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Offering of foreign funds in Switzerland 2020 and beyond: overview of the new Swiss regulations

By Patrick Pilastro, Representative Services Switzerland, Vice President, ACOLIN

The Financial Services Act (“FinSA”) and the Financial Institutions Act (“FinIA”), together with the implementing ordinances (FinSO / FinIO), entered into force on 1st January 2020[1]. They became part of the new financial market architecture in Switzerland. Simultaneously, the existing Collective Investment Schemes Act (“CISA”) and its implementing ordinance CISO have been revised and entered into force as well on the 1st January 2020.

The purpose of these new Swiss financial market regulations is to create uniform competitive conditions for financial institutions and instruments (i.e. a level playing field), to improve client protection, and, most of all, to align the Swiss regulations with the EU regulations (notably MiFID II).

Generally speaking, the FinSA contains rules pertaining to the offering of financial services (activity), the FinIA sets the authorisation conditions and organisational requirements for financial institutions (institutions) subject to a prudential supervision, and the amended CISA contains rules for Swiss and foreign funds (products) offered in Switzerland.

The following overview focuses on foreign funds and the providers (Swiss or foreign) who aim to offer foreign funds in Switzerland under the new regulation[2].

It is important to understand that the fund (the product itself) needs to fulfil all requirements according to the CISA before it can be offered to investors in Switzerland. In addition, anyone who aims to offer investment funds in Switzerland needs to comply with all the requirements set out in FinSA before starting any activity in this regard.

1. Requirements for foreign funds to be offered in Switzerland (product side)

Depending on the type of investor targeted, the offering[3] and advertising[4] of foreign funds in Switzerland may trigger product-related requirements such as the appointment of a Swiss representative and a Swiss paying agent, the necessity to register the foreign fund with the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) as well as publication and reporting obligations.

1.1. Requirements for foreign funds to be offered to non-qualified investors (“non-QI”)[5]

Before a foreign fund can be offered or advertised in Switzerland to non-QI (retail investors[6]), it must meet the following requirements[7].

The foreign fund must:

  • be subject to public supervision with a focus on investor protection;
  • in terms of organisation, investor rights and investment policy, the foreign fund company / fund management company and the custodian must be subject to regulations which are equivalent to the provisions of the Swiss regulations[8];
  • not provide grounds for confusion or deception with regard to its designation;
  • have appointed a Swiss representative[9] and a Swiss paying agent[10];
  • be approved by FINMA[11] to be offered in Switzerland to non-QI.

The Swiss representative submits the required documents to FINMA for the foreign fund requesting approval. The fund’s legal documents need to be in an official Swiss language (German, French or Italian) or in English, and they must include additional information[12] for Switzerland. Also, the foreign fund needs to appoint an official publication media[13] for the publication of its fund’s legal and marketing documents, legal publications, and NAVs.

Special note for umbrella fund structures: FINMA authorizes umbrella funds on a sub-fund level. Therefore, it is not mandatory to HAVE all sub-funds registered in Switzerland – only those which are foreseen to be offered in Switzerland need to be authorised by FINMA. All share classes of an authorized single fund or sub-fund are automatically authorized as well.

1.2. Requirements for foreign funds to be offered to qualified investors (“QI”)[14]

In general, foreign funds can be offered to QI without fulfilling any additional requirements. There is, however, one exemption: if the foreign fund shall also be available to high-net-worth individuals who have opted-out to be treated as professional clients[15], the fund must appoint a Swiss representative and a Swiss paying agent[16].

2. Requirements for the offering of foreign funds in Switzerland (activity side)

Just because a foreign fund is compliant to be offered in Switzerland does not mean that the foreign fund company or its agents can offer the fund in Switzerland without any additional obligations. In most cases, the person (defined as the “client adviser”) offering fund shares or units in Switzerland also provides a financial service which triggers different requirements for the financial service provider and its employees. Therefore, it is important to know what activities are considered as providing financial services under FinSA.

2.1. Providing financial services in Switzerland

The following five activities are deemed as providing financial services in Switzerland[17]:

  1. acquisition or disposal of financial instruments
  2. receipt and transmission of orders in relation to financial instruments (execution only)
  3. portfolio management (managed accounts and discretionary mandates)
  4. investment advice
  5. granting of loans to finance transactions with financial instruments

The term acquisition of financial instruments is deemed to be any activity addressed directly at a specific end-investor in Switzerland that is aimed at the acquisition of fund shares or units[18]. While giving specific investment advice is of course considered as provision of a financial service, any activity aimed at the purchase of fund shares or units is sufficient to be deemed as providing a financial service. In other words, approaching an end-investor directly with the aim to acquire fund shares or units is considered as providing a financial service under Swiss law. On the contrary, approaching a supervised financial intermediary (e.g. a bank) in Switzerland is not considered as providing a financial service as long as such intermediary does not intend to acquire the fund shares or units in question for its own account (i.e. the intermediary only wants to sell them to its clients). The law’s remit is to protect the end investor and not the prudential supervised financial service provider[19].

2.2. Financial service provider and client adviser

A financial service provider is a person that provides financial services on a commercial basis in Switzerland or for clients in Switzerland[20], while a client adviser is the natural person who performs financial services on behalf of a financial service provider. Therefore, the client adviser is the person who gets in touch with investors on behalf of the financial service provider (or in its own capacity as a financial service provider) and offers or performs a concrete financial service to and for them[21].

2.3. Requirements for the provision of financial services in Switzerland

Foreign financial service providers must comply with the applicable regulations at all times when providing financial services in Switzerland, e.g. assign the clients for whom they provide financial services to a segment (art. 4 FinSA), comply with the code of conduct rules (art. 7 – 19 FinSA), implement the necessary organizational measures (art. 21 – 27 FinSA), duly register as applicable the client advisors in the register of advisers (art. 28 FinSA), and be affiliated to an ombudsman’s office (art. 77 FinSA).

The following explanations will briefly outline the different FinSA requirements that financial service providers and their client advisers need to comply with when providing financial services in Switzerland.

2.3.1. Client segmentation

Financial service providers shall assign the persons for whom they provide financial services to one of the following segments: retail clients, professional clients and institutional clients[22].

Retail clients are clients who are not professional clients.

Professional clients are:

a. financial intermediaries as defined in the Banking Act, the FinIA and the CISA (e.g. banks, portfolio managers, trustees, managers of collective assets, fund management companies, securities firms, Swiss and foreign collective investment schemes, Swiss representatives of foreign collective investment schemes);

b. insurance companies;

c. foreign clients subject to a prudential supervision as the persons listed under “a” and “b” above;

d. central banks;

e. public entities with professional treasury operations;

f. occupational pension schemes and other institutions whose purpose is to serve occupational pensions with professional treasury operations;

g. companies with professional treasury operations;

h. large companies – a large company is a company which exceeds two of the following parameters:

– balance sheet total of CHF 20 million;

– turnover of CHF 40 million;

– equity of CHF 2 million;

i. private investment structures with professional treasury operations created for high-net-worth retail clients.

