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::
How should we IMAGINE tourism now that we have an opportunity to reset the way we do business?
Which CHANGES would you like to see? If any?
What are your CHALLENGES and CONCERNS?
What are your IDEAS and SOLUTIONS to make it through the pandemic AND into a sustainable and innovative future of tourism?
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.
Don't forget to share YOUR insights (for the first time or again, with new observations):
The 10 quotes below are updated every few minutes and elephant word-clouds are recalculated regularly based on your new survey entries. You have to refresh the page or revisit us every so often to see the changed content.
IDEAS
I believe tourist destinations should do their best to create virtual (hopefully paid) experiences of what their destination is all about, filmed in both VR and normal video. This could allow people at home to get a taste of actually visiting the tourist destination such as Disneyland, Cozumel, or Yosemite. Providing a tour would also hopefully incentivize people to visit the destination once this all blows over. (April, 2020)
Student
United States
Explore #TourismFromZero perspectives
Different perspectives on the selected topic: ALL
Tourism business representative
Bosnia Herzegovina
Tourist
Singapore
Tourism business representative
Slovakia
#From Instagram
TOURISM MEANS
A set of services or service systems to provide transformative experiences to customers. (April, 2020)
Researcher, academic
Japan
CHALLENGES
Demand fell 80 percent. (July, 2020)
Tourism business representative
Slovenia
CONCERNS
I am not concerned about tourism in general. I do however worry about small businesses and tour guides who are already dormant during the winter months and are waiting for the summer season to accumulate their earnings, which likely will not be possible this year. They are in great danger of going out of business, but overall at the macro level, tourism should return to its old path. How long this will take is extremely difficult to predict. A week ago, the WTO predicted a 3 % to 4% drop in global travel, yet today we are already at a 30% drop. Jobs are definitely at risk. What I can say with confidence is that this crisis will bring some changes. There will now be a lot of room for innovation and adaptation of current work processes. I do not think tourism will die, but it will evolve. (April, 2020)
Student
Slovenia
IDEAS
Currently only thinking how to save the company before bankrupt. Maybe focusing to domestic market with attractive offers, packages in connection with local agencies. Focusing to some other markets, which were not before main markets for our city. Offer full digital support to customers on your own websites and other digital resources. (April, 2020)
Tourism or convention office, event organizer
Slovenia
I CAN OFFER
Digital marketing, Consulting, Guests research, Data-driven decisions (May, 2020)
Tourism or convention office, event organizer
Slovenia
I NEED
We do not need special resources, only normal conditions that will allow travel. (August, 2020)
Tourism employee
Slovenia
SOLUTIONS
Given that the country is closed and that people are scared, I don’t see many solutions, and I don’t have good practice yet. I went back to the time when I founded the company. I make reservations for hotels for the citizens of Slovenia, which received a tourist voucher from the state. At the moment, this is the only way I pay all the costs of the company. (July, 2020)
Tourism employee
Slovenia
EXPLOITATION
Not do much an exploitation as such, but discounting I see amongst hotels in Japan will not save the industry as it causes the Prisoner's Dilemma. Everyone could suffer as a result. (April, 2020)
Student
Japan
OTHER / SPOTTED
I think that every organization/company... should start to prepare some kind of plan. They should try to adapt and work from home, come up with alternatives so they don't completely lose costumers/visitors...For example many museums started to offer virtual tours. (March, 2020)
