MANILA – Adapting and innovating would be the only way the hard-hit
tourism industry could survive under the current landscape brought by the
coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic.
This was the collective input of acclaimed motivational speakers and
business experts Josiah Go and Francis Kong during the Leadership Excellence
Series (LES) 2020 organized by the Department of Tourism - National Capital
Region (DOT-NCR) office on Thursday.
Once activities are allowed, firms should be ready to create
"compelling offers" to attract clients, said Go, chairman and chief
innovation strategist of Mansmith and Fielders, Inc.
He said they must have a "relaunch mindset" when creating
offers, such as introducing new tour attractions timed with mega sale events in
airfares, hotels, malls, and restaurants.
In the meantime, Go said, companies should find creative ways to lure
other markets, like what Japanese rental firm Kasoku Apartments did in promoting
its space to people who want to avoid the so-called "coronavirus
divorce" or to simply take a breather away from home.
He also cited as an example the budget Fab Hotels in India, which
turned its rooms into alternative work areas, targeting employers instead of
tourists.
Noting that the pandemic too shall pass, Go said closure is not the
best option.
Instead, he advised industry leaders to look for partners who would be
able to sustain and revive their businesses while the crisis continues to
affect economies.
"If you close the business, you have no value. If you sell the
business, you have value. But if you revive the business, it has even greater
value. If you want to turn around, you can but you might have to find new
partners. Don't close," Go said.
Kong, president of Success Options, Inc. and director of Inspire
Leadership Consultancy, likewise noted that companies should move towards
digital marketing as the world enters the so-called contact less economy, which
became more evident with the ongoing health crisis.
"When Covid-19 broke, you have to understand that whatever it is
that we were doing until now, these are not innovation. Innovation will come
later. We are merely adapting and adapting is not yet done. We are still doing
that," he said.
Meanwhile, DOT-NCR Director Woodrow Maquiling agreed that the crisis is
merely temporary and that "Covid-19 is not a dead-end but a detour."
"These challenging times in tourism require us nothing short to be
imaginative, bold, and brave in pursuing the next direction for our country’s
tourism," Maquiling said.
Time and time again, he said, Philippine tourism has consistently
proven its resilience and its ability not only to bounce back as a sector but
to lead the country’s economic and social recovery.
“Our recovery work may seem an uphill battle. However, we should start
somewhere if we ought to go somewhere," Maquiling added. (PNA)
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