Future of the travel industry is in safe hands?
We could say that the future of the travel industry is in the safe hands. One of the hardest-hit industries amidst the COVID-19 pandemic was undoubtedly the tourism industry. A perfect mix of all the pandemic things encouraged us to avoid, such as travel and social contact, it was prime to be the first industry to face challenges. This was unfortunate in several respects. First, not only did tourism fund countless jobs across the globe, but it was also the primary source of income for many small countries.
The pandemic forced many companies based on tourism to close, including tourist attractions, hotels, and tourist services. The economic impact was sudden and significant, as travel bans were swiftly enacted and remaining potential tourists discouraged from travelling. However, countries did their best to soften the effect, and many policies were soon launched to aid the struggling sector.
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Future of the travel industry is based on a support
Countries that depended heavily on the tourism industry soon launched unique services to help them get by during the pandemic. Relief came in many forms, including low-interest loans or disaster loans. Countries like the United States also implemented special COVID-19 response packages that covered various industries, including companies in the tourism industry. For example, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CAREs) Act offered $2 trillion in financial aid to businesses across the country. All those acts are towards the help and transform of travel space. We can say the future of the travel industry is in the safe hands.
This financial support was essential for many companies as the COVID-19 pandemic dramatically reduced customers, and therefore regular income. Without it, many hotels, airlines, and other tourism fueled the financial strain of the pandemic would have irreparably damaged companies.
The Economist published a very interesting view on futuristic travel options. What will be traveling after Covid pandemic? Watch the short and interesting video from YouTube.
Lifting Travel Bans When Possible
The future of the travel industry starts with lifting bans. When the country is closed, no tourism can stay alive. Internal tourism can’t bring money to an economy. After months of social distancing and stay-at-home measures, some countries have been able to reduce or completely extinguish their active cases significantly. For example, New Zealand has already been able to recover from and eliminate its COVID-19 cases twice. Countries that have experienced similar success have reopened their borders to travelers from particular recovered areas.
While this may not be an ideal situation, and many travelers are still discouraged from engaging in tourist trips, it has enabled some tourism companies to find minimum success. For example, in countries like Singapore, travelers were often made to stay at hotels during their two week quarantine period upon arrival.
Spain was the latest country lifting curfew and travel ban!
Attracting Travelers & Rebuilding Reputation
The next step in helping the tourism industry recover is attracting new travelers and rebuilding their trust in tourism companies. As previously mentioned, many tourists were put off from traveling after they learnt about the COVID-19 illness. Attracting more travelers after the pandemic subsidies will likely entail things like increased sanitation measures, less dense or crowded facilities, and more touch-free options or technologies.
To be more effective and compelling to potential tourists, it would be beneficial to enact national changes in regulations and hospitality policies. These measures have already taken place temporarily because of the pandemic, but permanent changes are also crucial for a more permanent and long-term impact on public perception.
Only time will tell the lasting impact of COVID-19 on the tourism industry and its policies, but after months of enduring the pandemic, we have a fair understanding to work with. Tourism in the future will surely be more focused on catching and preventing the spread of other potential outbreaks and proactively preparing to face epidemics as they occur in terms of financial support.