The move comes after the government admitted in the Lok Sabha that about 21.5 million jobs were lost in the tourism sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic
Tourism, travel and hospitality industry associations have asked the government to roll out liquidity and other support measures. The move comes after the government admitted in the Lok Sabha that about 21.5 million jobs were lost in the tourism sector due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Replying to supplementary questions in the Lower House on the impact of the pandemic on the tourism sector, Union Minister for Tourism and Culture G Kishan Reddy said 14.5 million jobs were lost during the first wave of Covid-19 infections, 5.2 million during the second wave and 1.8 million during the third wave.
Industry associations say that the time is ripe to implement the announced measures as getting back jobs and a complete recovery for the sector could still be a year or two away. “The good thing is the government has recognised and has identified this sector as the largely affected sector. We have requested that the INR 60,000 crore loan guarantee scheme for Covid-affected sectors be notified with immediate effect,” said Pradeep Shetty, Joint Honorary Secretary at Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI).
“We don’t know for how long the Russia-Ukraine conflict will go on and what is going to happen. E-tourist visas are not yet available for Canada and the UK. Usually, most of the overseas clientele from markets such as the UK, are around 65 years old and they are not so inclined to travel at the moment.”
— Rajiv Mehra, President of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO)
KB Kachru, Vice President, Hotel Association of India (HAI), and Chairman Emeritus and Principal Advisor, South Asia, at Radisson Hotel Group, said the industry has been continuously demanding financial support from the government to get back on its feet. “Due to several restrictions in place during the first and second waves, the hotel industry wasn’t able to operate in full swing. Even with the huge revenue loss, many of the hospitality establishments continued to pay the staff on humanitarian grounds which was unbearable for the industry,” he said.
Kachru also said, “The government should consider offering a stimulus package that subsidises hotel employees’ salaries from April 2021-March 2022 as followed by many countries as part of their economic recovery programmes.”
Jyoti Mayal, President of Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) said, “People are used to working with a reduced workforce. It is not that every country has opened up for tourism now. Even for India, the e-visas are just opening up. It’s a long cycle. Those who left for other sectors will not come back,” she said.
Rajiv Mehra, President of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), said it would take some more time for jobs to come back to the sector. “As far as the international inflow is concerned, it will take at least a year for business to revive if all remains normal. The government should open all e-tourist visas. Right now, only a 30-day single entry visa is available.” Mehra also pointed out: “We don’t know for how long the Russia-Ukraine conflict will go on and what is going to happen. E-tourist visas are not yet available for Canada and the UK. Usually, most of the overseas clientele from markets such as the UK, are around 65 years old and they are not so inclined to travel at the moment.”
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