Abstract
Undoubtedly, tourism is one of the sectors most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this sense, it is one of the most important issues in tourism research. The strategies implemented in combating the pandemic caused a significant increase in the use of digital technologies in tourism. In this context, in this chapter, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism on digitalization are examined in the context of transportation, accommodation, food and beverage, and tourist experience. Research findings indicate that the traditional concept of space in tourism geography is in a transformation towards cyberspace. The pandemic has proven our need for digital strategies and planning tools in tourism. The future will be a time when smart and cyber tourism is increasingly discussed.
TopIntroduction
The COVID-19 outbreak is one of the most contagious in recent human history, with more than 155 million cases and 3.2 million deaths (WHO, 2021). Due to the high rate of transmission of the new type of coronavirus, governments around the world had no choice but to lockdown (Sharma et al., 2021). With the spread of the virus, measures such as curfew restrictions or complete closure created a critical risk for the livelihoods of the masses, causing various sectors to come to a standstill. The tourism sector, which can be characterized directly by the geographical mobility of people in the traditional sense, has been one of the most adversely affected industries in this process. According to the World Tourism Organization, tourist arrivals fell by 72% in the first ten months of 2020 (WTO, 2020). This news was announced by the World Tourism Organization with the title “The Number of Tourists Is At The Same Level With The 1990s”. The World Travel and Tourism Council's (WTTC) research report shows that there are 75 million people whose jobs are at risk due to COVID-19 (WTTC, 2020). Research reveals a potential Travel Tourism GDP loss of up to $ 2.1 trillion in 2020. WTTC (2020) also estimates a shocking closure of one million businesses in the tourism industry due to the widespread impact of the coronavirus pandemic. As a result, tourism is one of the most labor-intensive industries. This decline in the industry forces millions of people to struggle with unemployment or the lack of regular income.
The challenges brought by the COVID-19 pandemic are causing some structural changes in the tourism industry. The Kimono Tea Ceremony Maikoya and the Samurai & Ninja Museum, two major experience providers from Japan, recently examined in-depth the effects of the pandemic on travel behavior and reached the following conclusions: small towns will be visited more, fewer but longer trips, travelers will continue to visit museums, AirBnB and home rentals will not be the leading choice over hotels, sustainable businesses will be more supported, working from home will create more travel opportunities, women will pay more attention to safety due to the pandemic. Another result of the research is that virtual tours and online experiences will gradually increase (Kimono Tea Ceremony Kyoto Maikoya, 2020).
In 2020, the World Tourism Organization held its first online training committee. China Sports Tourism Fair was held online for the first time in 2020. Resources related to sports tourism and achievements in this industry were displayed in the form of “cloud screen”, “cloud visit” and “cloud forum”. The first online tourism survey was conducted in Fiji. The survey, supported by telephone operators and various electronic platforms, aims to determine the demands for domestic tourism after COVID 19. The “Virtual Tourism for Senior Citizens” project, developed in line with the efforts of branding and marketing in Malaysia, a leading tourism destination in the world, enabled Malaysia to receive the “Pacific Asia Travel Association Gold Award”. The project aims to make tourism more accessible for the elderly in and after the pandemic. Tourism databases have been developed to prevent the locals from being adversely affected due to the decrease in the number of international tourists in Australia. The events and developments listed point to a change in the tourism industry that has been discussed for many years but has become increasingly visible during the COVID-19 pandemic: tourism is becoming increasingly digital.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Cyberspace: Is the transformation of a concrete experience into a virtual space based on the use of technological tools. Traditional concrete space is produced by human-environment interaction. On the other hand, cyberspace is the product of human-environment-network relationship.
Accessibility in Tourism: Is one of the main goals of sustainable tourism, and it is an approach that aims to make tourism accessible to marginalized groups such as people with low-income groups, the disabled or the elderly.
Smart Tourism: Is a concept related to a specific destination, attraction or the technological abilities of tourists, and it is the type and policy of tourism expressed by the widespread use of information and communication technologies.
Cyber Tourism: Is a developing alternative type of tourism where information technologies, especially virtual reality technology, are widely used. Cyber tourism has led to a change in the traditional space conceptualization, and has become increasingly emphasized in the context of tourism accessibility and smart tourism.
Tourism Geography: Is one of the sub-disciplines of geography that examines the actors and structures involved in the tourism industry within the framework of their interactions with space.
Vaccine Passport: Is a certificate that has been put into practice to limit the spatial spread of global threats such as the COVID-19 pandemic, and allows the question of information about the health of passengers.
Tourism Landscape: Is the natural and human environmental characteristics of the destination and the perceptions of the tourists regarding these characteristics. Components related to tourism landscape correspond to motivation, attraction, and resources in tourism.
Digitalization in Tourism: Refers to the increasing use of digital tools in the tourism industry in processes such as accommodation, food and beverage, transportation and tourist experience.