NEW DELHI: Meghalaya might be optimistic about revival of tourism in the hill state post-pandemic, but an international report has indicated that COVID-19 may push the tourism industry back by 20 years, causing a loss of one trillion dollars which is about one third of India’s current economy.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has released a report that draws on official data to quantify the devastating impact that the novel coronavirus pandemic has had on global tourism. It warns that up to 120 million jobs in the tourism sector are at risk, with the economic damage likely to exceed $1 trillion in 2020 alone.
However, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, addressing an event on World Tourism Day recently, had exuded hope that the exceptional natural beauty of the state, coupled with increased inflow of domestic travelers and better air connectivity, would revive the tourism industry.
Meghalaya has built a large number of hotels, guest houses, eateries and such other tourism-related infrastructure in recent years. Large number of tourists from within the country and abroad flock the hill state to attend festivals like the Cherry Blossom Festival and indigenous food festivals, besides visiting the regular tourist places like Sohra (Cherrapunjee).
But the anti-citizenship bill agitation at the end of last year and the pandemic and consequent lockdown and restrictions this year have negatively impacted the tourism industry in the state, which is a vital part of the economic backbone of Meghalaya.
Reports from Shillong said that guest house owners are now putting up their rooms on rent rather than waiting for guests, and many eateries are folding up business altogether. The real estate prices, which were always on an upward spiral in the capital city, are now in a slump.
Due to restrictions imposed in March, when the pandemic was declared, international travel came to a complete halt. This has resulted in international tourist arrivals to trail last year’s total by almost 60 percent in the first five months of 2020.
Depending on when travel restrictions are fully lifted, the World Tourism Organization expects international tourism receipts (i.e. spending by international tourists) to drop between $910 billion and $1.2 trillion this year. This would set the global tourism industry back by 20 years, it said.
Data show that international tourist arrivals were down by 56 percent globally for the first five months of 2020 as compared to the corresponding period of 2019. Considering that most travel restrictions only came into effect in mid-March, it can be assumed that the numbers would look at least as bad, if not worse, if June and July figures were included. The Chief Minister had said that in 2019, Meghalaya recorded 1.2 million tourist footfalls and the tourism sector played a pivotal role in providing direct and indirect employment to thousands of local people. He admitted that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism in the state has been badly hit, but the government has prepared a roadmap to revamp the sector.
With almost 26 million outbound tourists during normal times likely to seek exotic destinations within the country due to the current situation, the Chief Minister has pinned hope that Meghalaya will be among the preferred holiday locations for a large section of these tourists. But travel restrictions imposed by local people during are more severe than in most other parts of the country, which could emerge as a potential hindrance.
A silver lining for the landlocked state would be improvement in air connectivity. Sangma hoped that direct flights from New Delhi to Shillong will start at the end of next month, and to other cities like Mumbai and Hyderabad soon, which will help in reviving the tourism industry in the state.