Over the past few weeks, many of us have been excited just to stretch our legs out in the park.
Planning a holiday would have been out of the question.
And with half of all tourist arrivals worldwide taking place in Europe,
the industry is being hit hard by the pandemic.
The strict lockdown measures imposed across most of Europe
and wider restrictions on travel have led to empty airports,
grounded airplanes and deserted hotels.
With many attractions closed and people staying at home,
the tourism industry has been on pause since March.
As the all-important summer season approaches, the sector is working hard to reopen
and attempt to save some of their business. But will that be enough?
Every year over half a billion tourists flock to the European Union.
We’ve all seen images of these destinations in the summer.
Crowded beaches, sunset parties, delicious outdoor meals…
But this year, it’s all very different.
Travel is restricted, some countries require new arrivals to quarantine,
and many restaurants, shops and museums remain closed.
This is a huge problem for the European Union,
given the significance of tourism on the overall economy.
Over 10% of the region’s economy depends on tourism,
but that share is even higher in countries like Malta, Spain and Greece.
Now numbers have dropped to zero, practically. Zero.
Which means I don’t work in the industry anymore,
and I am not expecting to work in the industry for the foreseeable future.
34-year-old Vassilis has worked in the tourism sector for more than 10 years,
and recently his job involved showing international visitors some of the hidden gems of Athens.
Because of the pandemic, he fears for his career and for others working in the same sector.
What about your colleagues that work in the tourism industry?
Are they also worried about their jobs?
More than worried, I would say. Yeah, I think some people are losing their sleep.
We have been having this major crisis in Greece, a financial one.
A lot of people got involved in tourism because unfortunately they couldn’t work in their actual field.
So I know biologists or school teachers that got into the industry because they had to.
Some people had options. Now I don’t see so many.
So I am getting more anxious about what is going to happen.
In 2018, European tourism contributed to 11.9 million direct jobs
and a further 15.4 million in related industries.
Many of these people are at high risk of becoming unemployed.
The situation in Europe is pretty dramatic for the tourism sector.
There is definitely no demand and there is no supply.
For many also it is an existential threat. The impact is huge,
in particular in south and Mediterranean countries where tourism provides a lot of value.
Most European destinations expect a decline in tourism of between 30 and 40% in 2020 compared to 2019.
Recent forecasts also show that France is expected to be the most heavily impacted
European destination in terms of volume, with nearly 38 million fewer visitors in 2020.
Spain and Italy follow suit, with 34 and 31 million fewer arrivals respectively.
Fewer tourists will mean less revenue across the board, including for hotels.
The impact is very strong. In Italy we have 190 hotels,
and of course during the lockdown, in March and April, almost all of them were closed.
Today and probably in the coming days almost 100, they are going to reopen.
However, getting the doors open again won’t be easy.
Besides ensuring social distancing in communal areas,
hotel staff have been advised to reduce contact with visitors
and to limit the number of guests at swimming pools at any given time.
Even buffet breakfasts may be taken off the menu.
Introducing these measures will take both time and money.
We created specific protocols for our hotels, so social distancing of course,
masks, and all the things related to the security to the customers.
But also towards the staff that have to be trained.
For us technology is very important. We tried to avoid as much as possible
the contact between the customer and the reception, for instance.
Even with all these measures, it isn’t clear if consumers will feel safe enough to travel this summer.
Taking your family on a holiday or traveling solo won’t be as easy as before.
Airline capacity has also plummeted as flights have been canceled.
And many travelers are worried about spending money at a time of economic uncertainty.
All these considerations may put many people off taking a trip abroad this summer
and ultimately reduce the size of the tourism industry.
In Europe countries are acting differently. We don’t have consistency.
If I see the problem with a global view, I am a little bit worried,
it’s not easy to fight against the bigger countries.
More positively, the crisis may provide an opportunity to develop more climate-friendly ways to holiday.
We could build maybe a more sustainable tourism, a more conscious tourism
and something that is more appealing for future generations.
The tourism industry is racing against time as it tries to survive the current crisis.
How it responds could shape the way we travel and take holidays for many years to come.
Hi everyone. Are you planning a holiday? Or do you work in the tourism industry?
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