When we are needed
Everyone has been touched by the devastating impact of COVID-19. Despite the terrible death toll and the impact on our daily lives most of us have been fortunate to have the protection of the welfare state that pays wages during furlough, helps our businesses stay afloat and is on hand to help many with grants, mortgage holidays, eviction protection. Understandably, with this virus stopping travel, very few are travelling overseas on holiday so what has happened to the millions of people in tourism destinations struggling to cope with the impact of COVID-19 but also with unemployment, no income and hardship at the same time?
In November 2019, with impressive foresight, The World Travel & Tourism Council produced a report stating:
“The world is facing increasingly complex and interconnected events and challenges. While globalisation has enabled an unprecedented reduction in poverty and connectivity; global transformations have simultaneously given rise to a new set of tests. Given the high stakes, new solutions will be required at the local, national and international levels, bringing together all relevant stakeholders to jointly respond to today’s risks and to prepare for the crises of tomorrow”.
Terrorist Attack on Tunisia
In 2017, CNN reported on the impact of the 2015 ISIS attacks in Sousse and Tunis that tragically killed 60 people. “The attacks took a heavy toll on the country’s tourism sector, which accounts for around one-sixth of GDP and provides employment for more than 200,000 people. Visitor numbers fell by 25% to 5.4 million in 2015, and revenue from tourists dropped by 35% to $1.1 billion. Mass unemployment and business closures ravaged the resorts”.
How have the people in tourism coped?
We hope there is no ‘next time’ but we want to be there to help if the worst happens!
Tsunami Impact of Thailand
In 2015, a La Salle College study wrote of the 2004 tsunami that amongst the hardest hit “… was Thailand, with over 4,800 confirmed deaths …. the majority of affected areas being popular resort towns … thousands of hotels and independent businesses lost their jobs, as tourists were afraid to travel to Thailand. In spite of [marketing] efforts, the following year showed a 90% drop in hotel bookings, and a general tourism decrease of 26%”.
How have the people in tourism coped?
We hope there is no ‘next time’ but we want to be there to help if the worst happens!
Hurricane Decimates Bahamian Island
The Multi Brief website reported of the devastating impact of Hurricane Dorian on the Island of Abaco “Travel dollars will go a long way to help in the reconstruction effort that will take years and could cost approximately $2 billion. Tourism constitutes 60% of the country’s $9 billion economy, which shows how important the industry is for the nation’s survival. Dorian stripped out about 20% of the tourism business in the Bahamas”.
How have the people in tourism coped?
We hope there is no ‘next time’ but we want to be there to help if the worst happens!