Institutional clients are professional clients defined above in letters “a” to “d”, as well as national and supranational public entities with professional treasury operations.

2.3.2.Duty to register in the register of advisers (art. 28 FinSA)

Client advisers of Swiss financial service providers which are not subject to supervision in Switzerland may carry out their activity in Switzerland only if they have entered in a register of advisers.

Foreign client advisers of prudentially supervised foreign financial service providers are exempt from the duty to register in the register of advisers if the services they provide in Switzerland are exclusively for professional or institutional clients. Therefore, only foreign advisers who work for a financial service provider that is not prudentially supervised, or foreign advisers who want to offer funds that are approved by FINMA to retail clients need to register in the register of advisors.

Even if an adviser is exempt from registering in the register of advisers, the adviser still needs to comply with all the other FinSA obligations because the FinSA applies to all financial service providers, client advisers and producers and providers of financial instruments[23]. Therefore, client advisers must have sufficient knowledge of the code of conduct set out in FinSA as well as the necessary expertise required to perform their activities[24].

2.3.3. Code of conduct

The following code of conduct provisions do not apply to transactions involving institutional clients, while professional clients may expressly release financial service providers from applying the code of conduct regarding the duty to provide information as well as the duty regarding documentation and rendering of account[25]. Also, it is worth mentioning that for financial service providers that are not supervised in Switzerland, compliance with the code of conduct rules is not ensured by supervision, but by the criminal provisions of FinSA[26].

2.3.3.1. Duty to provide information (art. 8-9 FinSA)

Financial service providers shall inform their clients of their name and address; their field of activity and supervisory status; the possibility of initiating mediation proceedings before a recognised ombudsman; the general risks associated with financial instruments, the financial service personally recommended and the associated risks and costs; the business affiliations with third parties in connection with the financial service offered, and the market offer taken into account when selecting the financial instruments. Where funds are personally recommended, financial service providers shall also make the key information document and the prospectus available to the retail client. Last but not least, any advertising must be indicated as such[27].

2.3.3.2. Appropriateness and suitability of financial services (art. 10-14 FinSA)

A financial service provider that provides investment advice for individual transactions without taking into account the entire client portfolio must enquire about its clients’ knowledge and experience and must check whether the fund in question is appropriate for the client before recommending it.

A financial service provider that provides investment advice taking account of the client portfolio or portfolio management must enquire about its clients’ financial situation and investment objectives as well as their knowledge and experience. This knowledge and experience relate to the financial service and not to the individual transactions. A lack of knowledge and experience of a client may be compensated for by providing the client with information.

If the financial service provider is of the opinion that a financial instrument is not appropriate or suitable for its clients, it shall advise them against it before providing it.

2.3.3.3. Documentation and rendering of account (art. 15-16 FinSA)

Financial service providers shall document the financial services agreed with clients and the information collected about them. When providing investment advice, they shall also document clients’ needs and the grounds for each recommendation leading to the acquisition or disposal of a financial instrument. Also, they shall document if they advised the clients against availing of the service or if an exemption from the duty to review occurred. If requested, financial service providers shall provide their clients with a copy of the documentation. Moreover, at the clients’ request, the financial service providers shall render account of the financial services agreed and provided, the composition, valuation and development of the portfolio and the costs associated with the financial services.

2.3.3.4. Transparency and care in client orders (art. 17-19 FinSA)

Financial service providers shall uphold the principles of good faith and equal treatment when handling client orders. They shall ensure in the execution of their clients’ orders that the best possible outcome is achieved in terms of cost, timing and quality (best execution).

Borrowing financial instruments from clients’ portfolios as a counterparty or act as an agent for such transactions is only allowed if the clients have given their prior and express consent to these transactions. Short selling with the financial instruments of retail clients is not permitted.

2.3.4. Organisational measures (art. 21-27 FinSA)

Financial service providers shall ensure that they comply with the duties set out by the FinSA through internal regulations and an appropriate organisation of operations. They need to ensure that their staff possess the necessary skills, knowledge and experience to perform their work and, where necessary, that only employees listed in the register of advisers (Article 29) act as client advisers for them. Furthermore, they shall take appropriate organisational measures to prevent conflicts of interest that could arise through the provision of financial services or any disadvantages for clients as a result of conflicts of interest. If disadvantages for clients cannot be excluded, this possibility must be disclosed to them.

When financial service providers appoint third parties for the provision of their financial services, they have to appoint only persons who possess the necessary skills, knowledge and experience for their work and have the required authorisations and register entries for this activity. Also, they shall carefully instruct and supervise the appointed persons. They remain liable for the completeness and accuracy of the client information and for fulfilling the duties set out in Articles 8 to 16.

Financial service providers may accept compensation (e.g. brokerage fees, commissions, discounts or other financial benefits) from third parties in association with the provision of financial services only if they pass the compensation on to the clients in full or have expressly informed the clients of such compensation in advance and the latter relinquish such compensation.

2.3.5. Duty to affiliate to an ombudsman’s office (art. 77–80 FinSA)

All financial service providers must affiliate to an ombudsman’s office (recognised by the Federal Department of Finance[28]) at the latest on commencing activity [29]. They shall inform their clients in an appropriate form about the name and address of the ombudsman’s office in question as well as about the possibility of mediation proceedings through the ombudsman.

Additional note: There is a new law in the pipeline for Distributed Ledger Technologies (Blockchain)[30] which will amend existing Swiss federal acts including the FinSA. The foreseen amendments in FinSA will limit the ombudsman affiliation requirement to financial service providers that provide their services towards retail clients. This means that financial service providers who provide financial services exclusively towards institutional and professional clients will be exempted from the duty to affiliate to an ombudsman’s office. According to the Swiss federal department of finance, it is expected that the amendments to the different acts will enter into force on 1st August 2021. However, it is planned that the amendments to the FinSA will enter into force at an earlier date[31].

Conclusion

The new implemented Swiss financial market regulations in Switzerland do not bring any additional burdens to foreign investment funds on the product side. On the contrary, some requirements have been dropped under the amended CISA (e.g. the requirement to appoint a Swiss representative and paying agent for foreign funds that are only offered to per se professional clients) and others have been simplified e.g. the foreign fund’s legal documents can now be filed in English with FINMA. However, there are a lot of changes on the activity side. With the abolition of the well-established and easy understandable concept of “distribution” and the introduction of new concepts, like the “offering” of “financial services” and the register of advisers, it can be challenging, especially for foreign actors, to fully understand the new regulations in their entire dimension. It is therefore more important than ever to have a trusted and competent point of contact in Switzerland who can provide comprehensive advice on how to comply with the new regulations in order to offer and advertise investment funds in Switzerland.

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About the Author

Patrick Pilastro is working at ACOLIN in the department “Representative Services Switzerland” in Zurich and is responsible of all legal affairs related to foreign investment funds offered in Switzerland. He holds a Master of Law with certificate in business law and has several years of experience in the field of investment funds.

