10 TRAVEL+LEISURE | JUNE 2020
LETTER from the Editor@jacquigiff
[email protected]O
VER THE PAST two decades, there are three events
we can all point to—events that led to deep,
widespread sadness—that in turn had a profound
effect on the travel community. I am thinking of
9/11, the financial crisis of 2008, and now, the
COVID-19 pandemic of 2020.
Each of these events was a turning point;
in all three cases, there was a definite before and after.
We all know now what the “after” was, for us dedicated
travelers, following September 11. People were hesitant to
fly at first, but then they gradually began traveling again.
And then a whole movement around multigenerational
family vacations was born, because we wanted to hold our
loved ones tighter. After the financial crisis of 2008,
Americans found their footing in the experience economy,
forgoing material things for impactful memories. And
where better to make a memory than on a trip, interacting
with something or someone new?
What I personally struggle with now, as I write this from
my home in New York City—a place that, I take comfort
in reminding myself, has survived many traumas—is that
I don’t know when the “after” will be for COVID-19, or
what this new world will look like for society as a whole, and
for travelers in particular. Right now, people in travel and
tourism are hurting from job losses. Hotels are turning to
social media to interact with their clients. Some, in hard-hit
cities like New York and London, are housing medical
workers who are at the front line of the pandemic.
It would be irresponsible of me to make any predictions.
I do know, however, that there will be an “after,” and as we
try to understand the challenges ahead, I believe that finding
inspiration—simply pausing at one arrestingly beautiful
image, or finding a bit of yourself in someone else’s writing—
can be calming. Dreaming about your next trip and another
place, and what that might feel like or sound like or taste
like, is not a frivolous act. For many of us in these past few
weeks, it has been a necessity.
That’s why I’m convinced our stories here at Travel +
Leisure—reported before the world came to a halt—still
matter. They give a face to a destination, during a time when
we can see faces only virtually, and also give a small glimpse
into what travel and tourism can do to power the economy,
uplift spirits, and of course open hearts and minds.
In this issue, Ingrid Rojas Contreras writes about the
resilience of Puerto Rico, where chefs and small-business
owners are trying to imagine a new future on an island
that has picked itself up time and again. Johannes
Lichtman checks in to Brush Creek Ranch, a resort with
a passionate team pushing the boundaries of what aculinary program can be, way
out in the Wyoming wilderness.
Simon Willis journeys to remote
Aysén, in Chilean Patagonia,
where a group of family-run
hotels embrace a similar can-do
frontier spirit.
One story that has taken
on new meaning, even in the
past few days, is by Marcia
DeSanctis. She visits beautiful,
once-war-torn Rwanda, where
the wildlife experiences have
gone beyond viewing gorillas
to also encompass the Big Five,
now that lions and rhinos have
been successfully reintroduced
into one of its national parks.
What an achievement. Sadly,
the national parks that contain
gorillas and chimpanzees were
closed in late March, since the risk of COVID-
transmission from humans to other primates isn’t fully
understood. I believe the discussion around conservation,
wildlife, and tourism—and the delicate balance between
them—should continue.
I was traveling until mid-February, often at a frenetic
pace that I now question, because I was away from my
family all too much, though I did feel lucky that I could do
so every step of the way. When the world is ready for us
all to go forth again, my personal “after” could look a little
like this: jokes and face-to-face meetings with my beloved
colleagues in Europe; a trip to India with my parents,
because India has always been a place of joy for us; more
sandcastles on a Caribbean beach with my son; another
glass of something good at a New York City hotel bar with
my husband; and more conversations with unfamiliar
people, in unfamiliar places.At the time of going to press, many countries, including our own, have implemented border and flight restrictions.
Unfortunately many of the businesses we mention in this issue are temporarily closed, but we remain hopeful they will all
return. We direct you to their websites for updates, as well as information on how you can help support their communities.
Please continue to monitor the websites of the CDC (cdc.gov) and World Health Organization (who.int) for further advice.HOW YOU CAN HELP
Visit travelandleisure.
com for the latest
information on
initiatives to aid the
tourism industry.
In partnership with
T+L’s Global Good
Campaign, our
editors have chosen
to support World
Central Kitchen, a
nonprofit founded
by James Beard
Award–winning chef
José Andrés. The
organization is
currently feeding
frontline medical
workers and
vulnerable
communities
around the
country. For more,
go to worldcentral
kitchen.com.TAL0620_EdLetter.indd 10 FINAL 4/21/20 6:54 PM