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
Crisis, competition, climate change, how to apply sustainability to a already developed mountain destination. (April, 2020)
Local resident
Italy
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
Tourism became life for me about five years ago. When I started my journey as a tour guide, I gave up a lot. The main guideline was that I like to travel, research and share all the acquired knowledge with guests in Slovenia, Europe and around the world. I think we are slowly growing over the years and adding chapters step by step to our tourism career. (July, 2020)
Tourism employee
Slovenia
CHALLENGES
I love my home country Austria and all the peculiarities, but I also miss going abroad and have some time to relax far away from the everyday stress. But the biggest challenge is to stay calm and sit in the home office and there is nothing you can do against the virus. But all after all that's only complaining on a high comfort level. I should be happy that all of my family members are healthy and nobody lost the job or anything like that. (December, 2020)
Student
Austria
CONCERNS
Initially, there was a fear. Then a question of the summer season, on which not only many Croatians depend income wise, but also the financial health of the country (large share of BDP). Now, it seems that there will be some tourist activity over the summer season, but the restrictive measures were relaxed in such a short time that many fear of the surge in number of sick once international visitors arrive. This is at this very moment, but situation still changes very quickly and next week it might be that we would face entire new set of issue. (May, 2020)
Researcher, academic
Croatia
IDEAS
This virus has made it very difficult to come up with solutions to this problem when it comes to being a tourist. People don't show symptoms for up to 2 weeks and many people can be asymptomatic. Something I actually heard the other day was that studies are being done that have shown that the spread of the virus is much lower during outdoor events. For example soccer games. I can attest to this because my dad and I went to 2 soccer games during the outbreak and we did not get the virus. So an interesting idea would make public transportation open-air somehow. This would allow people to get around without being stuck inside a vehicle where this virus can run rampant. Outdoor events can also be reopened with maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of the number of people to allow for them to social distance a little while being at this outdoor event. This would allow for tourists to go to places and do some things involved in that culture while slowing the spread of the virus. (April, 2020)
Tourist
United States
I CAN OFFER
From co-creating new stories, writing them down, connecting the partners, implementing ideas into the practice, organizing activities, discussing with media, public presentations and networking. (March, 2020)
Tourism business representative
Slovenia
I NEED
I think our company needs a good and positive employee force, including maintaining good HR practices and encouragement to give employees. Personally, the company also needs a plan from our boss going forward (as hard and uncertain as the world is making that on him). (April, 2020)
Tourism employee
United States
SOLUTIONS
Our country helps us. Without her help, businesses would have already collapsed. (July, 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
Great to see initiative to re-think and evaluate tourism during the pandemic. Thank you. (April, 2020)
