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VISAKHAPATNAM: Fear of a second wave of coronavirus has slowed the recovery from travel and tourism, a sector that has already been hit by a major financial crisis after being in lockdown for eight to nine months. Industry in Andhra Pradesh alone suffered a loss of 2,000 rupees; A third of the travel agencies had to shut down. Many stakeholders were able to revive just 40 percent of their lost businesses as the rising number of infections and subsequent travel restrictions announced by seven states – including Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala and Odisha – dashed hopes.

Vijaya Mohan, president of the Tours and Travels Association of Andhra (TTAA), said business fell to 15 percent in February. “For us, February is the prime time of every calendar year, as both domestic and international travelers create their summer vacation plans every month. Since the resumption of international tourism may take a little longer, we only rely on domestic travelers. ”

“With the threat of new coronavirus strains looming, travelers are canceling their trips. Those on a budget don’t plan tours. Only the rich travel. With everyone in the industry fighting over a few customers, the profit margin has dropped dramatically, ”he told TNIE.

Dheeraj, a member of the association, said Odisha had announced that the travelers would be quarantined by AP and some other states. “Whatever was expected in May and June is now in disarray. Now people are adopting a waiting policy. While there will be some recovery in the near future, the sector will see a further 15 to 20 percent drop in sales. ”

Vijay Mohan felt that the problem had more to do with a lack of coherence in Covid-19 guidelines and that the center should make the decision rather than allowing states to determine their own policies. “The travelers are confused because each state has a different policy. Spiritual tourism like Chardham Yatra, Vaishnodevi Temple and Nepal should have started. But we don’t even get requests for bookings. The closure of schools in Pune has caused people to change their plans. “Srinivas Kuar, a tour operator, said all bookings his company received for Kerala have either been canceled or put on hold indefinitely.

“30 percent of the operators have closed their offices, 40 percent work remotely. The slowdown in tourism has cascaded hotels and other related sectors. The state government should promote tourism to a large extent. Very few outside the state know that three of the 18 Shakti Peethas are in AP. Delegates at a recent conference were surprised when I told them that two of the Shakti-Peethas are in Draksharamam and Pithapuram. The APTDC should act as an intermediary rather than our competitor, ”added the APTAA President.

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