DAY 2 #DCHH16
Roll up your sleeves and get started
Following the inspiring kickoff, the second day was devoted to the actual work. The topics of this year’s sessions were addressed collaboratively in various formats.
The participants have long been aware that a fundamental shift in our thinking and actions is necessary. It quickly became clear that everyone is committed to actively addressing the challenges ahead.
The discussions during today’s 18 sessions were intense and constructive. It was noteworthy that the discussions among the various tourism stakeholders were conducted in a very nuanced and constructive manner and focused primarily on the joint search for concrete solutions.
Appreciation as a common thread
It would take us too far afield to cover all the topics here; we’ll address them in the retrospective. However, I’d like to highlight one key aspect at this point: Against the backdrop of many existing challenges, the theme of appreciation in all its facets has emerged as a central motif. In particular, the specific question of whether we (still) attribute the appropriate value to the people and things around us.
A quote from Reinhard Lanner sums up one aspect of this perspective:
"The discussion about prices that we're currently having in the tourism industry is really a discussion about value."
Questions that arise in this context:
- Are we willing to pay a fair price for good products?
- Are tourism producers able to adequately showcase their products or highlight their value?
- Is the shortage of young talent in the tourism industry a symptom of a lack of appreciation for people in general and for service professions in particular?
- Do we show our guests the appreciation they (rightfully) expect?
It seems this issue might keep us busy for a while yet.
A Declaration of Love for the North
Once the work was done, we hopped aboard the red double-decker buses for an impressive city tour that took us all over the most beautiful city in the world, straight to the Maritime Museum, the venue for the evening event.
One of the highlights was the declaration of love by poetry slammer Mona Harry … but see for yourselves—here’s the video featuring all the highlights from Day 2, presented by GEIOS & infomax websolutions: