The future of tourism hinges on 3 words – but most people overlook them

The article addresses three topics as a package because, according to the author, they collectively form the sector's "human stability." Resilience is no longer a bonus: COVID demonstrated that when mobility stops, tourism stops too – which is why preparedness (risk assessment, scenarios, operational flexibility) must become part of responsible planning. Inclusion is not just "a nice-to-have" but a fundamental expectation: the debate is no longer about whether it matters but about how it becomes the norm in everyday operations. And then there are skills: tourism may be capital-intensive (planes, hotels, infrastructure), but according to the article, it is ultimately a human craft – attention, connection, problem-solving, hospitality. The author emphasises that even with the acceleration of automation, this is the part that is hard to mechanise, making skill development a long-term competitive advantage. 

The article does not idealise: it acknowledges that many feel anxiety about the changes (technology, social tensions, the uncertain "new normal"). At the same time, it sees tourism as a unique intersection: built on openness, exchange, and mobility, which are precisely the forces that – if well-managed – can help reduce polarisation and strengthen social cohesion. The key is that adapting to change should not be a solitary effort but a shared agreement on what the "new normal" should be, requiring professional spaces with a platform-like nature.

One of the strongest points is highly practical: SMEs form the backbone of tourism, but they have the least time, staff, and financial buffer for the "trial-and-error" learning process. If transformation is urgent (digitalisation, sustainability, new regulations, new expectations), SMEs cannot afford three or four dead ends. 

According to the author, the issue is often not a lack of good solutions but that they remain stuck in a closed, overly technical, overly academic circle. An entrepreneur managing daily operations will not read dense materials, even if they agree with the goals. This is why "translation" is needed: simpler formats, accessible language, and channels where stakeholders are already present. Networks amplify the message, the message attracts new participants, and new entrants improve collective efforts.

The linguistic shift highlighted in the article is very insightful: when we frame the issue as "unbalanced tourism" instead of "overtourism," the debate is less likely to fall into the simplistic "visitors vs. locals" conflict. The focus shifts to the core of the diagnosis: often, the problem is not tourism itself but its concentration – too much pressure in certain places and times, followed by long periods of underuse. With a more precise definition, the solutions (management, temporal and spatial distribution, regulation, communication) become clearer. 

If it had to be summed up in one sentence: the "soft" topics of sustainable tourism (skills, inclusion, preparedness) are actually "hard" competitive factors. In the coming period, the winners will be those who:

• plan ahead for disruptions rather than reacting in panic afterwards (resilience),

• make inclusive operations standard practice, not just a campaign topic (inclusion),

• develop human skills, as authentic experiences are born from them (skills),

• provide SMEs with short, clear, actionable solutions, not just strategies,

• and communicate in a way that ensures "transition" becomes a daily routine, not just a document.

Source: EU Tourism Platform – People of the Platform: putting skills, resilience and inclusion at the heart of tourism’s next chapter (13 January 2026).