Cultural tourism & COVID19
With COVID-19 bringing global tourism to a standstill, millions of people in quarantine have been seeking out cultural and travel experiences from their homes. Culture has proven indispensable during this period, and the demand for virtual access to museums, heritage sites, theatres and performances has reached unprecedented levels.
With more than 80% of UNESCO World Heritage properties having closed down, the livelihoods of millions of cultural professionals have been seriously jeopardized. If tourism is set to contribute to the survival of the culture sector, i.e. cinemas, arts and many other segments, it should strengthen the cultural identity and branding of tourism destinations.
Despite all the challenges, the tourism and culture sectors are facing an opportunity to create new partnerships and collaboration. They are bound to jointly reinvent and diversify the offer, attract new audiences, develop new skills and support the world’s transition to the new conditions.
The recommendations outlined below have been prepared by the UNWTO Ethics, Culture and Social Responsibility Department in collaboration with its international partners with competence in culture and tourism.
- Improve information and data exchange between sectors
The information flow between sectors is key to understanding the pandemic’s impacts and devising effective responses. Specific data on the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 on culture and tourism, as well as on the solutions being put in place for cultural tourism survival, will allow for more focused mitigation plans to respond to different needs and replicate good practices.
- Launch innovative alliances
The confinement has proven the importance of new technology and media in our daily lives. With millions of people confined to their homes, this is an opportune moment to develop and promote cultural experiences to a captive audience. The challenge is providing these experiences in a way that supports direct benefits to the involved organisations and practitioners. During this digital transition, tourism and culture can forge alliances with tech companies and the private sector to improve access to capacity building programs on culture and sustainable tourism, available online. - Inspire a more sustainable future for cultural tourism
The tourism and culture sectors must continue to work together to inspire a more sustainable future for cultural tourism. Marketing strategies in tourism are highlighting local cultural expressions not only to address new audiences, but also to inspire responsible travel. Destinations and cultural sites are grappling with how to survive this period of hibernation, while planning for reopening of tourism.
- Form a more resilient tourism and culture workforce
The professional profiles of culture and tourism workers will require new skills for immediate actions and to take part in the recovery. Both sectors need to develop creative and inventive employment solutions to provide resilience to the workforce after decades of precarity. The existing jobs in cultural tourism should be kept and upskilled as human talent and knowledge are already there.
- Strengthen governance structures for better coordination and information sharing
This crisis is an outstanding opportunity to build cross-sectoral governance models between tourism and culture key players. These models should involve tech partners to build platforms and exchange forums to coordinate actions and share information. The platforms should imply an effective communication, decision-making and agreements on setting the limits of tourism development involving cultural assets.
- Attract new audiences
The culture sector is shaping up committed global citizens and the tourists of the future, by reaching out to children & youth. The emotional bonds emerging now between citizens and cultural creators will make a difference in the years to come. The confinement can also make repeat visitors and “senior” cultural tourists support culture with patronage and solidarity actions.
- Shift from quantity towards quality
Tourism success was traditionally measured by statistics highlighting visitors’ numbers, while qualitative indicators and visitors’ profile had less importance. The joint recovery of tourism and culture should align resilience policies, new priorities with the new measurement values, as well as tailor-made marketing strategies.
- Diversify cultural tourism products
Destinations should address new and traditional markets & specific profiles of cultural visitors, whose interests and priorities may reshape after COVID-19 crisis. Culture will require support to survive and flourish, as it enriches the destinations’ identity and inspires tourism revival. Some cultural gatherings may be temporarily replaced by alternative products, as new scenarios unfold.
- Boost community’s participation & domestic tourism
Engaging citizens’ platforms in recreating the local cultural offer will have a strategic social and economic importance. Local communities’ role will be essential in embracing first visitor flows, with precautions. Regaining domestic customers’ confidence will accelerate the 1st phase of the cultural tourism recovery. - Customize cultural offer for international visitors
Bringing back inbound cultural tourism will be more challenging before consumers decide to travel abroad. By customizing their cultural offer, governments, destinations and cultural industries can have a more international outreach. International and cross-sectoral alliances will have a key role.
- Enable cultural tourism entrepreneurship and innovation
Innovation in SMEs, cooperatives and creative economy will be needed for the recovery, especially for the empowerment of women, youth & indigenous peoples. COVID-19 will heavily affect these groups as their economy is often informal, notably in emerging destinations. Their livelihoods will improve by consolidating their market access and inclusion into the cultural tourism supply chain. The shift from informal towards formal economy will benefit many communities and destinations.
- Make cultural tourism accessible to all
The accessibility of cultural facilities, products and services should be advanced to cater better to the needs of persons with disabilities, seniors and families with small children, locals & visitors alike. Scaling up accessibility in culture benefits everyone.
The post COVID-19 recovery of cultural tourism should leave no one behind!
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The content is updated regularly with new information and resources.
For further information about tourism and COVID-19, please click here
To consult the statement by Mr. Zurab Pololikashvili, Secretary-General of UNWTO on Tourism and COVID-19, please click here
To consult measures to support travel and tourism, please click here
To consult UNWTO’s webinar on recommendations for Communicating Crisis: pre, during, post COVID-19, please click here