Tourism resumes prominence in the ‘post’-pandemic

The effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on different sectors of the economy are known to all. In tourism, we can say that the impact was gigantic, with trips cancelled, borders closed and refunds requested.

According to the 2022 annual study by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), carried out with 185 countries, before the pandemic, tourism was the sector that created the most jobs in the world, accounting for one in four jobs, with about 333 million people working in the sector. That number had a decrease of about 18% during the pandemic.

Tourism was responsible for 10.3% of global GDP, according to the study, and in 2020 it rose to 5.3%. The data proves the damage generated during this difficult time in world history.

With the advancement of vaccination around the world and a decrease in contagion, however, countries began to relax their rules for the gradual resumption of tourism. Even timidly and below expectations, due to the new wave of the ômicron variant, the year 2021 has already seen an increase of 18.2 million jobs in the sector worldwide (6.7%) and an increase of 0.8% of GDP over the previous year, according to the WTTC study.

The data are still discreet, but they represent the much-awaited recovery by everyone working in the sector, proving its capacity for recovery and resilience.

At CVC Corp, which is one of the largest travel groups in Latin America, we realized that this return to travel came with a new profile: Brazilians preferring to travel within their own country.

Domestic trips were responsible for 79% of the amount registered in the last two months of 2021, for example. However, this year, we already see a strong recovery from the international, with a significant increase of 315% in confirmed bookings from CVC Corp in the second quarter of 2022 compared to the same period of 2021.

Turning our eyes once again to the globe, the expectation is that the tourism GDP will have an average annual growth of 5.8% between 2022 and 2032, surpassing the performance of the economy, with a forecast of an increase of 2.7% per year. year. With this, tourism is expected to generate 126 million jobs in the next decade around the world, according to the WTTC.

With this optimism in the resumption, the “players” of the sector have to be attentive to meet the desires of their increasingly demanding and digital customers, looking for partners who are able to surprise them.

CVC Corp used the beginning of the pandemic to get to know its consumer more and more deeply, identifying what he wanted to be able to offer the right product, at the right time and in a personalized way. Surprising the customer by presenting destinations that he had never considered visiting, but which strongly adhere to his travel preferences, was essential during a period when international borders were closed and passengers had to review their plans.

Through artificial intelligence and “machine learning”, we improved the capture of data and information that came from the communication channels. Two years later, we increased the number of interactions with our consumers tenfold.

Personalization is important in any business, but in tourism it has become indispensable.

More than hitting the destination’s suggestion, it is important to be able to offer the ideal product and, in particular, with the price that fits in each customer’s pocket. Personalized campaigns are up to three times more efficient to help the customer choose their trip. And that is the objective, to help the consumer to fulfill his dream in an individual and close way.

For this, omnichannel is also essential. The pandemic has made customers consider digital channels even more during the journey, but the human contact and assistance it enables has also become even more relevant in the period.

Being able to research and buy online, but with the assistance and trust of a recognized brand like CVC, is extremely important for a safe consumer journey, being decisive for his decision.

As well as bringing difficult times, the pandemic has developed a new customer profile, more aware of their choices. The sector needs to be increasingly attentive to offer the best travel experience for this consumer.

Travel continues to have a special value in people’s lives and making this moment of choice unique and special is a constant challenge for tourism, one that CVC Corp has been building solidly.