The island of Antigua and Barbuda recorded only 159 Covid-19 cases last year, but that number rose to more than 1,000 this year, after borders reopened. Pixabay
On a clear day in Antigua, Uriah Gregory, 43, pulls his taxi van over in front of a guest house painted in bright pink, purple and orange hues, and steps out to help a woman with her luggage.
Pre-pandemic, Gregory estimates his taxi brought in US$1,110 (RM4,556) a month, shuttling visitors from resorts to restaurants and beaches during peak tourist season on the Caribbean island. Now, with few of those visitors in sight, he’s barely averaging US$110 (RM455).
Holidaygoers at a beach in Mallorca, where there are more foreign tourists than locals. Photos: Reuters
Tanya Buscher said she felt “a little bit” guilty when she booked a plane ticket to Mallorca – her first holiday since the pandemic struck – but her remorse did not last long once faced with the Spanish island’s turquoise waters.
“We don’t know what the future will hold, they could close the borders, ” the 32-year-old said, her shoulders already reddened by the sun.
She fled Dortmund for the largest of Spain’s Balearic Islands in the face of warnings from German Chancellor Angela Merkel against Easter trips abroad, aimed at preventing the spread of the coronavirus.
COVID-19 decimated the travel sector in 2020. But with lockdowns now easing and summer on the way, easyHotel’s Chief Marketing and Digital Officer, Rav Dhaliwal, is preparing for a brighter year ahead for the industry.
The travel sector was hit hard by COVID-19 and continues to be so. In general, how has your experience been over the last 12 months? And what were some of the early decisions that you made?
We took the decision to close part of our estate and protect our guests before the government guidelines came in, back in March 2020. While we were closed, we spent time revising our opening plans. So, when the time came, we were in a strong position to reopen safely and have the right protocols in place in a post-COVID world.
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By State House News Service
With more and more people becoming vaccinated against COVID-19 and the summer travel season looking like a more realistic possibility, the Baker administration awarded $1.6 million in local tourism grants Tuesday and rolled out a new $2 million grant program that will look for shovel-ready projects to enhance tourist destinations across the state. We want to make sure that what we have to offer continues to be there and we want to support it and grow it and nurture it, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito said during an online announcement event.
The $1.6 million in Travel and Tourism Recovery awards went to 59 businesses and tourism associations around Massachusetts, including places like the Boston Museum of Science.