Roundup: Europe ’s tourism industry is hit hard and will face the “new normal” of the post-epidemic era
Xinhua News Agency, Vienna, May 1st, Roundup: European tourism industry will be hit hard and will face the "new normal" in the post-epidemic era
Xinhua News Agency reporter
Flight suspensions, hotel closures, event cancellations, shopping mall closures, from Vienna to Venice, and Paris to Barcelona, once the bustling tourist towns in Europe, are now deserted and tourists are rare. Thierry Breton, member of the European Union ’s internal market, said at the European Commission ’s video conference on April 28 that after the outbreak of the new crown epidemic, the tourism sector was the first to be injured but finally recovered. It is expected that the tourism industry will lose up to 70% this year.
The year of "bubbling"
"This year is basically a ruin." Yannis Resos, head of the Greek Tourism Federation, said in an interview with a local radio station. Tourism is a pillar industry in Greece, accounting for 20.6% of GDP in 2018, and the employed population accounts for a quarter of the total employed population of the country. The Greek Tourism Research Institute recently released a survey saying that 65% of hotel owners in the country are expected to go bankrupt, and 95% of respondents predict that profits will shrink by more than half this year.
The Italian Tourism Federation recently said that the epidemic has destroyed the development of the Italian tourism industry in the past 60 years, and the entire industry is not expected to recover within the year.
The Spanish Travel Excellence Alliance predicts that if the epidemic cannot be reversed by the end of the year, Spain ’s tourism business will be reduced by about 81% this year, with losses of up to 124.2 billion euros.
According to a report released by the French National Bureau of Statistics in April, since the outbreak, French hotel and restaurant industry activity has decreased by 90%, travel agency bookings have decreased by 97%, and 80% of practitioners believe that industry recovery will take 8 to 12 months or even longer time.
Uncertain "new normal"
The London-based World Tourism and Travel Council (WTTC) issued a report on April 29, saying that before the emergence of vaccines that can be used on a large scale, the tourism industry will usher in a "new normal", including wearing masks to fly, maintaining Social distance, replacing cash with contactless payment methods, adopting strict hygiene measures, etc.
The report said that WTTC will release tourism plans and guidelines based on China ’s initial recovery experience and the new standards implemented by the retail industry for the reference of governments.
In Austria, with the improvement of the epidemic, society is gradually "unblocking", but whether the tourism industry can adapt to the "new normal" remains to be seen. Starting in mid-May, the restaurant can be opened for business, but must meet various epidemic prevention requirements, including a table can seat up to 4 adults, service personnel must wear masks, other than guests at the same table must maintain a Social distance above meters, etc. At the same time, the government has repeatedly reminded the public that the "unblocking" measures will be adjusted at any time according to the epidemic situation, and if there is a rebound, they will immediately "brake".
Faced with the "new normal", it is also a question of when the various measures and programs introduced by the tourism industry will be implemented. The epidemic has developed at different speeds across Europe, and it is impossible to unify border control. EU officials called on member states to extend the border closure period until mid-May, and French President Macron suggested recently that the closure of the Schengen border should continue until September, saying that the outbreak "does not affect all countries at the same time."
The government pushes domestic travel
In view of the fact that the epidemic situation has not been clearly improved, the possibility of free travel in Europe in the near future is very small, and the tourism industry in most countries will be dominated by domestic tourists.
Austrian Prime Minister Kurz said at a news conference recently that if he himself had the opportunity to take a vacation, he would stay in Austria, and he also suggested that the Austrians all take vacations locally.
The Italian Ministry of Tourism Dario Franciskini said this week that there will not be a large number of foreign tourists in Italy this year. The entire tourism industry may not be fully restored until 2023, and the first wave of tourists will be composed of Italians.
In order to boost domestic demand, the Italian government has introduced a number of measures, including a 500 euro subsidy for each family, which is specifically used for tax credits related to domestic travel and vacation related expenses. Francescini said: "We are vigorously developing domestic tourism. This summer, we are on vacation in Italy."
The Swiss government advises the public not to make national travel plans by 2021, while encouraging the tourism industry to shift its target to the domestic market and help consumers regain confidence. Swiss Secretary of Economic Affairs Eric Jacobs said that to promote Swiss resorts at the moment, it must first face domestic tourists and then talk about how to attract foreign tourists.
In order to promote domestic tourism, the Hungarian Tourism Agency has specially produced a publicity short film aimed at the people of the country to be broadcast on national television and social media. (Note holder: Zhao Feifei; participating reporters: Yu Tao, Chen Zhanjie, Gao Lei, Wen Xinnian, Chen Junxia, Yuan Liang, Yu Shuaishuai, Chen Chen, Zhang Xiuzhi, Xie Yuzhi)