Recovery, Renewal, Resilience

TMB Issue 33 discussed examples of how Australia and Rwanda are working to recover tourism through the promotion of domestic tourism. In Ireland, the next phases of their "Business Continuity Scheme" include targeted recovery strategies for Tourism Transport businesses, local tourism and hospitality businesses, and attracting international tourism. Consider:

• Partner with national/local tourism agencies (e.g. Failte Ireland/Tourism Ireland) to collaborate on the development and administration of tourism recovery schemes
• Provide funding and grants to tourism transport operators such as car rental companies, chauffeur, limousine, local taxi firms and escorted tour providers, to support their future operations and business continuity
• Set up a "Travel Trade Event" to bring international tourism partners, local governments and local tourism businesses together. Irish tourism businesses met virtually to sell "the best of Ireland" to 216 top international tourism buyers from across the world
• Seek funding to develop and build permanent outdoor infrastructure to increase dining capacity locally, to support local hospitality business as they re-open

Many individuals and families have experienced negative economic impacts from COVID-19 as a result of business closures, job losses and reduced working hours. Globally, governments have introduced financial stimuli through small business loans and furlough schemes, in an effort to mitigate the consequences of financial losses caused by the pandemic. As many stimulus packages are scheduled to end in the coming months, business owners are concerned that they will be unable to continue to pay staff, and employees are concerned that they may be made redundant. Consider:

• The need to quickly increase the capacity of local financial support and advice systems:
  • Partner with and commission community advice services, e.g. Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB)
  • Build capacity and train volunteers to increase the range of specialist and generalist welfare and debt advice that is available
  • Seek support from local businesses that can provide financial and other advice
• Increase community and business awareness of how to access support services:
  • Run information campaigns targeted at groups that need support
  • Bring together sources of good advice from trusted partners into a single location/source to make information easy to find
  • Sign post and onward refer members of the community to services
• Integrate debt and financial advice and budgeting support with forms of direct financial support