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.
IDEAS
Pre-pandemic challenges including over-tourism, aircraft emission pollution, and budget travels may be things of the past now. This may be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to take a look at Sustainable Development Goals seriously and consider how we want to brand tourism going forward. (April, 2020)
Student
Japan
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
Once someone said that travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer, and I couldn’t agree more. Because, to me, travel means to live fully, to accept others, to learn in every area you can and to allow the world to shape you into the best person you can truly be. (April, 2020)
Student
Bosnia Herzegovina
CHALLENGES
Crisis, competition, climate change, how to apply sustainability to a already developed mountain destination. (April, 2020)
Local resident
Italy
CONCERNS
I worry that a lot of businesses will go down, and that the development of tourism will stop or even go back. In Northern Norway, we have been working hard with issues of sustainability, and I am afraid that sustainable choices will have less attention from the companies' side, because their main focus will be to get a minimum of income. I also worry that working within the tourism industry will be less attractive. (May, 2020)
Tourism or convention office, event organizer
Norway
IDEAS
We are considering how to mitigate the damage as much as possible. We have expanded our product range. (July, 2020)
Tourism business representative
Slovenia
I CAN OFFER
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)
Tourism business representative
Germany
I NEED
More measures by the state to encourage and support tourism activity. (July, 2020)
Tourism employee
Slovenia
SOLUTIONS
Educate tourism workers on sustainable tourism and how to be mindful about locals and the environment. (April, 2020)
Local resident
Slovenia
EXPLOITATION
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)
Student
United States
OTHER / SPOTTED
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)
