In the first week of April 2020 we sent out a questionnaire to a selection of our travel media and bloggers database with ten questions, including Are you still interested in tourist press information in these days of the coronavirus? And Are you changing your coverage from intercontinental destinations to more Holland related (or neighbouring countries) topics? Some interesting findings are showcased below.

Asked whether press and bloggers still want to receive information about travel destinations and organizations during this crisis corona, 69.5% gave an affirmative answer. 40% is saying they also continue want to receive info, but wish to receive info with a slightly different content than the traditional ‘feel good and top ten tourist attractions/sights’ press releases. More than half of the respondents indicated to have an increased interest in domestic travel stories and news items while 47% of respondents believe that coverage on intercontinental destination is now less appropriate. “But keep sending information, if I I cannot use it now, it may come in handy later.”

With regard to interest in (travel) websites and travel blogs, a quarter indicated that interest has fallen sharply, 18% saw a moderate decline and 15% a light decline. Remarkable, 26.3% of the respondents say that traffic to their website has increased. 82 per cent said they are willing to go on press trips again once the situation is normalized.

Some print media indicate that their tourism pages are temporarily removed or reduced in number or that there currently is more focus on news related articles, such as the impact on the tourism industry, funding for the travel industry, new initiatives, etc.
When asked what other type of travel news topics than the obvious ones one would like to receive a great deal of suggestions were given. These include virtual visits, beautiful pictures, homeless people are housed in bungalow parks and hotels, tourism quizzes, books, vacation-at-home tips, recipes, You Tube videos, health tourism, travel movies, local products, focus on autumn season, winter sports and sustainable initiatives.

The most personal question in the survey  (Has your opinion -on a personal and/or business level- on taking a holiday changed now because of the impact the virus has on a worldwide scale?) gave rise to the longest answers. Overall, the general feedback was that people will continue to on holidays when this nightmare is over. “Unwind moments will always be a prerequisite in the lives of human beings.” But 50% of the respondents do signal that there may be changes in for example the choice of the destination, that for the time being domestic holidays and trips to neighbouring countries will grow at the expense of long-haul holidays, we may see shift towards more motoring, caravan and camper holidays and the number of trips taken in the next few years will decline.
One reply sums it up: “More quality time with my beloved ones will outsmart my neighbour’s desire to go to an exotic resort on the other side of the world.”

PS: Some questions were specifically related to our clients so answers and suggestions to these will be implemented by us in the months to come.