Briefing catches up with Roger Dow, President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association, the national umbrella organisation representing all segments of the $770 billion US travel and tourism industry.
Briefing: Your leadership achievements have been widely recognised and celebrated through many industry awards. What is the secret of good leadership?
Roger: Good leadership requires a clear vision, enthusiasm and energy, and a willingness to allow your team to have input into the process. My experience is that people want to succeed and that usually means helping their leader succeed. They can do that most effectively if the objectives are communicated clearly. It helps to encourage energy and enthusiasm because momentum gets generated with focused activity. But equally important is the ability to listen. Strong leaders all bring a point of view. But no one of us has all the answers. Surrounding yourself with good people who bring their own valuable perspectives is critical to accomplishing any important objective.
Briefing: The last two years have been an unsettling time for the business travel and meetings industry. What has surprised or struck you most during this period of change?
Roger: The past couple of years, and especially the last year, have been especially challenging for the travel industry. Our industry has been through recessions in the past, and we have coped by tightening our belts and being creative. We can get through a recession. What we have not seen before is the government and media discouraging people from travelling. The compounding of the economic recession and the rampant government and media criticism of business travel as excessive has really hurt the travel economy and the 7 million jobs it generates in the United States.
Briefing: The U.S. Travel Association has been widely involved in the Meetings Means Business campaign. Where does the lobbying effort go from here? What are the current challenges?
Roger: The U.S. Travel Association and our partners launched the Meetings Mean Business campaign back in March in order to respond to the attacks by the media and government on business meeting and event trips. Our lobbying efforts have helped to fend off any legislation that would harm travel. The next important step for our industry is to make a better case for the value of travel to businesses. We also have to help policymakers understand that at this fork in the road of our economic recovery, hindering business travel in any way would be extremely counterproductive. I think we have made a lot of progress, but we still have our work cut out for us as we move the perceptions of travel from the “frivolous” or unnecessary activity to the understanding that business and leisure travel contribute significantly to our economy, American jobs and our country’s productivity.
Briefing: You’ve spent your entire career in the hospitality sector. IMEX and MPI’s global Future Leaders Forums are designed to inspire young people to enter this industry. How would you “sell” its benefits to the next generation?
Roger: What is unique about the travel and hospitality industry is the ability for a person like me to start in an entry level position, learn and work their way up to management and leadership roles. I began as a lifeguard for Marriott during college and worked my way through various roles and positions with the company until I became the head of global sales and marketing. Now I am the President and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. My story is not extraordinary – this industry provides opportunities and opens doors for everyone. Just look at our new Face of Travel, Paco Saldana. Paco came to the United States from Mexico 13 years ago with a high school education and not speaking any English. He went to work for the Ritz Carlton as a bus boy. Today he is the Director of Guest Services for their hotel on Amelia Island, Florida, and he is an example of the American dream. What other industry offers such a breadth of opportunity and potential for hardworking people of all educational and ethnic backgrounds? This industry is exceptional, and it provides terrific opportunities for those who seek a bright future.
Briefing: Corporate trust is one of the many elements that have been eroded during the recession. Having written a book on the subject, what lessons do companies in this industry still need to learn?
Roger: Trust is one of the most important ingredients in business. It can take decades to earn and minutes to lose. Once you breach that trust with constituents it’s very difficult to grow together in the future. The more complex the transaction, the more trust is important. You don’t have to have great trust in an organisation to buy a candy bar, but when you’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on critical meeting or incentive programmes, you only want to do business with those who have earned your trust.
