The Covid-19 crisis has been compared to 9/11, in terms of impact on the global tourism industry. It can be safely said that the pandemic had even more pervasive, long-lasting, and serious consequences, since it affected all countries indiscriminately, generating massive disruptions in air traffic and paralysing the entire industry, even at a local level. The consequences in terms of loss of profit, employment, impact on individual countries’ economies, and the global economy are still difficult to estimate. On the other hand, a crisis which, as a first containment measure, leads governments to impose measures restricting non-essential travel is bound to hit all travel operators, from airlines to travel agencies, from hotels to all related service providers, with devastating consequences. What did stakeholders do to recover from the current tourism crisis?
The demand is falling. The demand is shifting
What has been triggered in the tourism industry is nothing short of a forced collapse in the demand. Those who find themselves providing services in a market where they cannot be purchased inevitably face a dramatic crisis. A great lesson, however, comes from Chinese and Korean tour operators, who had to deal with the Sars epidemic back in 2003. What professionals in the tourism industry, especially in China, have verified is that demand is still present but changing in the period immediately after the peak of a crisis. Knowing how to quickly and accurately grasp the changing demand of customers and plan their experiences accordingly is the key to a rapid recovery and is also a major challenge for the industry as a whole.
Relaunching hotels: revolutionising the customer experience
Staying in a hotel “after” the Covid crisis is a completely different experience from anything you have experienced “before” it. There are differences between countries, of course, but on average, the customer’s itinerary has changed considerably. You will undoubtedly find yourself checking in in a much less crowded environment ( as the demand has collapsed) and it is therefore quite common not to meet other customers. The spaces you access are subject to the regulations relating to hygiene and social distancing, which reduces interactions with other clients. This translates into shifts to access spas and gyms, and, most importantly, the end of buffet breakfasts in many facilities. The best response from hotels, in this case, is to completely renovate the “customer experience” in the name of exclusivity: every meal is provided as room service, offered with all the necessary comforts, and presented as a special luxury, which the average customer does not always indulge in. Some hotels have gone one step further, using online platforms to deliver breakfast at home to local residents as well, associating themselves with all other food delivery services. This is just one of many possible examples of a creative response to the tourism crisis.
Travel and transport: where the tourism crisis is most difficult to manage
Airlines and travel agencies are perhaps the parties that have suffered the most as a result of the tourism crisis. For this kind of service, which has been hit very hard by the restrictions on travel, the damage control has been mainly focused on offering future bookings at discounted prices, in order to maintain at least a reasonable income flow even during the lock-down. The airlines then had to deal with distancing rules, which forced carriers to sell far fewer seats on flights in order to guarantee the distance between passengers. Even without these restrictions, there is a general mistrust on the part of passengers, who have reasonable fears when it comes to spending time in a small, crowded space. There are two things operators can do to address this second issue – not being able to influence the restrictions imposed by law. First, they can provide clear and detailed information on preventive measures taken at airports and on flights, such as taking the passengers’ temperature upon boarding the plane, and mandatory face masks. Many airlines have also started to distribute anti-Covid gadgets, such as masks, gels, and disinfectant wipes.