'Splendid Isolation': Embracing Islandness in a Global Pandemic
Islandness is often considered to be a disadvantage. However, it has helped the residents of islands to delay, deter, and, in some cases, totally insulate themselves from COVID-19. While islanders have been quick to lock themselves down, this has had a tremendous impact on their connectivity and on...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Island Studies Journal
2022-05-01
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| Series: | Island Studies Journal |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.163 |
| _version_ | 1797769801558392832 |
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| author | Karl Agius Francesco Sindico Giulia Sajeva Godfrey Baldacchino |
| author_facet | Karl Agius Francesco Sindico Giulia Sajeva Godfrey Baldacchino |
| author_sort | Karl Agius |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Islandness is often considered to be a disadvantage. However, it has helped the residents of islands to delay, deter, and, in some cases, totally insulate themselves from COVID-19. While islanders have been quick to lock themselves down, this has had a tremendous impact on their connectivity and on tourism, which in many cases is their major economic sector. Yet, the association of islands with being safe, “COVID-19 free” zones has helped these spaces to be among the first destinations to restart the tourism economy once travel restrictions were lifted. After several weeks of lockdown, and with the COVID-19 threat still looming, social distancing remained the norm. Travellers were thus eager to immerse themselves in island environments while avoiding crowds and seeking small accommodation facilities in less densely populated rural areas to limit the risks of infection — a package offered by several islands in the central Mediterranean. With many travellers opting to travel close to home, islands benefited from domestic tourism — a key market segment for islands in this region. Islands have thus performed relatively well in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and in restarting their economies; but the pandemic has also exposed challenges including a dangerous overreliance on tourism. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:14:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c34596172f764824a5ff1ed560f4f480 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1715-2593 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T21:14:16Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | Island Studies Journal |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Island Studies Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-c34596172f764824a5ff1ed560f4f4802023-07-30T04:23:16ZengIsland Studies JournalIsland Studies Journal1715-25932022-05-01171'Splendid Isolation': Embracing Islandness in a Global PandemicKarl AgiusFrancesco SindicoGiulia SajevaGodfrey BaldacchinoIslandness is often considered to be a disadvantage. However, it has helped the residents of islands to delay, deter, and, in some cases, totally insulate themselves from COVID-19. While islanders have been quick to lock themselves down, this has had a tremendous impact on their connectivity and on tourism, which in many cases is their major economic sector. Yet, the association of islands with being safe, “COVID-19 free” zones has helped these spaces to be among the first destinations to restart the tourism economy once travel restrictions were lifted. After several weeks of lockdown, and with the COVID-19 threat still looming, social distancing remained the norm. Travellers were thus eager to immerse themselves in island environments while avoiding crowds and seeking small accommodation facilities in less densely populated rural areas to limit the risks of infection — a package offered by several islands in the central Mediterranean. With many travellers opting to travel close to home, islands benefited from domestic tourism — a key market segment for islands in this region. Islands have thus performed relatively well in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic and in restarting their economies; but the pandemic has also exposed challenges including a dangerous overreliance on tourism.https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.163 |
| spellingShingle | Karl Agius Francesco Sindico Giulia Sajeva Godfrey Baldacchino 'Splendid Isolation': Embracing Islandness in a Global Pandemic Island Studies Journal |
| title | 'Splendid Isolation': Embracing Islandness in a Global Pandemic |
| title_full | 'Splendid Isolation': Embracing Islandness in a Global Pandemic |
| title_fullStr | 'Splendid Isolation': Embracing Islandness in a Global Pandemic |
| title_full_unstemmed | 'Splendid Isolation': Embracing Islandness in a Global Pandemic |
| title_short | 'Splendid Isolation': Embracing Islandness in a Global Pandemic |
| title_sort | splendid isolation embracing islandness in a global pandemic |
| url | https://doi.org/10.24043/isj.163 |
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