The tourism and hospitality sector, a major catalyst for many economies in recent years, including the Portuguese, has suddenly found itself in crisis – first, with the closure of borders and, now, with the exclusion of air corridors. And, despite the Herculean efforts and incentives for the natives to go abroad inside the country, making up for the absence of international tourists continues to be particularly difficult and unsustainable. The good news is that, despite this, opportunities for locals are still around and this pause gives us all time to reflect and reinvent our (own) future. Once again, marketing and communication are essential to the country’s own positioning (and perception) adjustment near its fellow citizens (see campaign Visita Portugal. #TuPodes), including about the health situation. Starting with the ‘Clean & Safe’ initiative, it is now necessary to share good and transparent practices and people-centered information. In fact, at a time when the spotlight is all on travel in one’s own country, there are many destinations that, just a few minutes from home, able to provide safe and memorable holidays. The hotels Moov of Endutex group, which reopened with an online check-in system to reduce contact between employees and guests, or those of the Tivoli Hotels & Resorts group, which launched the ‘Feel Safe at Tivoli’ program, that includes a set of measures to ensure maximum safety for customers and employees, are two good examples to follow, since both are stimulus to confidence and the desire to travel inside the country this summer.
Photo by Daniel Frank on Unsplash