THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THE AUTOMATION OF THE TOURISM DESTINATION THROUGH DESTINATION MANAGEMENT ORGANISATIONS

The current paper focuses on the impact that automation and digital advancements have had on the tourism industry during the covid-19 pandemic. It also identifies the key players that can help to further improve technological advances in the field. As grim as the COVID-19 pandemic scenario has been, it can also be perceived as a lesson to be learned. By digitalizing hotels and restaurants, by creating automation, and by encouraging contactless payments, it is easier to prevent such scenarios from ever happening again in the future. There are also no organisations that can help with promoting safe tourism for the pandemic scenario, such as the Destination Management Organisations. It is important to take note of all the important actors and encourage cooperation between organisations and between private entities so that these difficult times can be overcome. The current paper proposes a set of solutions that can be implemented to ease tourism back into normality. As interest in the destination starts growing back, proper safety measures, digitalisation and automation, transparent and creative communication are crucial components of a marketing recovery plan aimed to convert the ongoing changes into positive precursors for business improvement in the tourism industry.