Respondents’ Involvement in Tourist Activities at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

The article is aimed at presenting the survey respondents’ involvement in tourist activities, taking into account certain factors at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The main objective may be divided into three direct aims, each of which consists of the determination of the factors that can influence the choice of tourist journeys: (1) organizational factors, (2) social-economic ones, and (3) sustainable development. The authors’ own research findings are used to verify the objective. The research was conducted in April and May 2020 with the use of a diagnostic survey method and a questionnaire. Five-hundred sixty-four respondents from Poland (Podlaskie, Masovian, and Lesser Poland Voivodeships) and 133 respondents from the US (New York State, New Jersey, and Illinois) took part in the research. It was divided into organizational, social-economic, and sustainable development related factors. The research confirmed, inter alia, a great impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the organization of tourist travels by the respondents in 2020. The issue presented in the article is a new one; it has not yet been a subject matter of research. That is the major reason the authors aimed to conduct it. What is a new methodological element in the article is the organization of some concepts concerning tourism and a presentation of the influence of COVID-19 on tourism. In the authors’ opinion, the issues presented are new and have a considerable impact on new trends in the development of tourism at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue discussed is very broad, and the article does not exhaust it. The research findings are compared to the research findings reported by other authors, and standard deviations are calculated.

1. Introduction

Tourism, i.e., the movement of people both individually and in organized groups is a phenomenon known even in former times although the term has been used since the 19th century. As early as in ancient times, people traveled for different purposes (first journeys were in general religious in nature) [1]. A contemporary phenomenon of tourism can be viewed form many perspectives. Most often it is perceived in the social, psychological, cultural, and economic context [2]. It can also be perceived as a dynamically developing sector of industry, which in case of many countries, regions and towns constitutes an extraordinarily important factor in economic development [3,4]. Due to the fact that tourism is a multifaceted phenomenon (it is connected with, inter alia, such sciences as geography, sociology, psychology, economics, and pedagogy), it has an impact on the development of various sectors of the economy [5,6].

The term tourism alone originates from a Latin word tourus, i.e., “rotary, circular movement” concerning the change of place of stay. In the French language the word tourus was changed into tour, i.e., a type of journey that ended in the place where it had started. The term started to be commonly used at the end of the 17th century to describe the trips of young English people who traveled around Europe (mainly France, Italy, and Germany). Their journeys often took a few years’ time and they started to be called tourists. They traveled for the purpose of educational experience as well as leisure, and the journeys were to prepare them for adult life [1].

The concept of tourism and related terms changed with the change in the number of tourist journeys and the growing interest of many fields of science [7]. The differences in defining tourism are really big and depend on the point of view from which they are considered [8].

In accordance with the definition of the World Tourism Organization, it is “the entirety of activities of persons traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes with the exception of the purpose of being employed” [9,10,11,12,13].

At present, the world and the entire tourism industry face the COVID-19 pandemic, which has spread across 206 countries [14]. On 7 January 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) announced that the coronavirus causes pneumonia, the reason for which had not been clearly identified in China. The infection was recognized as a coronavirus disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 with acute respiratory distress syndrome. On 11 March, when the disease spread across 114 countries, the WHO announced the COVID-19 pandemic [15].

When COVID-19 spread all over the world, many countries and regions introduced restrictions on traveling and closed their borders in order to curb the pandemic [16]. Richter [17] suggested that the occurrence or re-occurrence of infectious diseases results, inter alia, from global tourism and mobility. Urbanization and globalization caused the fast spread of the virus [18], but tourism plays a significant role in the aggravation of public health crises resulting from that. That is why identification and quantification of the risks and social costs of tourism at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic are of key importance in order to minimize the negative impact of tourism on destination towns and regions. The very serious problems of the global tourism sector caused by the COVID-19 pandemic were highlighted in 2020 by, among others, Hebli, Said [19], Sigala [20], and Haywood [21].

At the present time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the importance of tourism and its sustainable development is extremely important. According to the World Health Organization, 26.6 million people were infected and 17.7 million of them recovered. Eight-hundred seventy-five thousand people died [14]. Figure 1 shows where in the world COVID-19 accumulated.

COVID-19 significantly influenced global tourism (Figure 2). According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), just because of the COVID-19 pandemic, tourist journeys in 2020 can decrease by ca. 60–80% globally [23].

The development of tourism at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic has an impact on the management of resources so that economic, social, and aesthetic needs can be satisfied and, at the same time, life protection systems and ecological processes can be cared for. Sustainable tourism products exist in harmony with the local environment, community, and culture, which thanks to that become the beneficiary of, not victim of, of tourism development [25]. At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, sustainable tourism is also a management method, which indicates the link between the needs and natural resources, the needs of local people and the tourism sector [26].

