Where can we travel now and have a great experience? And what, exactly, does the future look like as more of the world reopens?
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:03 OK, so here we are again.
00:12 Thank you guys for joining our dream dinner party today.
00:15 And we have a really wonderful panel who I will introduce.
00:19 But I first wanted to just mention, as many of you know,
00:22 we postponed a FAR Live last week in respect to
00:26 and in solidarity with this movement of social justice
00:29 and equality, which of course, like all of you, I'm sure,
00:33 agree, travel is a huge bridge and teacher and empathy
00:36 builder in that fight.
00:38 And we just thought it was necessary to postpone last week.
00:41 And while we still realize that there's upheaval going on
00:45 and the news can be overwhelming,
00:47 our hard-hit, beloved industry is reopening.
00:51 And especially as all of this is happening,
00:52 it's never been more important to bring people out
00:54 into the world, as I'm sure you all agree.
00:56 So we're very excited to continue
00:57 highlighting the positive things that are happening.
01:00 We've always wanted this to be positive and uplifting
01:03 amidst the chaos and the devastation.
01:05 So I hope that continues to be that way.
01:08 I've talked to a lot of people about this now.
01:10 And the past two weeks have felt really different.
01:13 Because of the openings, of course,
01:14 it's no longer these glimmer of hope in the dark future.
01:18 There actually is hope.
01:19 And there actually is bookings happening.
01:22 And in my own family, I told our travel advisory council this.
01:25 But my brother got engaged in this planning
01:27 for a two-person wedding in Italy next fall.
01:29 So these things are happening now.
01:32 But there's also a big difference
01:34 between being open and then the experience
01:36 of actually traveling right now.
01:37 So we've gathered this wonderful group.
01:41 If you just wave your hand when I introduce you, we have--
01:44 I'm sorry if I get this wrong--
01:46 Luis Araujo from the CEO of Visit Portugal.
01:50 And you're in Lisbon, right?
01:52 Oh, he's muted.
01:55 OK.
01:55 I think he's in Lisbon.
01:56 Oh.
01:57 I'm close to Lisbon.
01:58 I'm at the beach right now.
02:00 The weather is beautiful.
02:01 Because today is a holiday in Portugal.
02:04 Oh, it's Portugal Day.
02:06 Right.
02:06 Well, yesterday was Portugal Day.
02:08 Today is a religious holiday.
02:09 So I'm at the beach.
02:12 Thank you for being with us.
02:14 We have Ignacio Maza, Executive Vice President
02:17 for Signature Travel Network, who is on the Upper West
02:19 Side in New York.
02:21 Hello, everybody.
02:23 We have Jane Mackey, the Senior Vice President
02:25 and Global Marketing Lead for Luxury and Upscale Brands
02:28 from IHG, who is in London, a few miles away from me.
02:33 And we have Larry Pimentel.
02:35 He's this, as you I'm sure know him,
02:37 leading voice in the cruise industry,
02:38 the former CEO of Azamara, but a long list of very high up jobs.
02:44 And then we have from afar, Laura Dannen-Redman,
02:46 our Digital Content Director, and Ellen Asmodeo,
02:49 our Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer.
02:51 So Laura, I will throw it to you,
02:54 just talking about what's happening right now
02:56 on the content side and how we're
02:57 adding a point of view to this fast-changing, insane news
03:00 cycle.
03:01 Sure.
03:02 It is fast-changing and insane.
03:05 I'm sure a lot of you have whiplash from one major news
03:10 story after another.
03:11 And most travel brands have gotten into the breaking news
03:15 game, and most news brands have gotten into the travel game
03:18 in the last few months.
03:19 So we're all covering it, right?
03:21 And afar isn't really focused on trying
03:25 to compete with CNN's roundups or the New York Times.
03:29 We always want to add our point of view, as Annie said,
03:32 to our coverage.
03:33 So from the start, since we've been in lockdown,
03:36 we've been focused on empathy-led, intel,
03:38 and inspiration.
03:40 Now, if you've been on a call with me,
03:41 maybe if you're with the tourism board,
03:43 I've been talking about this a fair bit lately.
03:45 But bear with me.
03:45 I'm just going to repeat myself.
03:47 What is empathy-led, intel, and inspiration?
03:50 It starts with the word empathy.
03:52 We are sharing in the same feelings as other people.
03:55 We are trying to understand their point of view
03:58 and their perspective as they think about travel,
04:00 but also as they think about their personal health,
04:02 their family's health, safety.
04:05 We are all going through the same thing around the world.
04:07 This is a very rare thing.
04:10 So that means we are trying to answer the big questions
04:13 that our readers have.
04:15 We've started by soliciting input from our readers
04:18 through newsletters, through social media.
04:20 We have heard from them, and we are answering those questions
04:23 on the fly as specific articles.
04:25 I just wanted to rattle off the names of a few
04:27 that we've done in the last few months, just the standards.
04:32 Will I be able to travel this summer?
04:34 How do I get airline refunds?
04:36 We are also looking to what kind of big searches
04:39 are happening in Google.
04:41 People want to know, is international travel still
04:43 banned?
04:44 Are hotels safe?
04:46 Can I visit Florida?
04:47 Can I visit Italy?
04:48 Can I visit Europe?
04:50 This is mostly from the US perspective.
04:53 A majority of our readers are based in the US,
04:56 so we are trying to answer, first and foremost,
04:58 how can Americans move around the country
05:01 and around the world?
05:03 We are also looking--
05:05 so it's kind of the yin-yang of this question right now.
05:08 Is there the practical questions to answer?
05:11 How do I travel?
05:13 And where do I go?
05:15 Where can I go?
05:17 And then the philosophical questions.
05:19 Should I be traveling right now?
05:22 I think our founder has had a really great statement
05:25 about that if you go to afar.com.
05:27 Yes, we can be traveling, but should we,
05:29 is the title of the article.
05:31 And again, it's all very personal.
05:33 It's up to personal risk perspectives.
05:34 We are all on different points of the risk spectrum.
05:37 You might be more friendly or averse.
05:39 Within our own staff, our news editor is more risk averse.
05:42 She's home with two small children under the age of three.
05:46 Our founder is probably a bit more risk friendly,
05:48 and he is on the road as we speak.
05:50 He has been bouncing around California,
05:53 checking out California's new rules, which
05:56 vary county by county.
05:58 So what AFAR is trying to do is, again,
06:00 answer those big questions.
06:01 That's our entire focus at the moment.
06:05 And thinking about it in terms of reopening and rediscovering.
06:10 That's the other side of this.
06:11 Reopening is the intel.
06:13 We are starting domestically because we
06:15 anticipate that our readers are going
06:17 to want to start traveling domestically first,
06:19 with tiptoeing out of their homes,
06:21 into their neighborhoods, seeing their family and friends
06:24 whom they haven't been able to see for so long,
06:26 and then slowly going out in concentric circles out
06:30 of their base.
