BY : NEHA SHAHAB

PANDEMIC AND TOURISM

COVID -19 WHICH IS ONE OF ITS KIND OF HUMANITARIAN DISASTERS HAS AFFECTED PEOPLE AND BUSINESS WORLDWIDE. 

TOURISM IS THE MAJOR SOURCE OF REVENUE AND EMPLOYMENT IN MANY COUNTRIES. IT IS A GENERATOR FOR EMPLOYMENT , INCOME , TAX COLLECTIONS , FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS.

 BUT IN TODAY SCENARIO , TOURISM LEFT BEHIND WITH ALL OTHER SECTORS .

THE PANDEMIC NOT AFFECTED THE LIVES BUR FOREIGN EXCHANGE EARNINGS. THERE HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIAL DECLINE IN THE ARRIVAL OF OVERSEAS TOURIST IN INDIA IN 2020. THE TRAVEL AND TOURISM INDUSTRY EMPLOYMENT LOSS IS PREDICTED TO 100.08 MILLION WORLDWIDE.THE PANDEMIC NOT ONLY AFFECTED ECONOMICALLY , BUT AS WELL AS SOCIALLY AND POLITICALLY.

THIS CHANGE IN THE CURRENT SYSTEM HAS LED TO THE BEGINNING OF RECESSION AND DEPRESSION.

INDIA IS ONE OF THE DEVELOPING NATIONS KNOWN FOR ITS UNIQUENESS IN ITS TRADITIONS , CULTURE AND HOSPITALITY.

THE INDIAN TOURIST INDUSTRY HAS CREATED ABOUT 87.5 MILLION JOBS WITH 12.75% OF TOTAL EMPLOYMENT IT CONTRIBUTING INR 194 BILLION TO INDIA GDP. INDIA RANKED 8 WITH TO RESPECT TO TOTAL DIRECT TRAVEL AND CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS TOURISM OF ABOUT USD 108 BILLION .

THERE IS 66.4% DECLINE IN OVERSEAS TOURIST IN INDIA MARCH IN 2020.

ACCORDING TO A REPORT , THAT 40 MILLION DIRECT AND INDIRECT JOB LESSESS IN INDIA WITH AN ANNUAL LOSS OF AROUND 17 BILLION IN INDIA.

DUE TO THIS PANDEMIC TOURISM IS SUCH A HIGHLY AFFECTED SECTOR AND MAY REMAIN AFFECTED IN THE LONG TERM 1.5 YEARS.

AS THINGS GETTING BETTER TOURISM IS OPEN BUT THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE AND THRONGING TOURIST DESTINATION AFTER THE RELAXED COVID  -19 NORMS. WHILE A LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE REACHED SHIMLA , MANALI AND NANITAL.

MEANWHILE , THE STATE GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO ISSUED TO TOURIST APPEALING TO THEM TO FOLLOW COVID - 19 NORMS.