At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, the factors in organization of tourist journeys are very important. They can be classified in the following groups: leisure-related, social (changes to the surroundings, emotional changes, and co-participation-related ones), educational, self-actualization related, organizational, economic, sustainable development related and health related. It is also necessary to determine factors that influence the choice of tourist destination in order to develop appropriate marketing strategies. The article focuses in particular on organizational, social, economic, and sustainable development related factors.

The article aims to present tourist activities based on the survey respondents’ answers and takes into account certain conditions at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Particular parts of the article present theoretical conditions for the COVID-19 impact on tourism, and then the research findings are discussed. After the introductory issues, the article presents theoretical bases and a research gap. This part presents a detailed review of literature on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism. The next part of the work discusses the material and methods. The fourth sub-chapter is devoted to the findings and the presentation of selected factors in the respondent’s tourist activities. The final part of the article presents conclusions. The subject presented is topical as the SARS Co-V-2 virus has left a mark on both tourism demand and supply, will have long-term, incremental effects in the coming years, and will eventually bring us closer to the transformation of tourism.

2. Review of Literature

Tourism is perceived as a space-related phenomenon that has enormous influence on society and various sectors of national economy at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Table 1. List of works concerning the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism published in 2020. Source: [15,24,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37].

Authors	Title	Methodology
Gössling, Scott, and Hall [24]	Pandemics, tourism and global change: a rapid assessment of COVID-19	Period: 1972–2020 Methods: Systematic Literature Review (SLR)
Higgins-Desbiolles [27]	Socializing tourism for social and ecological justice after COVID-19	Period: 1999–2020 Methods: SLR
Qiu, Park, Li, and Song [28]	Social costs of tourism during the COVID-19 pandemic	Period: 2020 Area: 1627 respondents of Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Wuhan Methods: questionnaire, valuation method
Zheng, Goh, and Weng [29]	The effects of misleading media reports about COVID-19 on Chinese tourists’ mental health: a perspective article	Period: 1995–2020 Methods: SLR
Brouder [30]	Reset redux: possible evolutionary pathways toward the transformation of tourism in a COVID-19 world	Period: 2013–2020 Methods: SLR
Farzanagen, Gholipour, Feizi, Nunkoo, and Andargoli [31]	International Tourism and Outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19): A Cross-Country Analysis	Period: 2020 Area: selected countries Methods: regression
Correa-Martinez, Kampmeier, Kumpers, Schwierzeck, Hennies, Hafezi, Kuhn, Pavenstadt, Ludwig and Mellmann [15]	A Pandemic in Times of Global Tourism: Super spreading and Exportation of COVID-19 Cases from a Ski Area in Austria	Period: 2020 Area: Germany, Austria Methods: case study
Yu, Li, Yu, He and Zhou [32]	Communication related health crisis on social media: a case of COVID-19 outbreak	Period: 2020 Methods: case study
Niewiadomski [33]	COVID-19: from temporary de-globalization to a re-discovery of tourism?	Period: 1987–2020 Methods: SLR
Carr [34]	COVID-19, indigenous peoples and tourism: a view from New Zealand	Period: 1979–2020 Methods: SLR
Chang, McAleer and Ramos [35]	A Charter for Sustainable Tourism after COVID-19	Period: 2020 Methods: SLR
Prideaux, Thompson and Pabel [36]	Lessons from COVID-19 can prepare global tourism for the economic transformation needed to combat climate change	Period: 2001–2020 Methods: SLR
Wen, Kozak, Yang, Liu [37]	COVID-19: potential effects on Chinese citizens’ lifestyle and travel	Period: 2020 Methods: SLR

presents a list of publications on the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic concerning tourism. The list was compiled based on the review of literature.

The scientific publications listed in Table 1 [15,24,27,28,29,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37] indicate that works focus on the use of databases for the purpose of developing methods and tools showing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism. The authors use a series of variables to demonstrate the issue of the pandemic and its significance for global tourism. The largest group of authors used the Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to present the issue of the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on tourism.

