Tourism in the COVID-19 era: A discussion on the way forward

‘2020 International Tourism Cooperation Policy Forum’ to be held online on Nov. 25

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea (MCST) and the Korea Culture and Tourism Institute (KCTI) is to host the ‘2020 International Tourism Cooperation Policy Forum’ on 25 November 2020 (14:00~16:40, Seoul) under the theme ‘International Tourism Cooperation in the COVID-19 era.’

Marking its 8^th edition, this year’s ‘International Tourism Cooperation Policy Forum’ will be held virtually due to the pandemic.  International speakers will connect from their countries of residence and anyone who is interested on the topic can join the Forum in real time though the YouTube Channel ‘International Tourism Cooperation Forum.’

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfrKXrZEvSKjfU9ozqZvTTQ)

Finding solutions for sustainable growth and rapid recovery of the tourism industry

Amidst the backdrop of the hardship resulted from the unprecedented crisis of COVID-19, the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) anticipates that international tourist arrivals will decline by 80% and two-thirds of tourism export revenue will be lost in 2020 compared to the previous year.

This year’s Forum aims to compile various innovative ideas and draw implications for future policies so that the tourism industry, which is one of the hardest-hit sectors, can recover rapidly and continue to grow even in the era of COVID-19.

Speakers from leading international organizations and businesses such as the UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), TripAdvisor, European Travel Commission (ETC), and International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) will discuss changes, prospects and countermeasures of the tourism industry in the COVID-19 context.

Korean Tourism Minister suggests 3 ways to ‘strengthen solidarity in international tourism’

Park Yang-woo, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism of the Republic of Korea, is to emphasize the utmost importance of international collaboration for the tourism industry to overcome the crisis presented by the COVID-19 in his welcoming remarks. Especially, Minister Park is expected to suggest the following three important measures that are necessary to achieve solidarity of the international tourism community: 1) sharing experiences on controlling COVID-19 and providing reliable and consistent information to regain travelers’ trust; 2) actively responding to the new tourism demand created from COVID-19 and the acceleration of digital transformation; and 3) seeking measures to ensure a safe and seamless travel environment to restart tourism in a safe manner.

The official responsible at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) said that “This Forum is expected to assess the changes to be made in the international tourism market post COVID-19 and will provide practical advice to Korea’s tourism industry on how to respond to COVID-19.” The official added that “the MCST looks forward to developing the International Tourism Cooperation Policy Forum as a renowned platform for the discussion of key issues in tourism such as the trends and outlook of the tourism industry and major policy initiatives by engaging leading international experts in the years to come.”