Public life has been almost halted for more than a year: countries closed, travel frozen.
Economies dependent on tourism have been challenged. Cultural institutions, fairs and congresses, travel agencies, accommodations, restaurants, and retail – the entire ecosystem of tourism – saw their activities ‘upended’ overnight.
Then, 2021’s summer gave space to hope, and vacations briefly came back, until now when it is still uncertain of the shape travel will take.
In this fluctuating situation, many workers in industries depending on tourism have been retrenched, others are re-thinking their careers. They represent, a big portion of the ‘great resignation’, a phenomenon of ‘mass quitting’ that started in us and it’s expanding globally as a result of multiple factors – including fear of contagion, unappreciated shift work for low wages, change of sectors and a re-found gratitude for family and private time.
On the other side of the spectrum, travellers have also been re-evaluating their aspirations. Social distancing, time isolated or, for the less lucky, work in distress, have contributed – if not to an epiphany – at least to a slightly new perception of life and priorities that is inevitably impacting the way they shape their free time, select remote work locations and vacations.
How are people – running the steeplechase that separates them from their next business deal, vacations, or loved ones – responding to the current situation? What are the immediate reactions and what would be the long-term impact?
appraisal. at present. the new issue continues the exploration of the people facing industries in a new rolling format, proposing diverse ways to understand and re-imagine travel and hospitality from multidisciplinary, geographically and culturally diverse standpoints together with experts and operators: Cathy Hsu, Buathon Thienarrom, Akira Mitsumasu, Jose Santos, Maria Porro, Peter Hydebrand, Elena Stella, Lucy Long, Roberta Garibaldi, Mark Hennebry, Simone Gibertoni, Sara Roversi, Ludovica Rubbini, Manda Foo, Sara Magro, Stefania Paxhia, Hugh Mc Cloy, Shizue Ishibashi, Neha Tiwari, Roberta Moncada, Giulio Contini, Priscilla Poon, Rocco Bova, Elena Lodola.
Edited By: Stephen Morton