What
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), in conjunction with management consulting firm Oliver Wyman, has released a new set of recommendations for travel’s recovery, identified from the lens of four industry stakeholders: travelers, businesses, the workforce and communities. Its recommendations comprise taking a worldwide approach to recovery while improving the current travel experience, incorporating new technologies and implementing a set of standardized global health and safety protocols. In evaluating what is likely to help restore the global economy, WTTC found four expected global trends — demand evolution, health and hygiene, innovation and digitization and sustainability — and provided recommendations including establishing a unified approach to border openings; a clear definition of health and safety standards across the board; payroll protection and wage subsidies to struggling workforce; incentives for travel; and more.
Why It Matters
With country-specific rules and regulations constantly in flux — and often changing by the hour — attempting to remain informed about the COVID-19 pandemic has felt like an unsolvable puzzle. A coordinated approach that incorporates both the private and public sector and a unified, global perspective is needed to guide clients, travel advisors and suppliers toward creating a seamless travel experience.
RELATED: Top Travel CEOs Demand Improved COVID-19 Testing From U.S. Government
Fast Facts
- According to the report, 70% of North American leisure travelers would book travel during the pandemic if schedule changes were free.
- More than 92% of clients trust personal recommendations on health and hygiene, while 69% of travelers say cleanliness is a critical component of a travel company’s crisis response.
- Travelers are predicted to continue to pay attention to health and hygiene even after there is a COVID-19 vaccine.
- Almost three-quarters (73%) of consumers are paying greater attention to sustainability; they report noticing brands that are making a difference during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The report reveals a rapid shift toward digitization, with clients increasingly feeling comfortable with a touchless travel experience. Almost half (45%) say they are ready to move from paper passports to a digital identity.
RELATED: What COVID-19 Can Teach the Travel Industry About Sustainability and Climate Change
What They Are Saying
“This comprehensive research paves the road to recovery for the travel and tourism sector,” said Gloria Guevara, president and CEO of WTTC. “While there is still work to be done, this gives us insight into how we can best approach recovery and offers a vision and hope to the sector. It is crucial that we continue to learn from previous crises and come together in a coordinated way to make a real difference in reducing both the economic and human impact.
It is crucial that we continue to learn from previous crises and come together in a coordinated way to make a real difference in reducing both the economic and human impact.
“We strongly believe that by working as and by taking a coordinated approach, we can beat COVID-19 and return to safe travels with world class standards of hygiene to travelers and regenerate the jobs and livelihoods of the 330 million people who worked in the sector before COVID-19,” she added.
“The travel and tourism sector accounts for one in 10 jobs globally and will continue to be critical to the economic development of many economies,” said Matthieu De Clercq, partner at Oliver Wyman. “It is imperative to move beyond the crisis and continue to support systemic change in the industry to enhance its resilience to future shocks and improve its positive socio-economic positive impact.”
The Details
World Travel and Tourism Council
www.wttc.org
