The Leap Between Impossible and Done
As Hindus around the world celebrate Navratri, we spend nine nights reflecting on the many forms of the Divine and the qualities they awaken within us: courage, devotion, wisdom, perseverance, and faith. It is a fitting time to revisit one of the most enduring stories in our tradition, a story that has inspired generations not because of where it takes place, but because of what it asks of us. It is the story of a leap.
According to the Ramayana, Lord Hanuman stood on the shores of what is known today as Sri Lanka with a mission that appeared impossible. Sita had been found. Lord Rama needed to know she was alive. Between problem and solution stood an ocean. The distance was immense. The task was daunting. Yet Hanuman jumped. Whether one views the story through the lens of faith, mythology, history, or symbolism, its lesson remains remarkably relevant.
Most people remember the leap because of its scale.
I remember it because of the moment that must have preceded it. Before every great act of courage comes a moment of uncertainty. Every meaningful journey contains a moment when the gap ahead appears larger than our abilities. The entrepreneur wonders whether their idea can leave the world better than they found it. The explorer questions the route. The parent worries about the decision. The student doubts their capability. The traveler contemplates the road less taken. There is always a shoreline. There is always an ocean. And there is always a reason not to jump.
Today, traveling between Sri Lanka and India can be measured in miles and hours. Hanuman’s journey is measured differently. It is measured in courage. Because the story was never really about crossing water. It was about crossing doubt.
One of the most fascinating details of Hanuman’s story is that he initially forgot the extent of his own powers. It took others around him to remind him of who he was and what he was capable of accomplishing. Only then did he embrace his purpose and launch himself into the unknown. To me, that may be the most important part of the story.
The greatest barrier was not the distance. It was self-belief. How many times have we encountered people with extraordinary talent who underestimate themselves? How often have organizations, communities, and even entire nations focused so intensely on their limitations that they lose sight of their strengths? Sometimes we do not need new skills. We do not need new opportunities. We simply need a better memory of who we already are.
That, to me, is one of the central lessons of Navratri.
The festival is not merely a celebration of divine power. It is a reminder that courage, resilience, and purpose are available to all of us. The victory of Goddess Durga over Mahishasura symbolizes the triumph of light over darkness, conviction over fear, and possibility over doubt. Hanuman’s leap across the sea reflects the very same truth from a different chapter of our spiritual heritage.
Both stories ultimately ask the same question: What would happen if we stopped underestimating ourselves? As Hanuman’s journey continued, he encountered distractions, temptations, and obstacles designed to prevent him from reaching his destination. Yet none of them changed the mission. His purpose remained clear. His destination remained clear. His commitment remained clear. Perhaps that is why these stories have endured for thousands of years. They are not really about demons, oceans, or distant kingdoms. They are about us.
Every Navratri invites us to confront the obstacles in our own lives. Some are external. Many are internal. Fear. Doubt. Insecurity. Hesitation. The quiet voice that whispers, maybe this is beyond me. Hanuman heard that voice. Durga conquered that voice. And every year, Navratri challenges us to do the same. Twice a year, I embark on a 9 day fast, in observance of these 9 days. No matter where I am, it comes to a stop and I return home.
As these sacred days of Navratri unfold, perhaps the lesson is not to admire Hanuman’s leap from afar, but to identify the ocean standing before us. A challenge we have postponed because the distance seems too great.
Somewhere, right now, each of us is standing on a shoreline of our own. And perhaps that is why this story continues to resonate across centuries.
On behalf of my family, I send the brightest wishes to my brothers and sisters observing the 9 days of Navratri.
At the WTTC Global Summit in Malta, a phrase kept surfacing throughout conversations, presentations, and hallway discussions: Future Reset.
I like that phrase.
Not because it suggests we need to tear everything down and rebuild from scratch. Quite the opposite. A reset is not a beginning. It is a moment of reflection. A pause. An opportunity to evaluate what is working, what is no longer serving us, and what future we are actively choosing to create.
Travel has always been a force for transformation. Today, it is also one of the world’s most powerful economic engines.
One statistic shared during the opening session particularly stood out. Over the last five years, one out of every three jobs created globally came from travel and tourism. Think about that for a moment. At a time when conversations are increasingly focused on artificial intelligence, automation, and workforce disruption, our industry is projected to create roughly 89 million new jobs over the next decade.
That reality changes the conversation.
Rather than asking whether technology will replace people, perhaps the better question is: How do we use technology to make travel better for people?
