My Aha Moment for 2022

A few weeks ago, my voicemail pinged as I headed to the annual 41-74 Club holiday luncheon at New York’s Lotte Palace Hotel.

It was my dear friend Helena, a human rights advocate, with an urgent plea: Who did I know at Hyatt? She explained that Hyatt was working on the Afghan refugee crisis. Helena’s team was relocating families who needed emergency shelter before permanent placements in North America. Could I help?

At the travel industry luncheon, I ran into my friend Amanda, who heads global sales at Hyatt.

“I have an unusual request,” I began after our reunion hug. I relayed Helena’s message. Without skipping a beat, Amanda confirmed the Hyatt initiative. She would introduce me to her colleagues on the project.

The following week, I gathered staff from both Hyatt and the human rights group. Five strangers with a shared mission to do good. Introductions were made. Logistics were discussed. Action plans put in motion. The energy was passionate and solutions-oriented. Real lives were about to change forever.

As the Zoom ended, gratitude overwhelmed me. I told the others that this was my most meaningful call of the year. I praised Hyatt for their social responsibility efforts and vowed to share this story.

Jeff from Hyatt spoke next and challenged my way of thinking. “This makes good business sense to us at Hyatt - period,” he explained. “We’ve been involved in refugee initiatives for years because they, in turn, have the opportunity to go through our training programs. In fact, one Hyatt general manager I know was a former refugee we helped. He just put his five kids through college.”

As we welcome 2022 with renewed hope and energy, let’s celebrate the power that we in travel have to make a difference. I am so optimistic that the fog of Covid will clear a path for more purposeful travel. I am committed to sharing more stories of inspiration from the changemakers of our time. If you have a story to tell, contact me.

Wishing you a very happy, healthy and abundant new year. And cheers to the world’s greatest connector: travel.