The entire infrastructure of travel has incurred incalculable damage from the coronavirus pandemic. But, does the downturn provide a chance to radically rethink and reboot tourism? Here are 6 pointers to ponder…
The cancellation of arguably the largest travel trade event in the world, ITB Berlin as well as significant events such as IBTM Asia, PATA Annual Summit and others that are likely to follow suit sends out alarm bells for some time to come.
The large conference market is supply-led to a large extent – whilst organisers may debate where they want to hold their event, the question is also “who can accommodate us”?
Ph.D. student Elaine Yulan Zhang and Dr Tony Tse of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University argue that “a subset of relatively wealthy Chinese luxury travellers” are driven by the desire for “status, interpersonal relationships, relaxation and hedonism, self-improvement and perfection”.
Today, people are more willing to pay to escape or defend against pollution than ever before, making it a good time for the wellness and hospitality sectors to get on board.