At present, the tourism industry of many countries is showing a continuous improvement trend, and many places have recruited tourists to return. Industry insiders pointed out that in the early stage, the emergency rescue of the tourism industry by various countries showed initial results, and the global tourism industry is expected to usher in a phased recovery.
The assessment report recently released by the World Tourism Organization pointed out that as of September 1, 115 tourist destinations around the world have begun to relax travel restrictions due to the epidemic, accounting for 53% of the total. Among them, 79% of tourist destinations in developed economies have begun to lift the ban on tourism, and the proportion of emerging economies is 47%. Experts believe that this information has released a positive signal and is expected to bring considerable economic and social benefits.
Tourism markets in many places recover better than expected
Recently, the Austrian tourist town of Hallstatt has rarely seen a scene full of tourists in hotels and parking lots. According to the person in charge of the local tourism bureau, under the stimulation of domestic travel policies, many hotels here have reopened since mid-June, and the number of bookings has continued to increase. In addition to the main local tourists, the proportion of tourists from neighboring countries such as Germany and Hungary is also increasing.
Europe is an important tourist destination in the world. Every year, half of the world's international tourists visit here. The tourism market in many countries this summer was better than expected. "Forbes" magazine website recently reported that partly affected by retaliatory tourism consumption, the total number of tourists in some areas of France this summer has increased compared with last year, and in some places it even reached a growth rate of more than 10%.
In Italy, on August 16, the Hongtu cruise ship of Mediterranean Cruise Line set sail from Genoa and became the first cruise ship to launch in the Mediterranean after more than 5 months of suspension. According to reports, the resumption arrangements and procedures implement new health and safety regulations. For example, tourists arrive at Hong Kong in batches after checking in online, and undergo a comprehensive health check before boarding. Industry insiders said that as the cruise industry presses the restart button, the industry will gradually reduce losses.
In Southeast Asia, there are positive signs of tourism in many countries. According to the latest data from Airbnb, hotel bookings in Thailand, Malaysia and other countries continue to grow. For example, Malaysia’s overall room bookings in June increased by nearly 190% compared to 2019. Xiao Jinhong, the top executive director of Airbnb's Asia-Pacific region, believes that after the "unblocking", Thailand users' accommodation bookings have been active. Xiao Jinhong said that the tourism industry of regional countries is showing a steady recovery, and local travel around the country is the key driving factor.
Related industry support policies continue to be introduced
With the gradual lifting of restrictions in many parts of the world, many governments continue to update and introduce new measures to boost tourism, and many tourist destinations have also recruited to attract tourists to return.
Recently, the French Tourism Development Agency has made every effort to promote domestic travel. It has launched activities on the Internet to encourage people to post pictures and videos of domestic travel. There are similar activities in Germany, Austria and other countries; the Slovenian government has issued 200 Euro travel vouchers to citizens over 18 years old, which can be used in hotels , Resorts, campsites, sightseeing farms and other short-term accommodations; the Belgian government will issue 12 free train tickets for residents over 12 years old from August 31.
In order to help tourists choose food and accommodation with confidence, the Portuguese Tourism Agency has launched a "clean and safe" certification label. Currently, more than 21,000 establishments across the country have received labels. Portugal also launched a travel insurance plan for international tourists in August, which can cover medical and surgical expenses incurred by the epidemic throughout Portugal. According to other reports, the Canary Islands of Spain also recently announced that it will provide free epidemic-related insurance for domestic and foreign tourists, which can cover many expenses such as medical treatment, repatriation, and extended stay on the island due to isolation.
The tourism ministers of ASEAN countries recently agreed to strengthen information sharing and exchanges between ASEAN member countries and ASEAN dialogue partners on crisis response and measures to support tourism, including the development of clear standards and guidelines to create a safer and healthier working environment , To protect employees in hotel and tourism-related industries, thereby enhancing tourist confidence.
ASEAN countries are also constantly updating and introducing more targeted macro and micro economic policies to provide fiscal stimulus and tax reduction policies to further boost the tourism industry. The Thai government has introduced a plan with a total budget of 22.4 billion baht (1 U.S. dollar equals 31 baht) to encourage domestic travel of its citizens through government subsidies, which has achieved significant results. As of the end of August, the number of hotels booked through the program has reached 800,000. Recently, the plan has ushered in an "upgraded version". The length of staying in a hotel at a 40% discount per domestic passenger has been increased from 5 to 10 nights, and the flight subsidy has doubled from 1,000 baht per person to 2,000 baht.
Pippa, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Thailand, told our reporter that Thailand has launched the "Miracle Thailand" safety and health label certification, and all tourist businesses that obtain this certification will become government-recognized health and safety tourism agencies. This will improve the safety and health standards of Thailand's tourism industry and provide domestic and foreign tourists with high-quality, healthy and safe tourism products.
Safe and environmentally friendly travel has gradually become a new trend of development
Recently, hundreds of cyclists from all over Thailand rode along the road, visited the tourist attractions of Songkhla Province in southern Thailand and felt the local culture. In the future, the "Ride in Thailand" event will be held once a month, allowing bicycle enthusiasts from all over the country to ride in 55 second-tier cities in Thailand, visit the scenery of various places, and promote the recovery of local tourism. Thanet, deputy director of the National Tourism Administration of Thailand, said: "Tourists pay more attention to health and safety, and sports tourism such as cycling will become a new driving force for the development of tourism."
Tara Natta, chairman of the Tourism Council of Thailand, said that the recovery of the tourism industry in the post-epidemic era will be greeted with a new approach that pays more attention to health, safety, cleanliness and environmental protection.
This year's World Tourism Day will focus on "tourism and rural development". According to the World Tourism Organization, many villages around the world rely on tourism as their pillar industry, and these villages are eagerly looking forward to revitalizing the tourism industry to promote economic recovery.
According to the British "Guardian" report, a variety of novel rural tourism projects are emerging across the UK, more tourists are camping on the beach, or staying in the holiday cabins in the national nature reserve, or experiencing the bathtub and heating equipment. Glamping etc. A British camping website predicts that the number of new campsites this year will be twice that of last year, many of which are built in farmland. Statistics from the Spanish National Bureau of Statistics also show that the occupancy rate of country houses has reached a record high level.
The “Guidelines for the Recovery and Revitalization of Urban Tourism under the Impact of the New Coronary Pneumonia Epidemic” recently led by the World Tourism Cities Federation pointed out that the early stage of the emergency rescue of the tourism industry by various countries has achieved initial results, and the global tourism industry is expected to usher in a phased recovery. It will be reshaped by paying more attention to health and safety and integrating digitalization.
The World Tourism Organization believes that the development of the global tourism industry this year will depend on the progress of countries in curbing the epidemic and the duration of travel restrictions. Domestic travel will recover faster than outbound travel, and leisure travel will recover faster than business travel. The impact of the epidemic on different regions of the world is not the same, and the Asia-Pacific region is expected to take the lead in achieving recovery.
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