About ACOLIN Fund Services AG (ACOLIN)

Established in 2006 in Zurich, ACOLIN is a success story in European financial services, catering to the specific needs of asset managers in cross-border fund distribution. ACOLIN helps its clients to access new markets and meet regulatory obligations across multiple jurisdictions. The business represents investment funds across various markets, ensuring that all regulatory obligations are rigorously fulfilled, and that fund data and documents are available to investors, intermediaries and to the relevant authorities.

The department “Representative Services Switzerland” assists customers with comprehensive and detailed first-hand information in several languages (English, German, French, Italian and Spanish) to assure a smooth and fast market entry into the Swiss financial market.

http://www.acolin.com

References

[1] However, the FinSO and FinIO provide generous transitional periods of up to three years to comply with certain new obligations.

[2] The overview only focuses on the new regulations and will not explain how it differs from the old regime. Also, it will not explain the different transitional periods.

[3] An “offer” is defined as “any invitation to acquire a financial instrument that contains sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the financial instrument itself” (art. 3g FinSA) and offering in this regard means “drawing attention to a certain financial instrument and to sell it” (art. 3 V b FinSO).

[4] According to art. 127a CISO. “Advertising” is defined as “any communication which is aimed at investors and serves to draw attention to specific financial services or financial instruments.” (art. 95I FinSO)

[5] Non-QI are all investors that are not QI.

[6] Please note that not all retail investors according to FinSA are non-QI according to CISA. The following two exemptions exist:

  1. Retail clients under discretionary mandate or advisory agreement are QI according to art. 10 para. 3ter CISA.
  2. A professional client that made an opting-in to be considered as a retail client (art. 5 para. 5 FinSA) will stay a QI (art. 10 para 3 CISA for all professional clients pursuant art. 4 para. 3-5 FinSA regardless of any opting-in).

[7] See art. 120 I and II CISA and art. 127a CISO.

[8] This is generally the case for UCITS as well as for funds from Hong Kong (approved by the Hong Kong Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) and fall within the categories of funds eligible for offering in Switzerland).

[9] The Swiss representative represents the foreign funds towards Swiss investors and FINMA (art. 124 I CISA).

[10] The Swiss paying agent plays a lesser role. It is foreseen that Swiss investors may request the issue and redemption of the units from the Swiss paying agent (art. 121 II CISA) which means that in the unlikely event that Swiss investors face problems with the issue and redemption of their fund units they can approach the Swiss paying agent which will collect all the requests and send them to the administrator of the foreign fund.

[11] There must also be a cooperation and information exchange agreement between FINMA and the foreign supervisory authorities responsible for the offering of the fund that requests approval.

[12] The country of domicile of the collective investment scheme; the representative; the paying agent; the location where the fund documents (prospectus, KIIDs, articles or regulations as well as the annual and semi-annual report may be obtained for free (art. 133 II CISO).

[13] The media of publication that are publicly accessible and recognized by FINMA.

[14] Qualified investor means an investor in Switzerland pursuant to art. 10 para 3 and para. 3ter CISA.

[15] According to art. 5 I and II FinSA, an opting out is possible for those high-net-worth retail clients and private investment structures created for them who have declared that they wish to be treated as professional clients (opting out), and who fulfil the following criteria:

  • on the basis of training, education and professional experience or on the basis of comparable experience in the financial sector, possess the necessary knowledge to understand the risks associated with the investments and have at their disposal assets of at least CHF 500,000; or
  • have at their disposal assets of at least CHF 2 million.

[16] According to art. 120 IV CISA.

[17] According to art. 3 c FinSA.

[18] See art. 3 II FinSO.

[19] See explanatory report on art. 3 para. 2 FinSO, p. 19: https://www.newsd.admin.ch/newsd/message/attachments/58956.pdf.

[20] According to art. 3 d FinSA.

[21] See art. 3 e FinSA.

[22] According to art. 4 FinSA. Only financial service providers that treat all clients as retail clients may refrain from client segmentation. Also, in art. 5 FinSA several opting out and opting in options can be found.

[23] According to art. 2 I FinSA.

[24] According to art. 6 FinSA.

[25] According to art. 20 FinSA.

[26] See art. 89 ff. FinSA.

[27] See also art. 68 FinSA.

[28] A list of recognised ombudsmen can be found under: https://www.efd.admin.ch/efd/en/home/das-efd/ombudstelle-nach-fidleg.html.

[29] According to art. 95 III FinSA, the transitional period to affiliate to an ombudsman’s office ends on the 24th December 2020.

[30] The so-called Federal Act on the Adaptation of Federal Law to Developments in Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) has already been adopted by the Swiss parliament on 25th September 2020.

[31] https://www.admin.ch/gov/en/start/documentation/media-releases.msg-id-80775.html.

Major Changes Coming to Big Tech

The hegemony of Big Tech may be seeing its first cracks. On October 29, the heads of Google, Twitter and Facebook were grilled by a U.S. Senate committee over alleged election interference.

The issue came to a head when all the major social media platforms attempted to censor a news story by the New York Post containing damaging evidence against Hunter Biden, the son of Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Murky logic

The companies claim they acted to ‘protect’ the public. Outraged citizens have instead branded the move an act of egregious censorship by private companies to sway the electorate. They argue that such companies could arbitrarily also suspend your online CFDs trading account because they determined that the risks associated with it were too high.

While Big Tech has made similarly suspicious moves in the past, the story is making waves because of the far-reaching net they cast this time. Not only did Twitter suspend the Post’s account, it did the same with the account of White House spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany. All users were unable to share mentions of the story even in private conversations.

That unprecedented response has put in serious jeopardy the suitability of social media companies to qualify for Section 230 protections. That is the clause which classifies them as facilitators of conversation instead of publishers as newspapers and media houses are.

It has been pointed out that none of the platforms exercised such discretion with allegations against President Trump concerning Russia. By now editorialising content as they did because it was damaging to Biden, they have effectively given up their claims to 230 protections.

Change around the corner

With the election less than a week away, the online hearing by the Senate will not lead to any immediate change. However, it lays the foundation for a major shakeup of how these multibillion dollar companies conduct their operations.

Even if Biden wins the election, Republicans hold the majority in the Senate and can enact legislative changes. If this happens, the de-platforming phenomenon of recent times, colloquially known as Cancel Culture, may be on its last legs.

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Expert Tips to Improve Your International SEO Strategy 

It’s no doubt that in this digital age we live in, search engine optimization is the bone and flesh of internet marketing. It involves a wide range of tactics and strategies, but all of them are aimed at one main thing… improving a site’s visibility on search results! Well, to those who know a bit about SEO services, it’s all about improving a site’s performance or ranking in the SERPs to improve visibility and traffic to the site. This is based on the fact that when an internet user performs a search on Google, they are more likely to click on the first few results that are generated. 

