ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF TOURISM CARES
of uncertainty about the future of travel and tourism , and we were coming together as an industry ,” said Takehara . During this time , Takehara was involved with several associations including USTOA , NTA and ASTA when the three organizations came together to form Tourism Cares . “ President Bush made a call to action to the American people to engage in volunteerism , and that kind of became the mantra for Tourism Cares to really bring these industry associations together and to work under the banner of volunteerism to create a greater impact together .”
In the following days , Tourism Cares hosted its first-ever clean-up event at Ellis Island , connecting over 300 travel and tourism professionals . “ Ellis Island was a far different place than what it is now ,” said Takehara . “ It was in dire need of a lot of elbow grease , and we rolled up our sleeves and provided that elbow grease . We essentially did the work in a couple of days that would have probably taken the National Park Service several months , perhaps even a year to do . It showed the collective impact of what an industry can do when it comes together .”
It was that same day that something clicked . “ I have to admit , I had a bit of an epiphany ,” said Takehara . “ I remember thinking that I loved everything about what we were doing and that I was going to always be very committed to Tourism Cares because , to me , it was very gratifying to give back to the industry that gave me my livelihood . … Sometimes they say there ’ s no such thing as coincidence , and here I am , I get to work for this wonderful organization .”
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Fast forward to 2023 — Takehara is the CEO of Tourism Cares , and the organization is over 200 members strong . The nonprofit continues to bring travel professionals together to put the people and places of travel first and is celebrating a big milestone this year . “ Ellis Island was 2003 , so we are entering our 20th year ,” said Takehara . “ As in the case of any type of pinnacle anniversary , there ’ s a lot of reflection back ; there ’ s a lot of celebration of our legacy , but , similarly , when you think about the 20 years gone by , you think about the 20 years ahead of us .”
And as the leadership at Tourism Cares focuses on the next 20 years , sustainability is a key issue . “ Sustainability remains a very big word for a lot of people and one that ’ s not so easy to grasp ,” said Takehara . “ If you ’ re early on in your sustainability journey , one of the wonderful things about Tourism Cares is we have so many ( people ) in our membership , in our community that have been down this road and have been working very hard on the sustainability front .”
That means advisors don ’ t need to reinvent the wheel , as Tourism Cares can help share resources and best practices , make introductions and inspire them to join in with the industry at large . “ I continue to maintain the importance of the travel advisor ,” said Takehara . “ People are starting to think about traveling more responsibly and more meaningfully , and the travel advisor can be a great guide for them in terms of advising them .”
And , as Takehara remembers his past and looks to the future , one thing is certain : his adoration for travel and tourism is stronger than ever . “ It excites me that I get to work in this industry ,” said Takehara . “ Going back to 1988 , so that ’ s 34 years , I really get to use every bit of everything that I ’ ve learned to try to help the industry move forward in a positive way . That will never stop exciting me .”
WHAT ’ S IN GREG ’ S CARRY ON ?
“ Magazines like The Compass ,” said Takehara . “ I love hard copy magazines , but I always carry my iPad too . Magazines would be my number one carry-on item because I love the fact that they aren ’ t a true commitment like a book . And , as we addressed , that kind of generalist nature of the jobs I ’ ve had , I like to try to absorb as much as I possibly can about a lot of different things ; that ’ s something you can do with a magazine .”
SPRING 2023 / THE COMPASS / 21