My 5 Reflections on 2020 on Tourism
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Travelling has become part of our lives.
Human beings have become used to travel and this characteristic fact is part of our way of understanding life. Marco Polo, the famous Venetian merchant did so by traveling to East Asia and traveling the silk route to trade italian products with China. We also travel for leisure, for enjoyment, for work, for education, for religiosity, for solidarity, for adventure… There are infinite reasons that can lead a person to travel, and it clear is that travel has become a must that we cannot live without.
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Awareness of the benefits of sustainable tourism.
2020 has helped us to understand that sustainable tourism must come first. Our natural and heritage resources are fragile and maintaining your balance should be the priority of travelers and destinations. Those destinations that bet on the sustainability, awareness and benefit of local communities will be the ones that recover their pre-pandemic flows the fastest.
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Digitization is a reality throughout the tourist chain.
We have been talking about digitization for years and yet it has not been until 2020 that our society has become 100% digital. Events have become virtual, tourist destinations have shown us new promotion strategies through social networks, the technological solutions of authors and e-commerce platforms have become our great allies. All processes have been suddenly digitized and incorporated into more traditional structures.
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Tourism is one of the greatest cures against racism.
Coexistence, culture, the discovery of other societies and ways of life becomes one of the best remedies to cure the monster of racism. This year, we’ve experienced multiple racist episodes since blaming all of Chinese society at the start of the pandemic, such as creating the Black Lives Matter movement or being beaten by the murder of French professor Samuel Paty. All these harsh events, which come from a racist ancestral legacy, remain widespread in the world. Ending racial discrimination is made possible by intercultural understanding fostering tourism.
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We want to live social development experiences.
If there’s one thing we’re aware of more than ever, it’s that we need social interaction to grow as people and as beings integrated into society. Tourism has a socializing function that allows us to express ourselves and enhance our relationship skills in different ways. Whether it’s at a conference, in an incentive program, at a training event or traveling next to a stranger on a plane. Tourism becomes a lever of action facilitating social relations. And this is undoubtedly one of the great benefits it brings us as social beings.
“Dear 2020,
You’ve been a rollercoaster of emotions. You have brought me the so much-needed peace and at the same time a constant grief. I have seen the sector I love contract, tear apart and be totally paused. But also, I am aware that the awakening of this state of lethargy will be flourishing and wonderful. 2020, I thank you for all that you have learned, for the good and the hard times. I take great lessons from your step.”
ALICIA VALERO CARRERA – Digital Marketing & PR Specialist
