Such ruin. Such devastation. Such uncertainty. The Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted the present, shattered futures, and claimed lives. In a couple of months, life as we know it has been turned upside down. There is a lot to despair of about this impact on our previously well-constructed world. Seeking hope can seem unattainable, especially for those whose careers, livelihoods, and businesses have been severely damaged.
I am especially sorry for what is happening to the hospitality industry. Restaurants, hotels, tourist centers, amusement parks, theaters, concerts, sporting events, and the like are the places we go to refresh and relax, enjoying time with friends and family, interacting with others, and receiving warm treatment from the attentive staff. Hospitality is, in many ways, one of the most humane career choices. This is where your worth is largely determined by how well you interact with others and how good you make them feel. Being socially distant is aversive of hospitality. It’s like trying to paint landscapes with only two colors. The great experience is catastrophically shortened.
Hospitality was to be the great redeemer of an increasingly technical, remote and isolated world. In essence, hospitality has resisted the forces of automation and outsourcing that have transformed so many other lines of work. It benefited from a relatively abundant economy in disposable income. This industry has really made the world a better place to live. And now we ask ourselves, what happens to all of us if our ability to be social beings is painfully restricted in the long run?
In the US, it is unlikely that we will see the government step in to support hospitality for more than several months. Projections point to the second half of 2021 before an effective and widely distributed vaccine is deployed. Therefore, social distancing is expected to be one of the main tactics we have to mitigate outbreaks during our slow build-up of herd immunity. Then there’s the very real fear people have of blending in like before. Think of the questions we might have while in crowds: Which of these people is asymptomatic and carries the virus? Why is that person coughing? Is it okay to hug or shake hands with this friend? How can I prevent my glasses from fogging up when I wear this damn mask? Many can and probably will choose to stay at home.
There are no easy answers or quick fixes for hospitality. With that being said, two general ideas come to mind that may point to some sort of solution for the future of those whose hospitality jobs are evaporating.
This is a time for hospitality professionals to reflect on their skills and the value they bring to the public. In particular, take inventory of your commitments to people who activate your energy and bring you deep satisfaction. Then think of other, more employable areas where these talents can be expressed. For example, health care-related services benefit from a workforce rich in soft hospital skills infused with those of providers’ technical expertise. Sales and customer services are also enhanced by those who can provide personal, attentive and solution-oriented advice and care. Think about it. There are many fields in which a hospitable mentality and presentation can find a home.
Second, now is the time for the entrepreneurs, innovators, resourceful, and resourceful among us to design and develop novel ways to deliver hospitality contributions that have not been tried before. The pent-up public demand is certainly there. Necessity is still the mother of invention. Let’s be pleasantly surprised that creative hospitality professionals discover new and refreshing ways to build community, strengthen social interaction, and provide respite from these stressful times, all while maintaining safe and prudent distancing measures.
Times were dark in the economy ten years ago and they are even darker now. But if we’re lucky, it can be our friends in hospitality who can shine a light when we all need it most.