Tourism’s resilience relies on sustainable, regenerative, needs-based models
For tourism destinations and service providers to survive and thrive in the face of current and looming challenges they must become more resilient, according to K Michael Haywood. Prof Haywood argues that this can be achieved by democratising ‘communities-as-destinations’ and enacting principles of sustainability and regeneration.
It’s a “Good Tourism” Insight. [You too can write a “GT” Insight.]
Tourism’s revival may be underway, though its resilience is being severely tested.
The Race for Tomorrow, for example, is being usurped by visitor attrition, transportation snafus, extreme staffing problems, soaring food and energy costs, tangled supply chains, and ‘greed-flation’; all leading to value-disruption. Good growth is hampered.
Charting the way forward will be a monumental challenge. Routine problems may be a first order of business, but it’s the more pressing societal and economic uncertainties, climate and conflict issues, plus a slew of future problems that seem beyond grasp.
Their avoidance, however, signals indifference to generating productive potential — economic, social, cultural, and environmental regeneration — thereby shortchanging opportunities to thrive, to live with conviction and meaning, and to be transformative in creating consequential value.
Tourism’s strategic resilience
Despite a hankering for longevity, organisations and destinations face a convergence of novel risks. They now have to contend with the fallout from a looming recession and their inadequate crisis response capabilities.
Financial resilience
With strategies constantly in contentious interaction with disruptive opposites, the management of risks is fraught; more so when the status quo derails planning. Plans and policies may be ill-fated unless there is financial resilience.
Sufficient liquidity, for example, must be available to cope with seasonal or severe drops in demand, increases in costs, and other response-related requirements.
The revision and crafting of more desirable and innovative functionalities requires a considerable investment in time, energy, and money, as does the creation of more sustainable, value-added products and experiences.
So, to achieve resilience, organisations and destinations have to stretch their imaginations in order to reshape and anticipate changes in demand; knowing what visitors want before they do.
This is true for all stakeholders, especially when faced with life-altering adversities.
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Social resilience
Regardless of the stage of growth, great effort must be put into developing the fortitude to never give up on … continue reading this “GT” Insight in full and for free at The “Good Tourism” Blog.
