COVID-19 Omicron variant hits travel industry, tour operators see surge in booking cancellations

Representative Image. (Image: AFP)

Already reeling under the effects of the devastating second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the tourism sector is again taking the hit from travel curbs imposed to contain the rapidly spreading Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa.

According to multiple reports, tour operators have seen a rise in cancellations of travel bookings in recent times due to the Omicron variant.

Sriharan Balan, managing director of Madura Travel Services in Chennai told NDTV there have been 20 percent cancellations in outbound travel over the last three days.

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Riaz Ahmed, President, Association of Approved and Classified Hotels of Kerala (AACHK), told the Times of India, "The hotel industry was reviving and business had picked up by about 20 percent. But now again there is a crisis and we are seeing 50 to 60 percent cancellations in bookings. This will be the second peak season when we will have no business and this is not good news for the industry."

India had on December 2 reported its first two cases of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 from Karnataka - in a South African national and a Bengaluru doctor with no travel history and both men fully vaccinated.

Various restrictions and measures at the airports, including stringent surveillance and testing measures, have been put in place by various state governments.

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India has also imposed restrictions on inbound travellers from 'at-risk' countries. The 'at-risk' nations are countries in Europe, including the United Kingdom, South Africa, Brazil, Botswana, China, Mauritius, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Singapore, Hong Kong and Israel.

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Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation has criticised the blanket travel ban citing an impact on global cooperation. In a bid to keep Omicron at bay, many countries suspended flights from seven southern Africa countries.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called for tailored intervention by countries, including testing travellers before and after they arrive in a country, and advised against blanket travel bans that place a heavy burden on lives and livelihoods.