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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::
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.
Travel companies not allowing for partial or full refunds. It is not as if people wanted to cancel their travel and we cannot deter people from traveling in the future by souring their present experiences. (March, 2020)
As I am tourism researcher and consultant tourism for me is a serious human activity with significant economic, social and environmental impacts (positive and negative) and an agent of change if managed correctly. (May, 2020)
Observance of safety standards when organizing excursions. Frightened passengers who are afraid to travel due to a virus infection. They are also afraid that they will have to be quarantined when they return to their homeland. (August, 2020)
As a single female traveller I am concerned about my safety even more in times like this. I usually like to travel to different places that involve staying in hostels and using local public transportation. I am not very likely to travel to a far off destination this year (and maybe not next year either, depending on the availability of a vaccination). My next "big" trip will definitely involve either a tour operator (additional safety net) or visiting friends abroad who have a local network and can help out in case this would be needed. Hearing news about people in hostels being stopped from going out by the police is very scary and I do not want to have to experience this. I nonetheless would not book an all-inclusive hotel stay either though. (April, 2020)
Finding new stories and reading literature. We do not know everything about the area in which we carry out our business activity. Now is the time when we can renew our knowledge and upgrade it. (April, 2020)
Knowledge from being a general manager in a huge hostel. Project Management in a digital association. Online Marketing. Connecting technologies and trends to use them for business models for growth strategies. Motivation, enthusiasm and a "never give up, your survival is just an idea away" mentality! (May, 2020)
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)
We are solving this bad season by organizing trips and holidays in Slovenia, Croatia, Greece and Italy. (September, 2020)
https://www.ft.com/content/19d90308-6858-11ea-a3c9-1fe6fedcca75 - link to the article written by Yuval Noah Harari that I find curious, as it opens many cotroversial questions and dilemas for the future - as the author states amongst other emphases - a shift from “over the skin” to “under the skin” surveillance, with the use od biometric data. (April, 2020)
Whilst this is major setback for tourism as we know it and many businesses will suffer as a result, I at least hope this will present an opportunity for the industry to change for the better. A more sustainable approach to tourism is needed, perhaps this will kick start it. (May, 2020)