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.
I CAN OFFER
Social (online) support! As mentioned previously, providing social interaction through technology and media platforms greatly helps and keeps everyones mind busy while providing social interaction to ease the lockdown induced loneliness. I would also be able to provide the resource of shopping for the elderly in my community, which I have done twice this previous month, in order to allow the elderly to stay home and get safely delivered food and not have to possible expose themselves to the virus. Anything we can do to help everyone struggling to get through this time. (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
Leisure time and learning from new places and people. (April, 2020)
Tourist
Italy
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 community i live in largely depends on tourists to survive. The forecast for this summer season is terrifying. (April, 2020)
Local resident
Slovenia
IDEAS
I don’t really see myself as someone who has enough knowledge to come up with any meaningful solutions, but I do think that we should focus more on local tourist attractions, so maybe they would deserve more promotion in such times. (April, 2020)
Student
Slovenia
I CAN OFFER
A vaaast information on local stories, a good network of local and regional stakeholders (Maribor, Slovenia) and a bit of crazy innovativeness that comes with our formats. (April, 2020)
Tourism business representative
Slovenia
I NEED
As I do understand that understanding topics we take them at school is important, we should take this opportunity for the whole tourism sector to step together and create a good set of actions. As there would be actions taken from an actions such as recommended, we would have an opportunity to change an educating system as well, as we all know, it needs an upgrade. Students (from what we talk to each other) would like to be present at resolving actual current problems more, as some teachers already are taking these actions (for example giving students to write, think and evolve solutions to the actual problems happening in present time). (April, 2020)
Tourism employee
Slovenia
SOLUTIONS
Although I mostly organize trips abroad, I have now prepared trips around Slovenia. I would not call this a good practice, but saving the company from collapse if the crisis does not end. (August, 2020)
Tourism employee
Slovenia
EXPLOITATION
Assistance with tourist vouchers only to accommodation facility. Travel agencies were largely excluded because hoteliers do not confirm shared reservations. (July, 2020)
Tourism employee
Slovenia
OTHER / SPOTTED
Maybe finding financial solutions or funds for those who are now in existential crisis. I also think everyone who is working in culture sector or any other art branch is fearful of the future situation. I think we should really support those and find a way to make their lives easier. After all, art is what define us, makes us humans. (April, 2020)