That challenge was at the heart of many discussions in Malta.
One Traveler. One Identity. One Journey.
Anyone who travels regularly understands the friction that still exists in the system.
We prove who we are at check-in. Then again at security. Then at immigration. Then at boarding.
The traveler has become accustomed to standing in lines.
Yet the technology now exists to rethink the entire experience.
One of the summit’s priorities centered on creating a truly seamless journey through digital identity, biometrics, and AI-powered systems. The vision is straightforward: one traveler, one identity, one journey.
Importantly, the conversation was not about sacrificing security for convenience. It was about delivering both.
The best travel experiences are often the ones we barely notice. They simply flow.
Growth Must Be Managed, Not Chased
Another topic that received significant attention was destination management.
For decades, success was measured by arrival numbers. More visitors meant more growth.
Today, we know the equation is more complicated.
The goal can no longer be growth for growth’s sake. Growth must benefit residents, preserve culture, protect natural assets, and improve the visitor experience simultaneously.
Some destinations are wrestling with over-tourism. Others are seeking ways to attract new investment and visitation. Both challenges require thoughtful planning and collaboration.
The future belongs to destinations that understand balance.
Sustainability Is No Longer Optional
There was a time when sustainability sat on the side of the conversation.
Those days are over.
The discussions in Malta reflected a clear understanding that environmental stewardship, community well-being, and economic prosperity are interconnected.
This is something we have believed at Big Five for many years. Travel has the power to protect wildlife, preserve cultures, create economic opportunity, and build understanding across borders. But only when growth occurs responsibly.
The challenge moving forward is simple to articulate and much harder to execute: Continue growing while simultaneously reducing our footprint.
That is the assignment before all of us.
Technology Without Responsibility Is Not Progress
Artificial intelligence was a recurring theme throughout the summit.
Predictably so.
Every industry is asking similar questions. How do we deploy these tools? What opportunities do they create? What risks must be managed?
What impressed me was the focus on responsible adoption.
Technology should enhance the human experience, not diminish it.
Travel, after all, remains a profoundly human endeavor. We travel to connect. We travel to learn. We travel to be transformed by cultures, landscapes, and perspectives different from our own.
No algorithm can replace that.
The winners in the next decade will be organizations that successfully blend technological capability with human connection.
Preparing for the Unexpected
If recent years have taught our industry anything, it is that disruption is inevitable.
Whether the challenge is health-related, environmental, geopolitical, or economic, preparedness matters.
One of the summit’s eight priorities focused on crisis readiness and recovery.
The question is no longer whether a crisis will occur.
The question is whether organizations, destinations, and governments are prepared when it does.
Resilience is becoming just as important as innovation.
The Power of Partnership
Perhaps the most important takeaway from Malta was also the simplest.
None of these priorities can be achieved alone.
Governments cannot solve them independently.
Private industry cannot solve them independently.
True progress requires collaboration.
This is where organizations like WTTC play a vital role. By bringing together public and private stakeholders, sharing research, measuring impact, and creating common objectives, they help transform ideas into action.
And action is what matters now.
The summit concluded with a challenge to industry leaders: move beyond discussion. Invest. Innovate. Develop talent. Implement solutions.
In other words, lead.
Looking Toward 2030
One of the most encouraging aspects of the summit was the presence of more than 100 young participants representing 40 countries.
As I watched these future leaders engage with today’s decision-makers, I was reminded that our industry has always been multi-generational. We inherit it from those before us, and we have a responsibility to strengthen it for those who come next.
The future reset is not really about technology.
It is not about biometrics. It is not even about growth.
It is about making deliberate choices today that create a stronger travel ecosystem tomorrow.
Change is powerful. It always has been. The question is whether we simply react to change or whether we help shape it.
Leaving Malta, I am convinced our industry has both the opportunity and the responsibility to do the latter.
And that journey has already begun.
My colleague Gisela, is currently in Colombia. Her adventure started with some drama, however you wouldn’t believe me if I told you what happened. I’ll let Gisela explain.
Enjoy her words and video.
Colombia’s Caribbean Coast: The Journey Beyond Tayrona
Tayrona National Park was supposed to be the story.
With its jungle-covered mountains tumbling into the Caribbean Sea, Colombia’s most celebrated national park draws travelers from around the world. It was meant to be the centerpiece of my journey along the country’s northern coast.
Then, just before I arrived, the park closed.