According to Gössling, Scott and Hall [24], the new coronavirus (COVID-19) poses a challenge to the world. Due to the lack of a vaccine and limited medical possibilities of treating this disease, non-pharmacological interventions (NPI) constitute the main strategy of curbing the pandemic. Unprecedented global restrictions on traveling and orders to stay at home have caused the most serious disturbances in the global economy since World War II. Due to the fact that international bans on traveling affect over 90% of the global population and the wide-spread restrictions on public gatherings and the mobility of society, tourism was actually brought to a halt in March 2020. Early data concerning flights, cruises and accommodation were catastrophic. Although they are highly uncertain, the early UNWTO forecasts for 2020 suggest that the number of international arrivals can drop by 20–30% in comparison with 2019. Tourism is particularly vulnerable to the measures taken to curb the pandemic due to limited mobility and social distance. Their articles compare the influence of COVID-19 with former epidemics/pandemics and other types of global crises, and analyse how the pandemic can change society, economy and tourism.

Higging-Desbioles [27] believes that the 2019–2020 COVID-19 pandemic can change tourism industry and the contexts in which it operates. This global crisis during which traveling, tourism, hoteling and events were frozen in many parts of the world creates an opportunity to find new possibilities in this historic moment of the transformation. The critical analysis of tourism concerning those events unveils the methods with the use of which tourism supports neoliberal injustice and exploitation. The COVID-19 pandemic can constitute a rare and invaluable occasion to re-consider and redirect tourism toward a better path in the future. However, a ‘responsible’ approach to tourism alone will not ensure sufficient opportunities to make such a reset possible. Such a vision needs society-oriented tourist frameworks, which will re-define and re-direct tourism based on the rights and interests of local communities and nations. Theoretically, such an approach covers the method in which tourism might become ‘public property’ by means of its recent direction to the public good. It is necessary for tourism to be responsible for social and ecological restrictions on the globe.

Zheng, Goh, and Wen [29] believe that the coronavirus (COVID-19) was recognized by the World Health Organization as the state of threat to public health on an international scale. Since then the pandemic has been receiving major international media coverage and information about it has been spread among the citizens of the entire world. However, some reports concerning the COVID-19 pandemic exerted negative influence on Chinese travelers’ mental health because the outbreak of the pandemic was described as “the Chinese virus pandemonium”. Their in-depth article examines how the misinforming and discriminating media reports can influence the psychological wellbeing of travelers of different (Chinese) ethnic origin during the COVID-19 pandemic.

On the other hand, according to Brouder [30], the number of international arrivals exceeded 1.5 billion for the first time in 2019. Long-term evolution of tourism indicates considerable dependence upon the paths of development with a decade of increase since the global financial crisis. This recent period of unhampered development of international tourism has suddenly finished because the COVID-19 pandemic made the sector stop operating almost completely. Due to the fact that the world is struggling with the global pandemic reality, there is one chance for a generation to reconsider what tourism will look like in future decades. In their opinion, COVID-19 will leave a trace on demand for and supply of tourism, will have long-term growing effects in the years to come and eventually will bring us closer to tourism transformation.

According to Niewiadomski [33], the outbreak of COVID-19 stopped the whole travel and tourism sector. As far as this is concerned, tourism that we knew a few months ago stopped existing. Although the price that the world pays is enormous, temporal de-globalization processes offer tourism industry an unprecedented opportunity to re-launch, an unprecedented chance to redevelop in accordance with the principles of sustainable development and elimination of various ‘dark sides’ of the development of tourism such as the destruction of the environment, economic exploitation or overpopulation. However, the path of redevelopment and transformation that the world system of tourism industry will follow after the COVID-19 crisis has not been determined yet.

Carr [34] believes that the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic will be long-term and will have inter-generational influence on indigenous and non-native people. Autochthonous people offer unused potential for understanding in what way we develop solutions resistant to COVID-19 and similar risks in the future. According to the author, the environmental and social needs of all societies should be treated as priorities within the solution concerning COVID 19, and tourist reactions cannot be separated from social needs.

Chang, McAleer, and Ramos [35] believe that SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes the COVID-19 disease, is extremely communicable. Long-term consequences for individuals have not been fully recognized yet while they are dramatic for international society. COVID-19 has forever changed the world in every aspect that can be imagined and exerted enormous influence on international journeys, demand for the tourism and hoteling sector, which is one of the biggest employers in the world and is very vulnerable to serious crises like the COVID-19 pandemic. It is necessary to analyse in what way the industry will recover from COVID-19 and how it can be made sustainable in the dramatically changed world. Their article presents a concept of a tourist, traveler’s and hotel card after COVID-19 as their input into the sector.

On the other hand, Prideaux, Thompson, and Pabel [36] believe that the COVID-19 pandemic stopped almost all international journeys in the first half of 2020. The return to the patterns of growth observed before the pandemic will take some time and will depend on the depth and extent of the recession caused by COVID-19. The recovery phase will be accompanied by global efforts to combat the evolving climate crisis. In their opinion, in order to develop in the future world, the tourist industry must go beyond the temptation to adopt strategies based on the return to the standards before the pandemic and strive to understand how to respond to the occurrence of global economy transformation toward carbon neutrality.

