Greece's tourism industry is in jeopardy

The spread of coronavirus in the world has prevented the entry of summer tourists to Greece and a large part of the country's source of income is endangered.  All of Greece's tourist attractions are sluggish, with almost no tourists, and most hotels are closed.  These issues have led to poverty in most of Greece's islands and Tourism destinations, whose only income came from foreign tourists.

Cancellation of Hajj ceremony, heavy hit to Saudi tourism industry

The cancellation of this year's Hajj has caused a huge hit to the profits from the ceremony. This year's annual Hajj ceremony will see the population drop from 2.5 million to 1,000.  Saudi Arabia's tourism industry is also expected to suffer a severe economic blow. Luxury hotels, temporary accommodation tents, restaurants and travel agents will no doubt be affected.

Delivering the Service Experience - Chapter 9 ; Service Failure Recovery

Technique 139 Ask About Travel Experiences; Offering redress for problems not caused by the hotel can be a key driver of guest satisfaction. For example, if a guest mentions travel-related problems experienced before arrival, the hotel should offer an amenity or upgrade as an expres- sion of empathy and comfort. Front desk associates should be encouraged to ask guests how their trips were because doing so increases the probability of finding out about travel-related frustrations. Technique 140 Thank Guests for Complaining; All associates should be trained to thank guests when they voice valid complaints. Such a thank you encourage guests to communicate problems directly with the provider as opposed to posting complaints on social media forums. Thanking the guest for voicing the complaint also signals that the problem is less likely reoccur in the future. Technique 141 Ask What Would Fix the Problem; If a guest voices a valid complaint, after listening, empa- thizing, thanking the guest, and apologizing, the hotel asso- ciate should ask the guest what the hotel can do to fix the problem. Most guests will ask for very little which presents the opportunity to deliver more than what was asked—spawning guest delight. Technique 142 Organize Recharging Cords; Recharging cords for mobile electronics are perhaps the most commonly left items in the rooms; thus, most hotels have excess in lost and found since many guests never call for them. Therefore, the hotel should have a selection already identified by phone/computer type. When a guest asks where to buy one, or if they ask to borrow one from the hotel, they will be readily available for them to use with no hassle. Technique 143 Be Ready for Clean-Up; The front desk agent should always have immediate access to both cloth towels and paper towels and should be on the look-out for guests in need of them. They can be offered if a guest comes in from the rain, if an infant spits up, etc. Technique 144 Have Shower Chairs and Bath Mats Readily Available; While all hotels have handicap rooms, at times, an elderly person or a person with an ailment may want “more protection” while in the shower. A shower chair and rubber bath mats are good to have on hand. Technique 145 Offer Hot Chocolate During Inclement Weather; Whether driving or flying, guests’ stress levels increase significantly when they must attempt to travel in snow or ice. Hot chocolate should be available in the lobby in such circumstances. Technique 146 Let Guests Keep Umbrellas; The hotel should have an abundance of umbrellas at the front desk for guests to use when needed. If a guest says s/he will drive the car around and return it later, let them keep the umbrella (they can be purchased inexpensively at a dollar store). Technique 147 Organize Unclaimed Items Suitable for Borrowing; Many times clothing, belts, etc. are left in lost and found. If the items remain unclaimed, they can be used for guests to borrow if forgotten to pack. A closet, or part of a closet, can be dedicated to these items. Technique 148 Be Informed About Guest Assistance Information; Guests continue to have more special needs as it relates to medical and dietary. Ensure that desk and restaurant staffs have the basic knowledge to assist the guests with these concerns. The key is where to direct them so they can get the information they need, such as what restaurant serves the needed food; pharmacy information; dentist information; or medical emergency information. To have information ahead of time will help when the need arises so the situation can be dealt with immediately. Technique 149 Have a List of Languages Spoken by Staff; Many hotel personnel speak multiple languages. Have a list of any employee that speaks different languages. When there is a guest who needs additional interpretation it will be helpful to know who the employees are that can help them. With foreign travel getting stronger, this is very valuable to the hotel. Technique 150 Have a System for Handling Verbal Communication Barriers; If an associate does not speak English, then s/he should carry cards to give to the guest so when they ask a question, they can explain this and direct them to someone who can help immediately. The staff member can also have a pen and paper readily available to help facilitate communication; be sure there is a system in place for this sort of communication. To ignore the guest is a failure in guest service. Technique 151 Recognize Employees for Exceptional Service Failure Recovery Efforts; If an associate goes the extra-mile to solve a guest’s prob- lem, take a digital photo of the associate and write a few sen- tence narrative about what s/he did in the situation. Use the narrative and photo to make a small poster that can be hung in the employee break room.

Airbus announces plan to dismiss 15,000 people

Airbus has announced that it has dismissed its 15,000 employees to make the necessary adjustments to its production level.  According to Airbus, 5,000 of the dismissal program are in France, 5,100 in Germany, 1,700 in the UK and 900 in Spain.

Public call for the selection of an executor for cooperation in domestic exhibitions of tourism and handicrafts in 1399

Iran Tourism Development Company has published;  Public call for the selection of an executor for cooperation in domestic exhibitions of tourism and handicrafts in 1399  The 34th Tehran Handicrafts Exhibition in September and the 14th Tehran International Tourism Fair in February 2021 are among these exhibitions.  Those interested in these exhibitions should send documents to website of this company at www.iwtdc.ir.

