The travel industry has been urged to ditch a “victim mindset” and step up in times of crisis, with Lisa Pagotto, founder and CEO of Crooked Compass, delivering a direct message at a Skål International Sydney lunch on Wednesday.
Speaking at the View Hotel in North Sydney, Pagotto – who was last year crowned ‘Entrepreneur of the Year’ at the Women in Travel Awards – said the industry risks damaging its own reputation by leaning into negativity during periods of disruption.
“So many people are quick to go into this negative, victim kind of headspace. ‘So here we go again. Should have left the industry. Didn’t I learn my lesson during the pandemic?’” she said.
“There’s just so much negativity that is so draining, and this is what’s being put out by our industry on social media. Our clients see this, and it’s just toxic.”
Pagotto, who is also a keynote speaker on disruption, resilience and courageous leadership and creator of The FIRE Framework, argued that moments of crisis – from pandemics to geopolitical instability – should instead be seen as a chance for advisors and operators to demonstrate their value.
“This is such an opportunity for our industry. Every single time where there is a crisis, there is an opportunity for disruption,” she said.
“It is your opportunity to shine and to show people why this industry is so important.”
Drawing on more than two decades in travel, Pagotto said resilience is a core requirement for working in what remains one of the most volatile sectors.
“Every job is easy when everything is smooth sailing, but when you choose to work in a volatile industry, you have to build thick skin – and that is why people pay you to deliver the service that you do,” she said.
The comments were made during a panel discussion at the Skål International Sydney lunch at the View Hotel in North Sydney, part of a wider International Women’s Day event, which brought together senior leaders from across travel and hospitality.
Fellow panellist Shaizeen Contractor, chief commercial officer at Trilogy Hotels, offered a complementary perspective on leadership, highlighting the value of experience and adaptability across teams.
“I was very fortunate… I was 22 years old and leading a big sales team where I had people who had already been in the industry for 20 years,” she said.
“That wealth of knowledge is not something I would have ever built if I hadn’t had that trust from the older generation.”
Contractor also addressed the realities of flexibility in hospitality, noting that while remote work is not always possible in operational roles, meaningful flexibility can still be achieved.
“When you look at operations, it’s really hard to get flexibility in the traditional sense – you can’t work from home if you’re a front office receptionist,” she said.
“But when you give people a little bit of flexibility, that’s all they needed – they would make it work.”
Pagotto also pointed to a shift in industry culture, warning that collaboration has weakened compared to earlier in her career.
“I feel like, if I look back to when I first joined the industry, it was so collaborative. Everybody helped everybody out… I feel like this is an opportunity to get back to that.” she said.
