The world is facing an unprecedented global health, social and economic emergency as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 2020 pandemic has had a significant impact on individuals, affecting matters such as mental health, personal relationships, jobs, income, and many others.
Restrictions, lockdowns, closed borders, spending most of the time at home – it all seems like we were forced to hit a pause button on all our plans, habits, and day-to-day errands that were part of a routine.
THE DECLINE OF INTERNATIONAL TOURISM
Amongst many sectors that were affected by the consequences of the pandemic, the travel and tourism industry was hit the hardest.
According to the World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals in the year 2020 have declined by 74% on a global level. This massive fall brought international tourism back to the levels of 30 years ago.
As soon as the pandemic has struck, countries have put restrictions on the movement of citizens, but also on the entrance of tourists and everyone who traveled from abroad.
COMPROMISED JOBS OF TOUR GUIDES
Not only did the pandemic cause closed borders for tourists, but it also put 100 to 120 million direct tourism jobs at risk.
With the decrease in the number of tourists worldwide, Tour Guides suffered a lack of opportunities to work and to offer their tour guiding services. That led to many travel and tourism companies suffering financial devastation, and eventually having to downsize a great amount of their tour guide employees.
It is important to acknowledge that the tourism industry provides 1 in 10 jobs and livelihoods for many millions of people.
The pandemic caused the decrease or loss of income to many people, who are now struggling to provide for their families.
JOB RATES IN TOURISM IN 2021
During this year, the situation got a little better, but restrictions and consequences are still here. The fact is that many Tour Guides still struggle with keeping their work streak or finding a job again.
Many people who used to make their living as Tour Guides have decided to redirect their careers to another path. Given the fact that the world isn’t predicted to go back to normal in terms of travel and tourism by the end of 2023, this might seem like a logical step to make. At the end of the day, whatever happens, people still need to be able to buy food and clothes, pay for rent and taxes and provide for their loved ones.
On the other hand, not everyone is ready to give up the job that they love. Turning to a completely new career is not an easy process, especially for people who are in the industry for a longer period. They have spent many years in education and gathering experience. Given the fact that people in this industry come from different backgrounds and stories, starting over is not an easy option for everyone.
Currently, the point of concern shouldn’t be when everything will go back to the way that it used to be. The right question to ask is – how to adapt to these circumstances and create new ways to make an income.
WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS FOR PURSUING A TOUR GUIDE CAREER?
While there is an option to just wait for things to get better, there are plenty of other opportunities to think about.
Yes, during this year, and probably throughout the next year, the situation with restrictions might get easier than it was up until now, meaning that tourists might go back to traveling once again and become more frequent. But the lesson that we all learned from this pandemic is that nothing is certain. At the end of the day, none of us expected that the pandemic might happen, and when it did, nobody thought it would last for such a long time.
So, what to do in this case?
Well, as everything got digitalized during these two years, so did the travel industry. People who miss traveling have already become Virtual Travelers, visiting their favorite places, as well as places they have never seen, but now online.
It is one thing to look at photos and videos online since everybody can do that anytime. But it is definitely a different experience when you watch videos or livestreams, where someone who is an expert, or who knows a lot about destinations, talks to you and answers your questions.
WHY SHOULD TOUR GUIDES CONSIDER TURNING TO VIRTUAL TRAVEL?
Many probably consider virtual tourism as such a strange and dystopian term. But in reality, the benefits that come with guiding virtual tours are plenty.
Of course, we won’t deny that the experience is different from interacting with people in person. But, providing virtual tours opens the opportunity to reach more people than you can imagine, from all over the world. This considers the following benefits:
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Tour Guides can make many connections and gather loyal followers, who will be glad to engage in any virtual tour that they offer.
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Once many people know about a certain Tour Guide, they will recommend them to other Virtual Travelers who would be interested to see his streams. As one by one engages, the Tour Guide will get an opportunity to create their community, where they can share, answer questions, meet other colleagues, connect, and learn.
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With many Virtual Travelers eagerly joining their streams, their virtual tours could earn them extra income through paid tours or extra tips, and at the end of the day, that can become a source of income.
Virtual tourism is an industry on the rise, and Tour Guides who hop on the train early can set their own standards, to which many others in the future will look upon.
HOW TO BECOME A TOUR GUIDE FOR VIRTUAL TRAVEL?
We are a family of 6, living through these tough times, so we understand the situation that Tour Guides are dealing with and how it is important to keep on through these circumstances, not just for themselves, but for their loved ones.
Looking for a way to solve our own problems, we have come up with a solution that will help many others get back on track.
Our app Samibeli is dedicated to Virtual Travelers who are eager to explore the world regardless of the restrictions, and to Tour Guides in search of a chance to continue working and provide their expertise through a new kind of approach.
If you would like to experience streaming virtual tours, we gladly invite you to become one of the Tour Guides on our platform.
Download the Samibeli app on Play and App store, reach out to us for more information on how to sign-up and you are well on your way to becoming a Virtual Tour Guide streaming from your favorite place.
