After the Next Day of Tourism
Dimitris Karampatakis
Co-Founder
K-STUDIO
Dimitris Karampatakis, co-founder of k-studio, a leading architectural firm in the hospitality sector, speaks with Thanasis Diamantopoulos, senior editor of Design Ambassador, about the next day of tourism, which will come after the coronavirus pandemic.
How do you envision the next day post-lockdown for tourism?
In order to envision the “first day” we will need to allow for the passage of some time after the end of the lockdown, so that these predictions can hold some meaning. The larger this time period, the more my response will differ. On the “first day” this May, I don’t expect much change. The more people question whether each country’s health system can handle the rate of new cases, the less tourism there will be. One of the main conditions for tourism is the movement of the population. In Sweden and Germany there are many more hospital beds available for patients. Greece will need more time to invite tourists, which is why I foresee mainly domestic tourism this August. Even this will mostly mean “unwinding” with family at a vacation home or as guests of friends, and not necessarily spending time at a hotel. As a result, international travel will start with the appearance of a vaccine to counteract the coronavirus, or with the appearance of a travel protocol agreed upon by the countries in question, according to which travel can take place under certain conditions which can be tested for through an application or at the airport. Even a protocol like this will require months before it can be enforced.
Which additional measures will be enforced at tourism facilities, designed so that clients can enjoy a pleasant vacation?
In order for a vacation to be enjoyable, there cannot be too many protective measures in place. When designing accommodations where people will want to “have fun”, the first thing to address is the choices which will be offered to guests so that they don’t feel constrained. Especially in places like the hotels that we are designing, we offer multiple different schedules so as to give off a feeling of freedom. This is the meaning of luxury, after all: freedom of choice. When your prospects are limited with a “don’t go there, don’t do that”, it’s not possible to have a pleasant experience. It will be natural to choose to go to a private space with fewer limitations. It’s more important to focus on the filtering and designing of a trip than on the destination itself. This will all be over in a year or two so there’s no point in re-designing hotels.
What’s in the books for the next day in Spain?
There is a different brand to preserve during this period in Spain. To my knowledge, tourist accommodations there are generally of a larger size. At those with a capacity similar to that of Greek tourist accommodations, concerns are also comparable; they prefer to wait a little while so as not to mar the experience. Larger-scale accommodations are expected to transfer their gastronomy, fitness and general social facilities outdoors, under pergolas and in gardens.
In the future, we will be able to travel to a place and explore it in more and more authentic ways
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What would you like future of tourism to look like?
In general, I would like to travel so that I can learn new things about a place, not to find myself in a “bad replica” of the destination or in a fishbowl. In the future, we will be able to travel to a place and explore it in more and more authentic ways. This educational element is key, not just for children but for adults as well. Returning as a better person than you were when you left. Seeing travelling as an opportunity for self-betterment. Thinking about how much you owe to your destination. How many of our hosts are actually benefitting their communities and the environment.
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