Like other authors, Wen, Kozak, Yang and Liu [37] believe that the outbreak of the new coronavirus (COVID-19) in 2019 has negative consequences for global tourism and hoteling industry. Their work aims to examine in what way the outbreak of an epidemic can change the Chinese tourists’ lifestyle, traveling behavior and tourist preferences in short-term and long-term perspectives. Their work is based on the synthesis of information broadcast by a few media, which is to be backed by a review of literature on marketing in tourism, tourism management and tourist behavior. The authors’ experience in the research into trends in tourism and hoteling on local and international scale also contributed to the analysis. The article presents a prediction that COVID-19 will probably influence Chinese travelers’ consumption patterns such as the growing popularity of the free of charge and independent journeys, luxurious journeys, as well as health and wellness tourism.

The successive two groups of authors [15,32], in order to present the influence of the COVID-19 virus on tourism in their articles, made use of case studies. Correa-Martinez, Kampmeier, Kumpers, Schwierzeck, Hennies, Hafezi, Kuhn, Pavenstadt, Ludwig, and Mellmann [15] presented data indicating the export of COVID-19 cases from the resort in Ischgl. The authors present a case of a barman who was supposedly the source of many cases then recorded in Island, Norway, and Denmark. In their opinion, the cases connected with Ischgl are still moving undetected around Europe and outside. European travelers were prohibited from traveling to the United States on 14 March, i.e., nine days after Iceland had announced an epidemiological warning.

Yu, Li, Yu, He, and Zhou [32] believe that social networking media are an important element of communication connected with catastrophes and health crises. The authors analyzed 10,132 online comments on COVID-19 with the use of automated and manual text analysis. They identified and discussed key issues, including dynamically changing tourists’ perception of risk, the results of tourist services quality during the crisis, the issue of quarantine in public health, authenticity of media coverage and racial discrimination. Their research constitutes input into suggestions and observations concerning future research into the tourism crisis caused by the epidemic.

In their research, Qiu, Park, Li and Song [28], with the use of the valuation method, analyse potential consequences of tourism in relation to the COVID-19 pandemic. In their opinion, it is estimated that inhabitants are ready to pay for the decrease in the risk of the pandemic. They determined factors behind that willingness to pay. The demand and social costs curves are estimated. The restoration strategy should cover the inhabitants with different demographic features. Coronavirus causes an acute respiratory failure and is rapidly spreading all over the world at present, which resulted in the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic in 2019. In the face of this crisis, scientists studying tourism are turning their attention to societies in tourist destinations focusing on their security and wellbeing as well as the costs that they will incur as a result of closing their tourism businesses. Their article describes the way in which the inhabitants perceive the threats connected with tourism operations and estimates their readiness to pay for the reduction of threats to public health based on hypothetical scenarios and with the use of the method of triple-bounded dichotomous conditional choice estimation.

The final group of authors (Farzanagen, Gholipour, Feizi, Nunkoo, and Andargoli [31]) analyses the connection between international tourism and cases of COVID-19, and deaths resulting from it in over 90 countries with the use of the regression method. They made use of international regression analysis and found a positive correlation between international tourism and accumulated level of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths until 30 April 2020. Their analyses of regression show that countries exposed to big flows of international tourism are more vulnerable to infection and deaths caused by the outbreak of COVID-19. This link is firm even when other social and economic factors in the COVID-19 pandemic and regional models are examined. Based on their estimates, an increase in the level of tourist arrivals and departures by 1% is connected with the growth in the level of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths by 1.2% and 1.4% respectively, taking into account other factors.

3. Materials and Methods

The research was conducted in April and May 2020 with the use of the method of a diagnostic survey and a questionnaire form. 564 respondents from Poland (Podlaskie, Masovian and Lesser Poland Voivodeships) and 133 respondents from the USA (New York State, New Jersey, and Illinois) took part in the research. The countries were deliberately selected. In the authors’ opinion, their policy toward the CIVID-19 pandemic differs and there are different restrictions imposed in them. In addition, their GDP per capita is different. There are also other differences in the area of traveling. The American states and Polish voivodeships were randomly chosen. The questions in the survey questionnaire were asked so that present problems connected with the COVID-19 pandemic could be recognized. The respondents’ answers are analyzed with regard to different variables. Preferences as to the types of tourist travel resulting from the respondents’ education and affluence level are also presented.

