A new platform, HTTA.US, has been launched to support those in the leisure and tourism industries during the coronavirus crisis.
Many companies within the attractions industry have been stepping up to help in the fight against COVID-19, with some pivoting to offer alternative services and resources. The crisis is having a huge impact on the sector, with attractions of all kinds closed for the foreseeable future. Jonathan Elkoubi, CCO of VisitorTix, alongside Marina Petrova, founder of Places.Events, has launched a new initiative, HTTA.US.
This is a platform designed to connect colleagues, friends and peers within the leisure and tourism industry who have lost their jobs due to the current situation. Unemployed and furloughed team members can register on the site, which allows them to maintain a connection with key organisations, associations and destinations within the industry.
Aiding recovery
On registering, users details will remain private and secure, and they can also decide which organisations or associations they would like to stay in contact with. The new site is free to use as it is a not-for-profit project.
“We intend on adding functionalities as fast as we can: educational opportunities, regional recovery charts, job boards, virtual suggestion boxes so that the best ideas from our peers can be expressed and perhaps put into execution,” says Elkoubi.
“During this extraordinary time of heightened empathy, it is going to take a lot more goodwill, elbow grease and leadership to federate initiatives which have the potential to make a difference. We hope that HTTA.US, our gift to our representative Trade Associations and Destination Management entities, will be capable of generating wide adoption of our recovery vision.”
When the threat of the virus has passed, the impact on the attractions industry may be felt for a while, with changes to operations likely at some attractions.