COVID-19: the tourism sector is also in quarantine

COVID-19: the tourism sector in quarantine

Places that are generally full of tourists and social life now leave us lonely images of bars and restaurants closed, hotels turned into hospitals, the canals of Venice with transparent waters and fauna that occupies them, the Gran Vía in absolute silence, in the Trevi Fountain there are no coins falling anymore, Times Square lights up on its own, nobody steps on kilometer 0 in Puerta del Sol in Madrid, Spain ...

Yes, one of the sectors that is affecting the most due to COVID-19 is tourism, an extremely important sector for the growth of the economy in almost any country that is already beginning to suffer its impact: accounting for losses.

Since the beginning of this health crisis, which is not yet known how long it will last, the number of travel cancellations has grown, bookings went down, and the events, fairs and congresses enhancing tourism are cancelled ... and also affecting one of the great vacations: Easter.

The whole world, applying measures

In order to prevent the spread of the virus, countries control their borders , others close them, some refuse to receive citizens from countries in Europe or Asia, the airports carry out sanitary controls, and the public transport vehicles are continuously disinfected, the countries close their ports and prevent cruise ships from docking, roads are closed … without a doubt a series of measures that make the free practice of tourism impossible.

There are already forecasts

Tourism sector companies such as hotel chains or travel agencies already agree that, although it is early to know what the effects of the coronavirus crisis will be in the tourism sector, it is clearly being seen that the tourism activity, mainly in Europe and Asia, is declining on large scales.

On the other hand, the WTO (World Tourism Organization) predicts that the number of tourists from all over the world will be reduced by 9 and 12% in this 2020 for the main affected areas: Asia and the Pacific, causing an approximate loss of $ 40 billions.

The loss will depend on how the coronavirus evolves and that can be greater if the expansion of COVID-19 continues to increase.

Effects and impacts in Spain

In the Spanish economy, the tourism is one of the major sectors that intervenes and contributes to the country's economy, so this crisis can have a devastating effect in Spain.

At the moment, reservations for hotels, flights and activities have already been reduced, mainly in the Canary Islands, the main focus of tourists. But Barcelona has not been left behind, as an event as important and large-scale as the Movile World Congress has been canceled.

The luxury shopping of Paseo de Gracia in the provincial capital has also been affected due to the fact that the Chinese population accounts for a large percentage of this volume of purchases.

Damages in other parts of the world

Italy is one of the most visited countries in the world, with the tourism sector generating 12% of the country's economy, a country that, together with China, Iran, Spain, France, Germany and the United States is already over the health crisis and is beginning to affect the country's economy.

The main countries affected by COVID-19 have been Italy and China, with Italy leading the podium with the cancellation of the famous Venice carnival and the closure of all kinds of shows, establishments, etc.

Is there something positive in all this?

That the recovery could be quick, yes, because, although there is insecurity and doubts about how long this crisis is going to last, the positive thing is that tourism is a very tolerant and fast market, so it is to be expected that once the coronavirus disappears or is under control, the bookings and sales will recover, or even,  the growth may be is more than ever.

Contributing our efforts for the world

Panic and uncertainty lead us to cancel, which is understandable, but to contribute to tourism, the best we can do is to postpone our trip and travel, which we planned and but not to cancel. You can't miss to meet and enjoy the amenities and toaletries produced and offered by RH Hotel Amenities during our holiday stayings. 

We must wait to see how the situation evolves because after this global health crisis, the economy must recover and the tourism is one of the great allies which will help for sure.