06:32 So we are thinking about, first and foremost,
06:36 how do we travel across priority states, key markets in the US?
06:41 We are doing dedicated articles around California, New York,
06:45 Florida, the Southwest.
06:48 And our readers are also very interested in outdoor travel.
06:52 RV and camping have skyrocketed for us lately.
06:59 Underrated national parks, state parks.
07:03 The idea of being out in a crowd still
07:05 feels very tense for some, risky for some.
07:09 So social distancing is very important.
07:11 And as the CDC and WHO have told us,
07:14 and that is who we continue to refer to for our main advice,
07:19 it's less risky when you're outdoors.
07:22 So we have started with US outreach.
07:26 And then we will go farther and continue with global outreach.
07:31 But it's hard to keep up with all this, right?
07:34 You're all in the industry.
07:35 I'm sure you're hearing from customers.
07:40 I'm in New York or New Jersey.
07:41 Can I actually visit California without being
07:43 quarantined for 14 days?
07:46 The rules are changing constantly.
07:47 So we have started doing outreach to DMOs.
07:51 We have a survey that we've put together
07:52 that we will be sending out very soon with a set
07:56 list of questions for everyone.
07:57 And we want to hear from the source,
08:01 rather than trying to think that we
08:03 can be on top of every single change in every single county
08:06 across the country and then globally.
08:09 You know it best.
08:10 So please tell us, can Americans visit?
08:15 What is airlift like?
08:17 Are hotels reopening and to what capacity?
08:20 What are the social distancing rules
08:21 that your city, county, state have applied?
08:26 What stage of reopening are you in?
08:28 County by county in California, it's different.
08:31 State by state, it's different.
08:32 And some states are seeing spikes right now--
08:35 North Carolina, Alabama, Texas.
08:38 But as we all know, there's kind of a reluctance
08:42 to go back into lockdown at the moment.
08:45 People are tired.
08:46 It's been months.
08:47 People want to travel.
08:49 So even if other states or other countries are saying,
08:52 you know, slow before you go, people
08:56 want to get out and explore.
08:58 They just want to do so responsibly.
09:00 So we are trying to tell readers how
09:01 to be responsible travelers.
09:03 That is our end game--
09:05 empathy-led intel and responsible travel.
09:08 We believe in travel as a force for good.
09:10 So we are not just thinking, where can I go?
09:13 We are thinking, who wants me to come?
09:15 And how can we better support the small businesses
09:18 in those towns, in those communities?
09:20 We are thinking a lot about our next trips.
09:23 We are going to have a series called My Next Trip, where
09:27 individual editors will write essays about the actual trip
09:31 that they want to take the very first step out the door.
09:34 Mine is probably going to be about a weekend
09:37 at Urban Cowboy Lodge in the Catskills.
09:40 My husband and I have our 10-year wedding anniversary
09:42 this summer.
09:43 And we're going to figure out a way to celebrate.
09:45 Celebrating big time.
09:46 [LAUGHTER]
09:48 I'm sorry to cut you off, Laura.
09:51 But I was just noticing your time.
09:52 And I have to move forward.
09:54 But I think what you're talking about
09:55 is so important, because an interesting thing
09:58 that you brought up about Americans--
10:00 I mean, we've always had a powerful passport, right?
10:03 And is that powerful now?
10:05 And will it be?
10:06 So-- but I love everything and am
10:09 very proud of everything that you guys are doing.
10:12 So thank you so much.
10:14 I wanted to start with you, Ignacio,
10:17 because when we talked, we agreed
10:18 that the last two weeks had felt different-- has felt different.
10:21 And you're seeing it from so many different angles.
10:24 Can you talk about where people are booking right now?
10:27 And most importantly, who is booking?
10:29 And also, what fear levels look like for luxury travelers,
10:33 from your point of view?
10:34 Sure.
10:35 Thank you.
10:37 Three questions, so let me answer one at a time.
10:39 I think in terms of fear, the two biggest concerns are,
10:42 one, obviously, nobody wants to get sick.
10:45 And number two, nobody wants to get stuck.
10:47 I think those are the two things that are really, really
10:49 paramount right now in the mindset of consumers.
10:53 In terms of where we are seeing new booking activity,
10:57 I think it's in several areas at the same time.
11:02 One, we are seeing a massive amount of rebooking of cruises,
11:06 because our network sells hundreds of millions
11:10 of dollars worth of cruises.
11:11 And as you know, a lot of voyages
11:13 have been canceled through September, through October,
11:15 depending on the brand.
11:17 So our members have been very busy.
11:19 We have about 5,000 consultants in our network.
11:24 And they are busy rebooking everyone
11:26 for the latter part of 2020 and mostly into 2021.
11:30 And I'm happy to say that in 90% plus of the cases,
11:33 they have been able to rebook the clients, which
11:35 is really great.
11:37 In terms of new booking activity for 2020,
11:40 we're seeing a number of things.
11:41 One, there's a great interest in North America.
11:44 So a couple of things that have been mentioned before,
11:47 national parks are very popular, ranches, for example, Montana,
11:51 Hoseup, the ranch at Rock Creek, Triple Creek,
11:55 Sundance in Utah, places like that.
11:58 We also have a lot of interest in lodges.
12:00 So some of the lodges in Canada, like Nemo Bay and Cuyahoga
12:03 that are opening this summer, bookings there.
12:07 And believe it or not, in some cases,
12:10 there are properties that are very heavily booked for weekends
12:12 this summer.
12:13 For instance, Montage in El Palmetto Bluff,
12:15 which is a phenomenal property in a place called Bluffton
12:19 near Savannah, Georgia.
12:22 But the property is in South Carolina.
12:24 They are almost fully booked for some of the weekends
12:27 this summer, and they just reopened.
12:30 So there is great demand, and the property
12:33 is a perfect fit because it offers unique cottages
12:38 and standalone villas and residences.
12:40 So you'll have plenty of space.
12:42 You'll have privacy.
12:42 And at the same time, you'll have the swimming pools
12:45 and the restaurants and all the rest.
12:46 So that seems to be resonating.
12:49 But in the middle of this horrible pandemic
12:52 that we're all living through, there
12:53 are a number of travelers who are very savvy and advisors
12:57 that are really coming up with great ideas.
12:59 For example, this summer is probably
13:02 a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to go to Alaska.
13:06 And why do I say that is because all the cruise lines have
13:09 canceled the voyages to Alaska.
13:11 So the number of visitors in Alaska
13:12 is way, way lower than it normally is.
13:15 So you have beautiful lodges like Ulthe Matool and Sheldon
13:19 and a lot of these places that are open this summer,
13:23 and you get to experience Alaska and have it all to yourself.
13:26 I mean, this is a place, what, two times the size of Texas,
13:29 right?
13:30 And then other places, like for example,
13:32 Maunalani in the Big Island of Hawaii
13:35 is reopening at the end of July.
