TravTalk India Online Magazine
French author Marcel Proust once said, ‘The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes’. Such is also the view of Harmandeep Singh Anand, MD, Jagsons Travels and Founder, Global Panorama Showcase, who says that the thought couldn’t have been more apt than for the current COVID situation.
The recent COVID-19 situation has changed the lifestyle of every single individual. This pandemic reveals the strengths and weaknesses of every nation, from the first world to the most vulnerable ones. But, the most important thing is that it tells how a single virus can wipe out years of hard work and place us 20 years behind.
Industries and businesses worldwide have entered a perplexing situation, where they are trying to save years of efforts, and their employees who are no less than family to them. When we talk about industries, travel & tourism is one of those that is and will be the first industry to be affected and the last industry to revive.
Travel & tourism consists 9.3 per cent of the total Indian GDP, which is about one-tenth. Not only is it an important, fun and attractive factor, but important for creating demand and for the growth of many other industries, directly as well as indirectly, which in turn contributes to the overall development of a place. Tourism is not just about travelling to a particular place but also about nurturing and experiencing different societal, economic and cultural factors. Growth of the travel & tourism industry is directly proportional to the overall socio-economic growth. From travel planning, transport and accommodation to sightseeing, travel agents and tour operators prove to be a crucial backbone, putting non-stop effort day and night to provide a quality experience, whether for a four-night, five-day trip or that exceeding a month. The recent situation has hit the travel, tourism and aviation sectors with a solid rock. Although it has brought the industry to a standstill and induced a coma, rather than cribbing, it is time we as an industry said hello to the new normal. This situation is a good opportunity for the government as well, to strengthen, reimagine and reorganise its role and support towards the capabilities of this sector. With national borders still under the process of reopening, niche tourism will help build consumer trust and help discover domestic traits that were earlier spread across the globe. Now is the time to come forward and support each other locally and gather local consumers. Life is all about exploring, dreaming and discovering, and now our industry has that opportunity to redesign and strengthen the family by covering these areas of utmost importance. There was a world before COVID-19 and there will be a world after it, but a refurbished one.
