To me, “community” means a group of people who work together to help elevate each other. The idea is to make the collective whole greater than the sum of the individuals. Everyone gains, but not at the expense of others.
 
I’ve been involved in the travel industry for over 25 years. Among the many industries I’ve worked in during my career, travel/hospitality has been the one I most associate with community. Most of the people I’ve met are genuinely concerned with each other (and people in general). Maybe that’s one aspect that attracts like-minded people to travel?
 
Even though many of us are competitors, we still work to help each other. Unlike other businesses that are more cutthroat, time and time again I have seen people sending business to their rivals. It’s not just the veterans who have spent decades in the trade- it’s also the newbies who have only been involved for a few years (or even less).
 
I belong to a number of STR-related groups on Facebook, and several times/week I see hosts saying a potential guest wanted to book with them but they didn’t have any availability, so they’re reaching out to the group for anyone else who has availability for those dates. I also see them helping to promote their cleaners, plumbers, and other vendors.
 
I am proud to be a part of this industry/community and try to give back to it. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of it and to be able to contribute.
 
What part of the travel/hospitality community resonates the most with you?