13:37 And to get around all the social distancing,
13:40 they are only going to open with 50 rooms.
13:42 So this is a property that has over 300 beautiful rooms right
13:46 on the ocean on the Kohala Coast,
13:47 but you're only going to have 50 guest rooms.
13:49 I mean, what an opportunity to experience Maunalani
13:52 and pretend like you own it, right?
13:54 I mean, talk about space.
13:56 I mean, there's, I think it's like 40-something acres.
13:58 You're right on the ocean.
13:59 So I think you need a savvy advisor to really help
14:04 connect you with ideas.
14:05 But the bottom line is you absolutely
14:08 can travel this summer, and there
14:10 are some amazing opportunities right now.
14:14 Thank you, Ignacio.
14:16 That is amazing.
14:17 I didn't even think about that with Alaska and the cruises
14:19 being canceled.
14:21 If I can ask you, Luis, you guys were often
14:25 used as an example way back when this started,
14:28 as doing an amazing job with marketing materials.
14:31 Like, it made me cry, right?
14:32 Like, don't skip hope or can't skip hope.
14:35 And you just really made it about stay home now,
14:37 but we'll be here when you're ready.
14:40 Can you walk me through kind of your decision-making process
14:43 with the government, of course, and how you
14:44 weighed various factors in opening up kind of
14:46 from the economy to health care?
14:49 Because you are opening up, and it
14:50 was going to be for Americans, but there
14:52 was a wrinkle this week, right?
14:56 Well, first, Ani, thank you so much for the invitation.
14:58 It's great being here and great talking about Portugal.
15:01 I was going to say to Lauren that if someone asks you
15:04 where to go, just say Portugal.
15:05 It's the simple answer.
15:08 Just come.
15:09 Now, it's been a challenge, I think a challenge for everyone.
15:13 And I know everyone feels the same.
15:15 None of our assets have been spoiled or damaged.
15:18 So everything is intact--
15:20 our beaches, our monuments, our gastronomy, everything.
15:24 When we launched the campaign, the #CansKeepHope campaign
15:26 was really important to us because we
15:29 want to be relevant to people.
15:31 And during this time, our biggest concern
15:34 was we need to send a message that we will always be here,
15:37 but this is not the time to travel.
15:39 This is a time to think, to refocus.
15:42 So it was quite a challenge.
15:44 We decided to launch it reworking
15:47 on a campaign we had.
15:48 Everyone was at home, teleworking,
15:50 because we stayed at home at least two months.
15:54 And the objective was being very factual and to inspire.
15:58 And I think this is what's the most important now.
16:01 It's giving very good facts of what's
16:05 happening in each country and then being emotional also.
16:09 That's why we launched two weeks later, which
16:16 wasn't Visit Portugal.
16:17 It was about Read Portugal.
16:19 Instead of visiting Portugal, this
16:21 was the time to read about our country through our writers
16:24 and everything.
16:25 So it has been a challenge, but I think we're ready.
16:29 We've been ready for one week.
16:32 Everything opened.
16:33 We had scheduled openings since the beginning of May
16:37 until now.
16:38 And now I can say everything is prepared and open.
16:41 Of course, we know and we realize
16:44 we have a task here, which is building trust.
16:47 We have to build trust among everyone, not only tourists,
16:51 but also companies, hoteliers, restaurants, travel agents.
16:55 Everyone needs to be comfortable and feel comfortable
16:58 not only traveling, but traveling to a certain place.
17:01 So our focus now is working together
17:04 with the local agents, restaurants, hoteliers,
17:07 everyone, that they feel prepared to welcome the tourists
17:13 and that they understand they are prepared.
17:15 So we launched a stamp, which is the Clean and Safe stamp,
17:20 to give instructions to equipments in Portugal
17:24 from museums to the airports, of course, restaurants and hotels
17:29 and renter cars and everything.
17:31 It's a very simple, basic procedure.
17:34 You just fill a form and you say you comply.
17:37 What we do now is we make audits to those who say they comply.
17:41 And we just launched a digital platform right now,
17:46 which is called portugalcleanandsafe.com,
17:48 where you can see every establishment in Portugal
17:51 that has a stamp and what do they comply with.
17:54 And more important, you can make observations
17:57 if they comply or they don't.
17:59 And immediately, so we have a traffic light, three dots,
18:05 and immediately we do procedures in terms of doing audits
18:08 to those restaurants or hotels or whatever.
18:11 So I would say we're prepared. Everything is open.
18:15 We will open to European countries, to the Schengen countries
18:20 this weekend for sure, except Spain.
18:23 Except for Britain or including Britain?
18:26 Including Britain.
18:27 Well, there is a discussion still,
18:29 but there was a meeting yesterday from the European Commission.
18:32 And hopefully, in July, we will open to everyone.
18:36 We will never close.
18:38 We still have direct flights with different countries like the US.
18:42 But there are some specificities that you need to fulfill
18:47 to come to Portugal.
18:48 We don't have quarantine in Portugal.
18:51 You're not obliged.
18:52 As soon as you get inside the plane,
18:53 there's no way they're going to stop you disembarking in Portugal.
18:58 But it's a challenge.
18:59 But we rely a lot on responsibility from our side
19:03 and also from the tourist side.
19:05 Yeah, well, and you guys handled the crisis well.
19:07 I mean, you're next door to Spain, which had a much bigger issue, right,
19:12 with cases and deaths.
19:13 So you guys did a good job.
19:15 And can I ask you, I mean, being there now,
19:18 what is it like when you go out to a restaurant to eat?
19:22 Well, to tell you the truth, it's beautiful,
19:24 because I mean, you do have to do a reservation.
19:26 This is one of the rules you have now.
19:28 So you're forced to do reservation to a restaurant
19:31 if you want to go out and eat.
19:32 It's not a matter that you go to a restaurant that just come in.
19:35 You have to wear a mask in public transportations.
19:39 For instance, when you went to the restaurant, you wear the mask.
19:42 But then when you're seated, you can take off your mask.
19:45 And there's no problem at all.
19:48 I was having lunch today at the beach
19:54 and a restaurant that was usually for 100 people,
19:56 we were like 30.
19:58 Beautiful day and the best fish in the world, I can assure you.
20:02 So everything is the same.
20:04 We've been adapting and adjusting ourselves.
20:08 And I think this is the most important in terms of tourism and destination.
20:12 The way we give the rules and the way we transmit the rules
20:18 to a local and a foreigner are exactly the same.
20:21 Yeah.
20:22 To give you an idea, for instance, the beaches have signs.
20:25 So if the beach is too crowded, you will have a red sign.
20:28 You can read this in an app,
20:30 and the app is in English and in Portuguese, of course.
20:32 So everything we're doing is in English and Portuguese and other languages
20:36 so that everyone understands,
20:38 especially at this time of the year because it's summer.
