Tourism sector: reset or back to business as usual?
Consumers crave a moment to relax on their terrace, a day at the beach and summer holidays. As soon as possible it will become business as usual again and we will go on a massive journey to finish the bucket list. With crowded beaches, cities and areas overflow as a result. Or is this crisis a reset to a more sustainable model? And who takes the leading role in this?
Scenarios for a sustainable and resilient tourism sector
To provide some guidance, we have developed scenarios together with our partner institutes. The scenarios can serve as a compass for a sustainable recovery and more resilient destinations and tourism sector. We are currently in discussions with provinces, DMOs, industry organisations and international parties to discuss and investigate the implications of these scenarios for the sector and what they would mean for the positions and roles of parties. In short: what does more sustainable development mean for visitors, residents, policymakers, companies and their business models?
Rethinking existing business models
It seems that the crisis offers opportunities for rethinking the existing economic growth model. Look at KLM, where the government is using the support to enforce the airline's sustainability. And Schiphol, where government uses the crisis to slow down and dose growth for the time being. In addition, the government has already developed a wide range of regulations that provide the frameworks for a more sustainable and in the long-term circular operation, based on a new chain approach in which the tourism sector is also a crucial player. In short: government has a crucial role and many tools in hand to show destinations and companies the way or to push them in the right direction.
Leisure, tourism and hospitality in transition
It remains to be seen whether and how the sector will recover. And whether the reset, in which economic growth makes room for sustainable development, will really take place? We are afraid the visitors will not enforce this reset. It is these other stakeholders - residents, policymakers and companies with their business models - who should jointly ensure a transition to resilient destinations, sustainable companies and new business models.