🎬 What Tourism Professionals Can Learn from the Michael Movie
I didn’t expect a movie about Michael Jackson to feel… this personal.
There’s one scene I can’t get out of my head.
After the accident that burned his hair, Michael was in the hospital — in pain, shaken, almost ready to give up.
(me enjoying the movie at iMax)
But then…
he saw other burn victims.
People in far worse condition.
People who had no platform. No voice.
And in that moment, he said something powerful:
“Maybe God made me a platform… to help those who are helpless.”
That line alone is not about music.
It’s about purpose.
And I believe every tourism professional needs to hear this.
🌍 1. You Are Not Just Running a Business — You Are a Platform
Michael didn’t see his fame as success.
He saw it as responsibility.
In tourism, we often think:
“How many bookings?”
“How much profit?”
But the real question is:
👉 Who are you helping through your platform?
Tourism has the power to:
Create income for local communities
Preserve culture
Give visibility to the unseen
If your business only benefits you…
you are operating.
If your business uplifts others…
you are leading.
🎵 2. Great Products Come from Real Stories
Michael’s biggest hits were not random.
They came from real-life events:
Gang violence in Los Angeles → Beat It
Social injustice → They Don’t Care About Us
Environmental awareness → Earth Song
He didn’t create content.
He translated reality into experience.
👉 Tourism players must do the same:
Don’t create generic tours
Translate real local stories into experiences
Example:
A kampung visit is not just a walk.
It’s a story of heritage, struggle, identity.
No story = No emotional connection
No emotion = No premium value
🤝 3. Turn Conflict into Collaboration
When Michael created Beat It, he didn’t avoid gang culture.
He did something unthinkable.
He invited real gang members into his production.
That’s leadership.
👉 In tourism:
Instead of avoiding challenges, ask:
Can we collaborate with them?
Can we turn tension into storytelling?
This is how you create authentic, differentiated experiences.
📺 4. Break the System If the System Ignores You
There was a time when MTV mostly aired videos from white artists.
Michael challenged that.
He insisted.
He pushed.
He broke the barrier.
And he didn’t just get in —
he changed the entire landscape.
👉 Tourism lesson:
If global platforms don’t notice you:
Don’t wait
Don’t complain
Strategize. Position. Push.
Today, your MTV is:
Tripadvisor
Viator
Google & AI search
If you’re not there,
you’re not being excluded…
👉 You’re being ignored because you’re not positioned.
🎤 5. Create Your Own Identity — Even If It Means Breaking Away
Michael was part of the Jackson 5.
His father wanted him to stay within that identity.
But he knew…
👉 To grow, he had to become himself.
So he created a new sound.
A new style.
A new brand.
And the world followed.
👉 Tourism players, ask yourself:
Are you still:
Selling the same packages as everyone else?
Competing on price?
Following old models?
Or are you creating:
Your own niche?
Your own experience style?
Your own identity?
If you don’t define your uniqueness, the market will commoditize you.
Michael Jackson didn’t just build a career.
He built:
A platform
A purpose
A movement
And every challenge he faced…
he turned into something the world could feel.
Tourism is not just about destinations.
It’s about:
Stories
People
Transformation
And maybe… just maybe…
You are not in tourism by accident.
👉 You are a platform for others.
Uzaidi Udanis
Your Inbound Matters
“We Rise By Lifting Others”
