Evolve, but with safety
The last thing I want is to write the first editorial of the year on a negative note, so I decided to dive into the lessons learnt and discuss travel preparedness for the new variant.
First lesson, don’t panic! Hasty decisions will cost a lot more than well thought ones. COVID is here to stay and so is our urge to travel. Finding the right balance will be most important. Lesson two, there will be an uneven recovery. We will have good months and bad ones, its best to constantly evolve. Lesson three, the travellers now want more. The focus has moved from budget to experiences. The holiday is now about making memories. Fourth lesson, promote safety. Every tourist wants to be armed with extra information on health safety and know that they can get help, if needed. Use this to rebuild trust. Last lesson, travel soon. While the time spent during a holiday has gone up in most cases, the time spent planning it has drastically gone down. It’s more about travelling within 15 days. Tourism is a lot more than just a holiday. It’s impact has shaped many lives. The United Nations has often highlighted that with the right safeguards in place, the tourism sector can provide decent jobs, help to build resilient, sustainable, gender-equal, inclusive economies and societies that work for all. Tourism can easily qualify as an engine for prosperity, a vehicle for integration, a means to protect the planet and biodiversity, and an agent of cultural understanding between people.
As one of the toughest years for tourism draws to a close, global tourism’s commitment to restarting with a focus on sustainability, innovation and solidarity, can help drive the industry to greater heights. 2022 will be a year of great beginnings. Let the virus not hold us back. A WTTC report states that travellers are ready to explore and 2022 could be more popular for trips than pre-pandemic. Looking at getaways, domestic travel has significantly outpaced global tourism & is expected to rise further in 2022. While forecasting the future is always tricky, and 2022 is no normal year. To conclude, in words of the UN chief, “It’s time to rethink, transform, and safely restart tourism’.
Hello 2022!