We are currently living in unprecedented times which has left humanity baffled and it is because of the come back of a deadly virus which was spotted years ago, this time with a stronger version namely Novel CoronaVirus or COVID- 19.
One of the worst affected industries is Tourism with lakhs of people left jobless in the first phase of lockdown due to the virus. As of right now, we are stuck up in a scenario where all we have is the uncertainty of the future with most of the International Borders being partially or completely closed for the travellers. The main reason for this is because Tourism is a Luxury and not a Necessity. It is no surprise that travel in the future would be accompanied by a lot of restrictions at least till a vaccination is released.
All we are left is the speculations of the near future and a lot of people have chosen to see the brighter side of the picture. Although the International borders are likely to be opened up 6 Months or more from now, we can be positive that Domestic Tourism may take up a hit this year as people would highly prefer ‘safe’ and ‘inland’ destinations which are known and can be explored in a short number of days. Farm house stays, back-packing or indoor ‘Stay-Cations’ will also gain popularity due to the raw sight-seeing it has to offer with luxury obtained in the indoor homestays or heritage villas.
But, even if the governments decide to resume domestic travel, it would be with a set of mandatory precautions and strict hygiene measures to be taken care of at all times. This may be seen as an ‘evolution’ of travel within the country where people will have to adhere to the norms. While it is something new for the people, nature on the other hand would be blessed with clean surroundings and a lot of litter would be reduced as one cannot afford an environment which is prone to contamination.
In the meantime, the employees and the employers of the Tourism Industry can utilize this time in hand to attend various webinars and workshops and work on their existing or develop a new skill to amp up for the future. This time has also shown us the way to a plethora of possibilities which can be developed and used post COVID-19. One of them can be to take up ‘Virtual Tours’ and ‘Travel Vlogs’ to be taken up as a serious stream of thought.
It is only a matter of time and we have to keep moving forward irrespective of the difficulties that the industry is facing right now. Tourism has been affected in the past due to political, natural and pandemic reasons but has always bounced back with equal force which in itself is a ray of hope for the current scenario. The best is to utilize this time wisely and also take a break because you may have to work double to meet the travel bookings in the future.
Till then, cheers!