It’s curtains for int’l travel, foreign arrivals this season

It’s curtains for int’l travel, foreign arrivals this season

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:27.04.2021

After UAE, Maldives has also restricted entry of Indian tourists, effectively striking off the only international leisure travel option left for Chennaiites this season.

Industry sources said there was little chance that the travel ban will be lifted any time soon. Maldives and UAE were the popular destinations for people from Chennai and travel was reviving after restrictions eased in the last three months.

With cases growing and flight restrictions still in force, the city will not get foreign travellers either. Foreign tourists usually arrive in June-July. VFS has also suspended issuing visas for almost all major countries while the US has closed its consulate for appointments till May 15.

Travel and tour operators say this will impact the confidence level of travellers and it may be three to four months before people ventured out. The sector is now staring at a repeat of 2020.

Ramji Natarajan of Travel Masters India said "We were banking on the April-May season. This is gone now with almost all destinations out of reach. Domestic holidays too are not happening because of the high number of Covid-19 cases and shutdowns. It is going to be worse than last year as the few countries that were allowing us to fly too are blocking. It will take a long time for the people to have confidence to travel. People have started to rethink essential travel too."

With the prospects of revival looking bleak, travel and tour operators suggest that the government should step in.

Basheer Ahmed of Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) said, “It looks like there may not be much movement in terms of passengers for three to six months. This is the time for the government to step in and help tourism to survive.”

S Shaktivadivel, honorary secretary, southern region, Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI), said government and industry should take steps to boost confidence to encourage travel post-Covid-19. “The domestic epass system should be standardized, private charter should be allowed on domestic and international routes, a vaccine passport should be worked out, airlines should step up safety measures like leaving the middle seat empty,” he said. There should also be some relief measure from the government, added.

Ramji said that “It’s time for the government to form a highpowered committee involving senior travel professionals and gather feedback and formulate a strategy or stimulus.”