20:40 And hopefully we will get a lot of tourists still.
20:44 Well, and I just got several questions.
20:45 I just wanted to ask them right now while I have you talking about a specific...
20:51 Sorry, go ahead. Yeah.
20:53 Someone, a comment popped up that there is a quarantine in Hawaii,
20:58 and I am absolutely aware of that.
20:59 Mauna Lani does not open until the end of July.
21:02 This is July 25th, and by then the quarantine is expected to be lifted.
21:06 So if you go to Hawaii right now, yes, there absolutely is a quarantine,
21:09 but the governor has said that by the end of July, it should be lifted.
21:12 Of course, we're dealing with a very fluid situation.
21:15 Today is a new day, right?
21:17 But I just wanted to make that point.
21:18 So book it for August.
21:21 Well, or July 25th.
21:22 July 25th.
21:24 But I guess that's the question, Luisa.
21:26 I mean, the specific requirements for US citizens
21:28 or anyone that travels to Portugal,
21:30 there's no quarantine and no testing requirement, right?
21:34 Just for the islands.
21:36 Just in Madeira and the Azores, you have testing requirements.
21:39 So you either bring your own test done 72 hours prior to your arrival,
21:44 or you do the testing in Madeira.
21:46 So even if you want to do the test,
21:48 you can travel to Madeira and the Azores and do the testing there
21:50 because it's for free.
21:52 And you stay in the hotel until they have the result,
21:56 which is some hours result.
21:59 But in terms of Portugal, there's no quarantine.
22:01 There's no limitation in terms of traveling.
22:03 So you can pick your car in Lisbon and go to the north or to the south
22:07 without any problem.
22:10 The only thing that we have still is the borders with Spain are closed.
22:16 So you can't drive to Spain right now.
22:19 Thank you. Madeira was actually my last trip.
22:21 I landed back in London on March 10th.
22:23 So I have a very special place in my heart for Madeira.
22:27 So thank you for that.
22:28 Larry, I just wanted to move on to you and ask about cruise
22:32 because you have such an overall overarching look on cruise.
22:36 How does it look to you?
22:37 How can cruise recover?
22:38 I mean, it's not one big monolithic industry.
22:41 We recognize that there's all these different slices.
22:44 What are you seeing and what do you think about cruise coming back?
22:47 Before I say that, let me just say thanks for the invitation.
22:51 And I love Afar.
22:53 It's a brand that has a purpose beyond profit.
22:56 And Lauren said it so well.
22:59 You know, travel does so much as a source of good.
23:02 So thank you all from Afar, Greg, Joe, Ellen, Julia, all of you, the whole team.
23:08 It's an amazing group.
23:09 So I just wanted to say this.
23:10 A little easy.
23:12 Yes, magazine.
23:15 Cruise is in an interesting position.
23:17 And I should say that the future is unknowable, but the past should give us all hope.
23:24 So I'm a guy that's very much driven and motivated by data, by research, and by critical thinking.
23:34 Cruise is impacted by the things that we are all impacted by.
23:39 But fundamentally, there's about two or three items that are more impactful than any.
23:44 There is not a COVID-19 pandemic.
23:48 That is our collective reality.
23:51 Now perhaps the world will finally turn on the light bulbs and realize that human connection,
23:57 where we all collaborate together and get a solution, is the most powerful thing that
24:02 indeed can be done.
24:04 And that our efforts ought to be put into things that are collectively wise, rather
24:10 than things that aren't, like nuclear weapons, because this is a bigger threat.
24:15 So we do not have a COVID-19 pandemic, and that affects cruising in a big way, because
24:20 as other people, Ignacio, Lauren, Luis, and others will certainly understand, there are
24:28 going to be guests and travelers who are not concerned and those who are.
24:34 And we have to deal with the aggregate of the totality of it.
24:38 Now I am an optimist, and I believe there will be a solution, but I believe there's
24:42 a long runway here.
24:44 It's not quite as quick as all of us would want.
24:47 That is a reality of our times.
24:50 But there will be a solution, and that solution will in fact improve everything, including
24:55 cruising.
24:56 So when a COVID-19 pandemic exists, it affects ships, and I'll talk about that in a moment.
25:03 This whole notion of countries and borders is one of my biggest concerns.
25:07 I love travel.
25:09 I've spent a lifetime connecting culture to culture and people to people.
25:15 But borders are changing.
25:19 Controls are changing.
25:20 We are going from globalism to nationalism, and it's this notion of fear and hope.
25:27 Which direction do we go in?
25:30 Science should guide this, not politics, for God's sake.
25:33 It's science that should guide this.
25:36 But this whole notion of countries and borders with ships is paramount.
25:41 Think about it.
25:42 Portugal opens one day, Spain is a different date, Italy is a different date, but if you
25:46 carry a certain passport, you can't get in.
25:50 Who can make heads or tails of any of that?
25:53 Folks, we do not have leadership.
25:57 We need leadership that collectively puts us all together and has a singular protocol.
26:05 It is nearly impossible in shipping to deploy a ship to a multitude of magnificent countries
26:12 in the Mediterranean, all who have different rules, not only affecting guests.
26:18 Many of our crew members are from Asia.
26:20 Oh, but you can't come in.
26:23 So how does the ship get in?
26:25 These are problems that are very, very big.
26:28 Ships must have access.
26:30 I witnessed, I was a part of countries saying, "Your ship can't come in because ships carry
26:38 viruses."
26:39 There was nobody on the ship who had any virus.
26:43 That's when your fear has kicked in to a degree that is just unreasonable.
26:48 People are not going to go on ships if they feel they're going to be contained.
26:54 So the protocols and rules of the world have to be established.
26:58 And even in the EU, as much as there is an EU, health protocols are localized.
27:04 Every country and region is doing it.
27:05 I got news for all of you.
27:07 All the ports in a single country might not even be open.
27:10 There are some parts, think about the pandemic in its early stage in the beautiful country
27:15 of Italy, where portions of Italy were not open and other portions were.
27:22 So the cruise industry is between a rock and a hard spot.
27:26 And reality is the third item is they have a global PR problem.
27:32 That is just a fact.
27:34 Part of it is media created an unfair.
27:36 Part of it is looking at the ships that were quarantined by governments that had even worse
27:42 results that became the daily news.
27:45 However, the industry is innovative.
27:48 They're bright and intelligent people, and they will create protocols, I am convinced,
27:54 that will make people feel safe.
27:57 So again, COVID-19 exists, affecting ships, countries and borders with inconsistent health
28:03 protocols a problem.
28:05 And I am so fearful of this nation first sentiment of not globalization, but nationalism.
28:12 And while I understand it, we are trying to protect each other, it is exceedingly problematic.
28:20 Science must drive the process, not politics.
28:24 So in general, the industry is in a tough position, but it will prevail, but it is not
28:30 a quick return.
