What are people in Tourism Sector Jobs doing when they cannot work?
Uncertainty spreads in the tourism sector as jobs are being lost daily. I interviewed a tour guide from Canada (Annie) and a tour operator from Albania (Florian) about their personal experience. Both believe travel will resurge, including small group travel. But it will be closer to home.
Interview with Annie Decarufel
1. What would you normally be doing this time of year?
I would be reading books, for example my “bible” on the Rockies to refresh my memory on nature, trees, wilflife, history of the National Parks and so on. Also, I would review last year’s comments and reflect on them. Maybe I can improve my cooking or my driving by getting new recipies or practicing to drive with a trailor.
Since my credentials from last year are still valid, I won’t be needing another first aid course this year.
I would pruchase necessary equipment such as outdoor equipment if need be. I would also take a small vacation because seasons are very intense and demanding so it’s important to be able to take some time off before and at the end of the season to recuperate from all the hard work!
2. What changes for you this year compared to last year?
Incertitude. Last year, I had my flight booked to travel to Calgary at this time. I had a full season contract planned with 7 tours assigned and now we barely know what will happen, if there will be a season. Right now, I have to decide if I take an apartment because I am not sure if I will ever leave for this summer, which I don’t usually concern myself with because I am gone for 4 months at the time. Instead I am trying to make other plans for my summer months, such as travel by myself within my own province, enjoy my own region or find another type of work, these are my ideas.
3. Do you know what you will do now?
A lot of plans are in the air. I have in mind to potentially do a cyclotourism trip trough the eastern provinces to deepen my knowledge on these areas and discover more of my own country, keeping in mind reducing my environmental footprint as well as giving my self a challenge and goal for the summer.
I am also a teacher, it’s possible when schools reopen that I will teach some before the summer holidays. Then it’s either the eastern provinces or travel within Quebec which would be good for personal development. I expect there will be more domestic and local travel this year anyway, within Canada.
4. Do you believe you’ll be able to go back to your job as tour operator owner when the pandemic is over?
It’s such a rewarding but demanding job, that I don’t know if I’ll focus more on my teaching career or if I have the chance to continue in 2021 maybe reducing the number of tours but pursuing this passion of mine to show Canada’s wonders. It’s hard to know, because we don’t know what to expect. The industry will definitely change afterwards, some tour companies will survive and some won’t, they will have to part ways with somes employees that is for sure, so will “they need me?” is another question.
5. What else has been occupying your days lately?
I am concerned about the way we consume travel and I am trying myself to find ways to change my way of travel and reduce my environemental footprint in my daily life but also when traveling.
I’m leaning toward long term travel, working abroad for me is one because you are not flying out for a week or 3 weeks, but you are actually staying in one place and creating connections people and getting to know their culture and more. Sailing has also been on my mind to reduce my environmental impact and travel differently while being able to move from one country to another. There are also the options of house exchange and woofing still on the table.
Either way, this crisis will influence the travel behavior. People will take fewer but longer trips with more focus on sustainability. Ususally, every person in Quebec flies to the beach once a year. That’s not sustainable. And if you do that, what are you really learning? Who are you connecting with?
Interview with Florian Kola
1. What would you normally be doing this time of year?
During this time of the year we start our tours, meaning the season starts.
We’re specialised in inbound tourism toward Albania and the Western Balkans. Our aim is to support and promote adventure and geo tourism attractions that characterise the Balkan region. Since 2011 we have been offering to our western clients (mostly travellers coming from Central and Western Europe, in recent years increasingly from the USA and Australia, oto) the best flavours of a Balkan experience in cultural, historical and geo tourism. To achieve our goals we operate with traditional standards and values of the region, including direct customer contact and a high level of personalised customer service. I manage the company but I still lead cultural tours on many occasions.
2. What changes for you this year compared to last year?
This year is a big change because of Covid19. We have had many cancelations already since the first week of April.
We might have guests at end of July of this year. But before then we’re very sure not to have any business.
3. Do you know what you will do now?
I am working on marketing the tour company. Also, I do analysis in order to improve: to see where there are problems, to make things better for when tours will start again.
4. Do you believe you’ll be able to go back to your job when the pandemic is over?
I believe we will go back, but we believe too that fewer people will travel because of fear.
So it will take maybe one to three years for things to go back to how they were before the pandemic.
5. Is there anything else that has been on your mind lately, something you would like to share with the readers?
One the thing I can share is that we as company offer a lot of safety measures related to the pandemic, in terms of cleaning, disinfection, etc. It will be easy to keep a distance to others because most of our tours are based in nature. And we have already planned on giving masks out for the bus ride. Another good thing is that we dont dont take many people per tour. In one group there can not be more than 11 people.
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