Destinations Meet Darwin: How These 23 U.S. Cities Are Adapting to Survive
Photo Credit: Seattle's artists are keeping the energy alive downtown during the quiet of the pandemic by using the protective plywood on suspended businesses as canvases. Visual Hunt / Cris Pierry
Skift Take
Take a look at what these cities have pulled together with limited resources under the weight of this pandemic. It's a true testament to resiliency and creativity.
For our Viewpoint series, Skift invites thought leaders, some from the less obvious corners of travel, to join in the conversation. We know that these independent voices are important to the dialogue within the industry. Our guest columnists will identify and shape what global trends and through lines will define the future of travel.
Like many of you, I’ve been overwhelmed at the impact Covid-19 has had on the travel industry, and how each day has brought an unpleasant serving of new closures, new layoffs, new news that suggests that this beloved industry is changed forever.
And yet in and amongst the devastation that the pandemic has unquestionably wrought, I’ve also started to see bright spots, glimmers of hope and possibility from colleagues at destination marketing organizations across the country. I see them in the DMO social media feeds, in Google alerts, and I see them posted from friends and family members in those various destinations.
What I’m seeing is a reminder to me that Charles Darwin is famously misquoted — he never said that the strongest species survive. He said the most adaptable survive. And in the last several weeks, as airlines and hotels have shut down, as attractions and restaurants have been shuttered, and as our normal way of life has been restricted to the four walls of our resp
