Don’t Build Your Brand on Borrowed Ground

It’s tempting.
To ride the wave of your country’s reputation.
To lean on big platforms.
To trust your partners to play fair.

But what happens when the wave turns?

When politics shift.
When platforms change their algorithm.
When your partner becomes your competitor.

Destinations in the U.S. have seen bookings drop because of what their government does.
Russia. Israel. Myanmar.

Tourism doesn’t live in a bubble. And your guests have opinions.

Not because of the product. But because of the passport.

And then there’s the platform trap.
Build your entire business on Airbnb, and you’re not really building your business.

You're just renting space in someone else's empire. A tick on the shark.
A parasite on the big fish. You get things out of it. Until you don’t.
Until they change the rules. Or the fees. Or start eating your lunch.

Or throw you out of the platform.

You don’t own that listing. They own your brand.

So what do you own?

The relationships.
The trust.
The promise you make, and keep.

Build on that. Build on things that don’t disappear when the political wind shifts, when the headlines turn, or when the algorithm burps.

A brand isn’t what you say.
It’s what people remember when the world goes sideways.