But assuming you know all that, you probably know that when performing SEO, you can either target a local audience or a global audience. Speaking of a global audience, this is where international SEO comes in. As anyone would think, ranking high in Google results for international search only means one thing ­– the competition is stiffer, so it takes more work. However, it all depends on your strategies. Is your business targeting a global audience? Here are a few expert tips you can use to improve your international strategy.

Work With the Right Digital Marketing Agency 

Before we go any further, the best way to leverage SEO is to hire an experienced agency. Remember, international SEO is sometimes reliant on local SEO, to begin with. If your business is located in a highly competitive market like Singapore, you will want to choose the best digital marketing agency in that area. First, the experience provider of SEO services in Singapore will know what it takes to help your business conquer the local market. They will then develop a strategy that will help your business serve a global audience by improving its visibility and link building on international searches. The best part is that with an experienced agency, both local and international SEO can occur simultaneously or concurrently.

Determine What Already Works  

Research is key, and sometimes reinforcing your strengths is the best option. Start by doing some research on the SEO strategies that are working currently, and then dig deeper to get more concrete information on how you can make it better for your business. For instance, what keywords are drawing more conversations? What is the most common language in the search? 

When it comes to research, tools like Google Search Console, SEMRush, and Google Analytics are a few among the many that will help you identify top rating markets and languages. With these, you can also understand the trends and behaviors of your target global audience. 

Many companies are now using the white label reporting dashboard. It is a powerful tool that allows you to create reports with analytical data of your choice and modify them to meet your needs. The dashboard also allows you to track the performance of your international campaigns and campaigns in other countries from one easy-to-use interface.

Choose a Market and Language Strategy 

The language barrier has for long been a limiting factor in business, but not anymore. When it comes to SEO, focus on your strengths more, but do not forget your weaknesses. Your strongholds may require less in terms of time and investment to strategize and implement. Focus on areas where you see growth and opportunity. With technology and the whole world accessing the internet, you should not limit your business to a particular geographic area. Spread your wings. 

Also, you may want to familiarize yourself with widely spoken languages like English, French, German, and Spanish. This can help create traffic on your page. Depending on the kind of business you are running, its products, and services, you can target specific countries. But then again, this means that you will have to use their native languages. If you focus on France, you will only reach French speakers and miss out on clients in other countries who may be interested in your business. 

Do not limit your audience by using a specific language on your website. That will only reduce the traffic. Instead, offer an option where there is a menu for languages, so the visitor can settle for what suits them best. 

Keep Your Keyword Research International 

For you to improve your market, you have to know each market potential. That is the first step towards winning. Secondly, what keywords are being used to search for your products, brand, and services online? What are the market metrics, and what is your current ranking? Leading search engines like Naver, Google, Bing, Baidu, and Yandex can help you identify your pool of words. There are also many tools you can use for KW research. 

For instance, SimilarWeb is a tool used to show websites with the highest jam in specific geographical areas. SEMrush supports up to 25 languages. These two are not bad engines, but they have some limitations. Instead, you can use in-country exerts. They will help you identify keywords based on local search trends. After identifying the keywords, tools like Authority Lab and Advanced Web Ranking will help you benchmark your visibility so that your competitors cannot be able to scale your business progress. 

Monitor Your Content 

There is stiff competition in the online business world, and for you to stay relevant, you have to be on toes. Let us take an example with the iPhone. There has been notable growth in the apple phone series, and every new launch comes with crazy features. For phone companies like Samsung and Huawei to stay relevant, they have to up their game. A client could get a Samsung phone with the same features as the iPhone 11 max but at a lower price. If you are wondering why; relevance is the answer!

Over time, keywords change, and it is essential if you updated your content regularly. When you update to the current keywords, you are likely to be in the game. Most importantly, making changes is one thing, and submitting your website for indexing is another. Indexing allows your changes to be captured and updated.  

Reflect Culture in Your Design 

As a business, you can’t afford to choose your clients based on factors like culture, race, and color. Instead, you can adjust your business to suit your client’s needs. That means that to get clients from different backgrounds, you should design your site accordingly and learn to diversify so you can meet their cultural needs.

When designing your website, you may want to research countries and understand their perception of different colors. That will make your website more favorable to your audiences as they scroll through without feeling offended. You may also want to format your site accordingly, use local language (where it is needed), and include a time zone for specific regions. 

Clearly, a lot goes into international SEO than most people think. It especially becomes more important when your business starts to grow and expand. Hopefully, the few tips above can help bring a positive change as far as your global SEO strategy is concerned.

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Can Patriot Funding Help Address Economic Inequality?

We love to believe that all men are created equally. But that equality does not translate to any practical aspect of lived experience. In the US and other parts of the world, there is an economic divide along many fault lines. There is the racial divide, the regional divide, and the gender divide, also known as the gender gap.

There are numerous historical and cultural reasons that explain how these gaps were created and why they persist in the modern era of “wokeness.” Old prejudices die hard and become generational curses. That said, the real question is not how we got this way, but how we break the cycle and move toward a society where the theory of how we are created is less important than the reality of how we are treated.

Patriot Funding is a lender that is trying to reverse the effects of institutional, economic inequality one individual at a time. To better understand how Patriot Funding and similar companies are taking the problem of economic inequality head-on, we have to better understand the problem:

Interest Rates and Credit Scores

Filed under “the rich get richer,” people with lots of money get lower interest rates than people who are struggling. That means that someone doing well financially will ultimately pay a lot less for the same item than a person who is barely making ends meet.

Patriot Funding reduces some of that disadvantage by offering debt consolidation loans. That is the type of loan that combines all your high-interest loans into one consolidating loan payment and a lower interest rate. This isn’t a complete solution to the deeper problem that pushes people into debt in the first place. But it is one very important piece of the puzzle.

Credit score is another factor that can make the difference in whether or not you get an offer with reasonable terms. The benefits of a high credit score become readily apparent with something like a home mortgage. It might be even more apparent with vehicle purchases. Instead of paying the advertised $199 a month for a new car, a low credit score could have you paying twice that amount for something preowned and less reliable. Reducing your number of creditors and lowering your monthly bill can increase your credit score.

Inherited Wealth Vs. Earned Income

There is a big difference between wealth and income. You don’t inherit income and you don’t earn wealth. One is passed down to the next generation while the other is gained through sweat and tears. The vast majority of hard workers have little, if any net worth to their name.

As recently as 2016, the net worth of white families was seven times greater than families of color. The trend line of the disparity has gone up over the past 50 years. It is a condition that has remained durable against capitalism, market forces, and social unrest.

There is also a tremendous income disparity that fuels the wealth disparity. When a person makes more income,they can make bigger investments in markets and real estate. Those investments become wealth multipliers. A person getting by from paycheck to paycheck has little left over for savings and investments. That lower income leads to lower credit scores, lower credit worthiness, and higher bills than an affluent person. It is a vicious cycle that broadens the wealth gap each time it comes full-circle.

