A significant proportion of people in the world work in the tourism industry, and this sector is one of the most impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic,  especially due to the global lockdown.

Many DMOs are adapting and many are showing resilience. But what is resilience ?

Resilience is « the capacity of a system to deal with change and continue to develop. It is about how humans and nature can use shocks and disturbances like a financial crisis or climate change to spur renewal and innovative thinking. »

Many destinations have shown creativity and innovative thinking. For instance, many hotels are offering rooms for free to medical staff, or to homeless people. DMOs have changed their communication strategy, and are now giving information to the local community, for example about open local shops, farmers’ market, etc.

This local community is key for tourism recovery. A recurring narrative in the tourism industry has been to make tourists feel like locals. One of the multiple paths for recovery is to treat locals as tourists, since they will be the first ones allowed to travel within their region.

Another way to be resilient is to carry on initiatives that have been developed during the Covid-19 crisis even after this crisis is over. For example, some restaurants have been donating their food to food banks during the crisis, and this is something they can keep on doing even afterwards.

Food waste is a major issue, and restaurants could commit to giving away their surplus of food, to develop circular economy. The tourism industry, by empowering itself and taking innovative steps, has the capacity, as one of the biggest industries in the world, to make a real difference in other fields, and to show the path towards a more sustainable world.
 
To learn more about Resilient Destinations, visit this webpage !