Table 2. Characteristics of the studied population. Source: Own research.

Specification		Poland		USA
		n = 564	%	n = 133	%
Sex	Female	345	61.2	56	42.1
	Male	219	38.8	77	57.9
Age	18–24	255	45.2	14	10.5
	25–34	171	30.3	7	5.3
	35–44	81	14.4	49	36.8
	45–54	21	3.7	35	26.3
	55–64	21	3.7	7	5.3
	Over 65	15	2.7	21	15.8
Education	Primary	12	2.1	-	-
	Vocational	12	2.1	21	15.8
	Secondary education	105	18.6	35	26.3
	Higher	435	77.1	77	57.9
Professional status	Pensioner	30	5.3	14	10.5
	Blue-collar worker	33	5.9	21	15.8
	White-collar worker	276	48.9	77	57.9
	Student	174	30.9	7	5.3
	Businessman	51	9.0	14	10.5
Income per 1 family member	Less than PLN/$1000	27	4.8	-	-
	PLN/$1001–1500	78	13.8	7	5.3
	PLN/$1501–2500	117	20.7	28	21.1
	PLN/$2501–3500	171	30.3	14	10.5
	Above PLN/$3500	171	30.3	84	63.2

presents the characteristic features of the population studied.

Over 60% of the respondents from Poland were women while over 40% were from the US. It can be noticed that the respondent’s level of education in both countries was high (higher and secondary education dominated). Most of the respondents worked as white-collar or blue-collar workers.

4. Results and Discussion

4.1. Factors Limiting Tourist Journeys at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic exerted considerable influence on the tourism sector. According to the research findings, a significant number of people gave up traveling in 2020. Figure 3 presents the respondents’ attitude depending on the level of their education.

About 68% of the respondents from Poland and the USA planned a tourist journey in 2020. It can be noticed that people with higher or secondary education were more eager to plan such a trip.

Figure 4 indicates that COVID-19 had considerable influence on the organization of tourist journeys by the respondents. A big number of them decided to spend their vacation in their country. What is a very important factor in the organization of a journey is the reason for traveling. It is connected with a desire to go to a particular country or city in order to get to know its culture, wildlife or social life [38].

Table 3. Respondents’ reasons for tourist journeys at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and other authors’ research findings (%).Source: Own research and [39,40,41,42].

Specification	2020 (Poland) n = 564	2020 (USA) n = 133	Głąbiński [39] 2018 n = 270	Alejziak [40] 2009 n = 333	Łaciak [41] 2006 n = 4021	Qu, Wong and Ping [42] 1999 n = 330	Standard Deviation
Leisure	85.7	68.4	55.7	42.0	63.6	36.4	16.5
Sightseeing (getting to know tourist attractions)	49.2	26.3	70.2	-	-	12.1	22.1
Doing sport	14.8	11.5	46.7	-	-	-	15.9
Visiting family/acquaintances	11.6	31.6	-	34.0	29.8	-	8.9
Participation in events	9.5	4.2	38.4	-	-	7.6	13.7
Religion	2.1	1.1	34.5	-	0.6	-	14.4
Business	1.6	0.7	-	10.0	5.3	5.5	3.3
Health	-	-	36.1	-	5.4	3.6	14.9
Others	1.0	0.5	-	14.0	2.8	1.5	5.1

presents detailed data concerning this issue.

Our as well as other authors’ research findings indicate that leisure was the main reason for traveling at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and in former years. Only according to Głąbiński [39], the respondents are more willing to get to know tourist attractions than to have leisure. The research findings concerning the means of transport during a tourist journey at the time of pandemic is shown in Figure 5.

The respondents from Poland preferred their own car while the respondents from the US chose a plane as a means of transport. Figure 6 presents preferences concerning domestic and foreign journeys in 2020 depending on the level of education.

People with higher education chose foreign journeys. The choice is also confronted with the level of the respondents’ income (Figure 7).

Wealthier people preferred journeys in their own country.

Table 4. Overnight accommodation chosen by the respondents at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and other authors’ research findings (%). Source: Own research and [41,43,44].

