TOURISM MEANS

Tourism is an important part of my life as I have been working in tourism for over 10 years. It represents work, pleasure and joy to me. (August, 2020)

Tourism employee

Slovenia

CHALLENGES

A lack of communication despite beeing able to spend even more hours than before communicating (May, 2020)

Researcher, academic

Germany

CONCERNS

(1) People’s values/view to tourism services after COVID-19 including how technologies can support tourism sectors in terms of social interaction. (2) The utilization of seniors’ participation to tourism services as a service provider. (April, 2020)

Researcher, academic

Japan

IDEAS

In one of the President's COVID-19 Press Conferences, Trump had thrown around the idea of businesses being able to fully deduct dining and food expenses. I believe this could be an interesting idea to pursue. Currently, dining and food expenses incurred by businesses can be deducted by 50% as long as they meet certain requirements (cannot be overly extravagant, etc.). If this deductible percentage was increased, it could help to jump start the recovery of the hospitality and tourism industry by incentivizing business meals and group business. A similar case can be made for travel expenses.

Of course, there are ethical implications associated with potential to abuse the system which will need to be weighed. I recommend the spending must meet the current deduction requirements or possibly impose a spending ceiling.

Resources:

https://www.thetaxadviser.com/issues/2020/jan/business-meal-expense-deduction-tcja.html

https://markjkohler.com/writing-off-dining-and-food-expenses/ (April, 2020)

Student

United States

I CAN OFFER

During this time, our company is continuing to do a little "catch-up" and behind the scenes work. This includes spicing up our website (and the property's websites) to attract guests for after quarantine and freshening up our restaurants' menus. Corporate employees are also brain-storming special deals and offers for after quarantine as well. (April, 2020)

Tourism employee

United States

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

Building accommodation infrastructure for which the access is designed to be separate for each room, precisely to avoid the common closed spaces. (July, 2020)

Tourism business representative

Romania

EXPLOITATION

There have been cases I heard of where companies would apply for financial support from the government, even though they where not entitled to get it and had no real need for it. (June, 2020)

Student

Austria

OTHER / SPOTTED

Even if everything in tourism sector has stopped for a while that should not mean everything must be completely cancelled. People should promote themselves through social media and share their ideas. They can still connect with others and with that they show that they care and are still trying to come up with something. (March, 2020)

Student

Slovenia