Startups including homestays and tour operators are suffering due to cancellations of group bookings.
Pakistan’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has reported losses of around $18 million in March 2020 and Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) could be sending its workforce on paid leaves on a rotational basis.
The initial assessment fears that KP’s tourism sector alone will face a loss of $20 million in revenues and could slash around 260,000 formal jobs.
It is difficult to put a number on the losses of the informal sector at this stage.
Perhaps the only unintended positive consequence of the pandemic is that nature and wildlife will be able to take a break from the burden of over-tourism.
Here are some suggestions:
- Develop standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the workers, firms, and travelers;
- Design and direct financial support towards the tourism value chains including the microenterprises;
- Guide and support players including restaurants, hotels, homestays, and transporters to disinfect, upgrade facilities and train workers to adopt improved hygiene and safety practices;
- Use technology to introduce virtual tours of museums, heritage sites and ski resorts as a substitute for actual visits; and
- Plan and enforce on-site measures for better waste collection, plastics recycling, and traffic management.
Perhaps the only unintended positive consequence of the pandemic is that nature and wildlife will be able to take a break from the burden of over-tourism.
The KP province is using the resources available through the IDA-financed KP Integrated Tourism Development (KITE) project to; (i) immediately respond to the pandemic by providing medical equipment and supplies; (ii) support disinfection of the sites; and (iii) conduct a COVID-19 socioeconomic impact assessment, using project’s contingent emergency response component.
(roads, museums, rest areas), and overall policy and regulatory overhaul to enable private investment mobilization for the tourism zones, with a focus on restoring the livelihoods.