“Remote vacation rentals” may hold promise for the first phase of re-starting tourism in Arizona and Sonora
A story in the Washington Post this morning provided an example of how the future of tourism during the pandemic may look.
The article featured nine unique, semi-remote getaways that offer solitude in outdoor spaces that provide a solitary leisure experience for travelers.
And while the Post story focused on Airbnb rentals, the creation and operation of unique tourism sites can be advertised and managed on any internet platform.
COVID-19 challenges to restarting tourism in Arizona and Sonora
Both Arizona and Sonora have been hit hard by the coronavirus epidemic. And while new cases are on the decline in both states, Sonora’s coronavirus cases are dramatically undercounted and both states still have high percentages of infection.
As of yesterday, Salud Sonora reported 25,483 positive cases out of only 36,482 total tests reported in the state, for a positivity rate of 70%. Arizona reports 192,694 cases with a yesterday’s PCR testing positivity rate at 13.6%.
A slower reestablishment of tourism
Both Arizona and Sonora rely heavily on tourism revenues, and both states have seen a dramatic fall in tourism. And once the states fully reopen, previous levels will not automatically return at the levels where they were.
One key to restarting devastated tourism industries in the Arizona-Sonora region will be the ability to downscale while the COVID-19 pandemic is still not under control. To build a solid base on which thriving tourism economies can emerge and grow.
And remote travel is one way to start building that base.
Why this fits the Arizona-Sonora region
There are several reasons why the concept of solitude tourism would fit the tourism industries in Arizona and Sonora.
Both states have wide-open spaces, unique geography and environments, and interesting places to visit. All of these features lend themselves to the establishment of a new tourism sector that features socially distanced vacations.
Creativity, unique and intimate spaces, uncrowded solitude, special sites
Two common traits of the featured vacation getaways are: 1) they offer a unique lodging experience, and 2) they are located in a place that offers scenery and/or outdoor activities.
Both Arizona and Sonora abound with areas that are unique, scenic and offer space for solitude and experiencing nature.
From Northern Arizona’s forests and destinations like the Grand Canyon to both states’ Sonoran Desert, and Sonora’s ranches, coastline, ancient artifacts and ecological reserves, both states have locations where remote tourism can take hold.
Safety
Before any tourism efforts can reach a level of significance, however, there is one potential barrier that must be addressed: tourist safety. And this entails two areas: travel safety and site security.
Travel safety depends on consumer confidence in air and ground travel, that they can travel to and from destinations safely. The two factors that will affect this are continued decline of coronavirus cases and the ability of carriers to demonstrate that they observe travel safety precautions.
The other safety issue, which mainly affects sites in Sonora, is crime. The levels of violent crime must show a significant decrease and individual travel destinations must demonstrate safety and security measures to ensure the safety of their guests.
Nine examples of remote tourism locations
Following are nine examples of remote vacation rentals, as featured by the Washington Post.
- Underground Hobbit house
State: Washington
Environment: Rural area near a small town on the Colombia River - A rustic, renovated 1920’s sheep wagon
State: Wyoming
Environment: Open plains, lake view - Airstream camping near a large regional park
State:Texas
Environment: Blue Hole Regional Park - Yurt tent camping at Joshua Tree
State: California
Environment: Remote area in the Joshua Tree National Monument
- Renovated school bus in the wilderness
State: North Carolina
Environment: Isolated woods with views of the Blue Ridge Mountains
- Traditional ivied cottage
State: Pennsylvania
Environment: Remote, romantic cottage near the New Hope Canal and two miles away from shopping, art and restaurants - Riverside tiny house
State: Oregon
Environment: Remote site on the Clackamas River - Luxury treehouse camping
State: Utah
Environment: Adjacent to a ski chalet, trails and other outdoor activities
- Solar-powered high-desert house
State: California
Environment: Stunning desert views in a remote spot in the California high desert