Exclusivaslatinoamericanas

Fairs and Face-to-face Events:

Economic Powerhouses

After this time of pandemic, and when we think we are coming out of it, the world is opening up to tourism and we are feeling a sense of freedom that we have not felt for a long time. But this sense of freedom can turn into a sense of debauchery and risk if we do not pay due attention. Countries like Russia have just closed their borders again for 15 days, counting tens of thousands of cases and over a thousand deaths a day in the month of October. These figures are truly chilling.

However, on the other hand, there are countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that have kept their airspace, airports and facilities open to tourism throughout most of this pandemic. Countries such as Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic and Cuba are clear examples of what to do to try to alleviate an extremely difficult situation for all those who work in the hospitality sector and who have to live and provide a living for many families over time.

Some figures are illustrative of this management: at the end of September, the Dominican Republic reached an all-time record high of tourist arrivals -a clear sign of the confidence gained as a safe destination-, while Mexico managed to position itself, albeit temporarily, as the world's third largest tourist incoming market. Cuba, on the other hand, welcomed 85,000 Russian tourists in its Varadero and North Keys resorts between January and August this year which, together with the U.S. market, have been the top outbound markets for the Caribbean.

On the other hand, it is worth acknowledging that several countries in the region mapped out strategies focused on the promotion of domestic tourism, with Argentina and Uruguay ranking high among the most successful campaigns.

International tourism showed signs of recovery in June and July of this year, due to the relaxation of travel restrictions and the progress of vaccination campaigns. However, we cannot lose sight of the fact that 2021 remains a very difficult year, with global international arrivals down 80 percent, meaning a loss of close to 250 million arrivals compared to pre-pandemic levels.

How many companies are at the end of their waterline? How many will not be able to withstand this situation? The crisis in the tourism industry has been inevitable and we have to fight hard to support this sector, which is the engine of the economy for many countries, especially in the Caribbean and Latin America.

Therefore, we're going to make an effort among all of us to try to convey an idea of safety, the desire to travel, the desire to enjoy, but with responsibility, and that responsibility will be not related to infecting and not infecting one another because if we don't, at the end of the day we'll all fall down. From the Excelencias Group we send a message of calmness, serenity and solidarity to take care of our lives and those of others.

Today, we're attending WTM London 2021, the world's third-largest trade show behind ITB Berlin and Fitur Spain -the latter will become the most important after the 2020 and 2021 edition, let alone maintaining its relevance for Latin American countries.

We hope it will be a semi-virtual fair, and here I would like to make a comment: we say that fairs must now be mostly virtual, and then what is going to happen with the hotel and catering industry? When thousands of visitors from other countries come to a fair, it means that they use hotels, restaurants, transport..., and that enriches the industrial fabric of a country.

From now on, let us go back to face-to-face fairs, to events that allow the whole layer of society to coexist, and do not think only of the hotel; think of the man who supplies the vegetables, or the one who does the cooking, or the one who fixes the elevators, the gardener..., all of them, and many, many more who work for the hotel. Therefore, take care of all that and you will take care of all human beings around you. Let us not forget that life in the city, practical life, life in each of these countries, is based and builds, above all, on tourist visits.

EDITOR'S LETTER

en-es

2021-11-02T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-11-02T07:00:00.0000000Z

https://revistasexcelencias.pressreader.com/article/281513639376462

Exclusivas Latinoamericanas