Forget About the Bigger Picture

Patriot Funding will not be the market force that overturns the institutionally entrenched financial inequality in America. That is too much to ask from any one company. So forget about the big picture and focus on your own micro economy. The question is not whether a consolidation lender can change the world, but rather if such a lender can turn the tide in your particular square-foot of it.

Reducing your debt frees up more of your resources for savings and investments. It helps you increase your credit score. Sometimes, a few points makes all the difference. Finally, it ends the downward spiral and gives you a boost in your upward climb. There is always a way up and a way out. And just like the journey of a thousand steps, it begins by taking the first one.

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Practical Reasons Why Your Business Website Needs SEO

These days, every single area of business is incredibly competitive and so gaining an edge over your competitors is absolutely vital for success. A business’s website is one of its biggest weapons in the battle to stay ahead of the competition. Every industry has now moved online and so your website must be well-designed and appealing to visitors in order to convert those visitors into potential customers. In order to maximize the impact of your website, it is vital to implement SEO (search engine optimization). SEO has various benefits for your website and for your business but usually requires an experienced SEO engineer to put the measures in place. For many businesses, websites are a key factor that can generate growth. The Webflow Website builder is a great tool for those looking to easily establish their very own website.

To help every business owner out there who is looking to give their website a boost, here are practical reasons why your business website needs SEO.

1. Increase Visibility

To bring visitors to your website, those visitors must first know that the website exists. Many new website creators make the mistake of thinking that just because they have made a beautiful site, that will guarantee that people come to check it out. Just think about how you come across new sites that you have never visited. Most likely it was from searching for something on Google and then clicking on the top few results. Expert SEO services will ensure that your business’s website is one of those top results. The vast majority of web users will not scroll down past the top three or four because they will assume that those will have what they are looking for. If you want to get some of that business, your business’s website needs to be at the top of the search engine tree.

2. Boost the Reputation of your Business

As mentioned above, potential customers make an unconscious mental connection between being at the top of search engine results pages (SERPs) and what they consider must be a good business. If a customer or partner who is considering buying your product or working with you searches for you and finds you way down the list, they are going to equate that with you being down the list in terms of the reputation of your business. In order to boost your business’s reputation so that people take you seriously, you need to appear in the top few results so that you are in amongst the big boys. 

3. Gain New Customers

It is possible that you are the absolute best salesperson in the world or that your product is so outstanding that anyone who sees it will automatically buy it, but it is impossible to turn traffic into customers if you don’t have any. Imagine having a shop that sells the best ice cream in the world for half the price of normal ice cream, but it is hidden away so that no one can find it. Your business should be absolutely booming but with no customers, you can’t sell a thing. A good ranking on SERPs through effective SEO means that you will have increased traffic to your business’s website. Once you have achieved this you will have the opportunity to start turning that traffic into potential leads and customers. 

4. Move into New Markets

The Internet has made it possible for every type of business to become an international company. In previous times, the majority of businesses focused on just their target audience in the local geographical area, but those restrictions are no longer there. Effective SEO enables businesses of all types to move into new markets through targeted outreach and content. Your web traffic can literally come from anywhere in the world and by analyzing this traffic, you will be able to draw conclusions about where potential markets may be. You can then do new keyword research in order to create foreign language versions of your website in order to reach out to new customers and create brand new revenue streams for your business.

Properly planned and executed SEO provides massive advantages for every business’s website. With increased traffic being driven to your website, you will have a better conversion rate and increase your customer base and potential sales. SEO is a methodical process and you can waste a lot of time and money attempting to do it yourself without the required experience and know-how. The results of SEO take time to come so don’t immediately give up or change direction if you don’t seem an immediate success. It is often advisable to consult with an experienced SEO engineer so they can explain the process to you and help your business to achieve your website goals.

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6 Essential Tips For Improving Your Web Design

Statistics show that an average website visitor takes about five to eight seconds to know if they like a site. This is the time you have as a website owner to convince a visitor to remain on your site. This means that your website design comes in handy as it is instrumental in capturing the attention of site visitors.

This means that apart from learning how to build a website, you need to know how to keep your visitors locked. In this guide, we’ll give you six important tips that will help you improve your web design.

1. Simplify your navigation

After landing on your site, the first thing a site visitor looks for is how to navigate to find what they are looking for. In other words, navigation is essentially a map that directs them.

To make it easy for users, ensure that your site’s navigation straightforward. Simplify your menu but don’t forget to be descriptive enough. Remember that if your users can’t get what they’re looking for, they will close that tab and find a site that offers them what they want.

2. Optimize your site for mobile

Optimizing your site for mobile use is crucial because not all users will access your site using laptops or computers. Actually, mobile devices (excluding tablets) account for over 50% of the global website traffic. Besides, Google started penalizing websites that aren’t mobile-friendly. That is enough concern, right?

3.  Use attractive calls to action

Yes, CTAs are important but do you know what’s more important? Having an attractive CTA on your site. According to studies, orange and red CTA buttons can increase conversion rates by 32.5% and 21%, respectively. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean forcing a red or orange color. If your website theme conflicts with these colors, you can opt for other methods of making your CTAs attractive.

4. Add social share and follow buttons

By now, you definitely know the power of social media. Having excellent content and great offers mean little if you can’t give your users an option to share that with others. These non-pushy elements encourage site visitors to share what they like with their peers and colleagues. Further, having social share options not only makes your website complete but also increases your site traffic as well as sales. 

5.  Make use of the white space

In case you are wondering, white space doesn’t have to be necessarily white. It is just a term designers use. Studies show that using white space in the side margins & in between paragraphs makes the site attractive and increases reader attention. White space can also help you highlight your CTAs.

6.  Catch your 404s

404 error pages give site visitors a frustrating experience making them bounce to other sites. You don’t want this to happen to you as you’ll lose out to your competitors. Google may spare you for having 404 error pages on your site, but your visitors won’t. Check that your site has no 404s, and in case it does, fix them or offer the user a way to get back to the page they were in.

Wrap up

It’s easy to create a website, but creating an effective and user-friendly one needs effort. That is what will help reduce bounce rate, improve customer efficiency, and ultimately increase sales. Using the tips above, you can improve your website by checking design or visit design agency San Francisco and make your business more successful.

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How to Get More Reviews and Improve Company Reputation

Your reputation is very important when you are a company. The internet is a wonderful thing; it can bring you customers from all over the world! It can also give those same customers more options than they used to have. Tread carefully when it comes to your reputation, and if you have any doubts, go to a site like Trust Analytica for help.

1. Read and respond to reviews.

This is one of the easiest ways to improve your reputation. Make sure that you keep track of your reviews. You don’t need to respond to all of them – just enough to show yourself as involved and interested. Make sure that you respond to both good and bad reviews for the same reasons.

Responding to reviews will help your Instagram free followers to see that you actually care what they think of you. This will do a lot to help people’s opinions of your company, and will help your reputation.

2. Make a Space for Reviews on your own Site.

Many sites now have a space on their own site for reviews. If it isn’t on their site proper, then it might be on their social media. Facebook in particular now has an area specifically dedicated to reviews for their business pages.

