TOURISM MEANS

For me, tourism has just as much to do with locality as with business. I believe that we need to discuss tourism not only from a touristic point of view, but rather from a perspective where local businesses, infrastructure, cultural institutions and the local societies in total is taken into consideration as the foundation for all tourism. Since tourism affects all parts of a local community, tourism development should work bottom-up, where locals are involved to ensure that development follows up on the locals values and needs for their own society. With this approach, tourism can add to sustainable growth and welfare, contribute to increased cultural understanding and respect and be a part of the environmental solutions. (May, 2020)

Tourism or convention office, event organizer

Norway

CHALLENGES

Dealing with information overload. Trips abroad. Less salary. Short-time work. Lockdown. Regeneration time after COVID. Competition of the companies for the domestic guests. (June, 2020)

Student

Austria

CONCERNS

The ability of tourism organisations to create systems that will deliver a safe and satisfying tourism experience. (May, 2020)

Researcher, academic

Netherlands

IDEAS

Maybe we needed this pandemic to get our eyes opened. My generation, we were all born to see the world in rose-colored glasses. Our parents were able to give us everything we needed, we were allowed to go to school, to have enough to eat and to have many other privileges the generation before us did not have. And the only thing we are concerned about, was not seeing our friends or go partying for a month.

(Everything that is said above reveres to people living in my area) (June, 2020)

Student

Austria

I CAN OFFER

My joy at work in the tourism industry. (June, 2020)

Student

Germany

I NEED

We need a virus vaccine as soon as possible. We need to stop the spread of the virus so that we can travel and live as we once did. (August, 2020)

Tourism employee

Slovenia

SOLUTIONS

Let’s think sustainable, responsible, ecologically and “boutique”. Definition of boutique: authentic experiences in the countryside, connecting local providers, non-mass tourism, uniqueness, local identity, local stories, inclusion of ethno-animation. (August, 2020)

Tourism employee

Slovenia

EXPLOITATION

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)

Student

Slovenia

OTHER / SPOTTED

I think that the fact tourism is highly affected is not that big of the problem. Yes it’s true that people won’t travel during the epidemic, but when everything is over, people will travel again, they won’t just stop. Maybe this is a great chance for everybody to see how much we all can do to help restore Earth, not just in tourism, but in the whole industry sector. (March, 2020)

Student

Slovenia