26 Sep
With the resurgence of the coronavirus infection, the second wave has been a cudgel to the back of the knees of the people relying on the hotel and tourism sector for their livelihoods.
We imposed the travel restrictions with social distancing in April, 2020 and could control the first wave of the global pandemic. With success in containing the coronavirus infection, the Union Government relaxed restrictions step-by-step, allowing restaurants and high schools to reopen, and public transportation to resume their services in accordance with the COVID-19 guidelines. Streets, restaurants and supermarkets were filled with people and local travellers. Human traffic was almost back to pre-virus levels in towns.
Now, no local visitors to travel destinations, restaurants, hotels and guests houses has become a second blow to the hospitality-sector which was hard hit by the global pandemic since its outbreak. The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated our tourism industry, shuttered restaurants and hotels, and sent hundreds of thousands of hospitality-sector employees to the unemployment line.
Though nobody can predict when this pandemic will end, we must revitalize our tourism industry with safe and responsible COVID-19 services, which can guarantee the highest levels of safety from our tourism industry.
Those who are involved in the hospitality sector: from business owners to their employees: need to set an example by adopting safety principles themselves. They must not only help visitors by explaining local rules and expectations and encouraging compliance but also communicate the rules of health orders clearly to visitors and residents.
While maintaining the new normal by following health safety practices, we need to ease into safely reopening our tourism industry.
To ensure no crowds at the travel destinations in the post-COVID-19 period, we must discover cultural and natural attractions which are different from current destinations which attract local and foreign visitors.
Ensuring safe, responsible behavior and discovering new natural destinations is a shared responsibility between visitors, residents, business owners and employees and local governments.
This is especially important in areas with high visitation, where the economic livelihoods of residents and businesses depend heavily on tourism.
If there is a will, there is a way to balance the safety of residents and the careful reopening of the tourism industry to welcome the local and foreign travellers back when they feel comfortable.
