Abstract from UNESCO Cities Platform, “Urban Solutions: Learning from cities responses to COVID-19”
As the COVID-19 crisis unfolds, it has had an unprecedented impact on travel with the closing of virtually all destinations worldwide. Tourism was a major source of growth, employment and income for many of the world’s developing countries with over 1.5 billion people crossing international borders in 2019. Yet, millions of jobs in the travel and tourism sector are being lost every day and up to 120 million are under immediate threat.
Before the crisis, the popularity of cities as tourist destinations was growing at a significant rate by providing rich and meaningful cultural experiences to visitors. The exponential growth however came at an increasingly high price to both local residents and the cultural infrastructure, which were straining under the pressure of more and more visitors. Now as certain cities begin to reopen, the landscape has shifted dramatically. New measures and approaches are needed to restart tourism which reflect new standards of health, safety and social interactions. This poses enormous challenges for cities that will require new ideas and innovation that encourages residents to rediscover and invest in new approaches encompassing social and environmental dimensions for a more sustainable tourism and to welcome visitors back.
Taking stock of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on city tourism with local actors and city stakeholders as well as civil society, this session presented an opportunity to discuss the post COVID-19 environment and allow cities to share their assessments of the real value of tourism and the importance of balancing needs and interests of both residents and visitors. The exponential growth however came at an increasingly high price to both local residents and the cultural infrastructure, which were straining under the pressure of more and more visitors. Now as cities gradually begin to reopen, the landscape has shifted dramatically. New measures and approaches are needed to restart tourism while reflecting new standards of health, safety and social interactions.
Questions for Reflections
LOCAL LEVEL:
- How has the Covid-19 crisis impacted your city’s relationship with tourism?
- What has the Covid-19 crisis taught your city about the value of tourism?Has it shifted your perspective on balancing the needs and interests of visitors and residents?
- Has the crisis changed or reinforced your city’s long-term tourism strategy?
- How has your city worked to recover tourism while supporting a stronger and more resilient community?
- How has your city supported the creative industries and other involved sectors to thrive throughout and beyond the crisis?
- Many destinations are turning their focus to domestic tourism in the short term. In this context, how can cities work to promote and encourage residents to rediscover their local heritage?
GLOBAL LEVEL:
- In the post Covid-19 landscape, how can we ensure that tourism is a platform for recovery and a pillar of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development?
- How can we achieve a strong recovery for tourism, while supporting climate action and other steps to advance sustainability and build resilience?
- How can cities work more closely together, such as through the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, to support recovery from the crisis?
- What opportunities has the crisis presented in terms of transforming urban tourism?
Ms. Mechtild Rössler, Director of the World Heritage Centre of UNESCO, moderated the session. She initiated the discussion by highlighting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism sector.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE PANEL: GENERAL SUMMARY
Mr. Manuel Butler, Executive Director, World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), kicked of the debate with forward looking scenarios and how they depend on the reopening of borders. Furthermore, he outlined points. for tourism recovery that touched on security, sustainability, innovation and collaboration. He explained that for now it is hard to predict how people will travel in the upcoming years, and that we must understand that interest in travel will take a couple of years to peak again. For him, “resilience and sustainability in tourism is key.”
Ms. Somjai Suwansupana, Mayor of Phuket, Thailand, offered a local perspective on how the city has been impacted during this time. She explained that the pandemic has led the city to “reconsider how to do tourism” and “realized that we have to take the issue much more seriously.” In the end, the lesson learned was to consume less, improve waste management, and encourage businesses to put in place a new standard operating procedure to better protect its inhabitants and tourists.
Ms. Armandina Saleiro, Vice-President of Barcelos Municipality (Portugal) and Coordinator of the Barcelos Creative City Project, continued the conversation by saying, “the new normal after COVID19 is a matter of safety and positive thinking.” There is a need to promote sustainable tourism. She explained how the city of Barcelos has been working to keep the artist community afloat, for example, by commissioning one work of art from every registered artist in the city. Moving forward, Ms. Saleiro expressed that the city should “create a happy community” which is creative and safe and which will attract tourists interested in the distinctive features of creative tourism.
Ms. Betty Addero Radier, Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Tourism Board, spoke about how her country is recovering, especially as tourism is the third highest grossing sector of Kenya’s GDP. Again, highlighting opportunities for growth, she observed how “this period has allowed the state to consider the diversity of markets and products especially in conservation and focus more on other things that cities can offer.” She explained that the future of tourism will rest in “repacking products to appeal to a more domestic market.”
Expanding on the future of tourism, Ms. Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director of Macao Government Tourism Office and Macao SAR Focal Point to the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, noted that “tourism will not be what it used to be.” She echoed Ms. Radier in syaing, “we need to look at what the local population feels, whilst looking at the population crossing borders.”
Ms. Ang Ming Chee, General Manager of George Town World Heritage Incorporated, focused on the people in the local communities that carry out these tourism jobs— from tourist guides to taxi drivers to hospitality workers. She emphasized that we need to invest in the local community by having more education surrounding digital marketing and strategies. She ended on a positive note stating, “although we are physically distancing from each other, it doesn’t mean we cannot socially engage— that is the power of tourism.”
In sum, the special session highlighted several issues that will determine how we rebuild tourism for the years to come. Many who relied on foreign visitors for their tourism are now shifting their outlook to think and consume locally. This trend is opening a conversation between those at the top of the tourism food chain and the local communities that support it. By starting this conversation, people are re- discovering what makes their communities beautiful and diverse. In the near future, we will see a shift towards not just more digital travel, but also towards local travel and an expansion in cultural and intangible heritage education.