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.
CONCERNS
Limitation in travel & possible “virus racism” (May, 2020)
Tourist
Singapore
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
Traveling is said to be the only thing you can buy that brings you happiness. That feeling of waking up and realizing you will finish your day in a new country where everything will be yet to explore is just crazy. Usually when I try to think of events that happened in the past in some particular time period I always use travel to navigate easier in my mind. For example, what have I been up to in September 2018? I know it's been a great month because I spent 7 days in Greece! Anything else I remember without thinking hard besides that week? Not really... What I am trying to say is that traveling is very impactful. Every journey changes you a bit and adds something to your life. That is what I love the most about it. (April, 2020)
Student
Slovenia
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 personally am very afraid of a second wave. I hope that the measures were not relaxed too soon. Because politicians have given away quite a few financial packages in the past, but these almost only help large companies, I fear that many small businesses will not be able to reopen their businesses. (June, 2020)
Student
Austria
IDEAS
Using VR Technology: Now that people are home for a while, it might be worth considering using VR technology to showcase your accommodation services. In tourism we are faced with a very large number of intangible activities and thus the clients buy a cat in a sack. VR technology could somewhat reduce this intangibility. In addition, people are now in the pre-purchase phase of daydreaming about a new trip. (April, 2020)
Student
Slovenia
I CAN OFFER
Motivation and a great desire to improve tourism. (March, 2020)
Student
Slovenia
I NEED
Senior industry professionals giving guidance to those who are just starting out in this industry during these troubling times. (March, 2020)
Student
United States
SOLUTIONS
Not specifically, but it's crucial to use the right psychological procedures (right words, slogans, music, messages) in marketing purposes. The goal of that would be managing crowds of people (tourists) in order to diminish their anxiety, fear of other people and travelling around. (April, 2020)
Student
Slovenia
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
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)
