Naslov
Challenges in tourism recovery - Learnt lessons from COVID-19 pandemic

Autori
Brščić, Kristina ; Šugar, Tina ; Lovrečić, Katarina ; Joelle, Živolić

Vrsta, podvrsta i kategorija rada
Sažeci sa skupova, ostalo, znanstveni

Skup
Communication Management Forum 2021 The post- pandemic world: A bad picture or a good opportunity?

Mjesto i datum
Hrvatska, 19.03.2021. - 20.03.2021

Vrsta sudjelovanja
Predavanje

Vrsta recenzije
Međunarodna recenzija

Ključne riječi
COVID-19 pandemic, tourism recovery, sustainable tourism

Sažetak
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed people's lives, and the way they work worldwide and the crisis have particularly hit the tourism sector. The year 2020 was one of the worst years in history for world tourism with a drop in international arrivals of 74% compared to the year before (UNWTO, 2021). This situation reaffirmed how vulnerable and sensitive the tourism sector is due to changes that have taken place and are still taking place. Tourism drives regional development, supports many types of businesses and enables the development of local communities. It is evident, and many researchers emphasised that restrictions on freedom of movement, closure of borders, closure of accommodation, catering facilities and people's fear of infection have led to changes in supply and demand worldwide. In 2019, the contribution of tourism to GDP for Croatia was 19.5%, and it is among the highest in the EU. Consequences caused by the COVID-19 pandemic will have a massive impact on the social and economic aspects of coastal and island destinations in Croatia and the whole Mediterranean. Expectations for tourism recovery are divided since anti-pandemic measures continued in 2021, including travel restrictions that directly affect tourism recovery. The COVID-19 pandemic has left lasting consequences on the economies and societies, and although the impact of the pandemic seems to be exclusively negative, there are also its positive sides. This paper aims to answer why the COVID-19 pandemic can be an opportunity to transform tourism from an exploitation model that neglects people, places, and the natural environment to tourism that will be more sustainable, resilient, responsible with lower negative impacts. The paper presents the results of secondary research of published scientific papers about the topic and proposed guidelines from umbrella tourism organisations to identify critical steps to create solutions for the successful recovery of tourism. Tourism recovery speed will depend on tourists travel confidence and risk perception. A community-oriented tourism framework and a responsible and sustainable approach are opportunities to rethink tourism for the future. Moreover, as many researchers and tourism organisations predict, tourism after the pandemic will not look the same. Governments and all stakeholders in tourism will play an important role in tourism recovery.

Izvorni jezik
Engleski

Znanstvena područja
Ekonomija

POVEZANOST RADA