Travelling During COVID- How a Microscopic Virus Destroyed a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry




Global tourism has increased a lot over the past 60 years, growing into a multi-billion dollar industry. As traveling has become more accessible, it has never been easier to learn about the world and connect with people of different cultures. But with restrictions put in place in an attempt to contain the global coronavirus pandemic, destinations that are usually swarming with visitors looks like a ghost town.

The coronavirus epidemic is putting up to 50 million jobs in the global travel and tourism sector at risk, with travel likely to slump by a quarter this year, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council. Of the 50 million jobs that could be lost, around 30 million would be in Asia, 7 million in Europe, 5 million in the Americas and the rest in other continents.

This impact would depend on how long the epidemic lasts and could be exacerbated by travel restrictive measures. From spring breaks to summer holidays, the pandemic has disrupted travel plans globally as the lockdown measures keep much of the world’s population at home during some of the peak seasons for traveling. To limit the spread of Covid-19, more than 200 countries and territories worldwide have imposed measures that restrict or deter people from entering their respective borders, according to a report by the United Nations’ World Tourism Organization. From flight suspensions to border closures, the massive shutdown has cost countries billions of tourism dollars, airlines are running out of money and millions of people have lost their jobs — turning the travel and tourism industry into one of the largest casualties of the coronavirus outbreak. The tourism industry accounts for 10% of the world’s GDP and jobs.

 Emirates crew, airport staff wear PPE to prevent Covid-19 spread ...
The airline industry hasn’t faced a crisis like this since the 9/11 attacks, and many companies have grounded up to 90% of their fleets.  The average number of commercial flights per day fell from more than 100,000 in January and February this year to around 78,500 in March and 29,400 in April, according to data by Flightradar24, a website that tracks flights globally. 
Airlines are struggling with cancelled flights, and some carriers have requested financial aid from the government. Some governments have stepped in to offer a lifeline for those struggling. They include: the agreement of the U.S. Treasury Department American, Delta and United airlines for billions of dollars in government grant; French and Dutch governments to provide up to 1.1 billion euros ($12.03 billion) in financial aid to Air France-KLM; Singapore’s government working with the private sector to provide up to 19 billion Singapore dollars ($13.42 billion) of funding to Singapore Airlines. The aviation industry could take years to fully recover. There might be some domestic recovery this year, but the international recovery is going to take a few years and could take several months to start.

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