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 thing about travel that leaves the biggest impression on me is definitely just the general vibe/feel you get from a place, not necessarily the main tourist attractions, museums, etc...I think that most of the feeling you get from a city is contributed by the locals; their lifestyle and shared values. That’s why meeting new people and getting to know more about their culture and outlook on life is the thing I’m most excited for when traveling. (April, 2020)
Student
Slovenia
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
For me tourism is about traveling the world and getting to know new cultures. I do not care about fancy hotels - I want to spend my time outside a building and explore the destinations. For this, I want to be able to travel to places sustainably, and with a feeling like a local. I am a hoStel lover and love the connection with likeminded in a hostel environment. (May, 2020)
Tourism business representative
Germany
CHALLENGES
We lost about one month of our most busy season, thats a huge lost of money. For a small and pretty new business there is no savings, we did a big investment last summer and then we really needed the season to go on as planned. Our biggest challenge right now is to survive. In this strange situation we don´t know anything, will there be a summer season with tourists? How will the next winter be? How are we gonna plan? Do we need to sell away a lot of eqipment to lower our costs and then maybe don´t have enough capacity for next winter? To not know when this will end is the worst part. (April, 2020)
Tourism business representative
Sweden
CONCERNS
We are worried that people will be scared for a long time and will not travel because they will be afraid of infection or possible quarantine after returning from the trip. I'm afraid of losing my job. (August, 2020)
Tourism employee
Slovenia
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 love and support; I would love to donate money to help and do more but I can barely support myself right now. (April, 2020)
Student
United States
I NEED
I need a guideline on the best way to position myself to find a job once companies in the hospitality industry start hiring again. (April, 2020)
Tourism employee
United States
SOLUTIONS
Creating new programs and business solutions for small owners that need an extra boost. Sort of a platform for revitalization, shift, changing mind patterns of business owners and transforming them into new stories adapting the situations. (March, 2020)
Tourism business representative
Slovenia
EXPLOITATION
VIPs saying we're all in this together to promote themselves. (April, 2020)
Student
Germany
OTHER / SPOTTED
Strategy for opening: personalize your offer. Think about how people will travel and plan how to highlight your strengths. Who will be your buyer? Prepare new experiences for individuals or really small groups involving the locals. (April, 2020)
