TOURISM MEANS

Joie de vivre. (April, 2020)

Tourism employee

Slovenia

CHALLENGES

To travel free & wherever you want is still not possible and also not sure when it will be possible again. I work as a receptionist during the holidays and we are facing many challenges right now. The government frightened the people of travelling especially guests from other countries. Right now we have to put double or tripple the effort to generate new guests to get as many guests as possible to keep our hotel alive. (June, 2020)

Tourism employee

Austria

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

To build / create a big common photo album / photothek per country with holidays pictures from tourists (not from local people). A paper version (book) or net website (April, 2020)

Tourist

Finland

I CAN OFFER

Social (online) support! As mentioned previously, providing social interaction through technology and media platforms greatly helps and keeps everyones mind busy while providing social interaction to ease the lockdown induced loneliness. I would also be able to provide the resource of shopping for the elderly in my community, which I have done twice this previous month, in order to allow the elderly to stay home and get safely delivered food and not have to possible expose themselves to the virus. Anything we can do to help everyone struggling to get through this time. (April, 2020)

Student

United States

I NEED

I think that in the current situation we need in particular some workshops on current topics in tourism, as well as mentoring. Of course, the opportunity to gain experience in tourism companies. (April, 2020)

Student

Slovenia

SOLUTIONS

I am from a small town in Virginia/Tennessee and one of my favorite restaurants has impressed the community throughout this pandemic. They are an upscale restaurant offering foods from sushi and stir fry to burgers and tacos. Tuesday nights are half price sushi nights- the community's favorite. While the dining area has been closed, they are still offering their deals on their respective nights. By offering their special on delivery and to-go orders, they received as much business as a normal day. To my benefit, once they were overwhelmed with the number of orders in the afternoon, they honored the deal prices the next day to those they couldn't accommodate on Tuesday. They even offered their Tuesday deal on Sundays, as they saw the huge success of it. They have even began to sell gallons of beer and margaritas, pints and quarts of their soups, etc. Things that they don't normally do. The greatest help to the community has been the restaurants ability to buy things such as toilet paper, paper towels, sugar, flour, etc. in bulk and sell at a breakeven price to customers. These are things that are sold out in grocery stores and are in high demand. They are able to take advantage of their suppliers and help get the community what they need, even without the desire to make a profit off of it. I know that there are many customers and community members that are impressed with the way the restaurant is handling this crisis and are thankful for their efforts! (March, 2020)

Student

United States

EXPLOITATION

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)

Student

Slovenia

OTHER / SPOTTED

12 World-Class Museums You Can Visit Online

This article is not very related to the disease Coronavirus, but this technology can be used in those days too. On the website of those 12 museums and galleries is directly written, that they are closed until further notice, but they offer the visitors online exhibitions and virtual tours.

https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/75809/12-world-class-museums-you-can-visit-online (April, 2020)

Student

Czech Republic