28:32 Well, and thank you for that, Larry.
28:35 And I absolutely agree we need leadership.
28:37 It doesn't seem that there's any centralized leadership coming anytime soon.
28:42 But I think that's what I was saying about the powerful passport.
28:45 It's very scary to have these borders.
28:47 And especially if you're a cruise line, of course, even though Ignacio, of course, is
28:51 saying, and I've heard it many other places that people want to cruise, and they're booking
28:55 these cruises, right?
28:56 So it's going to have to be figured out this overwhelming, confusing back end side of it,
29:02 right?
29:03 With ports and government restrictions.
29:04 Well, the people who want to cruise have been people who already cruise and they love it,
29:09 and they're going to go back rather quickly.
29:12 The problem is we have 19 new ships coming this year.
29:15 I did say 19.
29:19 And this industry needs new to cruise to flourish from an economic standpoint of view.
29:26 Yeah.
29:27 Now, all of this is affecting all of us, affecting the magnificent retailers who are booking
29:31 it.
29:32 I mean, they can't give the proper information.
29:34 The cruise lines don't have it because the countries aren't coordinated.
29:38 This is a knock on domino effect that has reality built into it.
29:43 It will come around.
29:44 And we all know history has taught us at the lowest points in human history, we recover.
29:52 That will again happen here, but it can happen better if there is collaboration and coordination.
29:59 And that's what I fear so much.
30:02 It's just not happening.
30:03 Well, maybe like we talked about, Larry, maybe those $250 three-day cruise deals might go
30:10 away.
30:11 Maybe that's not a bad thing in these times.
30:16 I'm happy to take any of it.
30:18 We're going to start with short cruising first.
30:20 You're going to find that the big ships are going to come back first.
30:22 Why?
30:23 Because they're the treasuries.
30:25 And you're going to find short cruising to islands owned by the cruise line so that they
30:30 have total control, that then they don't have to deal with the politics in various areas.
30:36 No ship wants to get refused to come to an area because a ship in another area had a
30:41 problem which occurred.
30:43 We are going to have long memories about this, and it's unfortunate, but short, three, four
30:48 days will come back.
30:50 They will be very successful.
30:51 They'll be price driven.
30:53 Let me just say, while the seas are rough and high, the values are going to be really
30:59 high in all sectors.
31:02 And of course, cruise is dependent on air.
31:04 The short, the small cruise lines, you got to fly to places.
31:09 Well, there's not enough capacity at the moment.
31:12 There will be.
31:13 And there's one thing is Permont.
31:15 We all want to be safe.
31:17 We all want to feel like if we go there, we're not going to be harmed.
31:21 And so there's air travel connected to it, especially at the luxury end.
31:25 So there's a lot of challenges, but there's a lot of intellect going into it.
31:30 And I'm an eternal optimist, but this is just a long runway.
31:34 It's not a short one.
31:35 No, and I think that's, I mean, you're absolutely right.
31:37 And I think that's what we're, and of course, Laura and I have a job editorially, right,
31:42 to tell the real story of cruises.
31:44 And of course, all of travel, but I think that media does play a big role.
31:48 Thank you, Larry, for your honesty and transparency and eternal optimism.
31:52 Jane, it's a little easier for you with hotels because you're not going into port.
32:01 How does it look at IHG?
32:02 I mean, you have all these incredible brands on the luxury side and of course on the lower
32:07 end, but which brands are coming back and what do you think the new luxury looks like
32:11 now at a hotel?
32:12 Great question.
32:13 I love what Larry said about fear and hope.
32:17 And what we've tried to do at IHG is acknowledge and deal with the fear and then give the reassurances
32:25 to all of our contingencies that will give them hope.
32:28 And I don't just speak about our guests, but I will talk a bit about the brands and travelers
32:33 and what's on their mind.
32:35 But we're also talking about our employees who have a lot of fear and uncertainty, our
32:41 owners, which is individual hotel owners, many of which are the bedrock of their communities,
32:46 whether it's a small town in the United States or the Sixth Senses in the Najaf Desert in
32:52 Israel.
32:53 They are the top employer and they're potentially in their community and those owners, we need
32:57 to support them, acknowledge their fear and support them.
33:01 So guests, owners, our colleagues, and our communities and making sure that those communities
33:09 thrive.
33:10 So it's not easy to manage all of those constituencies, but as they say, it takes a village to keep
33:17 our industry and our company alive.
33:19 And we've been very focused on all of them.
33:21 In terms of where guests are starting to travel, you've probably heard these trends before.
33:25 It is domestic, China leading the way.
33:30 We at one point had many hotels closed in China.
33:35 Now they are pretty much all reopened.
33:37 And then I have to give a plug to the first week of April, we signed a deal for a new
33:42 region hotel in Shanghai and that hotel was a conversion.
33:46 On May 15th, it flipped.
33:48 So in just under six weeks time, we signed and opened a hotel.
33:53 So we do see a lot of momentum in China.
33:58 And then we see the domestic market in the United States coming back.
34:01 In terms of brands, China has been a bit more of a luxury play.
34:05 In the United States, it has been more of our holiday and family of brands.
34:10 But I think you can't sell something that's not for sale.
34:13 And if you look at the distribution that we have, those are the hotels, the larger brands
34:17 that we operate in the United States.
34:20 And many of them in those drive markets that you can get to.
34:24 Other pockets are in Southeast Asia.
34:27 Vietnam has a large domestic market.
34:30 The UAE opened up in the last few weeks.
34:33 We've had some sold out weekends at our Intercontinental Resort in Fujairah, which is a smaller emirate
34:38 for those of you who may not know the Emirates that well.
34:41 So we do see this domestic travel.
34:45 And I think this is the silver lining is we'll really all understand as an industry how big
34:49 that domestic market is.
34:51 And it gives people a chance to explore their neighborhoods.
34:54 So I guess in terms of the brands that are coming back, it's whatever product you have
34:58 on the shelf, if it's in a destination that people can get to easily, they will start
35:03 to come back.
35:04 We're also very excited about the Japanese market and the investment the government is
35:09 making planning to make short term on domestic travel starting from late July.
35:14 Again, all things dependent on health and safety.
35:18 And they are planning to have announced plans to market it as an international destination
35:23 with a budget behind it later in the summer.
35:26 So I think a lot of it is acknowledging the fear, as Larry said, dealing with that, giving
35:33 the reassurances of cleanliness, safety, and then putting the product on the shelf and
35:39 people will buy.
35:40 And we'll also take flights to the States the first week of July and I will be one of
35:47 the first passengers.
35:48 Yes, you're going to go see your mom, right?
35:51 I am indeed.
35:52 Yes.
35:53 Nice.
35:54 So there's a lot of deals being done.
35:56 There's an intercontinental in Rome coming, right?
35:59 Yes.
36:00 We signed that deal during the pandemic.
36:02 We've signed over 100 hotels actually year to date across all brands.
