The Missing Blueprint
Over the past few months I have been asked countless times for a blueprint on how to recover from the current COVID-19 pandemic. However, the sad reality is that no one, and I really mean no one, was completely prepared for a catastrophic event of this magnitude.
Every economy, every business and every organisations in the world has been suddenly affected by something that they have never experienced before.
Every single day since the early stages of the pandemic I have been in contact with various people in the travel and tourism sector around the globe, and from my conversations with our members and industry colleagues, I have witnessed and felt them go through the various psychological phases of a crisis from Uncertainty, Fear and Anxiety to Hopelessness, Helplessness, and Denial. If I am being honest, I must say that I have also felt them myself and have been genuinely concerned for my family and my colleagues due to the uncertainty of the rapidly evolving and volatile nature of the situation.
Nevertheless, I have always been a strong believer in the ingenuity and persistence of the human race in finding solutions to some of the most complex problems of the world. We have now reached a phase where everyone is realising that a vaccine may be months if not years away and we must learn to adapt to what it has come to be referred to as the “new normal”. Over the past few weeks, economies and businesses around the world have found ways to gradually reopen by leveraging technological and non-tech solutions to allow us to move more freely and return to some of the social activities that we freely enjoyed before.
Earlier this week I was informed by my colleagues of the moment I have desperately been waiting for has arrived. Domestic tourism has slowly begun in Thailand and my favourite boutique resort in Hua Hin is finally open. I cannot wait but to go back and run for hours on the beach instead of on a treadmill on the 24th floor of a high-rise building. However, this is not the only reason why I am excited; many other destinations have announced they are gradually re-opening tourism both domestically and regionally. The recovery process will be long, and travel will never be the same, but it brings me joy to know that we will soon be able to roam, explore and experience beyond our surrounding area.
The blueprint to a full recovery is currently being created by countless resilient tourism destinations, organisations and businesses around the world, so that we can all travel soon and begin economic recovery efforts. There are great examples of organisations setting up standards for sanitisation and hygiene, health controls and best practices that will last long beyond the COVID-19 crisis. In the weeks to come, PATA will launch an enhanced version of the PATA Crisis Resource Center, which will include best practices and resources to assist those who have not yet begun their recovery planning and as a reference for others.
For the time being, we currently have some resources available that may be help for your organisation:
Survey Report on Chinese Tourists’ Travel Intent After the End of COVID-19 Epidemic
Authored by Ivy Alliance Tourism Consulting, China Comfort Travel Group and the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
Issues & Trends (1H2020)
Restoring post-COVID-19 APAC Travel and Destinations’ E-reputation
Authored by TCI Research
You may also consider viewing our previous webinars on the PATA YouTube channel.
We are seeing some early signs of hope and glimpses of light at the end of the tunnel, so stay strong and stay safe so we can all travel soon.
Till next time,
Dr. Mario Hardy,
Chief Executive Officer
Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA)
