Did you know that nearly 10 percent of the world works in the travel and tourism industry? For many countries around the world, the revenue generated by tourism is put back into the local economy, from small businesses to nearby communities. Like many Americans, thousands of workers in this industry have lost their jobs with little to no notice during the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why many companies, including Tenon Tours, have been offering customers travel credits in lieu of full reimbursements in order to keep the industry afloat. We know many people are looking for ways to help not only our industry but their entire global communities as well. We’ve put together a list of ways you can help support the travel and tourism industry right now.
POSTPONE YOUR TRIP INSTEAD OF CANCEL
One of the ways you can support the travel and tourism industry is to postpone your trip instead of canceling it completely (that is if your situation allows). Your paid deposit goes directly toward employee salaries, overhead expenses and more. One of the ways we have been encouraging our own travelers to reschedule rather than cancel is by offering a new travel policy that offers more flexibility, confidence when booking and complete payment protection where up to 100% of your payments can be used towards any rescheduled or new trips to Europe.
Earlier this year, we sent a survey to our database to gauge the level of interest in traveling internationally. We were happy that the majority of responses are planning to travel to Europe within the next three years, with most respondents planning to travel in 2022. If you are interested in traveling next year, we strongly encourage you to start the process sooner rather than later. Travel is making a comeback, and with many travelers rescheduling their 2020 and even 2021 trips, we are already seeing bookings fill up quickly.
Read this article by Condé Nast Traveler for more insight on how postponing your vacation helps the travel industry.
SCHEDULE GUIDED TOURS
If and when you decide to travel again, we encourage you to schedule guided tours. Most of the cities and attractions you visit overseas will offer self-guided or scheduled tours. While self-guided tours are among the most popular because they offer freedom and flexibility, scheduled tours can help support the travel and tourism industry. Booking a guided tour, or even a private tour, helps keep those tour operators and individual guides in business, which means they can put that money back into their local economies.
OTHER WAYS TO HELP THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY
There are so many resources available that offer suggestions on how to support the travel and tourism industry right now, even if international travel is not in your immediate plans. From dining in your local restaurants and booking road trips close to home to purchasing gift cards for future trips, there are small steps you can take to help get travel back on its feet.
Read this article by Travel Pulse for more ideas on how to support the travel industry.