36:07 But very excited that the intercontinental brand will return to Rome.
36:10 We've been away from that market for a few years.
36:14 It'll be a multi-million euro investment to reposition an existing asset.
36:20 And that will be ready for all of us to travel to in 2022.
36:23 I know at least one person on this call that likes to go to Italy.
36:27 Oh, a few.
36:29 Okay.
36:30 Well, we'll look forward to welcoming you.
36:33 Perfect.
36:34 Thank you, Jane.
36:35 Ignacio, we had a question for you on how you best, when you're talking to clients or
36:42 travelers on how to advise them on what to expect so they're not upset if it's different
36:47 due to the dynamic nature of the situation.
36:51 Would you have any advice for that on talking to travelers in that way?
36:55 I think what matters most is to be in close contact with your partners so that you will
37:01 have the latest information about what's happening on the ground.
37:04 Because you're right, every destination is different.
37:08 And even sometimes every resort has a different policy depending on what's happening locally.
37:13 So having a very close relationship with the companies that you're working with and the
37:18 products that you are selling is absolutely vital.
37:21 I mean, in this pandemic, you have to get very close to the consumer and you have to
37:25 get even closer to your partners because you really have to work together as a team to
37:30 make anything happen, whether it's just an overnight stay at a hotel or a two-week safari
37:35 in Botswana.
37:36 So I'll give you an example.
37:38 Amanera, the Amman Resort in the Dominican Republic in the Paya Grande complex is going
37:43 to open next month.
37:45 But when it does, the law states that you have to stay on property.
37:49 Granted, this is a 400-plus acre estate, so you're not going to run out of things to do,
37:54 but you won't be able to go hiking in the mountains and horseback riding and all of
37:58 that activity.
37:59 And you have to communicate that to your clients to make sure that they understand and that
38:05 they manage their expectations.
38:06 The last thing that you want is to have a customer that is paying a significant amount
38:11 of money per night and be told, "No, you can't do this.
38:15 No, this is outside of the property and you can't do it."
38:18 So other parts of the world, when they reopen, like many islands in the Caribbean, for example,
38:25 once they reopen, you're going to be absolutely free to go everywhere.
38:27 Like for example, July 22nd is a reopening day for Turks and Caicos, which we are eagerly
38:33 awaiting.
38:34 And when you arrive in Turks and Caicos, you'll be free to go everywhere.
38:39 But you do need to understand, like for example, on a particular resort, you will need to wear
38:44 a mask in the public spaces, obviously not on the beach.
38:47 And then when you sit down at the restaurant, as somebody mentioned earlier, as I think
38:51 Luis mentioned that his restaurant in Portugal, you will need to wear a mask to the restaurant.
38:57 But then once you sit down, obviously you need to take the mask off.
39:00 So it's understanding these protocols and being comfortable.
39:04 And everybody has a different perspective.
39:07 But if you know your client well, and you have a good relationship with your supplier
39:12 partner, the company that you're working with, the brand that you are selling, then you can
39:16 work together to make things happen.
39:19 But I have to tell you, we have an overwhelming sentiment from our clients, and they absolutely
39:25 want to travel.
39:26 Yes, there are some people that are uncomfortable, but I would say the vast majority absolutely
39:31 want to go away.
39:32 I mean, people are battle hardened.
39:33 I mean, they have been through the two wars in Iraq, September 11th, SARS, MERS, my goodness,
39:42 like pages in the Bible.
39:44 But I think that the wonder lust and the desire to see the world is undiminished, in my opinion,
39:51 from everything that I have seen and read.
39:53 Absolutely.
39:54 I definitely agree with that.
39:56 I mean, I think I read too that in New York, when restaurants open, you have to wear the
40:00 mask the whole time, except when you're here.
40:04 That's interesting.
40:05 I think it varies on the restaurant and whether you're seated in a terrace or whether you're
40:10 indoors or whether you're sidewalk.
40:11 I mean, there's all these tiers.
40:14 It is very complicated, and it's changing all the time.
40:17 I mean, we had a curfew that you have to be home by eight o'clock as early as last Saturday.
40:23 And then on Sunday, the mayor woke up and said, no curfew.
40:26 So I mean, this is like changing by the hour.
40:31 It is.
40:32 And I think, you know, something to remember, last night, we were talking to Nikhil in Turks
40:35 and Caicos, and he was saying, you know what, something we have to remind ourselves is,
40:39 we are going to go back to something that we remember as normal, right?
40:43 That's like, this isn't the way it's going to be forever.
40:45 And even when I was in Switzerland a couple weeks ago, and it seemed 95% normal, I mean,
40:50 these things go back.
40:51 And I'm sure in Portugal too, Luis, I mean, this, things probably feel amazing, right?
40:56 Compared to a month ago, right?
40:58 So that's...
40:59 Yes, but to tell you the truth, we have, I think we all have a capacity of adapting ourselves
41:06 and understanding and complying with the rules, at least here in Portugal.
41:10 I think part of the success was we had a lot of measures taken in place very early, at
41:17 a very early stage, not only in terms of health, but also in supporting the companies.
41:22 Because we wanted the hoteliers and we wanted the restaurants to be ready.
41:29 We always said, we have to be on the front line when they just let us start running,
41:34 we have to be the first ones.
41:36 We have to be prepared.
41:37 And that was what was happening.
41:40 Most of these people and companies have been giving their employees a lot of training.
41:47 You can imagine, we've been participating on that.
41:50 We have 12 tourism schools and we've been giving more than 30,000 people training during
41:56 this past two and a half months.
41:58 30,000, three zero thousand, which is a lot.
42:02 But the most impressive to us is the ability of people and the interest.
42:07 They are eager to learn during these three months, not only how to adapt to the new client,
42:13 and we're having new clients, clients with new demands, clients with new concerns.
42:18 And we have to answer to that because our focus is turned into our clients.
42:23 And we've been doing that for the past year.
42:26 So we've been elected for the past three years, the best destination in the world.
42:30 So we have to listen to our client.
42:32 That's what we're doing now.
42:33 But once again, what we see is there is a lot of responsibility from our side.
42:39 And I agree when Larry said that this was about tourists who are concerned and tourists
42:47 who are not concerned.
42:48 You have the same with locals.
42:49 You have locals who are concerned and locals who are not concerned.
42:53 And the virus doesn't choose if you're a tourist or a local.
42:56 We always say that.
42:57 I think in Portugal, everyone is so eager to welcome people.
43:02 And one question that we hear a lot is, aren't you afraid that people come from outside and
43:06 bring the virus?
43:07 And I said, the virus is everywhere.
43:09 And we trust responsibility from our side, but also from the tourist side.
43:14 So it's not closing the borders that we end this.
43:19 And I totally agree with Larry.
43:22 I would say more than leadership, we need coordination because when we don't have leadership,
43:27 we're left to ourselves.
