Countries around the world, without exception, have seen their once-flourishing tourism sectors being impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.
Not surprisingly, every country is eager to get its hands on an effective vaccine to help enable their economies to recover.
Some of them have begun to take steps to open their tourism sectors while dishing out incentives to tourists, easing restrictions and alleviating the suffering of those working in this industry.
Nevertheless, they have stressed the importance of continued pandemic mitigation precautions in the form of social distancing and hygiene in light of the continuing threat posed by the virus.
Turkey is one such country that continues to attract significant numbers of Arab tourists and others without mandating PCR testing, which is a prerequisite for international travel in a number of countries.
Others are considering similar moves to open up their tourism sectors after the prolonged closure.
Oman decided recently to allow the issuance of tourist visas but is limiting the facility to holiday groups facilitated by hotels and tourism companies.
Already, hotel establishments are putting in place physical measures to safeguard their guests, as well as their staff, from potential exposure to the virus. Glass barriers have been placed between arriving tourists and workers in the reception areas of some international hotels.
Notices and warnings have been strategically displayed in lounges and other locations reminding the guests to exercise precautions, avoid gathering together, use mobile apps to register and use the hotel’s services, and so on.
In the washrooms, soaps and shampoos are available in small, disposable packages as opposed to large dispensers that were previously in place.
Face masks, as well as the use of sanitizer, are mandatory in public areas, including restaurants, poolside, and so on. Receipts and bills for any hotel services are forwarded to the guests via email or their mobile phones.
Besides, some international hotels have started to increase the frequency of cleaning and sterilization exercises to multiple times a day.
Some countries have also begun to use digital health passport for tourists and travellers to offer a higher degree of safety to their guests.
This digital document allows holders to move quickly through international airports and avoid multiple medical screenings.
This facility has begun to be activated in some international airports, which will facilitate easier travel between countries of the world for passengers of different age groups.
Today, all countries of the world need to adapt to these new normal in order to support the speedier recovery of the tourism sector, which has suffered losses estimated at about $ 1.2 trillion globally.
HAIDER AL LAWATI
haiderdawood@hotmail.com
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