Post-COVID-19 generation will define the new era – Bartlett
Published:Saturday | May 2, 2020 | 12:12 AMJanet Silvera/Senior Gleaner Writer
WESTERN BUREAU:
Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett has said that the post-COVID-19 era will see a new kind of tourism in which traditional norms will take a back seat to both forward thinking and creative planning.
Bartlett, in a Gleaner interview, said that tourism-dependent countries had better get used to the idea that it will never again be business as usual, noting that the mindset of the traveller will be more about safety than simply the aesthetic appeal of a particular destination.
“We are now all part of Generation C (Gen C), the post-COVID generation. Gen C will be defined by a societal shift in mindset that will change the way that we look at – and do – many things,” Bartlett noted.
He said that while life in itself will get rolling again, where persons will go back to their offices and workplaces and, eventually, back to a world that will include seeing friends and family, countries like Jamaica have to use this period of inactivity to prepare for the new normal and the emergence of Gen C travel.
“And that return to travel is critical for the global economy. Across the world, travel and tourism account for 11 per cent of the world’s gross domestic product and creates more than 320 million jobs for workers, serving 1.4 billion travellers annually,” he added.
“And these numbers don’t tell the whole story. They are just part of a connected global economy of which travel and tourism are the lifeblood. Sectors from technology, hospitality, construction, and finance to agriculture are all interdependent with travel and tourism.”
Bartlett said that there are still more questions than answers as it relates to what a post-COVID-19 era will look like, adding that the only thing that is certain is that persons will never lose their appetite for travelling.
THE GREAT UNKNOWN
He further pointed out that data after data continue to show that despite the current apprehension, the future for travel is not as gloomy as some persons might think, adding that the main concern is with the great unknown “and the new kind of normal”.
“There are still many unanswered questions. What is that new normal? When will we move from crisis to recovery? What form does a post-COVID exit strategy take? What do we need to do before Gen C will travel again? What technologies, data, and protocols will be essential to us as Gen Cs to make us feel safe again?” the tourism minister pondered.
“But even as we are still in a state of social distancing, early data show that the desire to travel is still there. As humans, we crave new experiences and the excitement of travel.”
Travel, he says, adds so much to the rhythm and richness of one’s life.