Marie Dyhr, Manager Travel Trade & PR, Wonderful Copenhagen, offers an exclusive insight for CMW on how her city CVB is adapting and continuing to think long-term for the destination.
Like a growing number of destinations, Copenhagen is currently trying to curb the Covid-19 outbreak and the mounting socio-economic impact brought on by the virus.
Since the first Dane tested positive in late February, things have unfolded so quickly that it is hard to keep up: from nurseries, schools and universities shutting down to gatherings of more than 10 people being banned. Denmark’s borders are currently closed and people in Copenhagen are busy familiarising themselves with the rules of social distancing.
From a financial perspective, the negative effects on local businesses, particularly those in the meetings and tourism industries, are easy to spot. Hotels and venues that up until a few a weeks ago were close to being fully booked are now forced to send staff home. Restaurants and bars are temporarily shut, and events are being cancelled or postponed.
New measures and adjustments
As Copenhagen’s DMO, Wonderful Copenhagen has witnessed firsthand how quickly the virus has upended the city’s tourism industry including some of its own activities.
Short-term activities have had to be cancelled and the long-term focus is being reviewed and adjusted. The immediate need to assist clients and stakeholders is of key importance and the implementation of new initiatives and measures which will be needed post-corona are in the planning.
The DMO has also stopped posting travel stories and inspirational posts on Visitcopenhagen’s social media channels which are aimed at international tourists. Instead, followers can find an update on the current situation in Denmark with a link to the Danish authorities. The same applies to Copenhagen Convention Bureau’s website where it is easy to find the latest information on the Covid-19 situation in Copenhagen and relevant links.
Not everything is paused, however. The Copenhagen Convention Bureau team continues to bid on international knowledge congresses and international sporting and cultural events. The same goes for other efforts such as working towards establishing new air routes and promoting Danish cruise destinations to international shipping companies.
No one knows for sure what will happen in the next couple of months, let alone the rest of 2020, but Copenhagen is keeping a close eye on the future, making sure that it is ‘all systems go’ when the post-corona time comes.
Home is the new office
Covid-19 is unchartered waters for all DMOs and no doubt calls for a great deal of flexibility and patience. Like most other employees in Denmark and around the world, all staff at Wonderful Copenhagen are working from home amid the outbreak. The original date for when schools, daycare facilities and other public institutions were set to reopen has been moved until after Easter. For hundreds of thousands of workers this means more daunting weeks ahead of juggling work and childcare.
But, even in the most desperate times, there is a silver lining. At Wonderful Copenhagen this silver lining is the successful transition to team and townhall meetings. A transition that has also made it to the rest of Copenhagen’s meetings industry.
Wonderful Copenhagen has been in touch with several local companies providing digital meetings solutions to the industry and they all report a growing interest in their products.
If anything, Covid-19 has challenged the way that we meet and interact, inevitably affecting the global meetings industry. While it is certainly worrying, it is also an opportunity for DMOs and convention bureaus to explore new, digital avenues, which can enhance future meetings and congresses as an additional component to the event.
New business opportunities
With tourism struggling as a result of the closed borders the question is: how can your business thrive when the vast majority of your customers have disappeared?
There are those who, nonetheless, have found a way to cope for the time being. Many of Copenhagen’s restaurants that usually offer fine dining experiences are now offering take away; bars are serving after-work beers to-go; and venues are organising virtual concerts and other social events. Only a month since it received two Michelin stars, local restaurant Alchemist has gone from serving a 50-course dinner to cooking for the homeless with the owners thinking they may as well help those in need while the restaurant is closed. Meanwhile, some of Copenhagen’s hotels are renting out their rooms as home offices to locals who need a break from the family. Others have made an agreement with Danish charities to offer their rooms to homeless people in need of self-isolating.
Uncertain times ahead
But many are still struggling. Copenhagen Convention Bureau is in close contact with a wide array of partners across the industry to ensure there is an overview of the situation. Hopefully, this can help identify what is needed the most right now in the industry and how to move forward when the time is ripe.
The organisation recently sent out an extensive survey to a broad range of hotels, venues, restaurants etc. which was instrumental in bringing the plight of the industry to the attention of various national media outlets.
The Danish government has announced several financial aid packages to support businesses and employees, many of whom are in the tourism industry. Whether it will be enough in the long term remains to be seen, but as of now, new ideas and partnerships in the industry are among the positive stories to come out of the Covid-19 outbreak.
