2021-02-11
Vice President, CNN International Commercial
Abstract: COVID-19 in 2020 is an unprecedented global crisis. Although the tourism industry has suffered heavy losses, people’s demand and desire for traveling are getting stronger instead of weaker. Tourism destinations and enterprises should regard this as a new opportunity to deeply understand tourists’ psychology, rebuild brand image, expand advertising and promotion, and formulate a recovery plan for the upcoming 2021.
According to the data of the World Tourism Organization, the tourism industry accounts for 10.4% of the global GDP. One in ten jobs in the world is in the tourism industry. In 2019, the number of international tourists even reached 1.4 billion. Although the epidemic in this year is unprecedented, the tourism industry has proved over and over that it is one of the most resilient industries, like the “911 incident” and the SARS epidemic in 2003. Although there will be numerous emergencies and disturbances, the tourism industry can quickly dig up the hatchet and carry on.
Although there is no way to predict how long the tourism industry will realize the new normal, we can take history as a mirror and get stronger with every setback by analyzing past crisis events and previous countermeasures.
The first is to rebuild confidence and trust. This is what major brands and tourist destinations must do. Trust is hard-won, but it is fleeting.
The second is to convey the right message. It is complementary to the trust, and the speed of rebuilding the image of tourist destinations is proportionate to the speed of recovery.
The third is to recreate the plan, which should be widely informed. People will not believe things that cannot be seen or touched, so is a tourist destination. We must tell everyone the information on epidemic control, so as to speed up the pace of recovery. At the same time, when the crisis comes, we should keep close contact with the public, increase the sense of presence, and let them remember you all the time.
The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented global crisis. For the first time, all tourist destinations have adopted extremely strict epidemic prevention and control measures. This is not only a public health emergency, but also an all-round challenge psychologically, physiologically and economically, requiring people and countries across the world to jointly deal with. The number of international passengers dropped by 70% compared to 2019. According to the survey by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), it will be until 2024 at the earliest for the number of air passengers to return to the 2019 level. Tourists all over the world are very concerned about how the recovery will proceed, when they will be able to travel again, and what if the city is closed after air tickets are booked? Some countries have even closed their cities for the second or third time. The lack of trust and uncertainty are the primary problems.
The Secretary General of the World Tourism Organization (WTO) made a good point. He said that if people believe in the government and the tourism industry can ensure the safety of tourists, he will boldly step out of the house tomorrow. Tourism is the ultimate humanistic industry and the key to promoting world friendship and unity, and enhancing trust. It benefits all walks of life. Only in this way can the economy recover and the society be rebuilt. Trust is a new credit for our future.
People are still worried about the epidemic: when the recovery will begin, how to return to a normal life, whether there would be normality again, how to ease people’s concerns, how to alleviate the feeling of isolation, how to let people regain confidence and optimism. The tourism industry shoulders the heavy burden. It is now necessary to promote connectivity, do concrete things and be close to the masses. Now major brands, tourist destinations and governments should continue to maintain the ties among consumers, tourists and themselves. Looking at the measures taken by governments to deal with the corona virus, we can see that only by sending clear, definite and consistent signals can we look at the epidemic more optimistically and positively.
During the epidemic, many Chinese brands are worth learning from. They have worked hard to maintain their relationship with customers, changed their communication strategies and contents, and made good results. Science and technology are changing with each passing day, data are accumulating over time, and everything is interconnected. So nowadays people have higher expectations and shorter time of attention for consumption content. Many enterprises are emphasizing customer first and customer-oriented. But to create a trustful relationship between any two parties, they must first understand each other. Therefore, we cannot judge or label others. We should put ourselves in the shoes of customers, understand their joys and sorrows, and cater to their needs and desires.
As 2020 draws to a close, looking forward at 2021, it seems that there have never been so few delightful things. Most of this year has been occupied by the epidemic and the tourism industry has been hit hard, so now we can’t always look back on 2020, but should start making plans for 2021. How can we truly become a popular tourist destination? The following five suggestions are to be shared with you guys.
First, tourism demand is soaring and decision-making process is accelerating.
In the first quarter of 2020, countries implemented lockdown policies, which restricted travel and at the same time imprisoned our hearts. Therefore, we are eager for communication and contact. At this time, the Internet has become a lifeline, which is the same for both individuals and companies. With the Internet, communication can be carried out.
Even though the epidemic has been brought under control, people’s lives are subject to many restrictions. Tourists want and need to see all kinds of information about major tourist destinations, which requires us to keep with our work through advertising and let them participate through virtual means. It is indispensable to keep in touch with the world through computers. Surveys indicate that 70% of tourists who canceled their travels due to the epidemic will reschedule their travels within one year. After all, tourism has become a regular leisure and entertainment activity for many people every year. They often check travel websites, browse advertisements of tourist resorts and check ticket booking software. In the past three months, the monthly number of views of CNN Travel has increased by 34%, with significant growth in all major markets in the world, making the entire CNN Travel the second most popular channel after CNN Health.
Although it is not clear when travel can be restarted, the tourism industry will definitely return to normal one day. Let’s wait until that day arrives.
Second, after the epidemic, the biggest motivation for travel is to reunite with family members.
