(TAN): A new paper by VisitScotland has revealed that Club-style visitor products, community-focused breaks and personalisation could drive tourism in Scotland as the industry adapts to the Covid-19 pandemic. Post-Covid-19 Tourism Consumer Trends finds that convenience, reassurance, value, inspiration and connection will be key to recovery, with responsible and sustainable tourism at its core.
The paper, by the national tourism organisation’s insight department, examines the consumer landscape and the behaviour of visitors, derived from industry expert opinion, visitor surveys and international data. Across Europe, domestic travel has led the recovery, with rail travel seeing a sharp rise driven by trips to rural destinations. In the UK, visiting friends and relatives, as opposed to “pure holiday trips”, boosted visits in the summer months with countryside locations fairing best.
[ALSO READ: IHG partners with country music artiste for socially distant performances]
On ‘new normal’ the paper concludes that slow tourism will increase in popularity in the short term, whereby “we will see less travel but travelling better”. Consumers will “travel with purpose”, demonstrating community support through volunteering, rewilding, localism, restorative immersion through spirit-lifting experiences.
Chris Greenwood, senior insight manager at VisitScotland, said: “Following the lifting of the national lockdown restrictions, we are all coming to terms adjusting to the presence of COVID-19. Navigating the New Normal provides background and insight into the trends emerging during the pandemic as a means for industry to learn from and adapt as part of Scottish tourism’s recovery.”
Related posts:
VisitScotland joins Tourism Declares initiative promoting sustainable tourism
Thailand Focusses On Care Of Elephants In Tourism
Top hotel groups build inclusive sustainability framework accessible for all hotels of the world
University of Oxford, UNWTO, backed by easyJet holidays, plan to develop first ESG framework for tourism businesses
I am pleased to see the publication and your pointing to the new thought in the new normal, the slow tourism, VFR these are positive signs, then considering nature and maintaining nature is a very important aspect to be looked at. As a reader I am pleased to see these information. But I wish you keep on informing how different countries will be acting on the MOU done between UNWTO and FAO. How things will change, and the outcome. As it is not so easy specially in the under developed or developing nations.