Specification	2020 (Poland) n = 564	2020 (USA) n = 133	Bouchon [43] 2013 n = 33	Nash, Thyne and Davies [44] 2006 n = 309	Łaciak [41] 2006 n = 4021	Standard Deviation
Hotels	40.4	56.4	42.4	49.0	7.7	16.7
Staying at family members’/acquaintances’	12.8	36.8	-	8.0	19.9	10.9
Guest houses	28.7	-	24.2	2.0	16.6	10.1
Agritourist farms	7.6	-	-	-	6.9	0.4
Camping sites/tents	3.2	5.3	-	3.0	3.9	0.9
Motels	4.3	1.5	-	-	7.7	2.5
Hostels	-	-	-	15.0	1.6	6.7
Renting apartment	-	-	3.0	4.0	5.9	1.2
Others	3.0	-	-	-	1.2	0.9

presents overnight accommodation chosen by the respondents from Poland and the US in comparison with other authors’ findings.

The respondents from Poland in general stayed in hotels and guesthouses and the respondents from the US chose hotels or stayed at their family members’. A big group of the respondents from Poland chose agritourism farms, which is quite reasonable at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic because it is a choice of rural areas (places with a small population) [45].

A considerable number of the respondents have not planned any journeys in 2021 (Figure 8). It can be also noticed that many of the respondents are still going to travel the world.

Many factors affect the development of tourism, especially at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also concerns sustainable tourism. Figure 9 presents detailed data concerning this issue.

Many factors exert influence on the choice of the place of stay at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The respondents from Poland chose the accommodation location, price, and destination as the major factors. In the opinion of the respondents from the US, the city reputation, accommodation location, price and other people’s opinions are of major importance.

4.2. Social and Economic Factors in the Choice of Tourist Journeys at the Time If the COVID-19 Pandemic

Analyzing factors influencing tourist activities and the choice of destination by the respondents, one can state that these are social conditions, which include people who are accompanying a traveler. At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic it is a very important factor in avoiding getting infected.

Table 5. People accompanying a traveler during a tourist journey at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and other authors’ research findings (%). Source: Own research and [41,46].

Specification	2020 (Poland) n = 564	2020 (USA) n = 133	Szpilko, Gierałtowska and Golubiewska [46] 2011 n = 315	Łaciak [41] 2006 n = 4021	Standard Deviation
Alone	8.0	15.8	9.0	22.1	5.7
With a spouse	14.4	10.5	-	39.6	12.9
With a partner	33.5	5.3	26.0	6.7	12.2
With friends (organized group)	20.2	-	35.0	17.0	7.8
With the family	23.9	68.4	24.0	27.9	18.7

presents detailed information on this issue.

The respondents from Poland decided to organize their tourist journeys mainly with their partners or family, and over half of the respondents from the US with their family. According to other authors’ research findings, people were willing to travel with their friends and spouses.

Economic conditions are also decisive factors in traveling. The research pays special attention to price and economic losses incurred by countries where the COVID-19 pandemic was most apparent. Figure 10 presents the respondents’ opinion on the issue of price reduction in the tourism sector at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The research findings indicate that the respondents’ opinions on the reduction of travel prices at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic were positive. Figure 11 presents countries that in the respondents’ opinion, were hit by the heaviest economic losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the opinion of the Polish respondents, Italy, Spain, and Greece incurred the heaviest losses. The respondents from the US believed that their country was hit by the heaviest loss as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The European Union’s initiative of ‘safe corridors’ concerns countries that maintain the number of people infected under control and do not allow for the outbreak of another wave. A big number of tests are done and potentially infected people are traced and identified in those countries. They include Greece, Croatia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Portugal, and Georgia [47].

4.3. Factors in Sustainable Development of Tourism at the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The factors determining a tourist journey at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic also include the conditions for sustainable development. Sustainable tourism consists of having respect for the values of wildlife, culture, social areas, showing respect for and ensuring protection of natural resources, as well as respect for the traditions of local society while making use of opportunities for economic development of a region [13]. The concept of tourism that is subject to sustainable development at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic concerns the inhabitants of tourist regions as well as tourists visiting them and the entire tourist regions. It is based on acting according to three basic principles [26]:

• economic order: appropriate relation between the pace of using resources by tourism industry and the pace of renewing those resources;
• social and economic efficiency of tourism industry;
• ensuring profitability for cooperating systems.

In addition, the United Nations Organization distinguished criteria for the main thematic areas of sustainable tourism; they include [48]:

• efficient planning of sustainable development;
• social and economic maximization of benefits for local communities;
• support for cultural heritage;
• reduction of negative consequences of the impact on the natural environment.

The respondents were asked to interpret the concept of sustainable tourism at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The respondents from Poland expressed the opinion that first of all it is a balance between ecological, social, and economic factors. Figure 12 presents detailed data.

The respondents from the US expressed the opinion that sustainable tourism at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic is mainly identified with equal distribution of tourist movement. Figure 13 presents main areas of the development of an industry operating in favor of sustainable tourism in the world at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic in the respondents’ opinion.

