Just when we thought that the COVID-19, in the form of a first wave is all over, a rather unexpected second wave of COVID-19 and third wave in some countries has squashed the dreams of the tourism industry looking to recuperate in the immediate future. With the tourism industry left with limited options to cross the business hurdles caused by reckless COVID containment measures, as laid down by the Government, including frequent lockdowns, social distancing, deployment of sanitization and strict adherence to COVID-19 protocols, besides near 50% of cut down of capacity in hotels and restaurants, there seems to be a long and arduous road for the industry to travel past the crisis!

It all started with the bookings first cancelled due to the increased restrictions on travel and containment zone establishments. Apart from the tour operators and travel agencies, there are literally many who have invested in renovation of homestay facilities and refurbishment of houseboats and other properties in the expectation of extra income during the summers, generally the peak season for travel planning. The travel ecosystem is facing the roughest patch this year, and the situation is no different from last year around the same period. Those who made additional investment to recover the losses are going to be severely affected this year, and probably will have lesser chances of economic recovery in the current situation. 

From the highest strata in the travel ecosystem to the lowest segment which include those who eke out a living by selling homemade food to domestic and international tourists, near tour facilities are engulfed by the crisis of the ongoing pandemic scare. As per the Tourism Department officials, tourism facilities managed by the State government are also crisis-hit with steadily declining revenues as public parks, museums, beach destinations and ecotourism spots mostly remain closed. This will impact revenue generation in the form of entry fee and other extra charges.