TOURISM MEANS

Providing other people new and exciting destinations for reasonable prices. (October, 2020)

Student

Croatia

CHALLENGES

Coronavirus is a game changer for the tourism industry and society as a whole, though we do not yet know when this crisis will end. (April, 2020)

Student

Japan

CONCERNS

Flying in an airplane is a challenge, since that's a place where the virus can spread rapidly and it's impossible to keep distance. Also, at the destination (wherever in the world) there is a risk of bringing the virus and infecting more people there, or the tourist getting infected. Also, since tourism basically came to a stop, people depending financially on tourism face huge problems right now, and for the time to come. Moreover, I'm thinking about all the people who will lose their jobs who work directly or indirectly with tourism, like airline workers, events, cleaners, security, tour operators, guides, hospitality sector and so on. (May, 2020)

Student

Denmark

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

The local knowledge, for hiking in the surrounding mountains. I can show beautiful little places in nature to relax. (June, 2020)

Student

Austria

I NEED

Global trends including European tourism ones

Advanced cases on sustainable tourism coping with COVID (June, 2020)

Researcher, academic

Japan

SOLUTIONS

Trying out all sorts of different applications and never stop being curious. (April, 2020)

Student

Germany

EXPLOITATION

Criminals phishing company details to claim subsidies entitled for small businesses in various states of Germany. (May, 2020)

Researcher, academic

Germany

OTHER / SPOTTED

It's been about 30 years since I started this job. I have experienced the collapse of the Internet bubble, the Lehman shock, the Great East Japan Earthquake, and so on. Marketing techniques such as sales measures, cost control, and attracting customers during these times are the know-how of tourism that cannot be learned in normal times. (June, 2020)

Researcher, academic

Japan