Death to tourism? One summer without mass visitors might not be a bad thing

People arriving in the UK from Spain must now self-isolate for two weeks. The news is awash with horror stories, ranging from distraught relatives to tans that will never see the light of day. Any travel plans that remarkably survived the various lockdowns already in place around the world are surely being cancelled. The common narrative is that it’s an especially scary time for people whose income relies on tourism. Or is it?

Guernsey, where I live, has had a two week quarantine in place for months now. It is also an island that has traditionally relied on summer tourism from the UK and France to support its hospitality industry, to the extent that many venues simply do not open in winter. Guernsey seems like the kind of place that could have been seriously damaged by a two-week quarantine law. But the island’s restaurants and pubs are thriving.

Government figures show that as the island came out of lockdown, the catering and hospitality sector bounced back better than any other, advertising over 70 new jobs between April and June. This makes sense: pubs are packed, shops and high streets are busy, and when my family tried to book afternoon tea a week in advance, we were only able to get a 12 o’clock slot. We often hear that international tourism brings in more revenue than domestic tourism. But it seems that locals are heading out in high enough numbers to compensate for the loss of tourist revenue.

Why might this be? One suggestion is that there might be a number of islanders whose holidays have had to be cancelled too, and these people are the ones keeping the industry at home afloat. Another thought is that being deeply affected by the experience of lockdown lends going out to pubs and restaurants a new appeal. These explanations paint a hopeful picture, and suggest the UK has little to worry about in the short term: a summer without global tourism need not be a summer without local employment.

And who is to say there might not be benefits to the death of mass tourism as we know it? The “tourist” sights in Guernsey are finally being appreciated by locals again.

I recently walked to The Little Chapel, a beautiful church lovingly crafted by a monk in 1914. It is tiny - it only has room for one or two people - and the walls and ceiling are covered in beautiful mosaic, made of shells collected from nearby beaches. I have been before, but during lockdown it was a totally different experience. Last time, it was busy with tourists, and I had to funnel in and out of the church fairly quickly lest I interrupt someone else’s sightseeing or photography. This time, alone, I was able to wait in the church and admire its beauty. I felt less like I was seeing a pretty novelty, and more like I was in a genuinely holy place.

Similarly, I toured Victor Hugo’s house for the first time last weekend. We were in a small group, using up only two of the 12 lockers available to store our things. The intimacy of the tour meant we had time to stop and ask our guide questions, and everyone could chime in with their thoughts. The tour culminated in Victor Hugo’s beautiful garden, by which point we were all casually chatting about the house and its owner, and I was learning a great deal.

Tourism is dead – for now. Good. One summer without a foreign holiday won’t do anyone any harm, and there is reason not to worry too much about the industries that tourism supports. More importantly, this slowdown will also reconnect us with the places in which we live, allowing us to see the attractions closer to home in a new light. I just hope it lasts.