The travel industry (and the world, for that matter) has never seen a situation like the current pandemic. For that reason, I think it is important to acknowledge that there are no “experts” on this topic. Just a group of industry colleagues trying to figure out how to best navigate a very difficult and very unpredictable situation.
The COVID-19 crisis has had an immediate and traumatic impact on our way of life, beyond the walls of our working environments. As we navigate strategies for repositioning properties, restructuring operational protocols to create stronger internal systems that back employee mental health and wellbeing present valuable coping services.
The topic of mental health has long been stigmatized in the U.S. and other parts of the world. In 2018, the World Health Organization issued a report that identified mental illness—that is, any mental disorder—accounts for more disability in developed countries than any other group of illness, including cancer and heart disease.