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
As a current employee in the hospitality industry, I have been forced to stop working due to the coronavirus. I was working to complete my field study at the Inn at Virginia Tech, which I was enjoying so much. Now due to the virus, I am no longer able to work and I am unsure whether I will be able to return to work in the future. (April, 2020)
Tourism employee
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
Income from tourists. (December, 2020)
Student
Slovakia
CHALLENGES
Most people pay lip service to sustainable tourism. There is too much focus on the 'cost' of sustainability, and not enough on the cost of inaction. (April, 2020)
Inventor, consultant
France
CONCERNS
I am concerned for the hospitality industry as a whole. I am concerned that this pandemic will make people to cautious to the point where they won't venture out. I also am scared that people are going to financially unstable for a while, therefore resulting in no one spending money at local businesses. (April, 2020)
Local resident
United States
IDEAS
Connecting with other providers. It may be time to get to know the "competition" of the destination providers. I think that having a good knowledge of your destination and of competing providers is crucial. Would it not also make sense to join forces with some of them at this time, to set up a cooperative? (April, 2020)
Student
Slovenia
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
I NEED
Up to date news in the industry, also some news related to employment/replacement (May, 2020)
Student
United Kingdom
SOLUTIONS
We are solving this bad season by organizing trips and holidays in Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Italy. (September, 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
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)
