As a great admirer of the ‘can-do’ attitude, I am always impressed by people who look at insurmountable obstacles and find a way of stepping round them, instead of letting those obstacles get in their way and stop them achieving their vision.
Destination History has that ‘can-do’ philosophy. It was launched this week in Thanet, Kent to boost tourism to the area. As a Thanet resident and part-time tour guide, I know first-hand that it is a place rich with military, maritime, cultural and architectural history. It has miles of clean, golden, sandy beaches and is one of the most beautiful destinations in the country.
On a sunny day.
But the organisers of Destination History don’t see the unpredictable British weather as an obstacle to their vision of bringing in millions more tourists. The whole year round! They see it as an opportunity to jointly promote indoor attractions, lively restaurants and local shopping. They know how much money tourism is worth to Thanet (about £200m per year currently and thousands of jobs) and that it could significantly increase and strengthen the local economy. They know how important it is to do this now, as unemployment is rising in the region with the closure of Pfizer and the attendant impact on local suppliers. So Destination History is setting about delivering its vision with gusto. They are stepping up and stepping round the obstacles: I like their style!
Perhaps we could all use some of that thinking. Everywhere I go at the moment, people are rightly concerned about the public funding cuts: services are disappearing as are jobs and, in some cases, whole organisations. Devastating and challenging, it has led to an atmosphere of negativity and passivity. Creating a more enterprising and entrepreneurial culture in the public and charitable sectors has to be a real route round this massive obstacle. But it will require a change of thinking, a cultural shift in approach and a positive outlook. Stepping up and stepping round, in fact.
I know we can do it – many successful social enterprises are doing it already – so let’s take their ‘can-do’ attitude and stride forward – stronger than ever before.
