That the COVID pandemic has been the most challenging crisis since the Second World War is now long established. The world is still reeling from it, and it’s far from over. One of the worst-hit industries has been the hospitality industry – and its ancillaries like aviation and tourism. And while people are starting to travel, the ongoing restrictions have made it difficult for the industry to set up a prognosis for revival. In India alone, the tourism industry, valued at around $28 billion, has come to a screeching halt since the imposition of lockdown.
The UN World Tourism Organization estimates that during the lockdown, 75 million jobs were at risk worldwide, which corresponds to an expected 20-30% decline in international tourist flows. As per the Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism and Hospitality (FAITH), it was estimated that around 70 percent out of a total estimated workforce of 5.5 crores (direct and indirect) could get unemployed, nearing around 3.8 crores. For the domestic industry, the summers which are the key months for the hospitality industry were estimated to be completely wiped out to the extent of the losses cutting upwards of 40 percent.