No sector seems to be safe from the novel coronavirus that has gripped the entire world. The COVID-19 pandemic has particularly affected the global Hospitality and Tourism Industry. Local tourism industry in Pakistan has also suffered a significant blow due to lockdown travel restrictions.
The average occupancy rate of the hotels before COVID-19 stood at around 80 per cent before the outbreak, whereas it now stands between 6 -7 per cent average occupancy. The virus pandemic has severely affected the hotels’ revenue generation who are struggling to ensuring timely salary payments to their employees and have been forced to resort to large-scale layoffs.
Adapting to these unprecedented circumstances and limited resources, government has converted various hotels in quarantine facilities on the recommendation of National Disaster and Management Authority (NDMA). However, this initiative has faced technical hurdles as the hotel staff and administration does not possess required training and medical know-how to operate in such hazardous environment and handle COVID-19 patients.
It is imperative that an economic relief package must be introduced for tourism and hotel industry on the same line as industrial, automobile and various other sectors which have benefitted from relief packages from federal and provincial governments.
