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Studying Tourism in a world with Corona I

In a world that seems to have ground to a halt due to the corona pandemic you might wonder whether studying tourism is still relevant. As it turns out, with the new reality being one of travel restrictions and social distancing, the industry is in immediate need of answers. The present day case described below sheds light on this very issue from three perspectives.

Together with many of my classmates I was anxious about what the corona outbreak would mean for the relevance of my studies. Fortunately, my initial fears were unfounded. There was an immediate need for more insight into how these unusual circumstances would affect the industry.

Perspective 1: Jochem Lips, 2nd yr student MTO

Adjusting to corona reality

The world seemed to grind to a halt when the coronavirus pandemic became reality and the tourism industry was hit hard. Together with many of my classmates I was anxious about what this would mean for my studies. How would we be able to find an internship? Fortunately, my initial fears were unfounded. Many organisations turned out to be very flexible, allowing students to work from home. Moreover, there was an immediate need for more insight into how these unusual circumstances would affect the industry.

Internship

In this context, I started my internship simultaneously with a classmate at the Nationale Parken Bureau (NPB), the agency in charge of guiding Dutch National Parks to meet a new National Park quality standard as set by the Dutch government. An important part of this new standard is to create a meaningful, sustainable visitor experience. However, some National Parks struggle with this objective due to the sheer number of visitors crowding around specific hotspots, affecting the experience negatively. At the same time there are plans to actively promote some Dutch national parks internationally.

In addition, it is as yet uknown what the effect of COVID-19 will have on visitor numbers: it could just as easily result in: A. a decrease of visitors due to the measures imposed, as in B. a subsequent increase of visitors as a result of uncertainties about international travel.

To anticipate the concurring unpredictability and fluctuations in future visitor numbers, I am investigating what factors drive such visitor flows and what potential instruments are available for National Parks to deal with an increase or decrease of visitors.

Working from home

I have been working on this research for a little over two months now, and the experience has already taught me a lot. Working from home without being part of a larger team is challenging yet also rewarding. Of course, it requires discipline and I do miss seeing colleagues. On the other hand, I feel as if I am my own boss in many ways, deciding my own working hours and how I use my time. Because I do not have to commute, I can work for a few hours in the morning, and then go for a run as a break. When I start losing concentration, I can take a longer break and get back to work again when I am ready.

Supervisor support

Apart from that, my supervisors John and Machiel are incredibly supportive, guiding me through the research process and providing me with all kinds of resources needed. These range from useful research papers that I had not yet considered, to new contacts that I can interview for my research, to even providing me with a company car so that I can do fieldwork in the Biesbosch National Park. It goes without saying that this, together with my personal interest in the research topic, helps me to stay motivated and make my internship a worthwhile experience.

Back to Master's Programme Tourism, Society and Environment

Perspective 2: Dr. Machiel Lamers, Associate Professor, Environmental Policy

The initial uncertainties with our students about potential internship and thesis research options were understandable.

Of course, as lecturers we also knew that, similar to climate change, biodiversity loss or over-tourism, the current COVID-crisis represents a contemporary global challenge associated with tourism and travel for which we are training a corpse of professionals capable of handling such strategic challenges in our MTO programme. Due to our extensive network, both in the Netherlands and abroad, we were able to place students in numerous organisations. The only adaptation was of course the fact that much of the work would not be done at the offices of the internship provider. But, as I have told the students early on, this is what the world inside and outside of university currently looks like. Flexible and online working conditions will be part and parcel of any professional career.

Perspective 3: John van den Berg - Staatsbosbeheer

They [students] ask questions that we no longer ask and bring the latest insights. This is important to us, especially since there is a large gray wave among the site managers.

The Nationale Parken Bureau (NPB) is working on a transition from National Parks consisting of only cores of nature to an extension to the surrounding cultural-historical landscape with all associated social functions. In this process, the perspective of students has special significance.