The international tourism industry will experience a recovery once the coronavirus pandemic is better under control, according to , associate professor of tourism and events management in .
How long the recovery takes depends on several factors, such as how many people worldwide get vaccinated and how quickly countries see their economies rebound, said Park.
鈥淚t has been more than a year since we鈥檝e been in the pandemic, with many borders closed and little international travel,鈥 said Park. 鈥淭he impact on global tourism has been devastating. But there is pent-up demand for travel that will explode when things go back to normal.鈥
Park said that the most conservative predictions are that it will take five years to reach pre-pandemic levels of global tourism, although more optimistic predictions put that timeframe at closer to two years. She predicts that domestic travel will bounce back faster than global travel.
鈥淩ight now, the trend is for people to travel by car over plane, which they perceive as less risky,鈥 said Park. 鈥淧eople are tending to avoid largely populated destinations like cities and theme parks in favor of more remote places.鈥
Park says that there is a high probability that countries will agree to admit only tourists who have been fully vaccinated. The European Union recently announced that it would open for travel to vaccinated tourists.
As tourism begins to revive, hotels and restaurants will see demand and volume again, said Park. However, they should be prepared for customers that expect businesses to maintain high levels of safety and hygiene protocols. In addition, while Park predicts that work travel will pick up, some trends are here to stay. Park anticipates that some conferences, especially the smaller ones, will remain virtual even after the pandemic is over.
Park also predicts that travelers who can now work remotely will extend their vacations as working holidays. Park also expects the cruise line industry to return as their customer base is very loyal.
鈥淭he pandemic has made us realize how precious and crucial travel freedom is to our lives,鈥 said Park. 鈥淥verall, travel will return, and tourism will bounce back, but it is up to the industries to adapt to the changing expectations of travelers and innovate based on the lessons learned from the pandemic.鈥
Min Park鈥檚 research is focused on tourism and its interactions with other societal phenomena, such as sharing economy, social media, overtourism, and international politics. Also, she has been published a number of journal articles in the areas of tourism growth and visitor/destination management in tourism and recreation settings.聽She has been an active member of the research team in Mason鈥檚 School of Sport, Recreation, and Tourism Management and has worked with various national and international partners. She can be reached at 703-993-7194 辞谤听mparka@gmu.edu.
For more information, contact Anna聽Stolley聽Persky聽at聽apersky@gmu.edu.
About George Mason
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