TOURISM MEANS

Once someone said that travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer, and I couldn’t agree more. Because, to me, travel means to live fully, to accept others, to learn in every area you can and to allow the world to shape you into the best person you can truly be. (April, 2020)

Student

Bosnia Herzegovina

CHALLENGES

For me as a person who travels a lot, it feels like I’m missing a part of freedom. Also, I am doing a lot of sports and it is not very motivating, if it’s unsure if the event in some other country will take place, and if yes, if I can travel their without going in quarantine or without any travel restrictions. (October, 2020)

Student

Austria

CONCERNS

[Professor] That we might get back to normal too quickly without learning from the pandemic for future crises. Moreover, I think that tourism underestimates the risk of a second wave and is too much focused on getting back revenues after the first wave. (May, 2020)

Researcher, academic

Germany

IDEAS

In one of the President's COVID-19 Press Conferences, Trump had thrown around the idea of businesses being able to fully deduct dining and food expenses. I believe this could be an interesting idea to pursue. Currently, dining and food expenses incurred by businesses can be deducted by 50% as long as they meet certain requirements (cannot be overly extravagant, etc.). If this deductible percentage was increased, it could help to jump start the recovery of the hospitality and tourism industry by incentivizing business meals and group business. A similar case can be made for travel expenses.

Of course, there are ethical implications associated with potential to abuse the system which will need to be weighed. I recommend the spending must meet the current deduction requirements or possibly impose a spending ceiling.

Resources:

https://www.thetaxadviser.com/issues/2020/jan/business-meal-expense-deduction-tcja.html

https://markjkohler.com/writing-off-dining-and-food-expenses/ (April, 2020)

Student

United States

I CAN OFFER

Motivation and a great desire to improve tourism. (March, 2020)

Student

Slovenia

I NEED

I may want to have any resources shows how exactly the tourism industry will be recovered from previous cases such as the SARS or H1N1, and any resources that showing the prediction of how long the tourism industry should be recovered. Then take a look on its differnece. (April, 2020)

Student

United States

SOLUTIONS

Everyone can show everyone that renunciation is possible and necessary in this situation. Meanwhile, you can put your money into small businesses to keep the economy running, even if it is only for one take away dinner. (April, 2020)

Student

Germany

EXPLOITATION

VIPs saying we're all in this together to promote themselves. (April, 2020)

Student

Germany

OTHER / SPOTTED

Three travel startups response to COVID19

The article highlighted on how these three big travel agencies Get Your Guide,Omio and Travel perk are responding to the Covid19 pandemic.All the three agencies reported a major drop in bookings combined with customer cancellation and reschedule of the travel plans. The three founders of this agencies described there is sudden revenue crunch with high levels of uncertainty due to the pandemic.Get you Guide agency copied to the situation by re-routing resources to service more on near-term customer needs through improved flexibility of cancellation of bookings and refunding systems .Omio and Travel Perk, the two agencies decided to reflect on duty of care. This is focused on supporting its customers,employees with safety measures and are taking the time to research on which investments they can engage or pull out at the current moment.

https://techcrunch.com/2020/03/13/three-travel-startups-tell-us-how-theyre-responding-to-the-coronavirus-crisis/ (April, 2020)

Student

Slovenia