DIGITALISATION AS A TOOL OF TOURISM RECOVERY IN EUROPEAN UNION IN POST-COVID-19

Abstract

Abstract. The article discusses the significance and trends of digitalisation in tourism. Phases of digital technologies development in tourism and factors influencing the uptake of digitalisation in tourism are presented. It was found that Europe is the world’s leading tourism destination with 51 % of international tourists arrivals and 39 % of global international tourism receipts in 2019. However, the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism caused 69 % declines international tourist arrivals in Europe in 2020. This is due to the fact that since the beginning of the pandemic travel restrictions have been implemented and the external borders of the European Union have been closed. The negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was studied and it was found that the share of tourism contribution to GDP in European member decreased in 2020. Countries where tourism contributed the highest share to GDP in 2020 were Croatia (10,2 %), Greece (8,7 %) and Portugal (8,1%). It has been proven that digital technologies and data play important role in combating the pandemic Covid-19 and tourism recovery. Main tools of digitalisation in tourism that help to make travel safe and healthy are digital COVID certificate, mobile applications and web sites that propose information about epidemiological situation, restrictions and requirements for travellers. Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) of European Union countries are analysed. According to DESI the most advanced countries of European Union in 2018 were Denmark (70), Finland (68), Netherlands (68) and Sweden (65), while Croatia (35), Poland (36), Slovakia (39), Bulgaria (40) and Greece (40) have the lowest scores on the index. Recommendations for tourism recovery in post-COVID-19 are proposed. Main directions of tourism recovery should be: collaboration between destination management organisations and tourism enterprises, promotion of sustainable and inclusive tourism development, implementation of innovation and digital technologies in the process of tourism services consumption. Keywords: digitalisation in tourism, digital technologies, European Union member countries, Digital Economy and Society Index, digital COVID certificate. JEL Classification F29, L83, L86, O52 Formulas: 0; fig.: 4; tabl.: 2; bibl.: 14.