I look at this year’s global tourism statistics dumbfounded. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic international tourist arrivals (overnight visitors) declined 70% in January-August 2020 over the same period of last year:
- -79% – Asia & The Pacific,
- – 69% – Middle East & Africa,
- – 68% – Europe.
The major tourism & travel industry events (e.g. ITB Berlin, WTM, IGTM) went online.
I am expecting a recovery and rebound from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in the second half of 2021 (earliest).
People will look for:
- outdoor activities (e.g. golf courses, beach);
- opportunities and solutions to improve their mental health condition;
- sole travel;
- transparency about cleanliness;
- domestic travel experiences.
The Global Wellness Institute says mental wellness has become a new “industry bubble”. The institute’s study found the global mental wellness economy is worth $120.8 billion.
To help the global golf tourism industry and boost the recovery from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, ExpoHIS (part of the Japanese H.I.S. Group) is organizing the 2021 World Golf Business Forum.
- at Titanic Deluxe Golf Belek,
- 20-23 May 2021.
The organizers of the 2021 World Golf Business Forum shared with me that the 300+ qualified buyers’ purchasing power is exceeding €6 Billion.
Unlike the above-mentioned events, it will be a LIVE event. During the event, World Golf Business Forum participants will have the chance to participate in panels and workshops, where the most important names of the golf tourism industry will be present.
The Golf Business Monitor is one of the official media partners of the event. I will give a keynote presentation as well. Over 450 golf travel media companies registered for the event so far.
Face-to-Face communication – benefits
As you know I support in most cases digital solutions. However, it is hard to neglect the benefits of face-to-face communication (e.g.better understanding and communication flows).
Trust and reputation are major issues and will be in the future too. It will be really hard to build trust with people without talking to them face-to-face.
I just wanted to say with this it is hard to beat the efficiency of face-to-face, live communication + networking opportunities.
Perhaps not an incidental factor is how tiring it can be spending hours in a Zoom/Microsoft Teams/Skype video conference.