Travel, tour operators in wait-and-watch mode 

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Even as the risk of Omicron variant of the Coronavirus sprad is increasing by day, the travel and hospitality industry is hoping that whatever recovery witnessed in the sector will not be disturbed.

The travel and tourism industry was one of the worst hit sectors hit by Covid-19.

Travel, tour operators hope of the best

The Economic Times quoted Jyoti Mayal, president of the Travel Agents Association of India, as saying that countries are not going to shut borders indiscriminately and the sector is in wati-and-watch mode. Travellers are not cancelling trips yet, he added.

Rajiv Mehra, president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), is quoted as saying that the association shares the concerns about health and safety but banning flights is not the right response. He suggested more screening at airports, mandatory quarantine of those who test positive for the virus.

 The chief executive of a leading hotel chain said that the world is in a state of flux, while expressing the hope that there would be clarity in a week’s time.

Resumption of regular international flights 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, meanwhile, had reviewed the decision to relax restrictions on international travel in the wake of the emergence of the variant of the virus. A home ministry spokesperson had tweeted that the decision on the effective date of resumption of scheduled commercial international passenger services will be reviewed as per ‘evolving global scenario’.

The report quoted industry veterans as saying that the situation is dynamic and companies are seeking more clarity, industry insiders said.

Last week-end, India announced the resumption of regular international flights starting December 15 for ‘not-at-risk’ countries.

Among states, Karnataka and Maharashtra have issued new travel norms and the spread of Omicron came to the light.

Prashant Pitti, co-founder of EaseMyTrip, is quoted by the Economic Times as saying that bookings have not been impacted so far, but the new variant is a threat to the sector.

Pradeep Shetty, joint honorary secretary, Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) , is quoted as saying that a full-fledged recovery of the sector is dependent on resumption of regular international travel.