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The 2020 pandemic and previous years’ overtourism issues showed us both the benefits, the relevance, and the limits of the tourism, hospitality and leisure industries for society. We cannot foresee the future, but we can listen to challenges and start developing solutions.
So far we have received more than 900 responses in which these questions have been discussed::
In the name of the global tourism family, many thanks to every single one of you for the inspiring feedback. Your replies are summarized in the sections below.
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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)
When I decided to enrol into Faculty for Tourism Studies, I did not think a lot about tourism in general, just the facts that I like to travel and work with people were enough. After a few years, I got a job as a tour representative on different destination and a guide as well. What I loved about it the most is that locals, after some time, start treating you as one of their own and not as a simple tourist, which is something that a lot of people are trying to achieve while traveling. (May, 2020)
Challenges I faced had a lot to do with the closing of borders and travel restrictions. It was not possible to travel to other countries even if it feels like your own. For me there was no border between Bavaria and Austria and it didn't feel any different being in Germany. Suddenly there was a border and it was not possible to go hiking anymore where you always went. Also going to your own flat in Italy was not possible anymore. It felt like somebody locked you out of your own apartment. (September, 2020)
I am a bit concerned about the aviation industry. I believe there is a chance that low cost airlines, where people are sitting close to each other, will suffer some issues. The low price might not be that strong of a factor in the decision of purchasing an airline ticket anymore. (April, 2020)
World tourism is facing a crisis resulting from a pandemic. After the end of the pandemic, it will face a financial crisis. In a crisis, we need to look for solutions and develop new ways that will enable travel, events, even though this is very difficult in the situation we find ourselves in at the moment. (September, 2020)
The best resource I can offer to others is the power to brainstorm new ideas to improve the service processes in our tourism facilities. Just with a lot of innovation and new ways of service it is possible to reach the end with a success and not become a victim of it. (June, 2020)
Perhaps creating a small, inspired group of us for idea sharing, innovation and fostering creative thinking as we are all, in one way or the other, locked into the square box thinking (May, 2020)
We need an effective vaccine that will protect the population and allow it to travel normally. (August, 2020)
https://www.ft.com/content/19d90308-6858-11ea-a3c9-1fe6fedcca75 - link to the article written by Yuval Noah Harari that I find curious, as it opens many cotroversial questions and dilemas for the future - as the author states amongst other emphases - a shift from “over the skin” to “under the skin” surveillance, with the use od biometric data. (April, 2020)
Allow free travel insurance, people are afraid to book because they feel the risk to have their trip cancelled. (April, 2020)