Reinventing tired old ways

The closure of nearly 1,800 tourist related businesses over the last year bolts a lightning-like flash that our once primary income earner (tourism) will never be the same again even when Japan and South Korea turns the corner on their economic slump.

The regional recession is itself is a terribly bad experience similar to the destruction and ravages of World War II. Recovery would take on the theme of economic reconstruction that would take years to return to pre-crisis period. Frugality would predominate spending at the family level where initial efforts would focus on replenishing hard earned family savings. More so than ever before, family vacations would likely revolve around resorts right at home.

The security of “lifetime guaranteed jobs” in the Land of the Rising Sun is basically history. It gradually disappeared when highly reputable companies took the deathly blows of restructuring, rendering 2.4 million people jobless, the highest ever in the past 50 years. Across the Korean peninsula, the high standard of living once the model of Koreans has been thrown out the window in “Life After Samsung”.

In fact, Koreans have swallowed their pride, rolled up their sleeves and started their own businesses in food catering. It is no longer the good life under chaebol, but life during difficult times that warrants creativity in order to survive the crisis. Indeed, it is hard for islanders to understand these changes and how they directly affect the NMI’s tourism industry. But rest assured that we no longer can use the triad of the sun, sea and sand as selling points. Competing destinations have the same resources and have forged ahead, putting their acts together, to compete for the same dollar.

The deepening economic slump should offer permanent lessons not in what we have done, but what we have failed to do since three decades ago. The NMI must leave the stage of “political patronage” so it buckles down to the task of encouraging its constituency in the acquisition of lifetime skills. We must also change our working vocabulary from “addressing” to “solving” problems. And, we must learn to establish and forge a strong working relationship between the private and public sector so to avoid victimizing ourselves with our tired and unworkable ways.

Friends, only those who take the personal initiative to make something for themselves would eventually reap the fruits that hard work rewards. Time may not be in our hands, but that isn’t a reason to play-up our well greased sense of mañana. Let’s reinvent our tired old ways with fresh ideas and resolve to do something for ourselves. Lest we forget, if we don’t do it, someone else would do it for us. Let’s join hands and do it together however bitter and uncomfortable the pill of sacrifice may be.