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.
OTHER / SPOTTED
Allow free travel insurance, people are afraid to book because they feel the risk to have their trip cancelled. (April, 2020)
Tourist
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
I can't describe tourism just with one word, for me its very complex and not all about a business sector. As I'm from Austria, I know that tourism is one of the biggest player in our country and we couldn't live this comfortable life without all the tourists that are visiting us during the year. But at the same time I'm a tourist as well, when I visit other countries or cities, so I can see both sites and think in a world like this we all know both sites and we barely think about the consequences we cause, by traveling this much and "fast". To cut a long story short, tourism means freedom to me but in the same way it can stress me out, as I'm living in Vienna with a lot of ignorance tourists all day long. (October, 2020)
Student
Austria
CHALLENGES
Gaining back the element of trusting people, letting them close, not fearing crowds. (May, 2020)
Student
Slovenia
CONCERNS
The recovery from coronavirus will see those who are not committed to sustainability say we have to postpone such concerns and focus on growth.
Those who are committed to sustainability risk believing too greatly that 'this is our moment', and not challenging our own assumptions enough. (April, 2020)
Inventor, consultant
France
IDEAS
- Start a remote event planning company with free consultations to entice customers to pick YOU as their event planner. Whenever this lockdown ends, people will be desperate to be outdoors and with others again, which means events will be in high-demand (everything from weddings to conferences to children’s birthday parties). (April, 2020)
Tourism or convention office, event organizer
United States
I CAN OFFER
Data on youth travel responses to Covid 19 - now being published with WYSE Travel Confederation. (May, 2020)
Researcher, academic
Netherlands
I NEED
Undisturbed places in the forest where I can swim in the forest, so to speak. Where I can relax and recover from everyday life. (June, 2020)
Student
Austria
SOLUTIONS
Take care of your employees, customers, and business partners, foster an atmosphere of trust and use the time to foster a growth mindset as well as offer (cross-)trainings, webinars, explore ideas of your employees (May, 2020)
Tourism business representative
Germany
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
As tourism has stopped, I believe there is plenty of stakeholders that would agree to take Zoom meetings with students. We could then talk about their challenges, and try to innovate their processes for the future. (April, 2020)
