Experts look to revive tourism
With tourism and hospitality devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic, those involved in the industry locally and state-wide are looking at a variety of ways to help resuscitate it — from a campaign touting a business’s safety to government intervention to just focusing on a way to kill the virus.
Speros Batistatos, president and chief executive officer of the South Shore Convention & Visitors Authority, cited a number of telling statistics: a 43% decline in tourism spending nationally resulting in $505 billion less in the economy, a double-digit drop in local hotel occupancy rates, 30% decline in domestic travel and 63% plummet in international travel.
“Americans aren’t spending as much on accommodations. They’re definitely not eating out or spending money in bars,” Batistatos said.
He said people are driving to their destinations instead of flying, and are walking along the beach or going on a bike ride rather than going to a movie theater or sporting event — none of which generates revenue.
“It’s all about people’s perception of safety,” Batistatos said.
Batistatos said the fact that
Lake County’s destinations are small town and visitors can drive to them by car works to the region’s benefit.
The visitor’s authority, along with several region businesses and Indiana Dunes Tourism, has also signed on to a new public health initiative launched by the state and industry organizations called Hoosier Hospitality Promise.
Under the initiative, both businesses and their guests can help keep an area safe from the coronavirus by pledging to follow federal, state and local health and safety guidelines at visitindiana.com/promise.
“Businesses can’t really afford to have another shutdown. We’ve lost so many great businesses due to the pandemic. Those businesses that remain open want to make sure it’s safe,” said Misty Weisensteiner, director of the Indiana Office of Tourism Development.
She said 350 businesses signed up to take the promise in the first 1 1/2 weeks, and not all are directly related to tourism.
She said they include a veterinary clinic and audiology clinic, as well as hotels, restaurants and tourist destinations. Businesses listed on the website have promised to have all staffers pass a health check prior to each shift, ensure that workers wear face masks if they can’t be at least 6 feet apart, train staff in proper cleaning and sanitation processes, sanitize common areas, bathrooms and high-touch surfaces, provide hand sanitizer or hand-washing stations at all entrances and post the Hoosier Hospitality Promise at entrances.
Consumers can promise to wear a face covering, practice social distancing, wash their hands often or use hand sanitizer, be patient with staff and other patrons and stay home if they feel they could have the virus. Consumers who take the promise on the website can receive discounts from participating businesses.
“The hope is to increase consumer confidence to go out and about. Some people are traveling, they’re not hesitant. For others, who are hesitant, knowing businesses are doing extra sanitation may help,” Weisensteiner said.
She said for the initiative to work, and to prevent another shutdown, it takes work on both the business and consumer side. The office, along with Lt. Governor Suzanne Crouch, Indiana Destination Development Corp. and Indiana Restaurant & Lodging Association, launched the initiative.
Lorelei Weimer, executive director of Indiana Dunes Tourism, said they signed the promise for the Visitor Center on Indiana 49 in Porter although they had already implemented many of the measures. She said several hundred individuals usually stop by the Visitor Center a day, most of whom remain outside. Some do come inside to use the restroom, browse in the book store or purchase merchandise. Weimer said for the first time the department has hired a caretaker to clean picnic tables and various touchpoints.
In addition, all employees and visitors need to wear masks when they go inside the Visitors Center, and are encouraged to use tissues supplied by the department when touching door handles. There is hand sanitizer available.
Unlike many tourism destinations, the Indiana beaches have seen a spike in visitors during the pandemic as people look for outdoor ventures. Weimer said the national parks are doing a campaign encouraging social distancing at the beaches to prevent possible spreading of the virus.
“There is plenty of beach. You may just need to go a little further east or west to find a space,” she said.
Other solutions
A new policy report by two professors of hospitality and food management at Ball State University said that the coronavirus pandemic damaged Indiana’s tourism, vacation and hospitality sectors so badly that it needs government intervention.
“There are times it might be prudent for governments to balance their budget and times for deficit spending. This is a time when deficit spending seems prudent,” said Craig Webster, an associate professor at Ball State’s Miller College of Business.
Webster co-wrote the report, “The Recovery After COVID-19: Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Industries of Indiana,” with fellow professor Sotiris Hji-Avgoustis.
“The economic recovery for the industry in Indiana will require a strong governmental response, funneling funds into improving the tourism infrastructure and ensuring visitors in Indiana that they will be safe to travel to and in Indiana,” Webster said.
The report suggested a number of coordinated policies with the state government taking the lead. They include funding market research and coordinating state-wide policies for the industry, training workers and encouraging those who’ve left the field to return to the industry, and developing a state-level recovery strategy that could include rebranding an area for tourism.
Webster said it’s important to make visitors feel safe, and food and safety inspections are one way to do that. He said in New York City, for instance, some restaurants have signs on the door showing how they rate for hygiene and food safety.
Webster said when the pandemic hit, employees in the hospitality and tourism industry immediately lost jobs. It’s important, he said, to encourage them to stay in the industry during these tough times for when it bounces back.
Batistatos, however, said he feels government resources would be better used in finding a way to stop the source of the problem.
“People need to know they can get in their car and drive to the South Shore and won’t get COVID-19,” Batistatos said.
“To me the best thing the government can do is to figure out how to kill the virus. Just treat the problem,” he said.