Life was so light and breezy when masks were not a compulsory part of your wardrobe. Travelling to a nearby market was a casual thing and chilling with friends was an every weekend routine. With everything coming to a halt amongst the worst affected sector was tourism. Travel was restricted, flights were shut down, hotels lost clients, the hospitality industry lost jobs and travellers lost their opportunity to create more memories.
But, now things might change. Yes, you heard it right. As time passes, all the governments in different parts of the world are trying to ensure a maximum vaccination policy for their countrymen to protect against the third expected wave of Coronavirus. India too has started vaccinating its younger crowd to ensure that the majority of the population is protected and mortality is low.
Many people have invested their time and effort to reach vaccination centres, get their first jabs, and ensure their loved ones and the people around them. With the vaccination process moving faster and taking more age groups into account, the fear of mortality might decrease, which will eventually mean that people will safely go back to their pre covid routines. Experts believe that the hospitality and tourism industry can see gradual growth in the years to come if this vaccination process continues the way it is. According to a famous journal the travel industry might see a 2 per cent increase every month and can be retained back to normal by the year 2024.
As the requirement for vaccines is increasing, the manufacturers are experiencing a huge load in terms of production. In countries like India with a very high population, the availability of vaccines is less to vaccinate the entire population. While some states have sufficient doses, other states are facing a crunch. All and all currently India will take time to vaccine its entire population. Most of the countries see Indians as a huge prospective base for tourism every year and while India has more cases these countries have seen a spectacular improvement in coronavirus cases. Countries like Russia and the USA have an abundance of vaccines available even after vaccinating their whole population so to manage this issue of demand and supply and to empower the tourism industry the countries have come up with what you call Vaccine Tourism.
Medical tourism has never seen a hike unless an individual patient had either huge pockets to fly to developed countries for treatment or other flying to developing countries for cheaper treatment. Vaccine tourism might change the way the world has seen medical tourism so far.
Countries like the USA, Russia, Moscow and UAE are promoting vaccine tourism in which many Indians are travelling to these countries for 2 doses of vaccine. The entire travel package consists of stay, travel and the cost of 2 shots of vaccines that are required to the individual.
At this moment only selective people have been able to grab this opportunity to get their vaccinations done in a foreign land due to several travel and aviation restrictions. But, according to some experts as soon as these restrictions are relaxed this vaccine tourism will be a great way for people to travel and get vaccinated while it will help the host country to generate some revenue through their travel industry.
India, domestically also is trying to motivate its people to get vaccinated. Some states have also promised concessions or discounts to people travelling to their tourist places if they have taken both their vaccinations. Many companies like Ola, uber have started giving rides at 50 per cent less to the customers travelling with them for the vaccination process. Some startups are giving discount coupons, free first meal and vouchers to these people as well. All and all the entire corporate community is trying to incentivise the process of getting vaccinated.
Concerning travel our research says many startups and agencies might go ahead and create excursions for only those people who are vaccinated especially to those locations where the health infrastructure is not that developed or the clients have to travel to higher altitudes.
So what are you waiting for? So much in store for you if you get yourself vaccinated.
Travel. What’s the first thought that comes to your mind when you hear this word? It can be a beautiful sunny day at the beach, a cold wind near a clean flowing river, sitting close to a bonfire on a cold night with friends and music. I think reading this takes you back to your past travel experiences and brings hope in your eyes that one day you will be able to live them again. I hope the next time you plan a trip you will be feeling safe as your vaccination will be in place.