In the above-presented research, undertaking the issue of sustainable tourism at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic is an important element because it has influence on local communities. It also affects tourists’ satisfaction with traveling at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as having an impact on economic profits from tourism. Sustainable tourism is also an indicator of an ecological impact on the environment (e.g., the quality of drinking water, solid waste). As Figure 13 indicates, it is also a factor in promoting ecological tourism, in particular at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic when many tourists are looking for a tourist destination.

5. Conclusions

Tourism sector is one of the biggest and fastest growing industries in the world [49]. Thanks to the creation of workplaces, income from export, investment and infrastructure development, tourism sector directly and indirectly makes a considerable contribution to social and economic processes [50]. However, it should be pointed out that the COVID-19 pandemic affected the development of tourism in the world to a considerable extent.

The issue of tourist activities and destinations plays an important role in research aimed at getting to know the rules and mechanisms governing the tourist market, which was conducted by the representatives of various scientific disciplines [51]. It results from the fact that it is a tourist who is a basic party to tourism [7]. Tourism does not exist without people because they consciously signal the needs connected with leisure activities, which result in tourist activities in space [52]. The great tourism industry was developed for them and strives to meet their needs and expectations, especially at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic [53].

COVID-19 has changed the world forever with regard to every aspect that can be imagined and exerted great influence on international journeys, demand for tourism and the hoteling sector, which is one of the biggest employers in the world and is very vulnerable to serious shocks such as the COVOD-19 pandemic [35].

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has already exerted considerable influence on almost every society and industry. Scientists and practitioners involved in tourism should thoroughly analyse this tragedy and the way in which it can affect industry and social practices. This and other crises of public health create enormous opportunities to look at the sector in a comprehensive way and at its impact on the environment, climate, and travelers [37].

The authors’ own research indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic had a big impact on the organization of tourist journeys by the respondents. Many of them decided to spend their holiday in their country (especially more affluent people), and people with a higher education level were choosing to travel abroad. The research findings also indicate that relaxation was the main reason for traveling in the period of the COVID-19 pandemic. While traveling, the respondents from Poland preferred driving their own car and a means of transport chosen by the respondents from the USA was a plane. The respondents from Poland in general stayed in hotels and guesthouses, and the respondents from the USA stayed at their family members’. A big number of the respondents from Poland chose to stay on agritourism farms, which is quite reasonable at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analyzing factors that influence the respondents’ involvement in tourism and their choice of destinations, one can state that these are social determinants, which also concern people accompanying a traveler. At the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is a very important factor that makes it possible to avoid infection. The respondents from Poland decided to organize their tourist journeys mainly with their partners of family, and over half of the respondents from the USA with their family. Economic conditions are also decisive factors in traveling. The research draws special attention to price related and economic losses incurred by the countries where the COVID-19 pandemic was most apparent.

The respondents expressed an opinion on the interpretation of the concept of sustainable tourism at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Those from Poland believe that it is mainly a balance between ecological, social, and economic factors. The respondents from the USA expressed an opinion that sustainable tourism at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic should be identified with equal apportionment of tourist movement. Undertaking the analysis of the issue of sustainable tourism at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic is an important element because it affects local communities. It also has an impact on tourists’ satisfaction with traveling at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic profits from tourism. Sustainable tourism is also an indicator of seasonality and ecological influence on the environment (e.g., the quality of drinking water, solid waste).

The role of economic policy is an important factor at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. It should not aim at stimulating aggregated demand, at least not straight away. Economic policy with emphasis on tourism should cover the following objectives [54]:

• Ensuring the functioning of key factors in the development of tourism, e.g., resources to test CIVID-19, and treatment should be strengthened. Regular healthcare. Aid for tourism businesses to help them survive in the market;
• Ensuring sufficient resources for people affected by the crisis, e.g., unemployment benefits should be extended and prolonged. To reach self-employed and unemployed persons, money transfers are necessary;
• Preventing excessive economic disturbances, e.g., governments should ensure support for private companies, including subsidies to remuneration, under appropriate conditions. Credit and guarantee programs. Supporting domestic tourism by encouraging people to spend a holiday in the country. In case the crisis worsens, governments should increase their support for tourism.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought all international journeys to a halt in the first half of 2020. A return to the increase patterns that were observed before the pandemic will take some time and will depend on the depth and extent of the recession caused by COVID-19. The restoration phase will co-exist with the global attempts to overcome the evolving climatic crisis. To enable international tourism markets to develop in the future world, the tourism sector should go beyond the temptation to adopt a strategy based on the return to the standard state that was before the COVID-19 pandemic [36].

