A post COVID-19 future - tourism re-imagined and re-enabled

Abstract

The urgent demands of the present necessitate an interrogation – a re-exploration and a re-envisioning of the future of tourism – of what has to change (and remain constant). Despite the crippling effects of COVID-19, new forms of solidarity are emerging that challenge the prevailing competitiveness ethic. While a transactional economic revival has to remain a top priority, progress will advance, so long as tourism becomes more transformational and transcendent. Discoveries of new methodologies for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and versions of a Green New Deal, for example, are generating interest, notably ‘mass flourishing’ introduced in ‘anti-fragile’ ways. Utilizing a ‘future-back’ paradigm that demands deep-dive assessments and articulation of purpose, the gaps between ‘what is’ and ‘what could or should be’ are bound to close. Such undertakings represent a ‘coming together’ of all stakeholders, a role that academicians are urged to embrace, especially through action research, curriculum change and creation of ‘daring classrooms’.

摘要

当前迫切需要对未来旅游的重新探索和再构想的审视——哪些一定会变化或不变化。尽管新冠肺炎引起”致残效应”, 但涌现的新式休戚与共挑战着主流的竞争性伦理。虽然交易经济的复苏仍为重中之重, 但只要旅游变得更具变革性和超越性, 其进步将会到来。例如发现实现可持续发展目标的新方法和各种”绿色新政”引起人们的兴趣, 特别是以”抗脆弱”方式引入的”大众繁荣”。 利用需要深度评估和明确目标的”未来-回溯”范式, ”是什么”和”可能或应该是什么”之间的鸿沟必将弥合。这些工作表征所有利益相关者都聚合到一起, 敦促学者们通过行动研究、课程改革和创建”大胆教室”纳入此角色。

Keywords:

• Tourism
• management
• transformation
• change
• community
• destination
• universities
• research
• assessments
• competitiveness
• COVID-19

关键词:

• 旅游
• 管理
• 转型
• 变化
• 社区
• 目的地
• 大学
• 研究
• 评估
• 竞争性
• 新冠肺炎

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

K. Michael Haywood

K. Michael Haywood, Professor Emeritus (School of Food, Hospitality and Tourism Management, University of Guelph, Canada), serves a select group of clients through the Haywood Group and the Tourism Studio, located in the bucolic Eastern Townships of Quebec.