Corona crisis as an opportunity for individual tourism?

Fishing boats in the south of Fuerteventura
small inland settlements

How can tourism be designed in the future in order to function more stably and no longer cause such economic and social upheavals in times of crisis?

The Canary Islands as a whole and Fuerteventura as an individual island fall below the maximum limits from which travel warnings from other countries (e.g. Germany 50 per 100,000) have been issued for several weeks.

Nothing is normal here in the Canaries. The strict hygiene regulations and distance rules are still being implemented by the hotel and catering industry. As individual tour operators, we naturally also adhere to these rules.

Everyone knows what is at stake. But even if, thanks to the stable low number of infections here on Fuerteventura, there is a kind of little silver lining on the horizon, everyone working in tourism knows that the situation is far from being the same again.

The associated economic consequences here in Fuerteventura are primarily social consequences. Many people have lost their jobs. The unemployment benefit or short-time work allowance is often not enough to cover all living costs.

The question asked at the beginning arises:
How can tourism function in the future without causing strong economic and associated social upheavals in times of crisis?
 

Sustainability does not only mean environmental protection but also socially responsible business

The next big crisis? She's already there the climate crisis! It just runs all the time, it runs slower than the pandemic and is therefore always ignored by us.

But the pandemic is forcing us to think about sustainable economic models, including in tourism, in order to better manage future crises.
We are now seeing how vulnerable mass tourism is, but what we are only just beginning to understand is how socially unjust mass tourism is.

The big money doesn't stay here in the big hotels. The money stays with the large listed tour operators who are obliged to their shareholders and, thanks to the large number of customers that they can control, hotels demand ever better conditions.

What is the consequence of this? Bigger hotels with fewer employees in order to generate more dividends by saving money?
 

Sustainable tourism is essential for sustainable tourism

My personal consequence can only be to turn to more socially acceptable tourism concepts. That means not a few large companies but many small ones.
The main thing is that the local people are integrated into the value chain.

For us this means, for example, working with small hostels and restaurants here in Morro Jable. We're talking about local families with whom we have worked for years and with whom we have sometimes built friendly relationships.

For me personally and for the guests of our surf camp, what others call individual tourism and associated with it socially sustainable tourism is virtually unrivaled, because with this form of travel we discover destinations for ourselves and come into contact with locals and their culture. For us, traveling should not only be a physical relaxation but also a spiritual inspiration. How often have I had inspiration for new ideas for hobbies and work while on vacation in other countries.

But there are enough tourists who like to visit big hotels and I don't want to deny the hotels their right to exist. Perhaps the “normal” package tourist should also think about the ecological but also the social footprint that he leaves when traveling.
 

Conclusion

What does tourism look like after Corona? Will things continue as before or will we pause and rethink the model of mass tourism of recent years in favor of socially sustainable tourism? For me, promoting individual tourism is an opportunity for that.