By Monidipa Dey,
Quite equivalent to what was shown in the 2011 Hollywood film Contagion, the Coronavirus has not only brought on more than a million deaths, but it has also made abrupt adjustments in the each day lives of people today inside a really quick time, whilst adversely affecting international economy and causing widespread panic. Of all the impacted industries in the Covid-19 pandemic, the tourism market seems to have taken the hardest hit across the globe, impacting numerous connected sectors, such as, hospitality, travel agencies and tour operators, all types of transportation services, along with lots of more. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTCC), the Covid-19 pandemic is probably to price the tourism market pretty much USD 22 billion and a loss of pretty much 50 million jobs worldwide. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that tourism in India has witnessed a important decline post Covid, in 2020.
With nations across the planet now gearing up to fight a new coronavirus strain originating from the UK by restricting entries, it has been a nightmarish journey for the tourism market correct from the start off of 2020, as the planet went into a lockdown mode. Flights had been grounded, cities came to a stand-nevertheless, trains stopped operating and pretty much all public transport stopped plying whilst hotels, cafes, pubs, and restaurants basically shuttered down. At the finish of 2020, with nevertheless no confirmed vaccine readily available, no one knows how lengthy the virus will continue with its deathly dance. As social distancing becomes the new mantra, with masks and gloves turning into a aspect of each day put on, people today are preferring to stay inside the security confines of their houses, and really handful of are considering or organizing for a vacation. It is the worry of touching a stranger, worry of becoming infected and spreading it, the worry of death, and a worry of the unknown that has gripped the planet, and this continuous living with worry is an emotion that will take a lengthy time to disappear and till then travel & tourism market is probably to stay in the dumps.
Some of the present visible trends in the tourism market are :
1. Intermittent closed borders owing to lockdowns across nations is right here to keep for very some time, therefore bringing overseas travels to a standstill for at least some more months. Thus, domestic travel is the more logical arena to concentrate on now.
2. A important reduce in small business travels, which is becoming replaced by rising quantity of Zoom or Microsoft Team meetings.
3. Large international events and significant gatherings becoming a full no-no, the MICE marketplace tourism has taken a nosedive and will stay dormant for some time.
4. Group travels and leisure travels have pretty much stopped owing to the worry of becoming infected and spreading the infection, particularly affecting the really young (college field trips), and the older travellers’ group travels.
In such a dismal situation it is crucial that the Government of India requires notice and plays a essential part in assisting the tourism sector to revive itself. Perhaps it can start off by bringing in some instant measures that would lower the price of Goods and Services Tax (GST), such as, take into consideration the lowering of GST prices on space tariffs in between INR 1000 to INR 7500 for a precise period of time, and lowering the GST 18% on commission earned by tour operators and travel agents for giving particular services. Besides these, the TCS or Tax collection at Source, which is created whilst producing payments to numerous hotels and airlines, can also be regarded as for exemption beneath tax relief measures. Extending the time for availing Input Tax credit (ITC) for the FY 2019-2020 to March 31st 2021 will aid to lower stress on money outflow. Along with this, particularly simply because tourism market is facing serious losses, reversal of ITC can also be suspended till March 31st 2021. Extending due dates for filing GST returns, giving immunity from tax payment beneath reverse charge mechanism, and enabling GST on money or receipt basis till March 31st 2021 can also be regarded as to aid the tourism market tide more than this crisis period.
While discussing the revival methods that can be adopted by the hoteliers, Sumeet Mehta (hotel valuations and finance specialist and the CEO of Paradigm Advisors) mentioned that “Hospitality and Leisure Sector have faced the brunt of COVID-19 Lockdown with Summer Holiday Season totally washed out due to nationwide lockdown. Recovery in the sector is now visible as people have started stepping out and travelling. Hoteliers will have to focus on innovative marketing communications to created confidence in potential travellers that their properties are safe. Increased focus is required on cleanliness and sanitisation of properties to create confidence and evince interest. Premium properties that focused largely on MICE and corporate bookings will have to shift focus on individual travellers. Hoteliers will have to come up with attractive schemes and offers to pull guests and increase occupancy levels. Increased usage of technology and reduction in human interface to ensure safety along with a unique experience will ensure domestic travellers will be enticed to travel, thereby reviving hospitality and leisure sector.”
Rajkumar Sarrof, who owns the Pristine Travels private restricted (a mid-sized Kolkata based IATA authorized travel agency) offers insight into the difficulties becoming faced by the travel operators. As per Sarrof,
· the tour operators are a deeply divided lot, not just in size and scale, but also in terms of kind of small business, viz, groups, MICE, Match, specific interest, adventure tours, and so forth. Different segments have distinct ailments. The very best basic assistance can be to bring in a nodal agency, which can frame guidelines and announce them. Currently, guidelines are announced by distinct authorities, adjustments quickly, and is really challenging to retain track of. Rules are in a difficult language and frequently interpretive, rather than created uncomplicated to have an understanding of. Support can be in the type of minimal interference, and by bringing in logical guidelines. Flight restrictions on particular days, maintaining a resort open but most of its facilities closed, basically does not make sense.
· Authorities need to invest in educating the stakeholders, instruction service providers, and cautioning all travellers about protected practices to be followed. However, as well substantially restrictions, and cosmetic hygienic measures are frequently followed just to fulfil authority mandates which are acting as big headwinds.
· Rapid Antigen tests are more to fulfil government criterion of travel, and frequently healthful people today becoming subjected to tests that is acting as disincentive to travel. However, if tests are mandatory, then they need to be dependable and RT PCR would take precedence more than RAT, and government paying for them would definitely aid. A simple COVID-19 verify kit need to be there in all hotels, resorts, cars, and so forth.
Nitin Singh, the co-owner and Director of Royal Heritage Camps & Safaris, feels that whilst thinking of the revival of the tourism market “the government should focus more on reforming policies for taxes, permissions, NOC, sanctions, and licenses; constructing more roads for better access especially for niche tourism destinations, and help in creating experiences and not merely sightseeing spots.”
While the revival of this market should be created into a prime concern for the GOI, it is also important that post COVID-19 the Indian tourism market tends to make a move towards adopting a more sustainable, hygienic, and accountable type of tourism the mantras becoming: hygiene, security, overall health, high quality, and worth for dollars.
(The author is a nicely-recognized travel and heritage writer. Views expressed are private and do not reflect the official position or policy of TheSpuzz Online.)