It was March 2020. The REMOTE Team had to interrupt an inspection trip in preparation for the next Immersion in Cafayate, Argentina, originally scheduled for October, and quickly change planes. We had to grab the last available flights home due to shocking news: the World Health Organization had officially declared COVID-19 a pandemic.
The subsequent global pause, with countless lives lost and a profound impact on the travel industry, would force the postponement of the REMOTE Immersion for two years: 2020 and 2021.
With offices closed and everyone working remotely during lockdown, the REMOTE team decided to channel the energy and creativity of the REMOTE Community into a series of online educational initiatives aimed at structuring and strengthening our community identity. Thanks to the support of our Community Management expert, Alice Moura, over 100 online gatherings were held to update, inspire and train lodgings, local experts and travel designers in 2020 and 2021.
Group Studies addressed topics ranging from pandemic protocols to cancellation strategies. The series Behind the Scenes with REMOTERS showcased 15 episodes of daily life at REMOTE properties. Commercial Trainings introduced newly developed products. The digital REMOTE Talks & Seeds held 20 short talks about trends, best cases and special market expertise, which brought unique content to members and kept them connected during the pandemic. Virtual Experiences led by Travel Designers enabled participants to learn with travel designers from all over the world. All this content contributed to enriching REMOTE’s YouTube channel.
At a time when the world rediscovered the profound value of human connection, the REMOTE Community understood that this challenging moment presented opportunities to stand by one another and prepare to reemerge stronger.
Which is exactly what we did.
