There’s a reason it “just feels right”
We all know when something feels right. When Tourism Cares rebranded last year, it embraced the tagline of Go Somewhere Good. And two weeks ago, Tourism Cares went down to Lexington, Kentucky for a joint staff retreat with one of our founding organizations - NTA. You know where I’m going here … was it ever good!
Traveling today is fraught with cancellations and unexpected surprises. We need to simply embrace that aspect until we can fully meet the demand of this recovery period. It should not dissuade us from Going Somewhere Good. Some of our staff did not make it to Lexington, others had to stay overnight in Philadelphia before making their way there, but in the end, the experience made those inconveniences melt away from memory.
NTA and Tourism Cares embrace community, so we made sure our time in Lexington was focused on unique local experiences. We were hosted by our dear friend and former colleague at NTA, Lee Carter, who provided us with space at the Farmhouse of the famed Kentucky Horse Park, with visits each day from one of their renowned horses. We shared stories, updates, and most importantly, our feelings, on where we are on our sustainability journey, how we are working towards a more inclusive industry, the challenges of being fully remote, and how we can position ourselves as better champions for diversity, equity and inclusion. Two days were not enough.
We were inspired by local artist Marjorie Guyon, whose “I Am Here” installations present a way to instill a deeper understanding of our humanity through portraits of contemporary African-Americans. They create a history of place through stunning imagery. I encourage everyone to take a look and be similarly moved.
Our group then visited a local winery Equus Run, a neighbor of NTA’s own Bob Rouse. The owner Cindy Bohn shared her passion for the land and her community of farmers, explaining how they are all helping each other find solutions to the challenges presented by climate change. They are apparently managing well, if you consider the fine rose’ and white wines we were served!
We strived to be plastics free at our meals (so important that we walk the walk, not just talk the talk) and were treated to an incredible dinner from Bluegrass Hall of Fame and Top Chef Ouita Michel at the Holly Hill Inn, which just happened to be the former home of Bob’s grandparents. He regaled us with stories of holidays past in the very room we were being served dinner. Ouita challenged us with a palate wheel to accompany a bourbon tasting and then shared with us the history of Holly Hill Inn and her dedication to true farm to table local sourcing and the integration of sustainable principles into her cooking and supply chain. These are exactly the experiences we promote on our Meaningful Map, designed to provide a local flavor with a social or environmental impact - all are truly authentic and original.
So set your mind on Going Somewhere Good. It might even, like my experience, be great. I want to shift from that reflection point to our other mission of caring. Echoing Ouita’s own Twitter post, please consider giving to Tourism Cares’ partner World Central Kitchen and its fund to help our friends in Kentucky who have been devastated by the flooding. You can donate here. I want the memory of my incredible meal at Holly Hill Inn to inspire giving to those affected by this tragedy. As we have all learned, these are the people and places of travel. #WhenTourismCares
