The recent pandemic has impacted several industries, especially brands specializing in travel and tourism. Due to the drastic decline in travel, many businesses such as event planning companies, hotels, car rentals, cruise ships, and travel communities all had to rethink their business plan.  I discovered the perfect article discussing this topic called, “Here’s the Opportunity Covid-19 Could Offer Travel and Tourism Brands”. This article walks through potential pathways tourism and travel businesses can take during these times when business is slow. The author, Shama Hyder, discusses three main routes that will benefit the company while they are trying to make it through these tough times: reposition marketing focus, partnering, and investing in one’s operations and team.  

Build Relationships with Customers

For many years, the main focus for travel and tourism brands was to convince the customers to take action such as booking a flight, hotel, etc. Unfortunately, this tactic could come off as inappropriate during the pandemic, as travel is looked as a negative cognition since it risks spread of the disease. Hyder suggests taking a different approach such as taking the time to focus on relationship building with customers instead. Some examples she gave to build these relationships are as follows: (1) Enhance storytelling (2) Adding additional personalization options to services offered (3) Using social media and video to communicate the company’s protective efforts towards guests and staff as well as new safety precautions that are in place when guests return and (4) Invest in the customer service team to make the customer experience better during these unknown times that provoke cancellation and changes. 

 

I think this is the most crucial step, which must be taken during these times. I agree with Hyder, it’s best if travel and tourism brands are efficient during these slow times by strengthening their customer relationship so that they can have guaranteed success once this pandemic is over. I have personally seen many travel businesses take action in repositioning their current message to their customers and I believe those are the businesses that are going to come out on top in the end. As a business student, I am taught to always be prepared and braced for change for moments such as these.  I learned that companies need to be ready for change and evolve with outside events going in the world as this determines the success of their business.

 

Be Innovative

There are brands and communities that rely solely on tourism to provide revenue to their businesses. With this being said, when the pandemic hit these businesses had to rethink their approach in order to keep afloat. Hyder encourages businesses in the tourism and travel industry to build their online experience as a way “to stay top of mind with customers, generate revenue, and enhance your brand.” She proceeds to supply an example of a community, which relied heavily on tourism to fuel their markets that was greatly impacted by the pandemic. As tourism is said to be at an all time low for the following few years, the community had to reevaluate their business plan in pursuance of continuing to run their businesses and collect revenue. With the substantial change of events recently, I believe it is crucial that businesses, as this one did, continue to adapt and innovate and what better route than adding an online platform. This allows businesses to work even when circumstances push them to close operations or force them to work from home. 

 

Prepare for Return

Travel and tourism businesses must adapt their outlook on the current pandemic situation. Rather than viewing this period as a waste of time and efforts, they should view it as an opportunity to invest in their team and operations. As Hyder states, “the industry will bounce back”, so now is the perfect time to make sure the businesses in the industry are ready for when that happens. People have been cooped up in their homes daydreaming about traveling and getting out of the house again so the travel and tourism businesses need to be ready for when those people flood the market once again they are able to fulfill the expectations of the consumers. In her article, Hyder suggests ideas such as revamping the business website, investing in employee training and education, and working to adjust to this new normal. I can’t agree with this tip more. Usually businesses are so caught up in simply keeping up with the business rather than updating it and making some beneficial changes and now is the time to take this downtime to make those adjustments so the business can come out on top once the industry is back up and running again. 

 

The overall message is to remind businesses within the travel and tourism industry to take this pandemic as an opportunity. It is through their continued creativity and renewed focus on relationships that they will  survive. These alterations will also ensure that they’re ready to welcome back customers. As both a business student and someone who loves travel, I found this article very intriguing and beneficial. I enjoyed the change of perspective it offered on the current world events and the way in which it fueled the idea to always think outside of the box and use everything as a way to better one’s business and situation.