43:29 So we have to organize ourselves.
43:31 And we need a lot of communication.
43:32 We've been doing that a lot with many European countries and Portugal.
43:37 I mean, we've been giving and sharing information and the strategies and the platforms, everything
43:46 we did on the Clean and Safe Stamp.
43:48 We gave it to everyone, to Switzerland and to Spain and to many countries because they
43:53 asked, how did you do it?
43:54 We said, like this, because more important than competing one destination with the other
44:01 is competing against fear.
44:03 And that's our biggest threat now is that people are afraid to travel.
44:09 And they don't have to be.
44:10 I mean, living is a risk.
44:12 But if you take precautions, if you go to a place that you know that people are concerned
44:17 as well as you on fighting this virus, then for sure everything will be OK.
44:23 And we will go back to travel.
44:26 I mean, I think we all have dreams on getting inside a plane now, something we didn't a
44:32 few weeks ago, but now we do.
44:35 Yes, absolutely.
44:37 And the World Travel and Tourism Council gave you guys an award for that, didn't they?
44:41 For having the first clean or the best clean and safe program?
44:45 We were the first European country to get their stamp, which was a recognition because
44:53 it's not only about the stamp, it's the stamp, the training program that we have in place
44:58 for the stamp, the platform that we launched.
45:03 I mean, the requests we're doing now, and especially the coordinate, I think something
45:08 that this these three months told us is how much we need to be coordinated and having
45:16 clear communication.
45:18 And you're the experts on this, but having clear communication with people, but also
45:22 with companies and locals, it's crucial.
45:26 This is not the time of shooting to the sides or talking about different things.
45:33 It's the time to focus on the travel industry and the tourism industry, always with one
45:39 goal, which is the health, our health and your health.
45:44 But to resume and to get back to what we used to have.
45:47 So hopefully we will get that.
45:49 Portugal welcomed 27 million foreign people per year in 2019.
45:56 We came from a very good time.
45:58 In four years, we grew 60% of our revenues coming from tourism.
46:03 It represents almost 15% of GDP.
46:07 So you can imagine how important this is.
46:09 But it's not a matter of economy.
46:11 It's a matter of health.
46:12 And it's a matter of getting back our lives.
46:14 And we need to get back our lives in our hands.
46:16 Well, and if the health is in place, then the economy is in place as well, right?
46:22 I think that one of the big challenges of this is complying with the rules.
46:29 And we've been very good at that.
46:33 The Portuguese population was an example in terms of complying with the rules.
46:39 Just to give you a simple example, of course, things change and they have to adjust.
46:46 Gas stations are forbidden to sell alcohol after 10 o'clock in the evening.
46:52 Because young people used to go, as bars and discos are closed still, young people used
46:57 to go to gas stations.
46:58 So they're closed now.
47:00 Everyone complies.
47:01 There's no problem.
47:02 There are no big deals or big, nobody claims about that.
47:06 We just comply.
47:07 And we know it's important to our health.
47:08 We know it's important for the system.
47:10 We never had a big demand from the hospitals.
47:15 The capacity in our hospital stayed at 65%, 70%.
47:19 So we still had space to welcome people.
47:22 And even so, we made an extra effort to get more people in the private hospitals.
47:29 Well, thank you for that.
47:31 And I wanted to, because we have 10 more minutes, I want to ask Larry and Jane one more question
47:36 and maybe get to a little bit more.
47:38 But Larry, you've done a lot of work as well in consumer psychology.
47:42 And I wanted to ask you, what do you think of buzzwords like personalized distancing,
47:47 which I first heard from my friend, Tiffany Dowd, these kind of phrases for people getting
47:52 back out there, especially the luxury travelers that you know so well?
47:56 Yeah, I've been fortunate to be involved in a lot of research, just based on my orientation
48:05 with Boston Consulting Group.
48:07 I've been involved in the G100 calls with various CEOs from companies.
48:14 And the reality to all of this is at a core for all of it to occur, there has to be trust
48:21 at the center of returning.
48:23 Trust is really important.
48:25 It's important in personal relationships.
48:28 It's important in business relationships.
48:30 And it is important in the way that we travel.
48:32 So there is a body of contemporary research in the area of luxury that's very specific
48:38 that says secluded privatization.
48:41 Two words, secluded privatization are big buzzwords that get me as an ultra luxury or
48:47 high net worth individual very comfortable in traveling.
48:51 So that's an opportunity for retailers.
48:54 Ignacio has mentioned that.
48:56 Some of it will start domestic, as Jane has mentioned, from China.
49:00 We see that.
49:01 So they're illustrations.
49:02 I like to study the data.
49:04 And there's a reason the data is important.
49:07 And that is math has no opinion.
49:10 The math allows you to draw an opinion.
49:13 And it's powerful when used.
49:15 So luxury clients are going to want to travel, but at the core is seclusion and privatization.
49:20 And I might add that this whole notion of personalization with the luxury traveler is
49:27 going to be heightened.
49:30 And responsible and conscientious travel is at a core.
49:35 That is to say the luxury traveler is going to want to know what those resorts, what those
49:39 companies did to the local community, how did they benefit them?
49:43 How is sustainability, which is a real important item, how are you handling the locals?
49:50 Are your local goods and provisions from perhaps the farms within the countries?
49:55 Are the things localized?
49:57 All of those things become a part of the psychographic thinking nature of the ultra luxury traveler.
50:03 They're not going away, as Ignacio said, and he's spot on.
50:06 We all want to travel.
50:07 But as I said, some want to travel more, some want to travel less, some don't want
50:11 to travel at all.
50:13 And we have to deal with all of the populations.
50:16 And trust and proper information and coordination and collaboration is really important to have
50:22 that happen.
50:24 There is at the end of every storm, you know, when you're in the middle of the storm, I'm
50:29 in Florida, hurricane comes, all we can focus on is that hurricane in the moment.
50:34 Amazing thing.
50:36 After the hurricane, I've seen tons of beautiful rainbows.
50:40 There's also a rainbow at the opposite end of this one.
50:43 But I like to understand the data so that I can get there.
50:47 And trust is one of those huge, huge elements that I just think is glaring at all of us.
50:53 Communicate more, engage more.
50:55 As Ignacio said, those agents who are connecting with their travelers, and being able to give
51:00 them the information, they still want to dream.
51:02 Let's help them dream.
51:03 The world is a beautiful place.
51:06 And frankly, there's so much opportunity in all of these countries and in all of these
51:10 places.
51:11 Boy, the excitement of travel is not going to go away.
51:14 It's going to be pent up.
51:15 So on the opposite side of this, I believe there's higher highs.
51:18 We're at a pretty big low, but there are higher highs.
51:22 And they're coming.
51:23 And that's up to us to be positive about what we're doing going forward.
51:28 Absolutely.
51:29 Thank you, Larry.
