How the world of travel and hospitality will recover and react after the COVID-19 pandemic? The travel and hospitality industry includes a broad range of companies: tour operators,travel consolidators, tourist boards, airlines, cruise lines, railroads, private transportation providers, car rental services, hotels, resorts, lodging, restaurants, bars and other real-estate intensive consumer businesses. - They are all thinking the same: How will it be?
A Forbes article this week shared a number of predictions from travel experts at different organisations around the world;
- “Following this period of social distancing, hoteliers need to take into account that travellers behaviours will be forever changed. I expect consumers to seek out more off-the-beaten path experiences, private accommodations and adventure activities where they are able to be outdoors and surrounded by open air."
“We predict that there will be a pent-up demand that people will want to travel. However, there will be consideration about health safety, which will extend past what the industry has seen in other pandemics. This will also extend to airlines and hotels, but destinations will play a large part in the recovery: what they did, how they are involved in making it safer for their staff/locals, and even the rates of infections being a part of the overall calculation of consumers selecting destinations. If we can assuage people’s fears, it won’t matter if it is individual or group related, people will travel again.”
“We predict traditional business and planned leisure travel will make a comeback sooner than frivolous travel, therefore creating more opportunities for the extended-stay sector. Our feeling is that travellers will now be more selective, and think more carefully about details in service, cleanliness, space, size and security".
“COVID-19 has brought family, friends and loved ones closer together and even once things go ‘back to normal,’ people will have an emotional need to travel with people they know and trust."
“Now, more than ever, when we are allowed to travel again, we expect to see families, friends, and couples jumping into their cars and hitting the open road. We also predict we’ll see more travellers choosing convenient, nostalgic vacation destinations.”
“While our world and the way people travel will forever be changed, we believe the industry will bounce back. Following this long period of social distancing, we'll find many people revisiting the places and experiences that fill them with joy."
thehotelpause also asked the view of some of the industry workers. Below is their opinion:
"Travelling will be the worst to recover. I am guessing luxurious hospitality will get back quickly as wealthy guests will like to experience again what they were once used to. In London public transport will suffer as people will be sceptical to travel like sardines again"
"Once we get the all clear all over the world, people will go out and enjoy life in terms of socialising and travelling. It will pick up faster than we think!"
"What is most incredible of being human is our capacity to overcome difficulties. This pandemic is the crises now but if we look at the past and remember all the crises we have learned in our history classes. Yet, our ancestors fought back and here we are.
I believe it will take time for the sector to recover as it depends on people's capacity to spend money. How many people are living without the government support right now? How many people are using their saving to survive? How many people will have a job after it's all over?
It will be a slow restart!".
thehotelpause - Originally published April 7, 2020 10:40 PM