The impact of Corona on the tourism industry
As you know, the outbreak of Corona virus has had many negative effects on the world financial and economic system, especially in the tourism industry. Meanwhile, countries whose economies are heavily dependent on the industry suffered the most. Under such circumstances, some countries were able to return to pre-corona conditions and take control of the situation by adopting health and safety measures.
Given the $ 1.2 trillion in damage caused by the outbreak of the Corona virus to the world tourism industry, the International Trade Center has estimated the amount to rise to $ 2.2 trillion. Also, unfortunately, taking precautionary measures against the outbreak of the Quaid-19 virus, such as quarantine, travel restrictions, and the closure of international borders, has jeopardized the economies of tourism-dependent countries. These countries include Turkey, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Australia, Germany, Britain, France, Brazil, Japan, India, Canada, Russia and South Korea.
Measures taken to improve the situation
In such a situation, different countries have tried to improve the situation caused by the outbreak of Quaid-19 by adopting various strategies, and some of them, such as: Britain, New Zealand, Australia, Estonia and Lithuania, by lifting the restrictions on international travel for tourists in some countries, To some extent, they managed to reduce the losses caused by these restrictions.
In this regard, the European Union has announced that it will soon open its borders to countries such as Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Greece, in compliance with strict health protocols; However, the crisis of the Corona virus has reduced the interest of most people in the world to travel, and they prefer not to endanger their health and the health of others in such a situation and stay at home longer.
The following are the preventive measures taken by 12 countries to improve their economic situation and tourism industry, as well as reduce the negative effects of the coronavirus outbreak:
Turkey
Turkey is one of the countries that has survived the crisis with less damage than other leading countries in the tourism industry, especially in the Mediterranean region; In addition to the knowledge and experience gained over the years, as well as the effective cooperation of managers, the country’s officials have played a very important role in controlling the corona virus.
Among Turkey’s effective measures in this regard are to increase the number of tourists visiting the country, the requirement to obtain a “health certificate” for jobs related to the tourism industry, the requirement to comply with health protocols in tourist places, strict supervision of health officials, and many In other cases, it has been able to help the Turkish tourism industry to continue its activities and attract tourists even during the outbreak of Quaid-19.
Italy
According to the authorities of the island of Sicily in southern Italy, tourists who travel to the island during this period can get a 50% discount on flight tickets, one third of the cost of hotel accommodation and a 100% discount on visiting museums and historical sites. Use the island. Despite these measures, the Sicilian tourism industry has suffered more than € 1 billion during the Corona crisis.
France
Under French law, travel to major cities during the corona outbreak is prohibited, but citizens of the European Union, Iceland, Andorra, Norway, Monaco, the United Kingdom and Switzerland can still travel to the country. In order to prevent the spread of Quid-19 virus, tourists with symptoms of coronavirus are quarantined and the use of masks is mandatory for all tourists over 11 years of age.
Germany
Germany, in a similar move to France, has blocked the entry of non-EU tourists; however, the law does not apply to travelers traveling to the country for medical treatment, health researchers or nurses. Also, all travelers whose final destination is Germany must be quarantined for 14 days before entering the country; However, if this group of people undergoes a corona test before entering Germany and their test results are negative, they do not need to go through quarantine and can easily continue their journey.
Sweden
Sweden, meanwhile, explicitly allows tourists to enter Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Spain, Poland, Finland, France, Germany and Italy, and they can easily Travel to Sweden; accordingly, tourists from other countries are currently not allowed to enter Sweden’s borders during the Corona.
Switzerland
Switzerland only allows citizens of Schengen countries to travel and enter its territory during the Quaid-19 virus outbreak, and although this means that tourists from 26 countries may enter Switzerland, according to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, the tourism industry The country is facing a 60 percent decline. However, if these conditions continue, the damage to the Swiss tourism industry will reach 80%.
Note: The 26 Schengen countries are said to have abolished the Passport Control Act for citizens traveling to and from the region.
Greece
Greece has reduced its ticket tax rate from 24% to 13% to encourage foreign tourists to travel to the country during the corona, which includes only European countries. However, flights between “Turkey-Britain-Greece” are prohibited, except in cases of emergency, human rights and repatriation.
Cyprus
Cyprus also tried to save its economy by reviving its tourism industry during the outbreak of the Corona virus, declaring all accommodation, food and medical expenses free for tourists from all countries; therefore, tourists intending to travel to Cyprus must submit a negative corona test result before arrival and only pay for their flight. The country also has a 100-bed hospital for tourists who become ill with Quid-19 during the trip, where treatment is free.
Australia
Although there are still restrictions on travel to Australia due to the prevalence of the corona, travelers can still travel and enjoy their travel by following a set of principles. Therefore, all travelers, especially citizens of Bulgaria, Ireland, Croatia, Monaco and Romania, are required to obtain a health certificate and a negative corona test result up to 4 days before arrival in Australia.
Tourists who are unable to obtain a health certificate must also undergo a 14-day quarantine upon arrival in Australia, otherwise they will not be deported or allowed to enter the country due to control of the Quid-19 virus.
Japan
Unlike other countries mentioned above, the Japanese government does not allow foreigners to travel and enter, and in the form of a program called “Go on a trip” has provided domestic travel for its citizens with 50% discounts, which include costs such as: Tickets, accommodation, sightseeing and shopping are available. The campaign, which runs until the spring of next year, does not include cities like Tokyo in the red, to prevent the spread of the corona virus in the capital.