Looking back at World Tourism Day 2021 and World Tourism Day 2020, how would be we approach World Tourism Day 2022, rethinking tourism and its future, from both demand (consumers) and supply (providers) perspectives? How can the world rethink tourism, make the necessary changes and transform world travel and tourism for the future of Mother Earth and human race? What is the future of tourism and travel that we want, beyond just consumerism and capitalism?

Rethinking tourism, there are a number of areas/issues on hand that the world travel and tourism industries are looking into. Personally, the areas/issues that I am interested in are on sustainability, eco-friendly and community-based tourism. From a travel photographer/travel writer perspective, and as a co-host for TTOT (Travel Talk on Twitter) chat community, I believe that we consumers can play an integral part, we can be more responsible and prudent in how we consume resources.  Everyone can and must play a part to make the changes and transform, from the consumers/customers to the tourism and travel providers.

Community-based tourism is an area that I would like to explore further, how we can help and benefit this sector that might not fully benefit from the growth and boom of tourism growth over the decades.

On 27th September 2022, World Tourism Day 2022, as the world is Rethinking Tourism, what is the future of travel and tourism, and what do we want for our future generations, in a post pandemic world? 

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Special Theme Q2 2022 – Fully Restarting Tourism 

Why such a theme “Fully Restarting Tourism”? This was a follow up from my June 2021 article on “When Can We Restart Tourism”, at that particular period in time, the world was still caught in between opening up and managing the global pandemic situation.

Fast forward three quarters into Q2 2022, the global pandemic situation is under better control and getting more stable, although the world is not of the woods yet. We can start to see more countries opening up their borders and restrictions, the activities have started to kick in, with tourism organisations ramping up their publicity, awareness and marketing campaigns, along with many other industry players from the travel, tourism aviation and hospitality industries. 

That’s how I personally view it, “Fully Restarting Tourism”, finally! However, my personal analysis are that while we are absolutely delighted in fully restarting tourism, this is not an immediate change/recovery. Things and changes are going to take a bit of time to get up to speed, from both demand and supply side of things, my personal estimation is that it would start to peak in Q3 (June school holidays) or Q4 2022 (year end school holidays, year end Christmas festive season). 

Call for media pitches from travel, tourism, aviation and hospitality industries 

For my special theme Q2 2022 – Fully restarting tourism. I am inviting a call for media pitches from travel, tourism, aviation and hospitality industries around the world, not just from Singapore or from regional countries.

Whether you are travel industry players with forecasts and insights, destination travel and tourism marketing companies/agencies, travel stories for your community tourism. For the Singapore market, I am open to discussions/collaborations with inbound tourism or outbound tourism industry players too.

The deadline for my pitches is 30th June 2022. This special theme “Fully Restarting Tourism” would be my key topics for Q2 and Q3 2022, with a possible extension into Q4 2022, depending on how the world travel and tourism industries move during the next few months. 

Wanderlust Dreams, Hopes, and Plans

During this period, I hope there would be opportunities opening up again either for travel photography/writing assignments/commissioned work. However, I won’t mind familiarisation media trips too if that opportunity arises. 

I have a number of countries that I would like to visit again soon. For short haul travel trips, I might start off with regional countries Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. As for long haul travel trips, I would visit Japan first before planning other countries with Europe likely my next destination. 

For all fellow travel writers, photographers and wanderlusts, I think it is safe to say that we are fully restarting tourism. 

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I came across World Tourism Organisation recent article dated 2nd June 2021, “Tourist Numbers Down 83% but Confidence Slowly Rising”. During this difficult period for everyone in the world, it’s comforting to read this news, not just for the travel and tourism industries, it’s also for everyone of us feeling the travel wanderlust. We are still some time away from the reopening of the world travel and tourism and we would get there in time to come.

Travel bubbles

A number of travel bubbles have been mentioned in the local/regional press, it’s a start to get international leisure travel and tourism back on their feet again. I am unable to keep track of the travel bubbles arrangements around different regions of the world, therefore, I always keep in touch with fellow travelers from different regions and I would check with them.

Meanwhile, I am keep a close watch on the travel bubbles in Southeast Asia and Greater Asia, keeping my fingers crossed on their developments and changes. 

When can we travel overseas again?

Q4 2021? 

My personal humble opinion is, Q4 2021 is possible, given the rate and percentage of  the Singapore population that have two doses of vaccination. I am also not keeping my expectations and hopes too high, keeping it really low or even zero. 

Even though we may be vaccinated and ready for travel, the countries that we want to visit may not be ready to receive overseas visitors. Nobody wants to visit another country for leisure holidays and they have to be quarantined before they can travel around the country. Vice versa, we don’t wish to be quarantined when we return back home to our home country. 

Year 2022?

Setting the target to year 2022 is a more prudent, safer and sensible option for the countries to reopen their travel and tourism industries to welcome international visitors. 

What’s next? Mass tourism? Scheduled tours? Independent travel?

I am more of an independent traveler or small group (3-4 pax) travel type of traveler, not a fan of scheduled tour groups. Based on the current travel and tourism situation, as well as the restrictions imposed, I don’t think we would get back to the mass tourism days that fast, we might not be able to do independent travel, small group DIY travel package may still be possible with a licensed travel agency or travel guide in the destination country. 

Until the world reaches a stage whereby COVID-19 is endemic and becomes part of our everyday life, like the common flu, scheduled tour groups might be the traveling restrictions to adhere to for a period of time as the world travel and tourism industries safely open up again. 

Which countries would I like to visit?

My travel bucket list is getting more lengthy, I have a huge travel wanderlust, I would really love to travel around the world again. Since I am unable to travel around the world, my priority shortlist would be: 

Japan 

Kansai region – Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Wakayama and Mie

Chubu region – Shizuoka, Gifu, Nagano, 

Hokkaido – to continue my personal travel photography project on Hokkaido 

Malaysia – Visit relatives and friends in Peninsula Malaysia, Sabah in East Malaysia

Africa – for wildlife safari and trekking 

Australia – visiting friends in SA, QLD

Other countries in my shortlist includes, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Finland/Norway, Austria/Switzerland and many more. 

I can only do much travel even in a post COVID-19 era, nevertheless, I still hope to travel to as many different countries all over the world. 

Collaborations with travel agencies, tourism bureaus with digital/social media marketing, content creation, visual storytelling and travel photography

Since I got onboard the Travel Talk on Twitter (TTOT) chat community as a co-host with Melvin and Sonja, I expanded my travel networks with many people from different parts of the world. The TTOT chat community is great, allowing me to meet a few travel agencies as well tourism bureaus. 

I have recently embarked on upgrading new skills and knowledge, going for courses to get myself certified with digital marketing specialist diploma. I hope to apply my digital/social media marketing, content creation along with visual storytelling and travel photography, seeking collaborations/partnerships with travel agencies and tourism bureaus. 

Therefore, I am reaching out to travel agencies and tourism bureaus, if there is an opportunity to partner and collaborate together, let’s chat!

We can overcome this

This ongoing global pandemic COVID-19 has severely impacted the world travel and tourism industry, it’s still ongoing, exerting massive stress on the livelihoods of those in the travel, tourism, aviation and hospitality industries. Let’s hope we can start to revive the travel and tourism sectors around the world soon.

Many of us travel wanderlusts are eagerly awaiting for the opportunity to travel away for a holiday again. A massive test for the world, it’s not easy, we have the resilience and tenacity to overcome this global pandemic situation. 

When can we #RestartTourism? Keeping our fingers crossed that it’s getting closer soon! 

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