Discover the significance of mindset awareness in the travel industry post-Covid-19. Learn how it impacts the way people travel and how businesses can adapt.

The closure of borders in 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic took hold was swift, with European Union leaders voting on a 30-day closure in mid-May. The benefit of hindsight shows how just 30 days was a little on the optimistic side.

This brought a devastating impact to the travel, hospitality, and leisure industries as a previously taken-for-granted ability to go abroad on holiday was simply no longer an option. Holidays had to be cancelled, and even with some restrictions lifting in the summer, these soon reverted to the May norm. Domestic and foreign vacations became impossible.

Now, as Europe finally starts to come out from a year of lockdown (to a greater or lesser degree depending on local measures), consumers are looking to take advantage of the ability to escape on holiday once again. While this may immediately seem an opportunity to unleash the marketing hounds, the travel and hospitality industries are faced with a significant challenge. This lies in understanding where each customer sits on a wide spectrum of comfort and confidence in getting back into the swing of things (or otherwise). This applies both positively and negatively. Given there are emotive elements to what lies ahead, getting the tone and the offer just right is crucial. Let’s take two customers who both previously might have holidayed abroad twice a year in high-quality resorts, for a fortnight each time, and let’s call them John and James.

At first glance, these individuals are the same, but their mindsets may now be polar opposites; John might be hellbent on going back and has rebooked immediately. The opportunity here is upselling and cross-selling and converting returning ‘custom’ into longer-term loyalty.

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