In Germany, summer feels a bit more like we were used to it before a contagious virus started to spread rapidly around the world by air, land, and sea. But this impression is misleading when one looks at the regions of the world that are still far away from vaccinating large parts of their population. In Asia, Africa and Latin America, the number of infections continues to rise rapidly. Today, the pandemic affects countries that had very low incidences in 2020, such as entire regions of East Africa or Southeast Asia. Some of those countries are still waiting for the first longed-desired vaccination doses - not to mention a dynamic vaccination campaign.
Does the speed of vaccination in specific countries affect their position on the world map of tourism? Yes, definitely in 2021! This demonstrates our article on vaccination priorities in tourism. But it also shows that vaccinations are not turning a country into a safe harbor as long as other regions of the world continue to lack the vaccine. Our articles from Turkey and the Dominican Republic demonstrate that the preferential access of hotel and restaurant employees to vaccination is not a long-term strategy, but an economic emergency measure. In order to get tourism running again in the long term, destinations need much more than a tourism-oriented vaccination campaign. They need global commitments for the increased production and fair distribution of vaccines worldwide. Moreover, they need sustainable tourism strategies, which increase the resilience against future crisis and provide more local benefits than today.
Please also read our articles on the importance of the international wellness and health tourism segment for the global recovery from the pandemic. Moreover, read our outlook-article on the participation of delegates from the Global South in the climate negotiations. Whether representatives from the Global South are able to participate will not only depend on the British travel restrictions that will be in place in November. Above all, it will depend on our success today to produce more vaccines and to distribute them fairly. The question of vaccination justice thus becomes a question of fairness to participate in important global policy processes.
We wish you an interesting read and, above all, good health for the upcoming summer holidays. If you travel, pay even more attention to the hygiene rules than at home - so that you and the people you meet get through the next few months safely.
