By Romaisa Hussain – Art in Tanzania internship
Coronavirus (COVID-19), identified in 2019 as a deadly respiratory illness that spreads through droplets in the environment through an infected person’s breathing, has caused a global pandemic. It has collectively affected the entire world, and amongst many other sectors, tourism and travelling remain one of the most affected zones.
Due to the pandemic, travelling has been restricted to contain the spread of disease. Because of the travel ban, the tourism sector has a long way to go before recovering to its original state. This means that the tourism economy and travel restrictions have led to a global recession.
However, it is hoped that tourism will soon continue as significant measures such as air corridors gradually opening and thorough COVID-19 testing are being taken to make it safer to travel again. Due to the pandemic, we are well familiar with the quarantine and COVID-19 tests that were made mandatory. This highly affected tourism in 2020, which followed into 2021.
Statistics showed an 85% decrease in tourism in the beginning of 2021 in Europe. For the past year or two, people have been quarantining their homes by the safety protocols. This is why it can be said that as soon as the restrictions lift, they will be more eager to go out on trips and adventures as a means of ‘escape’. As reported by Euro News, global research showed that 70% of people in 2021 had made arrangements to travel on trips or take a break.
If people were encouraged to plan a road trip in 2020, 2021 would be the year they travelled overseas. But of course, there are still certain apprehensions regarding restrictions. With the vaccination criteria and roadblocks still intact and the rise in the number of infected people in populated areas like Europe, these can play a huge role in the difficulty of crossing borders.
Therefore, it cannot be said whether tourism will restart anytime soon and recover to how it once was in 2019, as only 46% of the total amount in 2019 is set to travel in 2021. By the Swiss Economic Institute, it is assumed that a complete recovery will not be possible until at least 2024. However, there is still hope.
Europe is attempting to control the pandemic and accelerate vaccination programs that might enable people to travel in the summer of 2021. The European Tourism Trends and Prospects report by the European Tourism Commission (ETC) highlighted that although some hindrances related to vaccination, these programmes were still essential to continue travelling. The ETC calculated that 56% of the European population was willing to travel from August 2021.
Policies regarding tourism and travelling
The European Union’s Digital Green Certificate will take effect before summer 2021, allowing travel and tourism to restart.
This program will work towards safer travelling procedures between citizens, comprising data on whether the person has been vaccinated and holds a negative test or has recovered from COVID-19. Eduardo Santander, Executive of ETC, stated that despite the distressing 12 months before the vaccines, it can be optimistically said that although the vaccination programme went through some ups and downs, it is functioning with much more stability now. It has been proven to be effective. He continues that it gives people hope for the summer of 2021.
Moreover, he also discussed how the EU Digital Green Certificate would restart the travelling of EU citizens and international travellers sooner than expected, depending on better communication between people implementing the travelling rules and the fast distribution of travel certificates.
European Destinations saw major decline in 2021
The latest statistics show a significant decline in tourism in Europe in the first quarter of 2021, estimated up to 90%. One of the countries that was deeply affected was Austria, which experienced a 99% decline, with strict travel restrictions placed on those who planned to enter. Iceland experienced a 97% decline, whereas only vaccinated individuals were allowed to travel. In addition, Cyprus, Slovenia, and Finland were affected by an average decrease of 93%.
The only place that didn’t drop below 50% was Monaco. Most areas increasingly affected by the lockdowns and travelling restrictions were in the Southern and Mediterranean parts of Europe, which were highly dependent on international travellers. In contrast, the Central and Eastern parts got by with domestic travellers.
Prospects for Travelling
Despite all the complications caused by COVID-19, there are still prospects to restore travel. The British Government arranged to lift travel restrictions on May 17, 2021, which immediately caused an increase in travel as people started to plan their trips to European destinations such as Cyprus, Greece, Portugal, Spain, Turkey, etc. As more American citizens get vaccinated (though gradually, but increasing nonetheless), it gives hope to the European tourism economy.
As travellers seek minimum contact with the population, the Government plans to work towards alternative accommodations that minimize public contact.
These alternatives replace more prominent hotels in populated destinations such as Italy and Croatia with agriturismos, farmhouses that facilitate travellers and guests.
Other alternatives include sleeping on boats or yachts during a sailing trip to avoid contact in populated areas. In 2021, it is also anticipated that travellers will aim to stay on holiday for more extended periods to enjoy the maximum experience of their choice of destination.
Moreover, hotel prices are expected to fall, and mountain railway fares could increase depending on the number of people. Statistics also proved that 9 out of 10 Europeans chose to travel inside Europe in the summer of 2020, and this continues in 2021 as the most booked places remain inside Europe by 60%.
Abiding by the rules
Understandably, travellers nowadays are more cautious about travelling, and they usually expect assurance from the governments before setting out to travel in the current year.
People rely highly on the reviews and experiences of other people who have travelled as a means of research to establish whether their destinations are safe before travelling. People will approach restaurants that take restrictive measures, and as for the travelling sector, measures are being taken at the airports. COVID testing and quarantining for 2 weeks before entering the premises will enable a sense of safety assurance amongst people, hopefully boosting tourism back up in the current year.
Due to the restrictions and limited travelling destinations, it can be established that the rate of tourism will not skyrocket back to its original state as it once used to be. However, it is understood by the majority that there is no need to hurry as the mandatory requirement right now appears to be the health and safety of the people. Moreover, people who travel nowadays aim to stay in a place for longer as they can efficiently work digitally due to the pandemic and enjoy their holidays simultaneously.
COVID-19 has significantly impacted the global economy, but this does not mean the current population will cease travel. People will still continue to plan holidays, only this time with more safety precautions. Currently, most European destinations include tourist spots that are either safe to travel to or have recovered from COVID-19. We may also witness a change in the trend of longer vacations being replaced with shorter trips, but nonetheless, travelling will always remain a norm.
Sources
Euronews Travel Trend Report. (2020). travel after 2020, what will tourism look like in our new reality? Retrieved from https://static.euronews.com/website/pdf/euronews-trend-report-travel-after-Oct-2020.pdf?utm_source=euronews%26utm_medium=organic%26utm_campaign=whitepaper
European Travel Commission. (2021, May 6). MIXED PROSPECTS FOR SUMMER 2021 AS EUROPE WORKS TO OVERCOME VACCINE HURDLES. Retrieved from https://etc-corporate.org/news/mixed-prospects-for-summer-2021-as-europe-works-to-overcome-vaccine-hurdles/
Lauren M. Sauer, M. (2021, May 21). What Is Coronavirus? Retrieved from https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/coronavirus
OECD Better Policies For Better Lives. (2020, December 14). Rebuilding tourism for the future: COVID-19 policy responses and recovery. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/coronavirus/policy-responses/rebuilding-tourism-for-the-future-covid-19-policy-responses-and-recovery-bced9859/
Southan, J. (2021, May 14). Travel industry experts weigh-in on post-COVID trends. Retrieved from euro news travel: https://www.euronews.com/travel/2021/05/14/what-will-travel-look-like-in-a-post-covid-world
The New York Times. (2021, April 16). Gauging the Prospects for International Travel. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/16/travel/international-summer-travel-coronavirus.html
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