Having this space, and making sure that people see it, can help your reputation tremendously. People like companies that they feel are open to criticism. Reviews on your own site, freely available to anybody visiting the site, will show that you are. You will show that you are comfortable with what people say about you.

3. Actively Change.

Replying to reviews is one thing. If you want to keep and maintain a good reputation with your client base, you need more. Try and make changes according to the reviews you get. People like to see that you can respond effectively to what they are saying. Potential customers are more likely to pick a company that they know can make changes. You will get a lot more custom if you keep on top of what your customers are saying. Change can be a very good thing for your reputation.

4. Try Some Direct Marketing.

Instead of simple adverts or a mailing list, why not try some direct marketing? People are all online these days, so you can easily reach out. Try and use social media for some live videos. Instagram might be a good choice for this – you can create a story which can then be put into your bio. It has the effect of making your company seem more real to the people around you. Potential customers like to feel involved; this is why direct marketing is so effective. Bring people into the fold, and you will get good reviews.

5. Make Sure you are the Best.

There is one simple way to improve your reviews and reputation. Be the best. Be better than your competition, and people will come to you. Be better than the alternatives, and your reputation will grow accordingly.

This can be a complicated process, but it is definitely worth it. You will see your company’s reputation soar when you make sure that you provide everything that people need. Remember that this does include making sure that people can get in touch with you. You still need to read and respond to reviews, and make sure that everybody is happy.

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Reasons Why Payday Loans Are A Better Option

Payday loans have become increasingly popular nowadays. There are tons of lending companies that offer these short-term loans online. With these types of loans, you can get a reasonable amount of money to settle your needs. You’ll then be required to repay it once your next salary has been paid. This guide provides a deeper insight into payday loans and how you can benefit by making them your ultimate financial choice.

They’re Quick

Payday loan offer a quick way to get money. Most lenders will disburse money into your account within 1 to 2 hours of application approval. If you have pressing emergencies like car repairs, medical expenses, broken boilers, or rent to pay, these types of loans could be an excellent option for you.

The application process is simple and fast. Applicants can apply online and get their funds within a few hours.

They’re Convenient

The payday loan application has never been this easy. The process has been completely digitalized. You no longer need to leave the comfort of your home to get a loan. As long as you have access to the internet, you can easily apply for a payday loan. And once your request is approved, you can expect money to hit your account within a few hours. So, don’t get stressed. If you have any financial emergencies, consider applying for a payday loan.

They’re Better Regulated

For many years, payday loans have been plagued by high fees, aggressive call centers, as well as, data-selling brokers. However, a huge clean up was recently done by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority). A massive crackdown was done on the industry and stricter rules were launched. Because of this, only reputable, lenders were left to trade in the industry. Plus, a price cap was introduced to ensure that borrowers don’t repay double the amount they borrowed

Thus, if you’re planning to apply for a payday loan, you can relax knowing that you’ll be working with well-regulated companies. You’ll be charged reasonable rates and your personal details will be stored safely.

Larger Borrowing

If you successfully repay your payday loan on time, the lender might offer you a higher amount on your next borrowing. For certain lending companies, there’s a maximum amount of first-time customers can borrow, but it can increase significantly once you have successfully repaid on time.

Borrowing from the same company increases your loyalty score. It provides the lender with a better history of you and how honest you’re. If you default payment, this might jeopardize your chances of getting approved for another loan. Plus, you’ll be charged a higher rate.  

The Bottom-Line

Contrary to most people’s opinions, payday loans typically come with numerous benefits. They’re readily available and easy to obtain. Most lenders now offer online services. So, you don’t have to leave the comfort of your home to obtain a payday loan. Simply identify a reputable lender and fill in the application forms online. And once your request is approved, the money will be sent to your account within a few hours. 

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China’s Economic Recovery Gains Momentum

By Chan Kung and Wei Hongxu

China’s economy has rebounded significantly in the second quarter after suffering the shock of the COVID-19 pandemic and a sharp decline in the first quarter. The country’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) will soon release key macroeconomic data for September and the third quarter, and various institutions forecasting GDP growth of more than 5% in the third quarter. If the overall economic situation does not change much, judging from the various data released so far, in the fourth quarter, China’s economy may continue to maintain the “v-shaped” recovery from the pandemic hit. In the long run, however, China’s economy remains on an “L-shaped” cyclical track.

Recently, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) released financial data for September, indicating that the overall economic situation will continue to develop in a positive direction from the perspective of monetary growth and the scale of social financing. In terms of money issuance, broad money issuance rose again after a two-month slowdown. At the end of September, the balance of broad money (M2) was RMB 216.41 trillion, an increase of 10.9% year-on-year, 0.5 percentage points and 2.5 percentage points higher than that at the end of last month and the same period of last year, respectively. The balance of narrow money (M1) was RMB 60.23 trillion, up 8.1% year-on-year, 0.1 percentage points, and 4.7 percentage points higher respectively than that at the end of last month and the same period of last year. The balance of money in circulation (M0) was RMB 8.24 trillion, up 11.1% year-on-year. This growth has come as monetary policy shifts to neutral and the central bank moderately tightens its “massive easing”. The acceleration of money turnover means that economic activity is strengthening.

In September, the scale of social financing also maintained the momentum of growth. At the end of September, the stock of social financing stood at RMB 280.07 trillion, up 13.5% year-on-year. Among them, the outstanding loans to the real economy were RMB 168.26 trillion, up 13.2% year-on-year. Structurally, the balance of RMB loans to the real economy at the end of September accounted for 60.1% of the stock of social financing in the same period, 0.1 percentage point lower than that of the previous year; the balance of entrusted loans accounted for 4%, 0.8 percentage points lower than that of the previous year; the balance of trust loans accounted for 2.5%, 0.6 percentage points lower than that of the previous year; the balance of corporate bonds accounted for 9.8%, 0.6 percentage points higher than that of the previous year; the balance of government bonds accounted for 15.9%, 0.9 percentage points higher than that of the previous year; the balance of domestic equities of non-financial enterprises accounted for 2.8%, 0.1 percentage point lower than that of the previous year. This structural change reflects the effect of capital market reform and financial supply-side reform. The bond market, as the direct financing of the market, continues to expand, while bank credit, mainly indirect financing, has decreased. Of course, it can also be seen that government financing has been expanding, reflecting the growing role of fiscal policy in economic growth in the second half of the year.

From the perspective of production and consumption, the data of industrial added value and retail sales of social consumer goods in July and August indicate that industrial production and household consumption have maintained a sustained recovery; the decline in fixed-asset investment, which is growing relatively slowly, has also continued to narrow. The PMI data for September, as well as the sharp improvement in exports in September, suggest that the overall positive economic trend in the third quarter will be further consolidated. Most institutions predict that industrial production will continue to recover in September and consumption will continue to improve as both supply and demand sides recover. The growth rate of fixed-asset investment and infrastructure investment is also expected to turn positive on the back of increased government investment. This means that the trend of China’s overall economy recovering from the pandemic has become clear.

