AT A tourism convention in Phuket last month, Thailand’s prime minister looked at attendees and asked with a predictable answer.
“Are you ready?” Prayuth Chan-ocha asked, radically removing his mask and launching what he hoped would be the country’s economic reset after more than two years of coronavirus restrictions. When the crowd shouted his reaction, yes, according to local media, he may have only spoken. on behalf of the entire pandemic world.
But a full recovery may take as long as the crisis itself, according to projections and Associated Press interviews in 11 countries in June. They recommend that the expected rebound feel less like a definitive rebound, and more like a bumpy road. a deep and dark cave.
Some places, such as the French Riviera and the Midwest of the U. S. In the US, they are contributing to the increase more than others, such as closed China and “zero-COVID”, which before the pandemic was the world’s largest source of tourists and their spending.
The human will to get out and explore is helping to drive the ascent, pack flights and museums despite rising coronavirus infections and inflation. Nations estimate to have lost as much as the pandemic. According to some estimates, tourism provides work for one in 10 people on Earth.
Many places, especially those with comfortable protection requirements, see what happens for a summer of sunny optimism and adventure.
“They say it’s the summer of revenge travel,” said Theresa Starta, 52, of Pittsburgh, as she watched through one of Amsterdam’s canals as crowds made their way to the Dutch capital. “Everything looks so bad all over the world, so it’s great to see some things come back. “
“The road to full recovery is very long, at least we are back to it,” said Sanga Ruangwattanakul, president of the Khao San Road Business Association in Bangkok.
Despite the return of travelers, demanding situations and uncertainty cast a shadow over the post-pandemic landscape. Full recoveries are not expected until at least 2024. Concerns loomed over a long list of problems, including inflation, problems in the chain of origin and emerging infection rates. and labour shortages.
Before the end of June, chaos had begun to take shape in the summer of 2022. Airports and airlines that had cut their spending deep in the pandemic were struggling to meet demand, resulting in canceled flights, lost luggage and other varied nightmares. Frightened hikers have booked trips on shorter deadlines, making plans more complicated for hotels, tour operators and others, industry experts said.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also increased the risk of an asymmetric recovery and contributed to inflation, something that could be just a major impediment even as the pain of another pandemic recedes.
“It’s the fall season that’s worrying,” said Sandra Carvao, head of business intelligence and competitiveness at the United Nations World Tourism Organization. If inflation continues to rise, especially interest rates, “families will have to reconsider their spending. “
Even though all restrictions related to the virus have been lifted, safety deserves not to diminish as a concern.
“The most important thing for other people when they make the decision to go on vacation is fitness and safety. That’s been the case,” said Simon Hudson, a tourism professor at the University of South Carolina who is writing an e-book on how to recover from the pandemic. “It’s happening to take time. “
Starting with the positive aspects, the UN reported that in the first quarter of 2022, foreign arrivals almost tripled in the same 3 months last year. March this year produced the healthiest effects since the pandemic began, with arrivals reaching nearly 50% of 2019 levels. This could be successful in up to 70% of 2019 arrivals by the end of this year, UNWTO said in revised projections in May.
This has produced encouraging symptoms in some places, from Israel to the United States, Italy, Mexico and France. Reboots like Thailand’s are all the rage. Big plans for 2023 are underway in the United States, such as a cruise through some of Broadway’s biggest plays. Star.
These projections take place in the field, in places that initially had competitive and agile restrictions and adapted by lifting many protections as vaccines were higher and the Omicron variant proved less deadly than the other variants.
Foreign tourists flock to places like the French Riviera, where the chain’s problems make everything more expensive, adding champagne, one restaurateur said.
“It’s been summer here since spring, each and every night,” said Elie Dagher, manager of La Villa Massenet in Nice. United Kingdom and United States.
In Brannson, Missouri, known for its country music exhibits and attractions, you don’t need a bounce. It received a record 10 million visitors last year and appears poised to surpass that figure, said Lynn Berry, a spokeswoman for the Branson Convention. and Visitors Bureau.
Jeff Johnson, co-owner of The Shepherd of the Hills Adventure Park, credits it to a brief closure in 2020, with an unwavering clientele from neighboring states and towns like St. Louis and Kansas City. ” When we reopened,” he said, “He never slowed down. “
In Italy, tourists, especially from the United States, have returned en masse this year. The Easter technique has been especially noticeable in Rome, reflecting the repressed call to eternal places like the Sistine Chapel and the Colosseum.
“There is a massive preference for traveling, as if flying a (cork) from a bottle,” said Bernabò Bocca, president of the Federalberghi national hotel agreement. When Italy relaxed security measures in April, “a tsunami of U. S. reserves arrived. “United at a speed never noticed before. “
Hopes are also high for Thailand, following its announcement last month that the country will eliminate virtually all needs other than evidence of vaccination or, failing that, a negative coronavirus test.
The return of tourists has already breathed new life into local tourism. Khao San Road, Bangkok’s famous backpacker street, almost abandoned last year, receives up to 5,000 visitors a day, promising figures that are still far from the 30,000 visitors before the pandemic, according to Ruangwattanakul, president of the industry association.
Thailand is an instructive look at the struggle for recovery, with China as the main factor. In 2019, Chinese tourists accounted for a quarter of foreign arrivals to Thailand, but there is no indication that they will return in such gigantic numbers.
The volatile nature of the post-pandemic rise can be felt from Israel to India.
“I think we’re moving in the right direction,” said the owner of a Vaibhav Khulbe restaurant in Dharmsala, India, where four million are expected in the country this year, up from 11 million in 2019.
As in the world, Israel is struggling to adjust to its 2019 tourism record, with 4. 5 million visitors. Despite the lifting of all restrictions, Israel expects less than a share — about 2 million visitors — this year, according to Tourism Ministry officials. Other concerns The political clash is a challenge after a wave of deadly Palestinian violence inside Israel in the spring, as well as the collapse of the government last month.
However, the ministry reports a steady, albeit gradual, increase. A convergence of devout spring holidays for Jews, Christians and Muslims helped spur visitors in April. By May, the number of visitors had risen to about 57% the same month two years earlier.
But the recovery has been asymmetrical for many in the West Bank.
“We expected a lot more people to come at least this month, like May, June, but it’s still very slow,” said Wisam Salsaa, manager of The Walled Off hotel in Bethlehem, the ancient historic city where the U. S. president said. USA Joe Biden A stopover is expected in July for a vacation in Israel and Saudi Arabia.
Designed by London artist Banksy and brimming with colour, the hotel is locally run and well known but in a hurry. It has grown physically due to the pandemic, but has been forced to reduce its staff from about 50 to 32 now. In June, its occupancy rate was around 30%.
“Tourism here,” Salsaa said, “is very fragile. “
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