“While the pandemic has dealt travel a severe blow, some hope it can be an opportunity to introduce slower, fairer, more sustainable holidays.”
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Tourism is the life-blood of the local economy:
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But it clearly has an uncertain future:
The future of tourism in the West Country
The future of tourism in the West Country: part two
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A lot of these questions have been around for some time – as with these postings from 2013:
Futures Forum: “Tourism rises” … but questions remain for East Devon
Futures Forum: “Tourism rises” … but questions remain for Sidmouth
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An immediate problem is that we don’t want too many tourists:
Restricting freedom of movement in/to Devon
As the news is telling us:
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And a longer-term issue is that ‘too many tourists’ may not be a good thing anyway – as also discussed on these pages:
Can the tourist industry be ‘sustainable’?
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The Guardian looks at the latest ideas in the context of how the tourist industry is going to get out of the current crisis:
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‘Things have to change’: tourism businesses look to a greener future
While the pandemic has dealt travel a severe blow, some hope it can be an opportunity to introduce slower, fairer, more sustainable holidays
No planes in the sky, empty hotels and deserted attractions: with the world at a standstill, tourism has been one of the industries worst-hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. International arrivals this year could be down by 80% compared with 2019, according to the World Tourism Organization, and more than 100 million jobs are under threat.
But as destinations slowly start to emerge from lockdown and borders tentatively reopen, many in the sector are wondering if this is a chance for tourism to rebuild in a greener, more sustainable way.
“Of course, it’s completely devastating – but it’s also provided a much-needed chance for introspection,” said Sam Bruce of Much Better Adventures, who is a co-founder of campaigning group Tourism Declares a Climate Emergency. “Things needed to change. It’s an opportunity for everyone from tourist boards to tour operators to reset and to look at how things can be better – for the planet, for local communities and for travellers.”
‘Things have to change’: tourism businesses look to a greener future | theguardian.com