Reopening of the symbol of the city of Paris after a three month

Citizens of Paris and other tourists have been allowed to visit the Eiffel Tower after three months. This is the longest closure of the Eiffel Tower since World War II.  However, despite the reopening, there are still restrictions on visits, for example, visitors can only visit the first and second floors through the stairs.  The use of elevators is currently prohibited, and tickets to visit the tower are sold in few numbers than in the past.

The income of illegal guesthouses was more than tourism facilities in Hamedan

Behnam Eftekharian, CEO of Iran-Asia Tourism Development Company, said;  In Iran, it takes between 5 and 7 years for the tourism industry to return to normal situation of two years ago.  About 50 to 60 percent of tourism companies have lost their human resources due to the Corona outbreak.  Illegal guesthouses make more money from virtual tourism tours.  None of the promises made on loans, unemployment insurance, taxes, etc. given to tourism facilities have been fulfilled.

Aman Le Melezin, Courchevel - France

Destruction of 63% of tourism jobs in Asia-Pacific region

Due to the severe recession in the tourism industry in this region, other related industries and businesses such as transportation, hotels, restaurants, etc. have also suffered serious financial and economic losses. In 2020, the Malaysian government forecast more than 30 million foreign tourists, creating 3.5 million jobs and earning € 20 billion. But with the Corona crisis, not only has this prediction be fulfilled, but there has been a 6% reduction in gross domestic product growth.

Delivering the Service Experience - Chapter 8 ; The Check-Out Experience

Technique 129 Encourage Fond Farewells from Housekeepers; All housekeepers should thank guests for their business and invite them to return when they see guests exiting down guestroom corridors. If a guest is rolling luggage down a cor- ridor in the AM hours, it is evident that s/he is checking out. Technique 130 Clean Guests’ Windshields; Each morning, the hotel should randomly select approx- imately 10 vehicles of guests who are checking out and clean their windshields. A note can be placed on the vehicle so that the departing guest will notice that the windshield has been cleaned. Technique 131 Offer Auto Snow/Ice Removal Tools; In cold climates, have snow/ice removal tools handy. When a guest checks out, these items will be useful for the guest’s vehicle. For added service, a staff member can clean the vehicle quickly for the guest. Technique 132 Offer Room Keys to Children as Souvenirs; When a guest is checking out with small children, the room key cards should be offered to the children as souvenirs. Children can even be offered craft kits so that they can deco- rate the key cards with jewels, stickers, or pipe cleaners while traveling home. Technique 133 Offer Children Coins Inscribed with the Hotel’s Logo; When a family with children is checking out, the children can be given gold or silver coins that are inscribed with the hotel name and logo. Technique 134 Let Guests Take $1 Bills; The front office manager should fill a glass fish bowl with $1 bills. One morning per week, the bowl can be placed on the front desk with a sign that reads: “If you are checking out, please take a few of these for the road.” The actual sight of cur- rency is actually much more powerful than simply discount- ing a guest’s folio. Technique 135 Inform Guests of Potential Bank-Related Issues Associated with the Use of Debit Cards; Debit Cards can be a challenge when using them at a hotel. Any guests using a debit card should be made aware of how the bank “holds” the money. It can be helpful to have the desk clerk explain this to the guest beforehand. No matter what experience the guest had at the hotel, if s/he has issues related to finances, such issues can ruin an otherwise positive experience. Technique 136 Offer to Store Items for Frequent Guests; If you have a guest that stays weekly, offer to store some of his/her items so that s/he do not have to take them home each week. Even if s/he does not want to utilize this service, the offer will likely mean a lot. Technique 137 Send a Gift Home to a Child; If a guest is traveling alone on business, but the property management system indicates that s/he has stayed in the past with a child then consider asking the guest if s/he would like a small gift to take home to the child. Technique 137 Give Some Fresh Vegetables or Herbs; If the hotel has a garden and a vegetable or fruit is ripe, offer the guest at check-out 1–2 pieces to take home (similar to how friends and family share items from their home gardens). Or, have a herb garden growing inside one or more lobby win- dows and ask the guest if s/he would like to cut some herbs to take home.

Corona's negative impact on maritime tourism

"Mohammad Rastad" Deputy Minister of Roads and Urban Development and Managing Director of the Ports and Shipping Organization;  Corona has had a negative impact on tourism and sea travel in Iran and around the world.  Comparing this year's Nowruz to the previous year, we have witnessed a 98% decrease in activities in this field.  Tourism and cruises need a support mechanism.

84 billion EUR losses due to coronavirus

New estimate from the International Transport Organization (IATA);  84 billion EUR losses due to coronavirus - The volume of air traffic and revenue generation of various airlines will not return to its conditions in 2019, even next year.  - 2020 will be the worst year in the history of the world's aviation industry.  - About 2.2 billion passengers will be transported to various parts of the world by the end of this year. - Airlines will lose an average of 37.54 $ per passenger. - The average loss of airlines per day will be about 23 million $ by the end of this year and 84.3 billion $ by the end of the year.