2020-03-05
Eduardo Santander
Executive Director
European Travel Commission
Q: Is your business / organization affected by the recent outbreak of coronavirus? To what extent?
A: China is the second biggest long-haul market for European countries. The COVID-19 outbreak already has had a significant social and economic impact on travel and tourism in Europe, especially keeping in mind close ties we developed with our Chinese colleagues during the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year. However, we estimate this crisis to have a short-term effect. ETC’s key message to our members and partners is not to cancel European promotional campaigns in China and not to switch the focus to other markets. We firmly encourage postponing marketing activities and to start inviting our Chinese friends back to Europe once the outbreak is contained.
Q: According to your optimistic estimate, how long will it take for tourism to fully recover from the negative impact of the outbreak?
A: Taking into account the resilience of the tourism sector and the rapidly growing Chinese outbound market, we expect a full recovery of EU-Chinese tourism in the first half of 2021.
Q: Can you think of a problem or weakness in our industry that has been exposed because of the outbreak? (Please focus on only one)
A: Rather than a weakness, this crisis demonstrates the economic and social value of travel and tourism, showing that the sector should be taken more seriously not only in difficult times but also during periods of growth and prosperity.
Q: What do you think is a key point that our industry must pay attention to when it recovers from the crisis? (Please pick only one)
A: We need to invest more in crisis preparedness and management learning from past experiences.
Q: What change (positive or negative) do you think the outbreak may eventually bring to the tourism industry in the future? (Please pick only one)
A: It will be a significant positive development if the outbreak results in more coordination between tourism stakeholders and reliable data sources to analyse the impact.
Q: Please share with us a story of your business / organization in dealing with the crisis that others may draw experience from. (Please focus on one aspect)
A: We at ETC strongly believe that this crisis cannot be addressed by any one party alone and cooperation is vital to mitigate the impact. Together with our public and private partners we have established an informal network gathering major European tourism stakeholders (policymakers, airlines, cruise lines, hospitality sector, tour operators and others) to exchange information on the virus impact and discuss measures to mitigate the consequences. Jointly last Monday we released a statement calling for solidarity and support to China. Specifically, we urge an evidence-based approach to travel restriction (following the guidelines issued by WHO, with the strong support of the UNWTO) and stress the importance of respect and welcome in Europe.