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.
TOURISM MEANS
The activity of travelling and experiencing the variety of the world's natural and cultural commons. (July, 2020)
Researcher, academic
Cyprus
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 chance to learn about new things, meet new people, see different way of living and find a new part of yourself. (May, 2020)
Student
Slovenia
CHALLENGES
Interacting with guests and other employees without social distancing efforts in place due to it being a workplace. It is physically impossible to check a guest in with being six feet away from them. Also, housekeepers need their list updated and need to be handed lists and other items. Common items like hand sanitizer seem to always go "missing" when placed into the lobby. Guests always steal the hand sanitizer bottles within the lobby, which is another major challenge we face with the shortage. (April, 2020)
Tourism employee
United States
CONCERNS
My biggest concern is how some people handle this whole pandemic. Sorry to say that but I think it is pathetic that there are people out there, who are seriously comparing our situation now with the situation people had to face during the World War two. Our situation nowadays is nothing compared to the situation back then. Now the world has to fight a virus, back then they had to fight man against man. I´m quite sure, that none of us can even imagine how horrible this time was and I´m quite sure that none of us wants to know. If I´m being honest a comparison like this is embarrassing and very disrespectful. (December, 2020)
Student
Austria
IDEAS
Finding new stories and reading literature. We do not know everything about the area in which we carry out our business activity. Now is the time when we can renew our knowledge and upgrade it. (April, 2020)
Student
Slovenia
I CAN OFFER
My willing to make the difference. Make the best of this time, you can’t change it and you have to live with it. You have to rethink about several things and find solutions. Don’t be shy. (June, 2020)
Student
Italy
I NEED
A list of companies in the tourism industry that are hiring. What companies are going to be looking for employees once things start to pick up again and what companies are no longer going to be able to stay in business due to lost revenues during this time. (April, 2020)
Student
United States
SOLUTIONS
Not specifically, but it's crucial to use the right psychological procedures (right words, slogans, music, messages) in marketing purposes. The goal of that would be managing crowds of people (tourists) in order to diminish their anxiety, fear of other people and travelling around. (April, 2020)
Student
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
I saw a weird travel website talking about travel to countries that didn't have the coronavirus. All the more reason to NOT go there, I would say. In no time the virus would be there and those countries would soon also go through all the troubles and deaths. (May, 2020)
