April 22, 2020
COVID-19 INDUSTRY UPDATE #8
As the days pass and the coronavirus in our area rages on, we have no choice but to stay in this waiting game, regardless of the economic damages that are mounting. I wish I had better news, but stay with me here. We are learning and growing as we go through this.
Last weekend, I was alarmed at the crowds on the waterfront with no social distancing or masks. Let’s face it, we are grieving our old normal and still trying to ignore the reality of what is happening. All of us are going through the stages of disbelief and grief over our old normal. Here are the seven stages of grief with a few comments: (stages from Healthline.com – comments from me)
Shock and Denial: A state of disbelief and numbed feelings. (There were a lot of people going through this stage on the waterfront this past weekend.)
Pain and Guilt: Feeling the loss is unbearable and that you might be making others uncomfortable because of your feelings and needs. (My husband will probably tell you I am in this stage.)
Anger and Bargaining: Lashing out, and promising a higher spirit that if it will bring relief, you’ll do anything. (I saw the anger part at the drug store this week when one person yelled at another for not wearing a mask.)
Depression: Feeling isolated and lonely and trying to process it and reflect on it. (If you find yourself talking to yourself, you are probably here.)
The Upward Turn: You start noticing that you are more calm and relaxed. (I have met no one in this stage yet.)
Reconstruction and Working Through: You begin putting pieces of your life back together and begin planning your new normal. (I have no doubt that once we pass the curve in MA, we will go into high gear and do this.)
Acceptance and Hope: Gradual acceptance of the new way of life and the feeling that there is a positive future. (We will get there. I know this…because of Katrina.)
“Never let a good crisis go to waste,” said Winston Churchill. To me this means while we rebuild, we restructure tourism in Plymouth to make it even better.
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Nothing worth having comes easy,” said Theodore Roosevelt. To me this means it’s time to roll up our sleeves and make a new plan for our new normal.
Take some time and click on my links this week. There are charts that you need to see so you will understand why tourism is so hard hit. The consequence of this public health crisis is nine times worse than 9/11, and we all remember how that affected the industry. There is information in this update that will help you make decisions on how to move forward. Will we come back? Yes, but not without working together.
Last, take a look at a few of the social media ads we’ve been posting. We are boosting these posts and getting great results. Next week, we will start a rotation of new ads seven days a week with new messages and images.
As See Plymouth continues working remotely, we all feel something is missing...all of you.
Executive Director, Lea Filson
