Tourism spending not likely to reach normalcy before 2024: Urban planning expert Dr Abdul Razak

CHENNAI: The travel and tourism industry, one of the worst affected sectors owing to the pandemic, is staring at a slower revival rate than what was forecast earlier. On World Tourism Day, which was observed on Sunday, Express spoke with urban planning expert Dr Abdul Razak Mohamed, who severed as a consultant in tourism development projects for Tamil Nadu and Bihar governments. Razak at present is a professor at the Department of Planning at School of Planning and Architecture in Vijayawada. Some excerpts from the interaction: 

To what extent was tourism sector affected by the lockdown? 
India has always been a preferred destination for medical tourism but with the pandemic, this sub-sector hugely bore the brunt. Business travels dipped significantly, with most global events such as conferences, launches, festivals, seminars, symposiums, conventions getting cancelled or postponed. Pilgrim and religious tourism also suffered setback. Huge number of people engaged in tourism related activities in the organised and unorganised sectors lost businesses.

Any estimates on the loss of jobs? 
According to the Deloitte India, the country houses around 53,000 travel agents, 1,15,000 tour operators, 15,000 adventure companies, 9,11,000 tourist transporters, 53,000 hospitality companies and 5 lakh restaurants. The industry totally employs an estimated 3.8 crore people. This data excludes aviation professionals and employees at star hotels. Also a huge number of micro entrepreneurs in informal sector businesses cater to the tourists. According to the World Trade Organisation (WTO), up to 120 million tourism jobs are at risk, with the economy damage likely to exceed $1 trillion in 2020 alone. International tourist arrivals are projected to reduce by 60 to 80 percent in 2020, and tourism spending is not likely to return to usual levels until 2024.

What options are available before the governments to revive the industry? 
India’s growing middle classes and increasing disposable income levels have contributed much to the growth of domestic and outbound tourism. The country’s travel and tourism industry has the potential to expand by 2.5 per cent on the back of higher budgetary allocation. Tourism is a huge industry and needs capital intensive infrastructure. 

What about revival strategies and role of industry stakeholders?
Revival strategies will have to be tailored to local contexts. Primarily, travellers and tourism-sector employees must be helped feel safe. Resuming tourism-related businesses in a way that is safe, attractive for tourists, and economically viable will require extensive coordination. Innovative solutions regarding safety and hygiene, as well as the proximity of medical facilities, will be of key importance in meeting the traveller’s expectations.