Because the epidemic has blocked the border, many family members and friends are separated from each other. Parents, children, husband and wife, partners, close relatives and friends are forced not to meet each other and they miss each very much. This will greatly increase the motivation for travel after the lockdown ends. At the beginning of the lockdown, the most ardent wish was to restart the canceled travel plan. After several months of lockdown, the idea of traveling to more distant places became stronger. But now, what people want to do most is to meet relatives and friends from far away places.
According to the 2020 monthly tourist survey data of the International Civil Aviation Organization, the prime motivation for tourists to travel is to meet their relatives and the second is to go on vacation. There two aspects are equally significant. Because of this, when international flights return to normal, family reunion will become an important motive for many people to travel. Therefore, if this trend is understood and seized, as a tourist destination, it can leave a deeper impression on consumers if careful planning for the festive season is carried out.
Third, short distance tour will become the most common form of travel at present.
The pandemic has made many tourists around the world realize that there are many places to visit. It turns out that the ordinary places with beautiful natural scenery are worth visiting. There are three reasons. First, everyone gradually began to respect the surrounding environment and had a brand-new understanding of nature. The second is to get rid of the feeling of being bound by the lockdown. Third, everyone wants to avoid the crowd and intensive contact with people. Research done by the travel media Sgaf shows that people have a high interest in tourist destinations that focus on outdoor activities and natural scenery, and are less interested in urban tourism. According to a survey on Yougo, a website, 69% of the interviewees said they would avoid crowded public spaces with heavy traffic when traveling in the future.
Understanding tourists’ preferences and motives is especially important during the epidemic. CNN’s survey found that 62% of the audience want to travel to more places with natural scenery. 80% of the audience said embracing nature and appreciating wild animals and plants are the driving factors for their future travel. For tourist destinations, the above data show that the focus should be shifted from the landmark city destinations to the little-known natural destinations.
Fourth, redefine tourism as a way to experience local life.
Although the pandemic prevents tens of millions of people from traveling, it cannot change people’s desire for new travel experiences and exploration of local attractions. In fact, the pandemic makes many travelers pay more attention to the opportunity to experience local life in depth and with immersive experience. Tourism can enter people’s world, and tourism has also added many jobs. Especially, many small-scale family workshops rely on tourism for their livelihood. Tourists who want to experience local life and understand local culture will especially appreciate and crave these opportunities.
Since the beginning of 2020, the willingness to visit historical scenic spots and cultural resorts has increased by nearly 20%. More and more CNN viewers begin to take interest in watching tourism-related content, as well as content relevant to music, art, entertainment and diet.
Audiences want to experience other countries’ cultures and explore distant places. Many people also express that they enjoy being surrounded by different cultures, ideas and lifestyles. Although tourism is at its lowest point now, we can seize the current opportunity to get future tourists know and understand your country first, including local specialties, languages, arts, crafts and culture, etc.
This is the so-called “pre-activation” strategy, which not only helps restore the confidence of the tourist destination, but also enables tourists to think that they can also become the leading role in their journey.
Fifth, to become the first mover through preemptive publicity.
Although the epidemic has hit many countries hard, it has changed the habits of many consumers. In this period of uncertainty, one thing is clear, that is, everyone wants to get more information and know the facts, and everyone’s interest in media information and news reading has reached an unprecedented height. With the gradual opening of the border and the gradual resumption of air routes, travel destinations will begin to fight for tourists.
There is a saying in the industry, meaning that there is no need to put advertisements when the industry is in its heyday, but if the situation is difficult, advertisements must be put. Although the epidemic is sudden, there is evidence telling us that in order to make a good brand, one must continue to put advertisements during the economic downturn. Research shows that after stopping advertising, brand awareness will be reduced and affinity to public will become low, which will eventually affect sales, customer loyalty and brand image.
2020 has changed the message that needs to be conveyed. It is not a good time to sell tourism products now. Instead, it is necessary to maintain the relationship with customers, make voices heard, maintain exposure and enhance brand value, so as to embrace tourism in the post-epidemic era. The following actions are recommended.
First, attitude and tone matter.
Tourism destinations and brands should stay humble and cautious in their promotion, because the way of telling stories is as important as the content of stories. As a tourism brand, people should choose credible and reliable media and channels for publicity.
Second, cooperation and coordination.
This is not the right time to do things alone. We should unite. How to cooperate is the key, just as the food industry should not be regarded as a previleged industry, tourism brands should not cannabalize each other for one’s own benefit.
Third, be quick to act and slow to speak.
Down-to-earth actions are far better than boasting. We need to let tourists see how enterprises act and how we ensure the safety of tourists and the entire industry. Only by doing so, the value and mission of this brand will become splendid. We are sincere and people-oriented. We should let everyone know that we are not afraid of difficulties and obstacles, and we will forge ahead in the wind and rain.
Fourth, keep an open mind.
Now is actually a very good opportunity. Major brands can rebuild, define and make their products to create a brand-new long-term attraction for tourists. We can augment technology to strengthen queuing management at airports and tourist destinations, or use some virtual reality technology to bring beautiful scenery to tourists’ homes.
Fifth, formulate a recovery plan.
For tourist destinations, how to promote the recovery is tailored to local conditions, and the pace of recovery will be depending on the timeliness and strictness of the lockdown policies of various countries, the local public health capacity, infrastructure, weather, and luck. Recovery cannot be achieved overnight, but it will certainly be advanced steadily. We can start to formulate a recovery plan now, understand the trend of policies and passenger behavior in real time, and implement the plan when the time is right.