China’s economic recovery has led various institutions, including the IMF, to raise their forecasts for the Chinese economy this year. The Bank of China Research Institute report pointed out that in the third quarter of 2020, the macroeconomic sentiment continued to rise on the basis of the “v-shaped” reversal in the second quarter. China’s GDP is expected to grow by about 5.1% in the third quarter, and the GDP growth in the fourth quarter is expected to be higher than in the third quarter. The IMF forecasts China’s economic growth of 1.9% in 2020, up 0.9 percentage points from June, and a recovery of 8.2% in 2021.

Based on the current situation, the PBOC will maintain the current moderate easing policy to maintain support for the economic recovery, despite the continued increase in money supply and social financing. China’s credit and financial sector have grown at a reasonable pace in the first three quarters of this year, and have not yet reached a situation of rapid growth, according to Ruan Jianhong, director of the survey and statistics division of the PBOC, at a press conference. The macro leverage ratio should be allowed to rise periodically to expand credit support for the real economy. It should be said that this policy has achieved remarkable results, highlighted by the steady growth of the national economy. In this light, the PBOC is relatively satisfied with the current policy strength and is not expected to change much this year.

China’s relatively rapid recovery reflects the resilience of its economy. Fundamentally, the effective recovery of China’s economy has actually benefited from the effective control of the pandemic and the effective maintenance of the stability of China’s internal economic development. But the way to improve the resilience of the economy remains a long-term problem to be solved. The effective recovery of the Chinese economy not only benefits from the effective macro policies, but also has much to do with the intensified efforts of a series of reform policies since the beginning of this year, which has released the vitality of the economy itself. Globally, while the COVID-19 pandemic continues, some external factors restricting China’s economic growth have not eased, which means that China’s economy will not be able to fully recover to the previous level within the short term. In addition, COVID-19 has actually accelerated the pace of adjustment in the global industrial chain, and there are still many uncertainties in the strategic friction between the U.S. and China, which is also an adverse factor restricting China’s economy. In the long run, China’s economy is still in an L-shaped cycle.

Final analysis conclusion:

Financial data for September exceeded expectations, suggesting that China’s economy will continue to recover rapidly in the third quarter, reflecting the resilience of China’s economic “internal circulation”. However, in the long run, the pandemic and the uncertainty of U.S.-China relations remain a constraining factor, and reform is still needed to create breakthrough in the bottleneck of economic progress and achieve sustainable long-term development.

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About the Authors

Founder of Anbound Think Tank in 1993, Chan Kung is now ANBOUND Chief Researcher. Chan Kung is one of China’s renowned experts in information analysis. Most of Chan Kung‘s outstanding academic research activities are in economic information analysis, particularly in the area of public policy.

Wei Hongxu, graduated from the School of Mathematics of Peking University with a Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Birmingham, UK in 2010 and is a researcher at Anbound Consulting, an independent think tank with headquarters in Beijing.

Rebooting Philippine Tourism from the COVID-19 Pandemic

Revitalizing tourism activities has become one of the primary concerns for the Philippines. In the short run, domestic tourism is expected to play a vital role in supporting the initial recovery phase of travel. With its presumed impact on travelers’ behavior and business operations, an analysis of the Filipino travelers’ sentiments and the existing domestic travel market is necessary in presenting effective strategies in the midst of the new normal in Philippine travel.

Introduction

The Philippine tourism economy has been heavily hit by the measures implemented to contain the spread of COVID-19. The pandemic has prompted an unprecedented crises with projections and revised scenarios suggesting that the shock in global tourism could be at 60-80% for the entire 2020, translating to a loss of approximately 67 million international arrivals or USD 80 billion in exports from tourism, while putting 100 to 120 million direct tourism jobs at risk. While affecting all economies, the Asia-Pacific region has been projected to suffer with the highest impact, affecting about 33 million arrivals (United Nations World Tourism Organization [UNWTO], 2020).

Tourism is a significant pillar in many economies in the region, especially in the Philippines, where in 2019, it contributed 12.7% share in the country’s GDP, and employed 14 out of 100 or 5.7 million of Filipinos (Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA], 2020). Following the outbreak of the pandemic, estimates for the first three months of 2020 suggest that revenue from foreign arrivals decreased by 35%, and employment in the industry may be reduced by about 33,800 to 56,600 (CGTN, 2020). Several months into the implementation of stay-at-home and quarantine policies, travel in the Philippines remains uncertain. Travel restrictions and limits in people-to-people interactions are likely to be in place for a long period of time, thus bringing the industry to a standstill.

With the expectation that domestic travel will recover faster than international tourism, insights on the possible strategies that can help bootstrap the Philippine tourism economy should be discussed. Critical to this approach is an understanding of the Filipino travelers’ sentiments towards travel and a marketing analysis which scrutinizes ways to revive travel demand and resume operations in the face of the new normal in tourism. This article will look into the variety of conducted surveys regarding travel perceptions and will reintroduce the concept of space travel to guide the creation of strategies towards travel in the new normal.

Redefining Travel in the New Normal: The Filipino Travelers’ Sentiments

In these times of uncertainty in the outlook of travel in the Philippines, a data-driven approach to support the revival of the industry has become an imperative. During the period of March to May 2020, several public and private organisations deemed it necessary to conduct surveys to understand stakeholders’ perceptions on travel in relation to the pandemic. Given mobility restrictions, surveys have been conducted online while targeting a range of stakeholders from enterprises, decision makers, to tourists. Conducted in varying time frames, general survey results suggest that travel sentiments might have evolved over periods of time. Insights on travel perceptions are necessary in crafting strategies for tourism recovery. Thus, consumer perception on the future of travel should be taken into consideration in planning interventions and strategies. Table 1 presents the surveys conducted in relation to travel and pandemic.

From the results of the surveys, several insights about the future of travel in the Philippines were made: First, domestic travel will be a priority. Travelers opt to either engage in land travel or air travel. Second, travelers will prioritise travel in rural, secluded, and natural areas once restrictions are lifted. Travel away from mainstream and overcrowded destinations are expected, although beach destinations are still considered ideal destinations post-pandemic. Furthermore, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, travelers are now more open to digital travel experiences. Similarly, travelers are likely to choose customised travel experiences over packaged group tours. Third, health and safety protocols will be their number one priority once travel resumes. Thus, effective communication of safety measures and protocols implemented in destinations and enterprises will greatly influence travel choices. Perception towards the health and safety in travel will therefore predict where travelers will travel, when they will be traveling, and what kind of experiences they hope to obtain. Fourth, while domestic travel is expected to resume within four to twelve months after easing of travel restrictions, sentiments are primarily dictated by perceptions on public health and safety. Finally, given that the pandemic has affected people’s source of income and their personal finances, travelers seek more cost-effective experiences.

