Monday 29 June 2020

COVID-19 and Restart of Tourism


The tourism industry is going to reborn after a long waiting. The breakdown of COVID-19 standstill the tourism industry that suffered the world of tourism and the people related to this business went into the worst crisis situation. It does not only affect the tourism-related but also the other business-related people who are indirectly benefiting from this industry. The world is in a miserable position because of this pandemic that destroyed the economy every lifestyle has been affected by it where tourism is the top hit of the pandemic. Some of the countries have 80 percent of their economy depend on tourism such as Nepal, Thailand and some others are now in a vulnerable position, the top category of the people to the lowest category of the people being the victim of this pandemic that is beyond imagination. The situation shows that it will not last soon and the life of the people is going to be into more and more crises.

We are hearing some good news from the world that tourism is going to be restart with some strict rules and regulations with the advice of the World Health Organization and the World Travel Organization that encourages tourism-related people. On the one hand, it is encouraging, but on the other hand, it discouraging. Tourism is a word that means to enjoy life, to spend some leisure time being free of all the tensions of the world some hide him in joys and spend time visiting places offer excitement. Once someone leaves his home towards a place where he/she has not been in life, but sometimes people visit their places of choice continuously for again and again to kill the thirst of nature and enjoy their holidays. At this moment and situation, all these are not possible because you see the standards implemented for visitors. The visitors are bound to stay in their places of choice, not free to move around as they want. This means it not a holiday. The SOPs are set up for each and every individual and bond to follow up them, in any case, in anywhere you go. As we see the whole world is afraid of going out home and from one place to another place from one country to another country. The places of visit need to be sterilized by using chemicals that affect real nature and it does not stay as natural as it is. Staying the night in a hotel and places of eating in the same way, people are bond to keep a physical distance that is another disturbance during the holidays. Looking to all these SOPs, and endorsement I am not sure people go out of their homes on holidays and would enjoy it. It seems another risk of caring for the virus to and from the places and people they visit. It is not out of danger for tourism in this way that I mentioned in this post. I would like to see the feedback in the comment box below whether I am right or wrong.

Advantages of restarting tourism

The second very important as a tour operator for me is encouraging about the rule set up for the visitors compulsory to book the trip with tour operators is encouraging for the tour operators, but discouraging for domestic visitors. The travel agent and tour operators will directly benefit from it, and the other business-related tourism will indirectly benefit from it. As we talk about adventure tourism mostly related to the north the great mountainous part of Pakistan which has a very short season for it, already passed more than half of the season. Restarting tourism will be encouraging for the mountain communities such as the porters in Skardu and other parts where huge groups of adventure travelers use to go and become a source of economy for the mountain communities. The coronavirus has left the worst affect them to along the tour operators. This will not only encourage the tour but also the business in north Pakistan who are part of the supply chain of tourism, such as the transporters, shopkeepers who provide food items for trekkers and climbers throughout the season. As we think about the tourism industry there is not any business side that has not connected with the tourism industry. The hotel industry has been the worst hit of the corona, reopening of tourism will encourage this industry the employees of the hotel have lost their jobs they will be back to their jobs and continue it. Most of the hotels are on rent in the country again this short of reopening will be source those people to pay some part of the rent from it.

Disadvantages of restarting of the tourism industry

With the advantages of reopening it is not out of some disadvantages. The very first one is huge and extra responsibilities on tour operators to make sure the implementation of the SOPs by the visitors, staff, and all the counterparts of the tour. The prices of the trip will be more than usual prices because of extra services such as having sanitizers, globes, and other equipment against the virus. The hotel prices will be more than as usual to make sure the provision of all the necessities for the visitors.  The visitors will not be relaxed as following the SOPs, stopping on entry points for screening waiting on lines. In case of having symptoms of the virus will be disappointing to cancel the trip and rushing to quarantines.

Challenges for the supply chain of the Tourism Industry

The very first challenge is the provision of all those equipment in order to comply with SOPs for the stakeholders and manage by the visitors themselves that will be the top priority in the SOPs.

There is a mass of other challenges for all the supply chains of the tourism industry like implementations of the safety measures that have been set up. It is not easy to maintain for all properly because in some areas we do not have facilities to keep update the safety measures, especially domestic visitors are challenging for all we are not well followers of rules and regulations and do not take care of things going bad or well. The international visitors will not be challenging. It will be challenging for the hoteliers to maintain the safety measures properly as mentioned in the government notification keeping all the things update disinfecting time to time is not an easy job and there are still risks for the whole workers in the field. For adventure tourism we have challenges to adjust porters in a camping area in physical distances, especially on Baltoro K2 Base Camp trek where we need a huge group of porters for few people it will be challenging to make sure the safety measures.  Taking actions against the SOPs violators will be a challenge for concern departments in different parts of the visiting areas. Setting check posts, screening points, and other such things are challenges for the government. For the suppliers of food and other supplies need to be disinfected, for the transporters disinfect the vehicles twice before and after us, by people, all these are top challenges for the stakeholders.  

Risks factors

It is not out of risk restarting tourism during this pandemic because this is something not knowing how and when this virus attacks and the symptoms could not be known anytime. There is a big risk to take people from one place to another place. Keeping people in the physical distance during the traveling is not an easy task while seating in vehicles and seating for eating if you don’t keep distance it is high risk. People will carry viruses from one place to another place it is not easy to maintain the safety measures during adventure tourism. It is another risk if someone attacks by the virus in the mountains it is not easy to access to a hospital there is a high risk expiring once the virus attacks someone. In the wilderness, there are no facilities of treatment properly and the virus can spread highly to other people, carrying all the safety measures is impossible at all. The risk of carrying the virus by the visitors to the unaffected areas is a high concern. The local people's interaction is not without risk.

In conclusion, I can favor the control of tourism by following the SOPs strictly making sure the safety of all supply chains of tourism. This will encourage both the risk-taking visitors and tour organizers who are optimistic to restart tourism during this situation. It is very important to operate with specific counters such as opening some of the hotels with good management and fewer interactions with locals. The tourist spots need to be chosen to looking to the safety measures, otherwise, it will be crowded will not be free from risk at all if we open all parts of tourism spots and all the hotels. It will not be possible to make sure the implementation of the SOPs and safety measures if we open it for all. The tour operators and hoteliers need to be more active and responsible for their duties making sure all the activities are going smoothly and safely. This will not only beneficial for the moment but will leave a positive impact on tourism to continue for the future too. If it does not go well then we will be waiting for longer to recover tourism because it is a sensitive industry that needs safety and the travelers visit somewhere to enjoy their holidays not to be in risks. As I mentioned earlier we will have more domestic tourist and less foreign tourist I am afraid we are more careless than the foreigners, the concern authorities need to be more responsible to make sure the implementation of the safety measures that will enable us to reopen and recover tourism industry as usual on the other hand if we keep ourselves less responsible this will leave negative effect and will take years and years to recover tourism in Pakistan.  At last but not least I hope our concerned departments and responsible will do their best to restart and safe tourism in the country.

I will appreciate your positive feedback in the comment box below.



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