What can developed alpine tourism countries expect after SARS-CoV-2? Insights from a "Swiss" perspective

 This contribution is an English transcript of an interview with Südostschweiz, a major media outlet in Switzerland. The original version can be found at «Der Elefant im Raum bleibt bestehen und harrt einer Lösung» | suedostschweiz.ch.

Please note that this talk was recorded before the Russian attack on Ukraine. It topicalizes the immediate and medium-term challenges tourism in Switzerland faces. Many of the assessments in this talk are also applicable to similar contexts, such as in neighboring countries.

Productivity: The Achilles heel in tourism and hospitality

In addition to the scarce production factor "capital", another one is now becoming scarce in many countries, such as in Switzerland: labor. But the elephant in the room is hardly ever named: lack of productivity. Some thoughts on that issue.

The pandemic has almost brutally exposed the lack of attractiveness of tourism and hospitality professions. To put it briefly: Those who find or have found something "better" are leaving or have already left - perhaps forever. Others may not even include these professions in their future plans. The reasons for this are well known: Compared to other sectors, there are often harsh working conditions, coupled with a lack of long-term and increasingly uncertain prospects - and often with rather modest wages and benefits.

AIEST Consensus on tourism and travel in the SARS-CoV-2 era and beyond

 A recent Consensus of the AIEST - International Association of Scientific Experts in Tourism - provides a structured overview of the opportunities and challenges arising from the pandemic and its aftermath for the various actors in tourism.