Despite the quick spike in Omicron cases, the tourism industry is optimistic that the new strain will be eradicated sooner rather than later, thanks to increased vaccine coverage and what appear to be milder symptoms.
The latest cancellations of tourist and corporate travel plans are seen as a momentary blip by travel experts, who believe that business will soon resume as usual. At the same time, they’re keeping their fingers crossed since any negative mood trigger would send the sector into a tailspin.
After all, when the economy encounters a headwind, travel is the first segment to be hurt. People tend to save money for travel and tourism because it is mostly a discretionary expenditure.
“We see a huge pent-up demand and huge revenge travel that is going to happen. We have already achieved pre-Covid numbers as regards domestic flights,” Nishant Pitti, CEO and Co-founder of EaseMyTrip, told as per reports.
“The silver lining this time is that Omicron is less infectious and deaths are far and few. For us, 2020 was a complete washout. In 2021 also only half of it could see some business as domestic tourism picked up. But in the new year we hope things would be normal. We have to learn to live with this disease and be given a high level of vaccination,” said Subhash Goyal, Chairman of STIC Travel Group of Companies.
“We have seen a good number of cancellations in recent weeks,” said an airline executive wishing not to be named.
“We are hopeful that at least outbound travel from India should begin by this summer and hopefully by September-October, if everything remains alright, inbound traffic should also revive.
“This season is gone now. As this season is till April, I don’t expect anyone to come now. Also, I don’t see scheduled international flights going to resume so soon now,” he added.
While travel entrepreneurs remain optimistic, Omicron’s early influence on the industry is clear.
IndiGo and SpiceJet, the country’s two biggest airlines, recently announced a flash sale of flight tickets on their networks in response to low demand and cancellations.
Outbound travel from India will recommence this summer, according to Rajiv Mehra, President of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), while inbound traffic will resume in September.
People on both sides have put their trip plans on hold as fewer international flights are operating and movement restrictions are implemented in Europe and the United States as a result of mounting virus infections.
