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By IG Team

LIFE IS BACK TO NORMAL! REVIVAL OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

Image by Vinay Kumar

The pandemic seems to be over “

and life is almost back to normal albeit we are informed of 4th and 5th waves. The question here is, will these waves ever stop? And the answer is no! Covid is here to stay but we're finding ways to live with it, being as normal as

possible. ”

We may not have to wear a mask but we need to take care o f o u r h e a l t h a n d k e e p ourselves safe from the virus as much as possible. Despite making all efforts to stay safe, we may well catch Covid – but so what? We catch colds and so on but we've learned to live with it and many of the effects of the virus is now far milder compared to when it first struck. The best thing about the human race is bouncing back. The world had gone through pandemics and World Wars but we have always bounced back and life normalises itself and it will always be that way, no matter what adverse situation we face.

Tourism and Hospitality in Goa

The tourism industry has bounced back too in Goa, with full opening up of malls, cinema halls, nightclubs and casinos. There is no need for any certificates anymore to enter i Goa and the flow of tourists is growing by the day. Some people prefer to wear masks even though there's no real legal requirement any m o r e a n d t h a t ' s t h e i r preference. Hotels in Goa have witnessed a huge boost in bookings since the middle of March 2022 and most of the hotels were running full in the month of A p r i l w i t h c o n f e r e n c e s , destination weddings, awards ceremonies and conclaves. There were no masks or social d i s t a n c i n g a n d s t i l l t h e p o s i t i v i t y r a t e r e m a i n e d almost zero. This shows that we have developed a strong immunity to combat the virus.

The Effects of Fake News

Although things are back to normal, there are some people who enjoy spreading fake news about the rise in cases and possibilities of new waves and subsequent lockdowns, but what they forget is this kind of information adversely affects businesses and the hospitality industry in Goa. In one recent news article published by one of the leading newspapers, reported that there are rise in case in other states and there ' s a possibility of a Covid negative certificate being required to enter Goa, to which the health minister of Goa concurred. Now this kind of news will surely have a negative impact on the tourism industry. When tourists see such news they may well cancel their plans, postpone holidays etc for fear of being harassed by the authorities for a Covid negative certificate.

T h e p o s s i b i l i t y o f resumption in international travel

The Goan hospitality industry is dependent on foreign tourists since it brings a big chunk of foreign currency in the state. The pandemic r e s u l t e d i n a c o m p l e t e breakdown of international travel. Cancellations of flights from Russia and UK cost a huge money to the hospitality industry of Goa but now that the pandemic is over, there is a possibility of a good season that will kick in from October this year. According to a national news portal, after struggling for over two years due to covid-19 induced restrictions, the travel and hospitality sector is showing signs of a strong revival. If data issued by travel service providers are to be believed, in recent weeks there has been a strong surge in flight and hotel bookings, with the peak summer holiday season heading towards precovid levels. H o t e l s w i t n e s s e d 8 0 % bookings for the first time since the pandemic. “The resumption of international commercial flights is at 100% capacity along with domestic tourists 'revenge travel' trend has been one of the main factors. Other than this, hotel room tariffs across the country were heavily discounted and this too proved to be an incentive for the domestic travellers. Even the events segment including exhibitions,

Image by Arto Suraj

meetings and conferences have come back in full swing,” said Pradeep Shetty, joint h o n o r a r y s e c r e t a r y , F e d e r a t i o n o f H o t e l & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI). The online booking platforms are also witnessing a boost in booking. According to the EaseMyTrip portal, it has seen up to a 50% increase in advance air ticket bookings for the coming summer period.

The Impact of the Rise in Airfares on Tourism

There was a sudden rise in the airfares witnessed recently, but reports suggest that it is not due to post covid effects but the due to the rise in fuel prices. According to experts, there has been a 20-40% increase in domestic and international flight tickets and this certainly has an impact on tourists who are on a budget. According to the reports, travel is active on all fronts including business travel, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), social gatherings and events, leisure travel, staycations, short trips and vacation travel and adventure, among others. If the trend continues without any 'interruptions' , the industry will witness good recovery in FY 2023.

Conclusion

Post pandemic survival is a major challenge before the tourism industry of Goa. The hospitality industry is back on track with everyone is doing good about of business to keep themselves afloat but the positive support from the concerned authorities and state government will help this industry further to take leap. There is a strong need of controlling and stopping of fake and negative news articles that affects the tourism industry of Goa.