By Helena Costa and Jaqueline Gil
The pandemic seems to be an old acquaintance at this point, but uncertainties still cloud our field of vision. Tourism started 2022 with positive expectations, when it was swept away by spreading SARS-COV2 variants. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the travel economy could reach US$ 8.6 trillion this year, only 6.4% lower than 2019. In Brazil, the outlook for the year is also positive, but still requires caution and work to strengthen policies consistent with a safe and competitive recovery. Developments in tourism are still pending health security, vaccination and economic stability, as Brazilians indicated in research carried out by the Laboratory of Tourism and Sustainability Studies ( LETS/UnB ) at the beginning of the pandemic.
We point out two fronts of opportunities and challenges in Brazilian tourism in 2022:
People's mobility and well-being . Highlight to Domestic Travel: even if international travel returns, traveling in Brazil is still the majority. In addition to the devaluation of the Real, there was an increase in taxes on payments and remittances abroad (from 6 to 25%), making international transactions more expensive. The search for welfare it expands in the same proportion as people's exhaustion with the intense routine of social restrictions and virtual environments. In moments of leisure, rest and disconnection, especially outdoors, follow as preferences . Beaches, rivers and natural areas, small towns and traditional communities that offer good services and exclusive access to authentic knowledge attract, especially if health protocols guarantee a certain safety of populations more vulnerable to the impacts of the pandemic. The flexibilities of the Remote work These are opportunities for destinations and companies, especially for national or foreign digital nomads, received in the country with a newly regulated special visa. Flexible, last-minute travel are the rule, mainly because plans change frequently and the effects of rescheduling continue to cascade.
Sustainability, economy and technologies. The search for sustainability It appears as a global movement and reflects on travel. 78% of Brazilians interviewed by Booking.com intend to travel more sustainably. In the market, Google launched an "ecological certification" seal and Brazilian companies are already seeking carbon neutralization. The Inequalities increase in the world, according to the World Inequality Report 2022. Multimillionaires have grown rich in the pandemic, while many suffer from food insecurity, unemployment and inflation. For tourism, the result tends to be fewer trips for the middle class and more differentiated services for travelers with high purchasing power. The growing use of Technologies It must step up to facilitate contactless solutions, streamline processes, and accelerate solutions for sustainability.
2022 is probably not – yet – the year of the full resumption of tourism activities, but it should consolidate opportunities for those who have adapted to the changes. It is time to transition to tourism that offers excellent experiences, takes care of people and the environment, capable of generating prosperity, reducing inequalities, enhancing innovation and preserving our rich biodiversity. Only in this way will we be able to re-engage on the international stage safely and with some competitiveness, as soon as the pandemic circumstances allow us.
This text was originally published on 2/21/2022 on Portal UnB News Articles/ SECOM University of Brasília .
