Million Air Summer 2020

INFLUENCE COVID-19

elite traveler SUMMER 2020 51

Kristen Shirley on luxury’s response to Covid-19 The world has turned upside down. Elite Traveler ’s luxury editorial director, Kristen Shirley, looks at how companies are responding to the Covid-19 crisis and shows why restaurants and travel will be vital forces in the global economy’s recovery

It’s impossible to overstate the impact that Covid-19 has had on the world, and the toll grows higher every day. At the time of publication in early May, borders were closed, most non-essential businesses were shuttered, travel was at a standstill and there was no clear path forward without a vaccine. During these difficult times, it has been heartening to see companies and individuals step up to these global challenges with open minds, working together to fix critical gaps in the supply chain and to help those in need. Luxury powerhouses including LVMH, Kering and Hermès have repurposed their clothing and beauty factories to create non-surgical masks, gowns and hand sanitizer to donate to hospitals, first responders and other charities, as well as making sizeable financial donations. Sports teams like the NFL's New England Patriots sent their private jets on humanitarian missions to pick up millions of medical masks and other much-needed equipment. Once safely back in the US, they donated them to local areas and hard-hit regions, including the hometowns of rival teams. McLaren Group shifted gears and is making trolleys and components for medical ventilators instead of race cars in the UK, and Embraer is manufacturing components for ventilators and working with hospitals to help develop biological air-filter systems at its facilities in Brazil. The private jet industry is also doing its part by supporting transportation needs and leveraging relationships with deep-pocketed clients. Wheels Up launched Meals Up with NFL player Russell Wilson and has committed to supplying 10 million meals to Feeding

pounds of food to those in need, and chef José Andrés transformed his restaurants into community food kitchens and launched the #ChefsForAmerica initiative that serves 200,000 meals every day, purchasing some of these meals from independent restaurants to give them vital revenue. Luxury hotels, beginning with Four Seasons Hotel New York, are opening their doors by offering free rooms for health-care workers, and governments are leasing empty rooms for non-critical patients to make space in hospitals. Dining out and traveling are not frivolous expenditures; they are a driving force in the world economy. James Beard Foundation notes that the culinary industry employs over 15% of the US workforce and generates $1 trillion in revenue each year, and the International Luxury Travel Market published a white paper on the importance of the luxury travel industry on the world economy, which employs nearly 106 million people and generates over $2 trillion globally. It’s not just restaurants and hotels that are struggling; there is an enormous network of small businesses that rely on tourists, such as food vendors, activity providers and car services. Many economies depend on tourism: Travel and tourism make up about 20% of the GDP in the Philippines, Thailand and Greece. As we move forward into an uncertain new era, I hope that we can remember the importance of collaboration and that companies continue to use their capabilities to do good. The global economy will need help to get started again, and we can all do our part.

Dining out and traveling are not

America. Countless providers have helped repatriate citizens, and VistaJet is putting its empty legs to good use by providing complimentary flights for repatriation or transporting medical experts and equipment. Restaurants and the travel industry have been among the hardest hit in the pandemic. Restaurants around the world were shuttered for months, and they face steep challenges reopening. Many restaurants operate on razor-thin margins, and opening at partial capacity won’t allow them to break even. Chefs and restaurateurs around the world have rallied to help their staffs with relief funds for their restaurants, and industry titans are finding ways to help independent restaurants, like James Beard Foundation, which launched a Food and Beverage Industry Relief Fund to aid small restaurants. Famous faces are using their considerable influence for good, including chef Eric Ripert, who tirelessly advocates for City Harvest in New York, which delivers millions of

frivolous expenditures; they are a driving force in the world economy

Above McLaren is manufacturing components for medical ventilators, including trolleys

covid19responsefund.org

Photo McLaren Automotive