Even with all the new struggles caused by the pandemic, it´s been a unique experience to co-create professional live events that serve not only education, recovery and new networking, but are also fun and engaging. My benchmark is this year´s Destination Camp in Hamburg, the 10th in a row of the best curated “future and creativity” workshops in destination management, where our motto of 2019 “Challenge Accepted” truly came to life! After this experience I was convinced that with good planning, attention to detail, and high level of self-responsibility – life goes on. Be it in a group of 20 or 200.

Last week, the proof of “yes, we can” took place in Tivat, Montenegro, where we got together to our 2nd workshop in the Green Destinations development and monitoring process. Here an article & impressions in the local language. #Safe #Smart #Sustainable – delivered :=).

No question, we get tired or even sick of the “white noise” that some people have started to call the “new normal”. It´s not. Tech is here to help us, not to become the core experience. A forest walk, a mountain hike – best with a dog near you – or a beach clean-up with a bunch of amazing young people helps. Nature always does. And opens your mind for new ideas.

The four core needs in life and travel that I see as a result of this exceptional year are Health, Freedom, Space and Downsizing – less is more, big not beautiful. If you want to know more, listen into our TravelMassive event with FitCamp Montenegro on “The Next Level of Vacationing”. Yes, we will get back to travel; maybe less, surely better and hopefully more conciously. I had just finished my yearly slowtravel – to see friends & relatives, and for work – this time eight weeks across the European pandemic, from Montenegro to Finland and back. By trains, ferries, car, and occationally on horseback. But that might be worth another story.

So let´s make 2021 a good one, using all the digital and real life innovation that is now available, evolving as we speak, and bringing us closer together than ever, even if we are apart. Many of us are learning to bear more uncertainty than so far, and a mindset of “hey, we´ll do it anyway” (in Hamburg also expressed with #machenistwiewollennurkrasser) is helpful.

That said, I am genuinely looking forward to two events in the coming weeks, both of them “firsts” of these organisations that I am so happy to work with:

See you there! Or on a mountain.