Wiping out an estimated 100.8 million travel and tourism-related jobs worldwide, the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has effectively brought the industry to an abrupt standstill, currently accounting for a mere 10% of global GDP. Hitting the Asian Pacific region the hardest with an approximate 63.4 million jobs lost, many cling to fleeting hopes of a potential vaccine capable of diminishing this fatal disease. However, while the outbreak may inevitably end, innumerable reports have suggested the tourism industry may take up to 10 months, or longer depending on each individual nation’s restrictive measures, to recover from the heaviest economic blow yet.
Beyond disrupting the international flow of medical supplies and other essential needs, the disastrous pandemic may change the way civilians work, live, and play, long after the dust settles. Whether it’s short getaways reachable by car and on foot, or opting for an increasingly isolated accommodation, much of our newly acquired social distancing habits are here for the long-haul.
With everything from restaurants, cinemas, casinos and the Las Vegas Strip shuttered up for lockdown, businesses aren’t left with any other choice but to adapt their operations, facilities and marketing strategies to a demographic of highly unnerved and health-conscious consumers.