Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI
Spain is calling for Covid-19 to be treated as an endemic disease, like the flu, becoming the first major European nation to explicitly suggest that people live with it. The idea has gradually been gaining traction and could prompt re-evaluation of government strategies on dealing with the virus. If European countries manage to relax restrictions in the coming weeks, last year’s experiences will remain a cautionary tale. Countries like Denmark removed all Covid restrictions last fall, while the Netherlands dropped all masking requirements.
Sharing her opinion on the same, Jyoti Mayal, President, TAAI said that Covid-19 is a part of our lives now, and we need to learn to live with it instead of delaying things and waiting for the situation to get better. “Travel and tourism industry among others was the worst hit during pandemic, we simply cannot let it weaken any further. It’s time we strive to revive and plan our goals accordingly, in order to gain momentum in the present scenario. Every country is standing on the same starting line today. All of them want to open up after pandemic and are waiting for customers. There is a huge opportunity for incredible India. The government needs to grab the opportunity and bring tourists back in a sustainable manner. The revival of tourism in a post pandemic world would require good promotion and marketing, to send out a message that the country is safe for travel and tourism,” she said.
Mayal further suggested that through a digital campaign that is popular on social media, we need to drive home the message that India is open for tourism. “The most important thing is to have smart marketing companies aboard, who can carry the message that India is safe and secure across geographies. Speaking from the experience, I could say that the recovery of inbound tourists into India is expected soon,and once recovery starts, we can expect a steady growth by 2023-24. The aim is to bring growth back to 2019 levels, the best year ever for tourism, by 2024,” she said.