Fortunately, Colombia has a way of rewarding travelers who embrace the unexpected.
What followed was not the journey I had planned, but perhaps a more revealing one. It led through fishing communities built above the water, conversations with artisans preserving generations-old traditions, encounters with Indigenous wisdom, and a coastal region quietly redefining itself through sustainability and conservation.
Life Between Lagoon and Sea
The detour began aboard a small boat crossing the vast waterways of the Ciénaga Grande de Santa Marta.
This is a world shaped by water. Mangrove forests stretch across the horizon. Fishing boats move between communities. The rhythm feels slower here, dictated less by schedules and more by nature itself.
Along the way, we met José, a blue crab fisherman whose family has worked these waters for generations.
As we drifted beside his boat, he explained not only how he catches crab, but how community life continues to operate much as it has for decades. Trust still carries value. Neighbors exchange goods. Payments are sometimes made days later. Relationships often matter more than transactions.
For visitors, it offers a glimpse into a way of life increasingly rare in the modern world.
Nueva Venecia: A Community Floating on the Water
Then came Nueva Venecia.
The village appears almost unexpectedly from the lagoon. Homes stand on stilts above the water. Boats replace cars. Wooden walkways connect families, schools, shops, and gathering places.
Yet what makes Nueva Venecia remarkable is not its architecture.
It is the fact that this is not a living museum or a carefully curated attraction. It is a thriving community that continues to evolve in harmony with the ecosystem that surrounds it.
Children navigate the waterways with ease. Fishermen repair nets outside their homes. Families gather in shaded spaces overlooking the lagoon.
Life unfolds not despite the water, but because of it.
Around Yolanda’s Table
One of the most memorable moments came not on the lagoon but around a lunch table.
Yolanda welcomed us into her home and prepared a traditional meal of fried fish, coconut rice, and patacones.
Like many of the best travel experiences, it was not the food alone that stood out. It was the conversation.
Stories about family, daily life, and community flowed as naturally as the meal itself. In a region celebrated for its landscapes, it was a reminder that people often leave the deepest impression.
Nearby, artisan Edrulfo continues another important tradition, transforming locally harvested junco into handcrafted works that reflect the cultural heritage of the wetlands.
The pieces are beautiful.
The knowledge behind them is even more valuable.
Where Ancient History Still Feels Present
Further east, the journey led to Tayronaka.
Ancient stone terraces hidden among the forest reveal traces of the Tayrona civilization that once flourished throughout this region.
Yet history here feels far from distant.
Later, while floating down the Don Diego River toward the Caribbean, we met a Mamo, one of the spiritual leaders who safeguard ancestral knowledge within the Sierra Nevada.
The conversation unfolded where river, jungle, mountains, and sea converge.
It was impossible not to recognize how deeply connected the region’s Indigenous communities remain to the landscapes that have sustained them for centuries.
Barranquilla’s Reinvention
The journey continued in Barranquilla, a city many travelers know only in passing.
What I discovered was a destination actively transforming itself.
Along the Magdalena River, former industrial spaces have given way to public parks, gathering spaces, and waterfront promenades. Areas once overlooked are becoming centers of community life.
The same commitment can be seen at Mallorquín, where restoration efforts have revitalized an ecosystem at the meeting point of river and sea.
Today, visitors can explore the wetlands, paddle through the waterways, and witness a remarkable example of environmental recovery.
It is proof that conservation is not only about protecting the wild places that remain, but also restoring those nearly lost.
The Artisans of Usiacurí
The final stop was Usiacurí.
Colorful streets and murals offer an immediate welcome, but the true story lies within the workshops scattered throughout town.
Generations of artisans have preserved the tradition of weaving Iraca palm into hats, jewelry, bags, and decorative pieces that have become synonymous with the community.
Sitting alongside local craftspeople, I quickly learned something every visitor discovers: what appears effortless is anything but.
Each piece represents countless hours of practice, patience, and craftsmanship.
The result is not simply a souvenir.
It is a tradition carried forward by hand.
The Story Beyond the Itinerary
I arrived in Colombia expecting Tayrona National Park to define this journey.
Instead, the most memorable moments happened beyond its borders.
They were found beside fishermen’s boats in the Ciénaga Grande. Around Yolanda’s table in Nueva Venecia. Along the Don Diego River. In the workshops of Usiacurí and the restored wetlands of Barranquilla.
Tayrona may have closed its gates.
The Caribbean coast opened countless others.
