 scenario workshops at the 10th DestinationCamp in Hamburg. At the Bahrenfeld Trotting Track, the organizer—the consulting firm netzvitamine GmbH—found a venue large enough to host the first major in-person industry gathering since the cancellation of ITB, while still complying with COVID-19 safety regulations.
The conclusion of last year’s DestinationCamp—and thus the central theme of this year’s event — was “Challenge accepted.” However, in May 2019, it was impossible to foresee just how great the challenges facing the tourism industry would be in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Since then, the pandemic has shaken many certainties, thwarted strategies and plans, triggered fears and uncertainty, and given the motto a special resonance.
TOURISM IS A POLARIZING ISSUE.
In many of the 24 workshops and 3 plenary sessions held from September 29 to October 1, 2020, it became clear that tourism has changed. Instead of thinking in terms of linear solutions and, at best, win-win approaches, there is now a growing awareness of polarities. As a result of the coronavirus pandemic, tourism must reposition itself—between closeness and distance, trust and control, freedom and coercion, the pursuit of profit and sustainability. One thing has become clear: there can be no further growth without costs or negative consequences for the common good.
So what should we do? Above all, do something! Don’t let ourselves be paralyzed. There are no perfect solutions. But striving for perfection can, in some cases, prevent the necessary action from being taken. But what does it take to ensure that action doesn’t degenerate into mere grandstanding? Feedback from many roundtable discussions and conversations has shown that we need a clear stance, the courage to act, and the awareness that every action must always balance different poles, yet can never resolve them.
You can't inhale and exhale at the same time, and doing just one or the other is also impossible.
The takeaway from DestinationCamp 2020—and thus also the theme for the 11th DSTNCMP, taking place April 20–22, 2021 —is therefore: Shape the Future with Purpose. The results from this year’s DestinationCamp will be summarized again and are expected to be published before Christmas.