It should be pointed out that in the past global tourism was vulnerable to many different crises. In the 2000–2015 period the main breakthrough events included terrorist attacks of 11 September 201, the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome SARS in 2003, the 2008/2009 global financial crisis and the Middle East respiratory syndrome in 2015. None of them led to a long-term decline in global development of tourism; however, only SARS and the global financial crisis resulted in the decrease in international arrivals [55,56]. This might suggest that tourism, as a system, is resistant to internal shocks. However, there is abundant evidence that the consequences and the return to health after the COVID-19 pandemic will be unprecedented [24].

International, regional, and local restrictions on traveling immediately influenced national economies, including tourism systems, i.e., international journeys, domestic tourism, one-day trips and various segments such as air transport, cruises, public transport, over-night accommodation, cafes and restaurants, festivals, and sports meetings or events. Due to a sudden slowdown in international air travel as a result of the crisis and the imposition of bans on traveling, the closure of borders or introduction of quarantine periods by many countries, international as well as domestic tourism plummeted down. Countries struggled for their travelers’ return home, which in case of key holiday markets concerned hundreds of thousands of citizens all over the world [24].

Uncertainty and the dynamic of the pandemic and political reactions are illustrated by the estimates concerning COVID-19 influence on the tourism sector presented by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), which were considerably amended between the beginning and the end of March. The UNWTO press release of 6 March 2020 estimated that the pandemic would cause a decrease in arrivals of tourists from abroad by 1–3% (in comparison to 2019) instead of the forecasted increase by 3–4%. Three weeks later, on 26 March 2020, the updated press release indicated a 20–30% decrease in international arrivals. These important differences demonstrate the difficulty of forecasting trends at present. Thus, all estimates of potential consequences for tourism must be interpreted with the highest caution and are at the most approximate in nature at present [24].

The European Union started an initiative of ‘safe corridors’ for particular spheres of tourism demand. They were intended to join countries that managed to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. This applies to countries that maintain the number of infected people under control and do not let another wave start. Those states do many tests and identify potentially vulnerable people. More and more countries speak about ‘safe corridors’ for tourists in the context of reopening borders for holidaymakers [57]. The countries include, inter alia, Greece, Croatia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, Cyprus, Portugal, and Georgia [47,58].

The COVID-19 pandemic, which is still escalating, also has a considerable impact on the energy structure, requirements, and related emissions. Its use is inevitable and is given a lower priority in critical situations. However, as the pandemic continues, it is necessary to assess and possibly confine the influence on energy on the environment [59]. Differentiation of solutions is very important in order to achieve a desired objective of a key strategy of improving vulnerability and ensuring higher flexibility in minimizing environmental footprint [60].

It is also worth highlighting that the global COVID-19 pandemic resulted in considerable changes in human mobility patterns, labor environment as well as recreation [61]. The research conducted by Ventera et al. [62] indicates the COVID-19 pandemic had an impact on recreational activities e.g., on cycle paths. At the time of the pandemic, it is important that people who go jogging, hiking, and cycling do rational and well-thought activities and comply with the rules of social distance. Open spaces may be conducive to keeping distance and can indirectly limit the spread of COVID-19. Walkers’ activeness increased in city parks, suburban forests and sanctuaries emphasizing the importance of access to open spaces, which are interwoven with built-up areas. This throws new light on the value of urban nature as the infrastructure resistant to crises.

The issue presented in the article is new; it has not been examined. That is why the main aim was to use the authors’ research. Organization of the concepts of tourism and the presentation of the COVID-19 pandemic influence on tourism were new elements of the methodology in this article. It was also important to present the classification of types of tourism following adequate criteria for their division. The issues presented herein, in the authors’ opinion, are new and have considerable impact on the presentation of new trends in the development of tourism at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. The issue discussed is very broad and the article does not exhaust it. Tourism at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic is observing dynamic changes [63]; therefore, following them and conducting similar research, e.g., into the influence if COVID-19 on profitability of tourist businesses (hotels, motels, guesthouses or agritourism farms) would be justified. It is also necessary to conduct further research due to the fact that former research rarely focused on the influence of COVID-19 on tourism. It is probably necessary to conduct qualitative research into small and medium-size tourist enterprises in order to answer the questions:

• What is the influence of COVID-19 on the tourism labor market?
• Will COVID-19 lead to radical transformation of the tourism sector?
• In what way can the tourism and hoteling sector respond to such changes in the future?
• How can the consequences of similar crises of public health be mitigated in the future?