51:31 And Jane, kind of in that same vein, you know, how do you make these people who do want to
51:34 travel to your luxury hotels, how do you make them feel safe but not weird?
51:41 Like not, you know, no hazmat suits in the lobby.
51:45 Exactly.
51:46 So we've talked a lot about this in terms of, well, first of all, starting with putting
51:50 meat on the bones and making sure that if we say it's clean and safe, that it is.
51:56 Times 6,000, nearly 6,000 hotels globally.
51:59 So we have the IHG Way of Clean, which actually was just developed a few years ago with EcoLab
52:05 and Diversity, who are leaders in cleanliness and products that drive cleanliness.
52:11 But we also, you know, again, dealing, I'm going to steal this, Larry, shamelessly, the
52:15 fear and the hope.
52:17 We were fortunate enough to have our Intercontinental Hotel on the campus of the Cleveland Clinic.
52:22 And we partnered with them, specifically, a shout out to James Merlino, who is their
52:26 chief clinical transformation officer, to help us deal with the fact, what additionally
52:31 do we need to do because of COVID-19?
52:34 And then we listened to a lot of guest sentiment of what do we need to do to give guests just
52:39 that level of confidence?
52:42 And so we have rolled that out through supply chain, additional supplies, including a kit
52:49 that people can have hand sanitizer or their own wipes.
52:53 Guests can request that and that's available to them, hand sanitization stations all around
52:58 the hotel in what we call the front of the house, as well as heart of the house.
53:04 And the face masks that, you know, again, give that confidence.
53:08 A face mask protects other people.
53:11 And you can smile with your eyes.
53:14 So you know, it's a training.
53:16 We've done videos so our colleagues see what it looks like to welcome people, although
53:20 you look different and the guests may be wearing a mask.
53:24 Putting a note in the room that explains the IHG clean promise, what it means that it was
53:29 clean to the standard.
53:32 So it's not that rooms weren't clean before.
53:34 We cleaned our rooms really well, as did all of our competitors.
53:37 It's really, again, adding on what's necessary, which the Cleveland Clinic helped with, and
53:41 then giving that confidence cue to the guests that we did put extra effort into it and thought
53:46 into it just to deal with any fear that they have.
53:50 Yeah, and we've talked a lot about that too, right?
53:52 How do you, you can't compete on cleanliness, especially at the luxury level, right?
53:55 And you'd also don't want it to seem like it's carcinogenic, right?
53:58 The cleaning supplies.
53:59 I do want to say I'm very glad, Ignacio, thank you for clarifying that you do not have to
54:05 wear a face mask at the beach because those tan lines would not be nice.
54:10 Yes.
54:11 But our colleagues will generally be wearing face masks.
54:16 So we don't have much time, but I did want to ask, Luis, while I have you, and Larry
54:25 brought this up, sustainability, you mentioned this boom in the past few years.
54:29 Are you guys also talking about sustainability as you move to a recovery and how are you
54:35 thinking about that?
54:39 To tell you the truth, that's our biggest concern right now.
54:44 We've put sustainability in our strategy in 2016 when we launched the strategy until 2027
54:51 with a very centered focus in tourists, the workers that work for tourism and the locals.
54:59 Anything that we do has to do is for them as well as the planet.
55:03 And we've been trying to evolve and to increase the concern of all tourism suppliers in terms
55:10 of concern about the environment.
55:13 And what we see now is a little bit setback on all of this, having to wear masks.
55:18 People don't know where to throw masks, using different products that sometimes are harmful
55:25 to the environment.
55:27 So the balance between this is very demanding.
55:31 So for sure, we will refocus on this and we will increase our capacity because we believe
55:38 that our strategy in terms of sustainability is very strong and we will increase that.
55:44 Our purpose is about welcoming everyone and respecting the differences.
55:52 So surely we want to grow.
55:55 Our country needs to grow.
55:57 We need tourism as one of the main activities of our economy.
56:02 But to tell you the truth, as someone said before, there are no voyages or there are
56:07 no trips without storms.
56:09 And this is just a storm.
56:11 The good thing is we're all in the same boat, which is good.
56:15 It's good to be in the same boat.
56:17 We just need to find orientation, know where to go and just decide where to go.
56:22 So hopefully we will do that very soon.
56:25 Thank you very much.
56:26 I know we started a few minutes late, so I'm going to go three minutes over.
56:30 If you guys can just tell me where you want to go tomorrow, if you're getting on a plane.
56:34 Ignacio?
56:35 To the Caribbean, to the beach, please sign me up.
56:39 Perfect.
56:40 Jane?
56:41 Portugal, to the beautiful six senses Douro Valley.
56:47 Nice.
56:48 Laura, what about you?
56:49 Well, I was going to say Portugal too, but just a catch up.
56:55 Los Angeles to visit family.
56:58 Larry?
56:59 Hawaii.
57:00 Hawaii.
57:01 Nice.
57:02 And Luis, where do you want to go?
57:06 I was going to say I'm here already.
57:09 Yeah.
57:10 But I would love to go somewhere where we could all have this meeting together.
57:16 And just when we turned off the cameras, just have a drink, preferably in Portugal, of course.
57:22 But it will be wonderful to meet people again and to be face to face and just talk about
57:27 things that have nothing to do with this.
57:29 And thank you once again.
57:31 Thank you.
57:32 Ellen?
57:33 So I am going to the wine country in Sonoma at the end of the month, but I also just booked
57:40 Turks, and I am excited about the afar sailing that is coming up in November that we still
57:46 have holding all of our bookings.
57:48 And hopefully, as the panel so impressively spoke about, you know, borders will collaborate
57:56 and we will do our jobs in the travel industry and media to ensure that it's a less fearful
58:05 act to be out and traveling and to collaborate on how you can do it, what the expectation
58:12 is.
58:13 These are all really critical ways that we will get travelers out.
58:16 I mean, the good news is that at afar, we have been serving our audience for the last
58:21 two months, and consistently, they are booking travel.
58:24 And they are saying that in '21, they are going to book more international travel than
58:29 they even did in '19.
58:30 So while we are tiptoeing out, and I am in New York and can't even go to a restaurant
58:36 yet, but we are slowly getting out there, and certainly everywhere in the world is a
58:43 different perspective.
58:44 So we have the ability and the resources to get more people out booking.
58:50 And, you know, I think that it's so well said.
58:54 Laura, you mentioned Greg's quote earlier that Greg talks about life is not a risk-free
59:02 enterprise.
59:03 So it never was.
59:04 It certainly isn't now.
59:06 And we have to be the ones to ensure the confidence to get more people out and taking action.
59:13 I really do appreciate everyone's support today.
59:17 This has been such an amazing panel, and we will continue to have these conversations.
59:21 The next panel will be in two weeks on June 25th, same time.
59:27 And I thank you all, and I really, like Luis said, I want to be in the same place having
59:32 a drink with you.
59:34 So thank you so much.
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