The global epidemic called Coronavirus or COVID – 19, is affected the tourism sector drastically. Many news reports and industry experts are calling it the as the ‘worst shock that the travel industry has faced since the 9/11 attacks in New York’.
The travel industry is one of the largest in the world. According to media reports, ‘it is responsible for an estimated 319 million jobs.’ That’s whooping number; and THAT statistic has been affected, massively. Not just personal but business trips too have taken a hit due to bookings being cancelled and the numerous travel restrictions that have been imposed by various countries. Due to this the travel industry has been impacted directly.
How The Airline Industry Is Being Affected
We can already see cheap flight tickets available for travel in various websites. The immigration queues are shorter, airports are not buzzing with people, flights are not carrying passenger load right upto their capacity, the airline industry has been affected by this majorly. According to reports, many airline are revising their financial plans which might end up affecting the profit margins deeply.
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‘The New York Stock Exchange airline index plunged 30% last week, more than double the drop of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.’ Furthermore, it was reported that ‘Global air travel is expected to lose anywhere between $63 billion and $113 billion as a result of reduced demand for flights, according to a new estimate from the International Air Transport Association.’
Affect On Leisure And Business Travel
Some of the top companies like Google and Walmart have made announcements that the employees will be refraining themselves from “nonessential travels”. Many others are following the suit. Various conferences, events and any format hosting that involves a large group of people coming together one roof for interaction has come under the scanner. Conferences are being cancelled or postponed as well.
Also read: Louvre Museum And Other Tourists Sites In Italy And France Have Been Shut Down Due To Coronavirus
If we talk about travelling for leisure, global surveys have revealed that more and more families are cancelling their trip due to the scare of Coronavirus or COVID-19. Anyone and everyone at the airport is already under the scanner. Even the slightest symptoms are being taken extremely seriously. Fellow passengers belonging to countries where a high number of infected cases have been reported, are already being seen as a threat. Hotels rooms are empty because of lack of travellers; and otherwise popular streets are deserted because they have been shut down to avoid further spread.
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In India, schools have been shut, companies are encouraging their employees to work from home, and forget about travelling abroad, people are avoiding going to public places as well. This outbreak has definitely affected the industry in a massive way; and it is expected to continue for how long, we don’t even know that yet.