I am confident that Greece will be on the forefront of this recovery as we have gained peoples’ confidence & our brand has become strong again
George Kyvernitis
Managing Partner
Kyvernitis Travel Companies
Some say that the current pandemic will trigger radical changes across multiple sectors; do you see this happening in hospitality? If yes, in which way?
It’s been almost 4 months now that the world has come to a pause and that is the most radical change of all. It is hard to imagine that currently there are only 24,000 commercial flights per week, approximately 1⁄4 of what it used to be in January of 2020, streets are carless and major touristic attractions and urban cities, once packed with tourists, feel practically empty and deserted. This has certainly given us a different perspective of the “next day”. It would be very naive to even think that the evolvement of life will pause too and that in two years down the road we would come back to what we call today normality.
Things will move, things will change, and we need to be in the forefront of this change as we have been in the past through our stances, our families, but also our companies. This so called “next day” would come to the hospitality industry as well, and we will be speaking for a new norm in our businesses, our countries, our lives. People will still have the desire to travel, explore and discover but the experience will be different, and how this experience will be shaped, it is in our hands to make as human and alive as possible. Today we see individual data sharing only through our emails, meal plans (allergies), seat preferences etc. and people are quite hesitant in sharing this personal information. Tomorrow, our needs, our habits and possibly some form of a medical record, would be an extension of our ID that would need to be shared to prepare us for the unimaginable journey without horizons.
We will actually put a meaning next to the word “Personalization”, that we often hear from so many companies and that will create a new norm.
Which are the two most important disruptions that you expect to take place in the hospitality industry in the years to come due to the current crisis?
In times like these, it is too early to make predictions on the disruptive businesses, technologies and future needs of the industry. Travel will be different, other destinations, other security measures, one global health passport, touchless luggage handling and technologies such as VR and augmented reality will be part of the traveler’s experience, prior, at and after the journey. Localization will be reinforced therefore limiting the traveling boundaries to sometimes even zero when technology will be able to substitute the human touch and interaction especially to business traveling related to conferences, meetings will be an important aspect of that change. However, holding a crystal bowl these decisions for
the future of our country is not the optimum solution instead, we should be agreeing on clear specifications for domestic travel and for traveling within Europe and the EU. The tourism industry is called upon to provide solutions to a number of questions and within these critical questions, lies the solution to the future of hospitality and the tourism industry.
Inquisitiveness, escape, exploration is part of people’s nature and will always drive the tourism industry forward
More Stories
At which pace do you expect travel to make its recovery? Do you expect a quick (V shaped) rebound or something different?
The recovery is depended on the measures and the level of confidence of each country. Greece has performed tremendously at PHASE 1 against COVID-19, it is now an opportunity to prepare our country and our businesses for the “next day”. However, the effect of the virus on each nation has been quite different and many countries are still struggling to overcome this vast threat. Measures have not been neutralized and still fight to control their curve of Covid-19 cases. Greece on the other hand, is highly depended on inbound tourism out of the UK, France, Germany and the United States and until they open their borders for travel, we will be depended on domestic tourism. Unfortunately, this might not be enough to provide us with the support it requires to maintain a V-shaped carve towards recovery, but I am confidentent that although the recovery depends on a very complex, international and interdependent set of elements, we will be on the forefront of this recovery as we have gained peoples’ confidence and our brand has become strong again.
What are the key human behavior patterns that will drive change in travel from 2021 onwards?
Human behaviors are part of each nations culture, it is not something that can be easily lost, forgotten or changed. WWI, WWII, the Economic Crash of 1930’s, Cold wars, and many more events have taken place around the world and temporarily affected people’s behaviors, and morals But the DNA, the values and roots of each civilization remains untouched and this is what makes this world a beautiful place. The variety of personalities, norms and behavior makes each destination ideal and memorable. Will tourism be done differently? I think yes, will life become more urban and people would look even harder for these hidden gems until global confidence is restored, definitely.
The uniqueness of this virus for travelers, is that other people or places may carry an invisible threat. The short term behavior pattern changes are clear. Travelers will place their confidence to travel to “safe” places higher and as a result this may change the nature
of what we perceive as luxury products & services, personal space, being in a crowd, homemade cooking etc. Travelers will need to see the safety measures hospitality providers are taking against the virus. Medium-term travel is expected to be closer to home initially and we foresee an increase in domestic alternative tourism.
There are also many indications that travelers will feel more comfortable staying in someone’s home or renting a villa and choosing homemade cooking vs delivery or visiting a restaurant. It is important to note that short-term adjustments in behavior can have long term effects. On the positive side, the travel industry is resilient and will jump back fairly quickly and there is always going to be a segment of the population that is more willing to get on a plane and go overseas. Inquisitiveness, escape, exploration is part of people’s nature and will always drive the tourism industry forward.
Other Voices of Clarity
