ISLAMABAD: The Tourism Recovery Action Committee (TRAC) has formulated a three-pronged strategy to mitigate socio-economic impact of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on tourism sector which has been remained closed since impositions of the lockdowns across the country for containing the virus spread.
The TRAC also developed the standard operating procedures (SOPs) for hotels and accommodation facilities, food outlets/eateries, tours operator companies, tourist transportation and airlines to address issue of health, hygiene and safety of the tourists, employees and businesses.
The committee was formed by the National Tourism Coordination board (NTCB) recently to evolve immediate support measures for tourism businesses and strategy for recovery of the tourism industry after evaluating the rapidly evolving situation in the country in the wake of Coronavirus.
The committee was well represented by all the provincial governments, tourism related associations and experts from the private sector.
The strategy, developed by TRAC, would not only revive tourism on fast-track basis but also help revamp the sector to yield better results in the post COVID-19 situation. The TRAC also underlined the need for reducing fear factor and inculcating discipline amongst the businesses of tourism sector, said a news release issued by the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC).
According to the PTDC, both the documents had been shared with all provincial governments and tourism related associations for implementation. It hoped that the measures suggested by TRAC for the tourism revival would help handle the prevailing situation in effective manners.
PTDC Managing Director, Syed Intikhab Alam said the NTCB at the Federal level would coordinate with relevant ministries and organizations for implementation of the measures suggested by the TRAC.
“The travel and tourism industry around the globe faced unprecedented challenges of survival. As per revised statistics from UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization), international tourism can be declined to 60-80 per cent in the year 2020, making it worse for the tourism industry worldwide,” the PTDC noted.
Likewise, travel and tourism industry of Pakistan is facing the same economic crisis and hurdles in operation due to travel restrictions.
Moreover, tourism sector of Pakistan comprises of small and medium entrepreneurs and daily wagers whose source of income has a steep decline due to prevalence of COVID-19 crisis.
