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.
CHALLENGES
What probably challenged me the most was reducing social contacts and interactions with friends or family members. After that long time I even started missing going to university, while working from home in front of your laptop. (October, 2020)
Student
Austria
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
For me tourism means exploring new countries and places. Personally I don't refer to myself as a tourist when im going to other places. I would say im more like a visitor. I feel like being a tourist has some kind of a bad stigma. I know how it feels if you see more tourists in your city than locals. Thats why I try to not to behave as a tourist when im on vacation. Tourism also plays a big role in the creation and conservation of jobs. So in some way it also feels like a secure and steady income source for a lot of people. (September, 2020)
Student
Austria
CHALLENGES
The challenge is to adjust the travel offer. Previously, we mainly organized longer trips to other continents, but now we are forced to prepare new products. We are preparing one- and multi-day trips around Slovenia, but after such trips there is less interest from our guests. They mostly travel around Slovenia alone. (August, 2020)
Tourism employee
Slovenia
CONCERNS
The biggest concern is that current situation continues for "too" long. It could bring fear of travel - even if short term (6-10 months) it a big hit for our industry and this could mean a big shifts. But even though this could be bad for people working in tourism it could also bring inovation and good improvment. (April, 2020)
Tourism employee
Slovenia
IDEAS
1) Get connected - even with "enemies" - in your destination. The weakest determines the faith of all players of a destination in a pandemic situation.
2) Get digital - digitalization helps to make tourism resilient.
3) Get human - do not focus on profit, focus on customers.
4) Create experiences instead of money traps. (May, 2020)
Researcher, academic
Germany
I CAN OFFER
My skills, my willing to make the difference and my passion towards tourism. I think that nowadays ecotourism should be the key to success. (May, 2020)
Tourism employee
Italy
I NEED
Training of risk management & crisis management in hospitality industry. (April, 2020)
Student
United States
SOLUTIONS
We are solving this bad season by organizing trips and holidays in Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Italy. (September, 2020)
Tourism employee
Slovenia
EXPLOITATION
Global airlines and hotels holding back payments or only providing credits to customers, yet laying people off, and seeking bailouts. (April, 2020)
Researcher, academic
Canada
OTHER / SPOTTED
Prepare for the opening: prepare a protocol. How will you welcome your guests tomorrow; which standards will you have to follow to guarantee safety; how will you adapt to the »new reality«; where will you put the hand disinfection gel? These are some questions to answer to make feel the guest secure and safety at your place. (April, 2020)
