September 22, 2022by Sasha Ella

Future Fit

Tourism’s Restart

‘The purpose of human travel is to explore the world and its diverse cultures with curiosity, openness and a sense of understanding.’

In 2020, 62 million jobs were lost in the tourism sector worldwide. There are positive signs of recovery but at a slower rate than anticipated. However, the World Travel and Tourism Council is optimistic the sector will be back to pre-pandemic levels next year and is forecasting that 126 million jobs will be created by the end of the decade. Double the initial number of jobs lost!

Reinventing

‘Rethinking one of the world’s major economic sectors will not be easy. But we are already well on the way. Crisis has inspired and catalysed creativity. And the pandemic accelerated the transformation of work, bringing both challenges as well as enormous opportunities, to ensure even more people get to benefit from tourism’s restart,’ says Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General UNWTO.

Tourism is to be celebrated

Over the years it has presented wonderful opportunities for those in the hospitality industry – in terms of employment and development – and travellers by opening their eyes to new places, people, cultures and traditions, while highlighting the importance of nature and man living in harmony.

And it has remarkable benefits for mental and physical health. Travel at any age, according to the Harvard Medical School, is good for your health and acts as a medicine. Dr Franco-Garcia, a physician with Harvard-affiliated Massachusetts General Hospital says, ‘Experiencing new places often stimulates positive reactions. It helps you remain physically active and offers the brain new challenges.’

In fact, a survey of US travellers, reported by the Global Coalition on Ageing found that 93% felt happier after time away, 77% believed their health improved afterwards and about 80% said travel increased their productivity, energy and focus.

In turn, the desire to travel, if done responsibly, also can have a positive effect on the places visited.

Sustaining economies

Tourism is widely seen as a sector that creates jobs and income. But, in making tourism ‘future fit’ we need to be mindful of how we collaborate with local communities to bring about positive change and create a better world for everyone.

The tourism industry is known for its positive ‘disruption’ along with its social, economic and environmental impact. Travel has the power to transform. It’s an agent for change but, to conserve the land and create a better world, there needs to be community inclusivity.

Research for a PhD thesis, by an economist and tourism analyst from the University of Cape Town in South Africa, showed that for every night a tourist stays in a luxury lodge, 14 people from the surrounding community benefit. Many staff send money home, which means it circulates within rural communities, helping to grow the local economy.

Travel with a purpose

And although tourism creates jobs, even in the remote corners of the world, it should never be at the expense of our environment and communities. Travel is good for our minds, body, soul but it also needs to be good for our society.

We have seen a definite shift in how and why people travel, with a strong sense of purpose and wanting to give back. This has been the very foundation of our business, as has been community participation – listening to new ideas and voices – so that together we can make the travel experience positive for all impacted en-route.

We believe tourism can be the catalyst for driving the green, blue and digital economies, without having to be at the expense of natural resources.

Travel Trends

There are many travel trends emerging but meaningful experiences, finding remote locations away from crowds, bucket list destinations and ‘eventures’ for families are the main luxury travel trends. Another big drawcard remains being able to interact with wildlife in their natural environment.

Travel can inspire and the new traveller is a more conscious one that has the planet’s well-being as a focus.

The strategies and ideas that emerge from the Tourism Day celebrations and summit around ‘Rethinking Tourism’ will be interesting, as the sector addresses issues such as accessible travel for everyone, including those with disabilities, gender equality, innovation and sustainability. We welcome this new way of thinking and look forward to embracing the future of travel as the world continues to open its borders and people travel again.

Behind every Mantis property is a desire to educate and create an awareness around conservation, saving our animals and wildlife while nurturing our planet and its people. Travelling to Africa is an investment and we help guests recalibrate and inspire them through authentic and unforgettable experiences