Results - Tourism in Transit

Why do you want to travel? (choose max. 3 options)

I want to get to know myself better
I want to make new friends (and, who knows, maybe meet the love of my life!)
I want to live new experiences
I want to escape my routine
I want to discover different cultures (through art, gastronomy etc.)
I want to immerse myself in nature
I have to travel for work, but combine it with leisure
I want to relax
I don’t travel. Home sweet home!
I want to add new countries and cities to my list

Do you think there are other ways to reach these goals?

Sure, but travelling is the best way
Yes, and therefore, I’m going to travel less
Yes, and therefore, I am not going to travel anymore
No, travelling is a must for me. I’d be travelling right now if I could

What are your preferred ways to pursue your goals outside of travel? Feel free to select more than one option

Reading books and/or watching movies or TV
Getting to know people through dating apps
Taking a digital trip through Google Street View
Staying in touch with friends and colleagues through video calls
Becoming a member of local networks and getting involved
Relaxing and getting a lot of sleep
Trying to learn new skills
Creative endeavours (writing, drawing, music etc.)
Cooking ever more elaborate dishes

When you do travel, do you like to connect with locals?

Yes, I love to meet up with locals
Yes, I love to stay with locals, at their place
No, I prefer to stay on my own or with my clan
I would like to, but I don’t dare to approach locals

Do you want to know more about local habits and culture?

Yes, it’s very important to know what is going on locally
Yes, before I leave, I try to learn as much as possible about my destination
Yes, I would like to, but have no idea how to do this
Yes, just a little, to make sure I know how to behave myself
No, I could not care less
No, I only travel for work

During your stay in another city, would you like to do something back for the city?

No, I am not interested. That’s not what I go on holiday for
Yes, this would give me the opportunity to learn more about the city and its citizens
Yes, I have a lot of skills that could benefit the visiting city
Yes, but only if there is a reward involved. My time is valuable
No, I am already boosting the local economy by going out to dinner every night
No, this is ridiculous. I visit places to benefit myself

If you want to do something useful in the place you’re visiting, how long should that take?

A few hours, tops
Less than 5% of my stay
More than 5% of my stay
I want to do it during my whole stay!

Suppose a city would only let you in if you are prepared to do something beneficial for the city during (a small part of) your stay. How would that influence your decision to go there?

It would make me never go there again. That’s insane
It would make me more likely to go—I love doing something useful!
It would be a big opportunity to meet locals and to learn more about local culture
It wouldn’t really influence my decision either way

For your future travels, how do you intend to get where you’re going?

I prefer to travel by plane. It’s easy and fast
I prefer to take the train. Flying emits too much carbon
I prefer to go by car (or motorcycle). It makes social distancing easy
I travel only short distances, so I either walk or cycle

While the streets will remain empty for the time being, as public places stay closed and souvenir shops are going bankrupt, we hope that won’t last forever. Do you think we’ll need tourism more than ever as a means to revive local economies? Would you welcome back tourism for this reason? Or do you think the crisis is an opportunity to change tourism as we know it?
How do you see visitors?

As potential friends
As people who are curious about new cultures
As people looking for the best selfie spots
As perpetually drunk anthem-belchers, keeping me up at night
As temporary co-citizens—no different from my neighbours
As a necessary evil; I’d rather not see them at all

When visitors want to connect with you, what do you do?

Make friends and offer them a tour
Invite them to my house
Invite them to my house
Pretend I don’t speak English or am in a hurry
Invite them to join an activity I am involved in
Invite them to join an activity I am involved in

Which of the following things do you attribute to tourism? You can pick 3 options

Cultural exchange
Economic boost
Opportunities to make new friends
Overcrowding
Loss of local identity
Rising housing prices

Local economies benefit from tourism. Some cities even depend on it. Is that a good reason for the tourism industry to keep growing?

Yes, the more it grows the better
Yes, but we have to introduce some restrictions
No, enough is enough; needs of the locals outweigh those of tourists
Yes and no. We have to find the right balance between economic interests and the liveability of the city
Yes. But we have to focus on attracting the right visitors.

Do you think visitors to your city should pay an active role, making themselves useful during part of their stay? And why?

Yes, that would be great; there’s a lot they could help out with
Yes, that would make their stay more enjoyable for them
No, I don’t think we need their help
No, why would they want to? Just let them look around on their own
I do not know, we might try it out

What do you think are the best ways to improve the quality of destinations that attract a lot of visitors?

Close most or all cheap souvenir shops and tourist traps
Create tourist attractions that offer value for both tourists and locals
Introduce a fine for tourists who do not behave themselves
Involve visitors in local activities

Overall, how do you see tourism after the Corona crisis?

There is no world without travel. Travel brings joy, it boosts the economy, and allows for cultural cross-pollination
We should support airlines and tourism companies, to make sure things return to how they were before, warts and all
Travel should be a privilege, and the people who travel should strive to make themselves useful at their destination (and stop using those trolley suitcases)
People who are nuisance are not welcome. The authorities have to focus on ‘good’ tourism
Traveling should only be done if strictly necessary
No more travel. Let’s keep this emptiness and quietness