In tourism, the short-term scenario will involve a different schedule of holidays

Jordi Martí Utset is the CEO of Viatges Traveltec and President of the Taula Gironina de Turisme (Girona’s Tourism Board), an association of businessmen and public institutions of the tourism sector in the area of Girona (Catalonia). In the interview, Martí analyses the impact of the Covid-19 crisis on tourism and on holidays schedule.

What has been the impact and effect of the Covid-19 on your company’s economy?

Since the declaration of the State of Alarm, our only mission has been to manage the cancellations that have been arriving until leaving our forecasts for the following months at zero. So, it is easy to deduce that the impact has been devastating.

How have you dealt with the changes that the coronavirus crisis has brought to your business?

Due to the uncertainty of how the state of alarm and the mobility of people across borders will continue when this is over, we cannot make any forecasts, so we have been forced to reduce costs to a minimum by filing a Record of Temporary Employment Regulation (ERTE).

It is obvious that our clients, mostly foreign tour operators, are in the same situation as us, so beyond maintaining formal contact with them, we can hardly consider a scenario for the immediate future.

In a short-term scenario the mobility of people will be affected; in tourism this will lead to a different programming of the holidays. 

How do you prepare for the “aftermath”?

As an association, we are managing the relationship with our clients and suppliers (hotels, airlines…) regarding existing deposits for future operations, for example.

From public administrations and promotion entities, every action plan will have to be rethought and others will have to be designed with a view to the proximity market in the short term, since the mobility of tourists will be reduced and more than likely their economic capacity will also be reduced.

As a company, we will be taking care of the customers and we will be attentive to their needs and more than foreseeable change of habits in the short term.

Every crisis brings opportunities and hopefully we will be able to redirect the sector in terms of sustainability, for example

Could the quarantine open a new scenario that will change the habits of customers regarding the use of hotels and/or restaurants?

In a short-term scenario the mobility of people will be affected, it will not be like just before, especially regarding air transport; in tourism this will lead to a different programming of the holidays.

Another thing is the need that people will have to go out to bars and restaurants to socialize, which in the short term will benefit them, but with a cost per customer probably lower; and it is unknown if it will be sustained over time. Currently, one out of every three active people is unemployed. We will have to be attentive to how this situation evolves and to the measures that, as far as psychological security is concerned, will end up being implemented. The latter can influence the profitability of the establishment.

What is the positive side of all this? Looking ahead, this will have helped us to…

Perhaps it is a little early to see in which way it will positively affect us, every crisis brings opportunities and hopefully we will be able to redirect the sector in terms of sustainability, for example. The environment is certainly grateful for this. The planet had to have a break!