Re-Introducing Space Travel

As emphasised in the webinar entitled Space travel: A conversation on strategies to revitalize Philippine tourism post-COVID-19 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zq-Co_DWg8E) hosted by the AIM- Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism last 28 July 2020, much has been said about the world getting smaller, we forget that the world is actually big. There are still so many places to explore and to visit, much to learn and to unlearn. Overcrowding (i.e., mass tourism) is no longer an option because of the established physical/social distancing, health and safety protocols that require decongestion of tourist attractions. To care for earth by giving nature room to flourish, to give fellow travellers the room to breathe, to explore, to grow, to reflect and participate in the lives of others, and to give destination stakeholders time to recover from visitor activities is the essence of space travel. It is a literal practise of giving each other and the earth space.

Tourists who routinely return to familiar destinations are considered second home tourists. These tourists are in the best position to care for a destination because they are invested in this as their go-to place for sanctuary. On the other hand, for those who travel to experience destinations from a distance, risking the alteration of local behaviour and culture are deemed fishbowl tourists. By including activities that increase their involvement in local custom, rather than just mere observation can transform these tourists and their attitude towards travel. Those who immerse themselves and make their experience a journey is called the inspired travellers, who imbibe sustainable tourism when they protect and safeguard the earth by their conscious defence and accountability of environments and travel behaviour.

Until restrictions are lifted and travelling returns to normal, tourism needs to adjust and adapt to reflect the present restrictions, initiating a new way of serving travellers called transition tourism. This type of tourism distributes the business amongst many stakeholders – accommodations, transportation, alimentation, security, and sanitation – in small groups triggering a collaborative rebooting of a local economy in many areas. Thus, for space travel to take root, transition tourism must inspire fishbowl and mass tourists to become inspired travellers (see Figure 1).

By working together, stakeholders and travellers alike, in stimulating local economies as a tight organism is to think small. It reduces the unwieldiness of the task of re-booting economies and industries. When each one of us does our little bits, we can save our big world by thinking small.

Moving Forward: From Crisis Response to Recovery

Further discussions, through webinars, have been initiated among experts and stakeholders on rebooting Philippine tourism. In the webinar titled Bootstrapping Philippine tourism: Recalibrating our priorities during and after COVID-19 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kNhIZqy92I) hosted by the AIM-Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism last 03 June 2020, the following discussions have been featured: best practices on how tourism industries recover from disasters; strategies on how tourism stakeholders can manage COVID-19’s impacts; and insights on resilient recovery from a disaster risk-reduction management lens and how these can be applied for tourism recovery efforts.

During the webinar, Aileen C. Clemente (President, Rajah Travel Corporation) highlighted the following lessons from the pandemic: “it takes a while for people to get from philosophical discussion to general frame working to actual implementation”; “those who had a lot of excuses not to implement what needed to be implemented have no choice but to now implement them; and “greed has been tempered”. From these, Clemente cited the four stages of recovery as per the World Travel & Tourism Council – managing and mitigating the crisis, restarting the sector’s operations, reaching recovery, and redesign for the new normal.

 In line with this, Maria Cherry Lyn S. Rodolfo (Consultant, Department of Tourism) explicated that the tourism industry must have a calibrated recovery plan, in which domestic tourism should be given priority. That is, tourism authorities and enterprises must incessantly develop safety and health protocols that will ensure domestic travel is safe, secure, and seamless. Rodolfo also emphasised that the pandemic warranted the need for “strong, innovative, and responsive network” in moving towards recovery, reset, and resiliency. Rodolfo also highlighted the role of “cohesive and collaborative networks” in tourism reboot. There should be: call to action for inclusive recovery assistance, innovation, infrastructure, and institutional strengthening; community engagement in utilizing the resources of networks and in leveraging local with national and international networks; and a communication plan that will cascade tourism reboot strategies to both existing strong and weak networks in the industry.

In doing so, Clemente argued that in the new normal, repositioning product offerings, raising levels of service, defining world-class destination, re-examining consumption of tourism products and services, and increasing awareness about mass tourism are essential. Similarly, Lesley Jeanne Y. Cordero (Senior Disaster Risk Management Specialist, World Bank) stressed that in transitioning towards the new normal, there is a need to redefine tourist experience and destination management; invest in innovative and creative ways of product development; promote sustainability, inclusivity, and resiliency; recalibrate travel timelines, concepts, spaces and experiences; shift and share burden by collaborating with government, stakeholders, communities and tourists. 

Conclusion

While information about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has already dominated discourses on tourism, only a few discussions have been made regarding strategies to accelerate tourism recovery. With tourism activities at a standstill, an opportunity to adapt new models for conducting tourism activities has opened. More than ever, the role of tourism stakeholders in transitioning to the new normal has become more apparent.

In addressing the question on how tourism can recover after the COVID-19 pandemic, we analysed existing data regarding travel perceptions and conducted a marketing analysis to identify ways to revive travel demand and operations in the new normal. Our analysis suggest that existing business models may have become obsolete, thereby needing adjustments and re-assessments. While travel restrictions remain, transition tourism takes place. Crucial at this period is considering travelers’ perceptions and sentiments. Following the findings in the various surveys conducted, travelers are expected to engage in tourism activities with health and safety as their priority, which further suggests their preference towards natural areas and uncrowded destinations, digital travel, and customised experiences.

Reflected by these findings is a paradigm shift in the future of travel—from fishbowl tourism to inspired travellers, which also tantamount to a shift from mass tourism to a more sustainable form of tourism. However, this shift does not occur without the collaborative rebooting of the local economy by using local tourism as a springboard. Thus, stakeholders need to work together, along with tourists, to create a tightly knit industry that fosters thinking small.

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About the Authors

Eylla Laire M. Gutierrez is Adjunct Faculty at the Asian Institute of Management and Research Manager of the AIM–Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism. Prior to joining AIM, she served as intern at the Konrad Adenauer Stiftung (KAS) Philippines. She obtained her Master of Arts in Development Policy from De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines.
Email: [email protected]

John Paolo R. Rivera, Ph.D. is Adjunct Fcaulty at the Asian Institute of Management and Associate Director of the AIM–Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism. Prior to joining AIM, he was Associate Professor at the School of Economics of De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines, where he also obtained his Doctor of Philosophy in Economics.
Email: [email protected]

Fernando Martin Y. Roxas, D.B.A. is a Full Professor at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM). He teaches Operations Management, Quantitative Analysis, Systems Thinking, Project Management, and other basic modules in the Degree and Executive Learning Programs of the Institute. He is also the Executive Director of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) – Dr. Andrew L. Tan Center for Tourism. He obtained his Doctor in Business Administration from De La Salle University, Manila, Philippines.
Email: [email protected]

Milette L. Zamora is an Adjunct Faculty at the Asian Institute of Management. She was formerly a full-time Assistant Professor at the College of Business of De La Salle University where she taught Basic and Major Marketing subjects in the undergraduate and graduate programs. She obtained her Masters in Business Management from the Asian Institute of Management.
Email: [email protected]

References

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