National Tourism Day 2022: Impact of Covid-19 on Tourism

Ground Report | New Delhi: Impact of Covid-19 on Tourism; The national tourism day was established on January 25 tourism in India plays a very important role in the country's economy. This year tourism day is recalled as "Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav". National Tourism Day is celebrated in India every year.

National Tourism Day

India's rich cultural diversity makes it one of the most attractive tourist destinations. A tip of its beautiful landscapes, wildlife and country where ethnics practices culture, etc changes with every kilometre as one moves from Jammu Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Heritage gives the unforgettable experience of a lifetime.

National Tourism Day: History

India is one of the oldest Civilizations worldwide of assortment and multiculturalism. The idea for making the existence in 1958, the government realized national tourism will educate the people about the importance of tourism and also make them aware of the culture and heritage of different parts of India.

The theme of National Tourism Day

This year, the day will be celebrated in Andhra Pradesh on the theme ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. The Government of India started the campaign to mark India’s 75th Independence Day. India has many historical sites which describe the story of sacrifice, patriotism, and freedom.

This year's theme for National Tourism Day is "RURAL AND COMMUNITY CENTRIC TOURISM" The tourism industry has been heavily hit by the covid-19 pandemic. The world tourism organization has said that tourist arrival around the world is not expected to return to their pre-pandemic level until 2024. Many states in India that are highly dependent on tourism for their economy like Himachal Pradesh, Goa, Uttarakhand, Northern and Eastern parts of India suffered huge losses.

Impact of Covid-19

The dramatic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on employment in the tourism sector in Asia and the Pacific has been confirmed by a new study by the International Labour Organization (ILO)

The collapse of international tourism due to the coronavirus pandemic could lead to a loss of more than 4 trillion dollars for the world GDP over the years 2020 and 2021, according to a UNCTAD report published on June 30, 2021.

Due to COVID-19 and ongoing restrictions on international mobility, the travel and tourism sector suffered losses of nearly USD 4.5 trillion, with its global contribution to GDP declining by 49.1% compared to 2019 to reach only USD 4.7 trillion in 2020; compared to a 3.7% decline in GDP for the global economy. Spending by domestic visitors decreased by 45%, while spending by international visitors fell by an unprecedented 69.4%.

A similar loss could be registered again this year, warns the report, which specifies that the recovery of the tourism sector will largely depend on the mass distribution of vaccines against COVID-19 on a global scale.

Job losses in different countries

According to the report, the reduction in tourism leads to a 5.5% increase in unskilled labour unemployment on average, with a high variance of 0 to 15%, depending on the importance of tourism to the economy.

Labour accounts for around 30% of spending on tourism services in both developed and developing economies. Barriers to entry into the sector, which employs many women and young workers, are relatively low.

According to the WTTC report, The effect of COVID-19 has emphasized the tremendous importance and positive contribution of Travel & Tourism. It enables socio-economic development, job creation, poverty reduction, driving prosperity, and significant positive social impact, including providing unique opportunities to women, minorities, and youth.

The benefits of Travel & Tourism spread far beyond their direct impacts in terms of GDP and employment; with indirect gains spreading through the entire ecosystem and the supply chain linkages to other sectors.

Indian government long term measures

• The government is allotting separate funds for tourism sideshow to attract the tourist back to the country.

• The Indian government is in discussion with the Healthcare accreditation agencies in another country to offer fitness certificates for visa purposes to encourage foreign tourists to visit India's tourist places.

• Indian Government and tourism authorities are ensuring a high level of safety and security measures for both domestic and foreign tourism.

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