Navigating the New Normal
Navigating the New Normal – Post-COVID19 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.
The paper notes that many of the consumer behaviours we are witnessing already align with the objectives of the Scottish National Tourism Strategy, Scotland Outlook 2030, published in March, which contains a responsible tourism agenda.
It adds: “For Scotland there is now an opportunity to become a highly desirable and sustainable destination. We can reset tourism in our own image meeting responsible tourism goals which align with those of the consumer.”
The paper concludes on the new normal:
- Slow tourism will increase in popularity in the short term, whereby “we will see less travel but travelling better”.
- Personalised and bespoke products will drive innovation and adaptation in the sector.
- Premium brands will promote high standards of health, safety, ethics & customer service whereas smaller providers can project the warmth of human-ness through intimate “club” style product offerings.
- Transformational tourism and supporting the economy, consumers will “travel with purpose”, demonstrating community support through volunteering, rewilding, localism, restorative immersion through spirit-lifting experiences.
World Tourism Day (27 September) was instituted by the UN World Tourism Organisation and this year it has declared that we should take the opportunity to rethink the future of the tourism sector, including how it contributes to the sustainable development goals, through its social, cultural, political, and economic value.
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. Established behaviours have developed and new customs and habits have emerged. These developments have resulted in a new normal relationship between society and travel.“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.“Tourism is a force for good and if managed responsibly, sustains communities in every corner of Scotland, creates jobs, tackles depopulation and improves the wellbeing of everyone who experiences it. This World Tourism Day it is important to recognise and celebrate that.”
Navigating the New Normal – Post-COVID19 Tourism Consumer Trends can be found here
