Impact of Covid on Traveling?
Covid has impacted the traveling in a very visible way. Covid has made people stay indoors for at least 6 months which was from almost March to September. It was only after September where people became carefree and started exploring places.
People took preventive measures to travel through but many did because definitely a long time staying at home affected the mental health of people. To feel a little better, rejuvenated traveling was important.
Covid is here to stay, but staying indoors for months isn’t possible because it has a bad effect on mental health as well as physical.
Covid changed the whole scenario of travelling. Earlier people used to visit shopping complexes, amusement parks and places similar like these but after the outbreak of Covid, the spacious places became the choice of people because social distancing is the need of the hour.
People planned picnics in places secluded from the main city, like dams, jungle safari, lakes, trekking, hiking etc.
These places earlier did attract people but not much, as most of the time people were busy chilling at cafes, restaurants, malls etc. Another thing is as most of the borders are sealed there is no movement and hence people wishing to explore foreign countries couldn’t and have to wait until the situation gets normalised. This has turned out to be a benefit for the local places, which less people used to visit before Covid. These places have become lively now.
People have realised the importance of greener places, the local tourism are boosted now. The places in the suburbs of the city are on the top in the bucket list of the people. This way, the local tourist spots and hence the market nearby them would flourish.
The few most visited places during the Covid Era –
Goa – Goa has always, always been on the list of people whether it was Covid or not. Especially college students who always have a trip planned to Goa. Goa offers services and welcomes travellers even during these Covid times. You can plan your trip with the help of a travel agency or on your own and take your friends to Goa
Himachal Pradesh – Who doesn’t want to witness the heavenly snowfall of Himachal Pradesh? Trek and enjoy? Even during these Covid times, Himachal Pradesh welcomed people without any Quarantine rules.
Uttarakhand- The cities of Uttarakhand had always caught the attention of travellers and travel bloggers. Cities like Dehradoon are an absolute delight to stay in. There are no restrictions and one can enjoy roaming here.
Ladakh – To visit Ladakh, the only thing important is to have a Covid Negative report which is 96 hours old.
These are the places, especially a few that allow travellers/passengers to wander freely, but it’s an unsaid responsibility of the people to get themselves tested, quarantine after coming from the trip and hence not risk the lives of others. Everything has been opened because of a sole purpose of improving the Economy basically but the Covid is still there and hence infection can spread rapidly so it’s crucial to take all the preventive measures.
TOURISM AND INDIA’S ECONOMY
Tourism is one of the largest sectors in India and in fact across the world and it also has the highest contribution towards the economy of a country.
Here are few figures from the last year;2019 showing the importance of Tourism Industry in India’s Economy
The tourism and travel industry of India contributes almost around $194 Billion which is approximately 6.8% of the country’s GDP.
How important is the Tourism Industry?
Tourism Industry provides employment and brings money to not only heritage sites but also to retail shops, hotels, transportation,etc and indirectly to a lot of people associated with this industry, clearly showing the importance of the Tourism Industry.
Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries which is also a sign of its diversification in the coming years. With every year some or other places are built which attracts people, be it national or international.
How Covid has impacted the Tourism Industry
Though Covid,has hit the whole world so harshly, the Tourism Industry doesn’t remain untouched. The Tourism Industry has been hit all the more, as there was a complete shutdown for all the places and there remains still many places which continue being shut as many fall under containment zones or because of other reasons.
Hotels are empty and there is no sign when they will be back like before, people are scared to step out making hotel rooms empty. Many hotels, restaurants, cafes got shut down permanently because of the financial crisis caused by Covid.
There is a visible decline in global hotel status
74.4% decline in revenue per available room (RevPAR) to $22.95.
When will things be back like before?
To be back like before Covid, things would take a lot of time. It might take 2-3 years minimum to experience or see the pre Covid crowd in hotels or places. People still would avoid travelling to places because of the risk of catching the virus. The pilgrimages which used to be bustling with old people are empty because as old people are more prone to catch the virus they aren’t stepping out and would continue to not till everything normalises and their fear vanishes.
As of now, ensuring safe travel is the only option left to attract an audience and save the business. Making sure that there is no room for the virus, everyone is tested and is negative. The whole rooms, places everything’s been Sanitized. There is no crowd, social distancing has been maintained are the few things that can bring people back to traveling.
Written By – Rituja Roy
Edited By – Priyanka Sukhwani