One of the most fascinating moments that convinced me to see travel and tourism as a viable career happened during my very first visit to an international travel trade fair in London. By November of 2001, I was only about 14 months into an advertising agency that handled the global promotions of the by-then globally well acclaimed Kerala.
Day four of the event. A stroll around the vibrant Earl’s Court filled with sights and sounds from around the world, was exciting.
Huge structures were put up by several countries and regions; hotels had slick stands; Champagne was served at certain airline stalls; and still others had spaces where lighthearted banter was going on.
As I was walking along the exhibition floor punctuated with music, dance and a riot of colour that represented cultures, traditions, arts and folk, on the first floor a very interesting piece of music got my attention. The closer I got, it was even more inviting. The pressures and tiredness of three days of hectic running around, a press conference addressed by Kerala’s Tourism Minister Prof. KV Thomas and several meetings that took place, were off my mind.
I turned a corner, and before me was a set of dancers swaying to the lure of traditional Sinhalese music. All around the beautiful pavilion of Sri Lanka (tourism), people were having a ball. The formalities of meetings and deal-making were over and it was time to ‘network’. Cups of tea kept flowing freely to anyone who passed SriLankan Airlines counter. A cute coffee mug with the airline’s logo on it was on offer to take home. Flyers were given out. In the midst of all this, the music continued, and so did dance. Visitors vied for a vantage point to get a good picture.
While 9/11 overshadowed any other terrorist attack on earth, Sri Lanka had its share of gruesome tragedies that very year. Terror in Sri Lanka was a permanent fixture for as long as I could remember.
Yet, at the November 2001 World Travel Market, even as the threat of terror was almost as certain as rains during the monsoons, foot-tapping music from Sri Lanka echoed throughout Earl’s Court. I thought to myself: “how do tourists from the UK and Europe go to a country ravaged by civil war”?
While 2001 saw a dip from 445k to 337k international tourists, 2002 saw the numbers go up to 457k. After 2009 when terror ended, 200k+ international travellers got added every year for the next few years. By 2019, the emerald island nation received over 2M international travellers. Keep in mind, while the threat of terror was active, it was not mean achievement to get that many travellers to set foot on the dangerous island. They created the the platform to welcome more people.
A little further away, was a tiny space of about 12 sqm (I thought I had a picture). The solitary woman looked at me and checked if I wanted a flyer. In the early days of my career in tourism, this was an absolute shocker! Images of the horrific genocide in Rwanda were still vivid in the mind. ‘It must take a lot of guts to come to a world platform, and sell travel to that country’, I thought. Over the years, Rwanda’s participation at international travel trade fairs only grew. Today, thanks to the exciting Gorilla tours (among many other natural and cultural products), Rwanda attracts 1.63M (2019) travellers receiving $635.90M, where each tourist on an average contributes about $389 (a $130 increase registered per person). Rwanda's tourism growth story.
Similar stories come from Croatia, Serbia, Viet Nam, Cambodia and many more, where tourism has helped revive, not just an industry, but the fortunes of an entire nation. Tourism’s share of Albania’s GNP grew 14% in 15 years for some of these countries, and in Cambodia it went up 10%. Arrivals spiked from negligibly low, to optimal numbers during the past 15-20 years. For many of these countries, tourism helped in generating employment, sustaining ethno-cultural traditions and continued to promise much prosperity ahead. We were on the brink of the targeted 1.6Bn international travellers.
And then, along came Corona!
The world of travel is now witnessing an altogether deep crisis. Lives have been lost, the effects of the illness lingers on and businesses have shut. This means, not only have jobs been lost, countless indirect and creative support systems to the world of travel have been pushed into uncertainty. Livelihoods, whether from those in cities or rural area - drivers, shopkeepers, guides, cooks, various service staff, local food service personnel, cleaners, airport and airline staff, artistes, singers, craftsmen and women, accountants, hr staff, skilled workers like carpenters, plumbers and electricians, gardeners, farm workers and just about everyone else - the list is too long - are under serious threat.
The World Travel & Tourism Council says that 2020 saw a staggering 62M jobs being lost! Furthermore, domestic travel spending reduced 45% and international travel spending reduced just under 70%!!
When travelling tomorrow is a big question mark for many, that translates into an existential threat for millions depending on travel.
Travel has always been resilient and has made tremendous comebacks from behind in several regions of the world across the passage of time. 9/11 forced a huge change in the way we travel from a security point. Once we were convinced about safety, we didn’t mind, and the new way of travel became normal. The economic crisis of 2008-09 forced another shift in travel. For a while, discretionary spending on travel (including business travel) was put on hold, but gradually it bounced back and the 1.6Bn traveller target of UNWTO was well in sight.
Covid, is now forcing us, as at the time of the economic crisis, to re-look at travel, in terms of cutting that discretionary spending due to the concern over health. If the virus scared people against travelling, vaccination has helped eased the situation a little. But the unpredictable nature of the virus and its mutations, and restrictions that keep coming up, the no. of virus-infected increasing and the fact that not all vaccines are approved everywhere, has lead to slowing of global border opening.
Current trends show leisure travel picking up, while business travel is lagging behind. Figures show that intra-regional travel is up, but longer haul travel will take time to bounce back. These do not augur well for all those who have been waiting for months to receive travellers back, and resume the work or business they love.
Hence, without any further explanation, the fundamental thing that must be done, is to Just #travelmore .
Travel companies, hotels, resorts and home stays have invested in systems and personnel to ensure safe travel. Airlines have invested in technology to make travel safe. Airports have invested heavily to protect the health of travellers.
Feel assured. Just #travelmore
Remember, in 2001, during the height of Sri Lanka’s terrible times from terrorism, 445k travellers braved it to the disturbed land. Sri Lanka and its tourism stakeholders created an impression of friendliness, calm and assurance among travellers. At trade fairs, they made the world fall for the taste of tea, and sway to their music and dance. A powerful sense of desire was created. And people just flocked. This resulted in 3% of its employable population working in “accommodation and food service activities” (source: Central Bank of Sri Lanka, 2018). Other segments of the industry employ many more.
Lives are at stake. Just #travelmore
Just #TravelMore
A very good analysis and vivid explanation of the tourism sector and various factors afflicting it. Well done, Binu.