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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.
Usually local operators have partnerships with other local operators - we stick together and support each other. This is true in the Northwest Territories, Canada. (April, 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)
Cash-flow due to plummeting demand due to global market crash, border restrictions and public health fears. (April, 2020)
I am not concerned about tourism in general. I do however worry about small businesses and tour guides who are already dormant during the winter months and are waiting for the summer season to accumulate their earnings, which likely will not be possible this year. They are in great danger of going out of business, but overall at the macro level, tourism should return to its old path. How long this will take is extremely difficult to predict. A week ago, the WTO predicted a 3 % to 4% drop in global travel, yet today we are already at a 30% drop. Jobs are definitely at risk. What I can say with confidence is that this crisis will bring some changes. There will now be a lot of room for innovation and adaptation of current work processes. I do not think tourism will die, but it will evolve. (April, 2020)
Covid-19 should be used as a reset for the travel industry and an opportunity to grow new destinations. Over the past 10 years, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, and Iceland have been drowned in tourists to the point of the visitors having detrimental impacts to many historic or natural sites. A lot of this travel is motivated by viral photos on social media and influencers travelling to these destinations. Unfortunately, many beautiful and culturally rich countries aren't given this kind of attention and are completely ignored by tourists. A few that would fit into this category are Sao Tome & Principe, Guinea-Bissau, East Timor, Tajikistan, Mauritania, Iran, Chad, Djibouti, and the Central African Republic. (April, 2020)
My joy at work in the tourism industry. (June, 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)
Working from home, flexibility, reducing labor costs, on-call duty, finding new opportunities for development in tourism. (July, 2020)
Tourist vouchers should also be redeemable in travel agencies, restaurants, museums and national parks. Now some providers are earning a lot, while others are in red numbers.. (August, 2020)
Allow free travel insurance, people are afraid to book because they feel the risk to have their trip cancelled. (April, 2020)