The world is almost literally on fire, and yet I am still going to try to write a positive column. The biggest bottleneck at present is, of course, the situation in the Middle East and its impact on the global economy, including fuel availability and costs, and reduced air freight capacity.
I travel a great deal for work, and every time I am struck by the same thing: in the Netherlands, the roads are still incredibly busy, despite the high cost of fuel. Meanwhile, people continue to travel by air in great numbers, all in search of different cultures and surroundings. So flights are still booked, despite the fuel surcharges. The urge to get away and unwind remains strong.
I was recently in Kenya myself, where growers saw production outstrip demand. This led to 30 to 35% being dumped, which is hardly encouraging for staff. So how do you keep morale up in a situation like that?
