Recently, the topic "Whether this year is the last cold winter of the new crown pandemic" has sparked heated discussions on social platforms.

　　At the same time, the Red Star Capital Bureau noted that the China Tourism Academy expects that the number of domestic tourists in 2022 will be 3.980 billion, and the domestic tourism revenue will be 3.81 trillion yuan, an increase of 16% and 27% year-on-year, respectively, recovering to nearly 70% of the level in the same period in 2019. %.

It is expected that the number of inbound and outbound tourists will increase by 20% year-on-year, returning to between 20% and 30% of the level in the same period in 2019.

　　Since 2020, the global tourism-related industries have been hit hard, and the number of employees has dropped sharply.

Under the background of normalization of epidemic prevention and control, nearby tourism, local leisure, and on-the-spot vacation are becoming a new trend of mass tourism.

In the face of changes in the tourism market, what should practitioners do in 2022?

　　Many people in the tourism industry who are still sticking to it told Red Star Capital Bureau about their experiences, judgments on the industry, and thinking about the future.

A fog of uncertainty still hangs over the industry, but they are looking forward to a better year.

Transformation of travel agencies:

Nearby tours, research tours, selling specialties

　　According to data from the Tourism Research Center of the Academy of Social Sciences, the total global tourism revenue in 2020 will drop by about 50.9% year-on-year.

Tens of thousands of small and medium-sized travel agencies have closed down, and established industry giants such as Heping International Travel are also unable to escape the "epidemic" disaster. They can only seek transformation.

　　The company of foreign-related tour guide Xiaoyu is located on Nanjing West Road, Shanghai. Before the epidemic, the company mainly focused on "hotel groups" and "student groups". Affected by the epidemic, "student groups" were greatly reduced, and "hotel groups" almost completely disappeared.

Faced with such a predicament, the company has developed niche tourism routes such as Huzhou and Wuxi near Shanghai.

　　In addition, many hostels have developed study tours.

In July 2021, the epidemic prevention and control was relaxed, and domestic tourism gradually became popular.

Xiaoyu walked out of Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Shanghai for the first time in two years and brought a study group from Dunhuang.

Xiaoyu told the Red Star Capital Bureau, "Many students who participate in the Dunhuang group are to get their research certificates, which will help them to go to school in the future, which also caters to the needs of their parents."

　　In addition to the transformation on the planned route, many companies have also developed new businesses.

　　Brian is a partner in an entrepreneurial online travel agency.

He told the Red Star Capital Bureau that, as a foreigner in China, he is mainly engaged in foreign-related tourism, and his clients are almost all foreigners.

Today, the company's customers have changed from foreigners who travel to China to foreigners living in China, and the number has plummeted.

　　In addition to the main business of tourism, they set up another track to sell peripheral products with Chinese elements: T-shirts with Beijing fried noodles, canvas bags with Shanghai Xiaolongbao, etc.

　　Brian also sells Chinese special ingredients in the website mall, such as Sichuan pepper noodles and chili noodles.

"We also shot a video to teach foreign customers how to use these ingredients to make authentic Chinese food." Brian told the Red Star Capital Bureau that the epidemic has swept them a lot, and selling some peripheral products can make a certain profit, but compared with before Just a drop in the bucket.

80% of tour guides have no business

There is a wave of departures in the tourism industry

　　At the end of 2021, there will be a wave of departures from the company where Xiaoyu works.

"Some departments were disbanded directly, and our floor was half empty."

　　According to WTTC data from the World Travel and Tourism Council, in 2020, 62 million jobs in the global tourism industry have disappeared, and industries such as tourism, hotels, ticketing, and airlines have experienced a wave of departures.

　　Brian told the Red Star Capital Bureau that due to the impact of the new crown epidemic, all ten employees of the company in China have resigned. At present, only he and another partner are left to support the tourism business and the selection of commodities in six major cities in China.

Before the epidemic, they had 10 to 20 part-time tour guides in each city, but now there are only two or three left, all of them part-time.

　　During the interview, the Red Star Capital Bureau learned that because of their strong English listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills, the reemployment space of foreign tour guides is wider than that of Chinese tour guides.

Some people go to work related to their old business, such as English teaching and museum interpretation; some are unrelated to their old business, such as selling tea, selling houses, and working full-time in Starbucks.

　　According to the survey report "Guide Survival Status and Career Development Demands of Tour Guides under the Epidemic" released by the Professional Committee of Tour Guides of China Travel Service Association, 80% of the surveyed groups engaged in tour guide work currently have no business, 10.6% are engaged in part-time jobs during the epidemic, and 8.4% have changed careers or Plan to switch.

　　From the beginning of 20 to May 21, Xiaoyu only worked two or three days a week, ten to five in the morning.

She decided to work part-time at Starbucks, where she could learn how to make coffee and earn some extra money.

"I was not familiar with the operation at the beginning, and the supervisor usually gave me a night shift, so that there were fewer guests so that I would not be in a hurry. After I became familiar with it, I would arrange an early shift."

From 9 to 5, the working hours of part-time part-time jobs are longer than those of regular jobs in travel agencies.

　　Some people choose to work part-time, while others choose to improve themselves. Peng Ma, a freelance tour guide, took courses such as organizing and storage.

　　Outside of work, Xiaoyu also regained the hobbies of sweeping streets, taking pictures, and visiting stores that she had left behind due to her busy schedule. Regarding the question of leaving, Xiaoyu said: "I was hesitant when I didn't know the situation in the first year, and in the second year, I was still indecisive. I didn’t quit my job for a little bit of business, but the epidemic has become serious later. I just want to be calm, otherwise I might run away.” The fog of uncertainty still shrouded the tourism industry. .

Red Star News reporter Wu Danruo intern Ao Yulian