Wealthy travellers globally have already started booking their year end vacations and I can’t help, but get a tad bit envious. Coronavirus has caused almost all countries to shut down their borders and ban tourism altogether. In fact, the tourism in India has taken such a bad hit that in 2019, foreign tourist arrivals (FTAs) in India stood at 10.89 million, achieving a growth rate of 3.20 per cent year-on-year. In 2020, just during April-June, the Indian tourism industry is expected to book a revenue loss of Rs 69,400 crore, denoting a year-on-year loss of 30 per cent.
Wealthy Travellers Have Already Started Booking Year End Vacations
But, the human spirit is resilient and just as we had to shut down all our borders and our daily lives, we have also seen success in the curbing of COVID-19. As more and more countries are steadily battling the virus, they are also announcing the openings of their borders, transportation and some tourist spots. Here are the 10 Places That Are Opening Up For Tourism Again Rather Cautiously!
In fact in India itself, Domestic Airlines Will Start Selling Tickets From 1st June and Railways Will Run 200 Trains Daily From 1st June.
Domestic civil aviation operations will recommence in a calibrated manner from Monday 25th May 2020.
All airports & air carriers are being informed to be ready for operations from 25th May.
SOPs for passenger movement are also being separately issued by @MoCA_GoI.
— Hardeep Singh Puri (@HardeepSPuri) May 20, 2020
With airlines and trains soon to begin operations, it is only right that we start booking our flight tickets. But wait, there’s a twist. A lot of places are looking to open up only to wealthy tourists who can stay in boutique hotels. Goa Tourism Minister said that he was looking To Reinvent Goa Tourism With 1960s Charm And ‘Wealthy Tourists’.
Greece is planning to welcome its tourists with open arms starting 15th June. Having successfully slowed down the spread of the novel coronavirus, the country has now decided to allow tourists to visit the nation. However, tourism in Greece won’t be the same as it always has been. Visitors won’t be able to enjoy Greece’s nightlife as bars, night clubs, and pubs will be closed. The country, however, is hoping to attract wealthy tourists, who would stay in boutique hotels and engage in activities like agrotourism or yachting, which are usually socially distant activities.
Wealthy travellers are betting that by November- December 2020, travel will normalise a bit and spending extra money might protect them and keep them safe.
Brooke Lavery, co-owner of New York-based travel consultancy Local Foreigner said, “We had several weeks of crickets … not a single request. Probably two weeks ago [in early May] is when it really started to come back.”
Travel operators are stating that they are getting requests from those who have the means to fly privately. Thus flight schedules & cancellations wouldn’t bother them. Also, they can fly in relative isolation keeping themselves safe & secluded. In fact, a private island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is completely booked out for Christmas & New Year. The 115 acre island has 22 cottages, all well distanced.
With so many guidelines in place, it is only the wealthy tourists who seem to be happy to book year-end flight tickets & travels. Well, the rich do have their perks but sometimes it just boils down travel points. Melissa Biggs Bradley, founder and chief executive officer of luxury travel firm Indagare said, “Many of those (credits for cancelled trips) will expire by the end of the year. There are not enough days or rooms to satisfy all the credit out—so if people don’t grab options, they may lose their credits.”