The COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down. Not only tourism sector but the economy as a whole has come to a standstill.
There’s no doubt we are confronting an outstanding challenge: The first quarter of 2020 has seen a drop of 67 million international arrivals, which represents a loss of US$ 80 billion in receipts for the tourism industry.
The drop has been felt like a domino-effect across the board: airlines, tour operators, hotels, restaurants, many of which might be on the brink of bankruptcy. A scenario in which there’s a widespread emergency of companies going out of business could be catastrophic.
Society as a whole needs to rethink how we will travel tomorrow to boost not only economic recovery but also trust in human cooperation, resilience, and the continued nourishment of cultural bridges that tourism brings about.
1. A new model of tourism: towards a sustainable travel
Sustainability is key for the tourism of tomorrow. Conservation of biodiversity, respect for the socio-cultural authenticity of host communities, securing the social welfare and economic security of the host communities, and sustainable use of environmental resources need to be the pillars of the new model of tourism.
This crisis is an opportunity to place stronger emphasis on strategies to coordinate action across all actors (producers, distributors, consumers, environmental protection agencies, etc.) in the tourism value chain. Integrating a circular economy model in tourism is crucial. The transition to resource-efficient and low carbon tourism operation is necessary, while keeping a strong focus on resilience and competitiveness of the sector.
2. Travel Tomorrow: regain trust in a post-covid world
It is in this context that Buscardini Communications, a Brussels-based agency, will launch a new global media focused on travel experiences, sustainable tourism and the impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry. Travel Tomorrow aims to offer value to its audience. We want to deliver up-to-date content on government measures and recommendations, new health and travel advisories, and other relevant information on travel and tourism.
Standing at this crossroad, Travel Tomorrow wants to give voice to every stakeholder in the tourism industry who has been affected by the COVID-19 travel restrictions: airlines and tour operators, hotels, museums, cultural and historical sites, restaurant and coffee-shop owners, among others. We want to know how they've been impacted, how they are responding to it, and what they will be doing differently in the future.
3. Find your destination: #TravelTomorrow
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We also want our audience to dream. We want to stimulate their senses, to awake their imagination.
Travel Tomorrow will be their guide to discover cultural treasures, ancient traditions, diverse gastronomy and lifestyles, breath-taking landscapes, and all the world has to offer. Travel Tomorrow will whet their appetite for big cities and towns alike. We want to surprise our audience and be the guide who will offer new vistas to a destination our audience thought they knew.
But all of this through a new lens. Travel Tomorrow believes there has to be a change. A substantial change. Society needs to learn from this experience, the tough yet important lessons the pandemic has delivered to our lives.
Exchange and dialogue between cultures are an integral part of our DNA. We believe that a more culturally-diverse world means a more cohesive future for everyone. A global community. Travel Tomorrow supports sustainable and responsible tourism.
We want to help and inspire all tourism stakeholders and travelers.
We want to help them regain trust in a post-covid world.
