Addressing the effect of COVID19 pandemic on the Tourism Industry in Haridwar and Dehradun Districts of Uttarakhand, India

Abstract

The World Travel and Tourism Council has said “The coronavirus COVID19 epidemic is putting up to 50 million jobs in the global travel and tourism sector at risk, with travel likely to slump by a quarter this year, Asia being the most affected continent”. The predictions being flashed by the world economic forum about the travel & tourism industry is also reflected in North India tourism industry. Hence, the study aimed to address and evaluate the effect of COVID19 on Uttarakhand tourism, especially, on the site of Haridwar and Dehradun as they are the entry to the gateway of Major Char Dham Yatra of Himalaya, and where all India tourists arrive since centuries. The prime focus of the study was to review and investigate the people's reaction towards the pandemic situation and how it had affected the working as well as livelihood of people associated with Tourism and hospitality in this region of Uttarakhand. The study did a online survey through self-prepared 20 questions questionnaire. The study indicates before and COVID19 pandemic affected nearly 60% respondents for their professional working and many were affected with payment schedules. The majority of the respondents (78.4%) were very much positive and had faith for the bright future besides happy to spend time with family. In addition, the study showed a strong response from participants for the need of the change in the service of the tourism industry indicating a change for its survival with the present threat possibly through finding solutions such as local tourism, spiritual collective effort and support.

Creating Tourism Sector Opportunities in the Time of the Covid-19 Pandemic

“…Limited activities in various public places have a negative effect on the community, marked by reduced income and even new unemployment due to layoffs, business actors who experience a decline in turnover and a number of industries are forced to lay off their workers in order to minimize the costs incurred and even go out of business. This phenomenon raises great concern for the Indonesian economy, which is predicted to experience slowing economic growth, reduced labor absorption, increased unemployment and poverty levels (Kumar, Bhardwaj, & Indolia, 2020).…”

Impact of Covid-19 on the Tourism Industry of Himachal Pradesh

“…Koirala et al, (2020) indicated in their study that Wuhan has isolated millions of populations from daily activities on the outbreak of coronavirus. Kumar et al, (2020) addressed the matter of government support for business and medical facility, livelihood and financial security, personal and family life. It was found that 67% people from sample has never seen such critical situation before.…”

“…Kaushal ( 2019), conducted a descriptive study in which tourism is the major activity in Himachal Pradesh that helps in growth and development of the state economy, as it contributed 6.6% in the state GDP. Kumar et al, (2020) addressed the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the tourism industry in Haridwar and Dehradun Districts of Uttrakhand.…”

How digital tourism leads to innovation

“…As planes were grounded and holidayers stayed home, tourism companies lost revenue and customers, resulting in employees’ jobs at stake. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimated around 50 million jobs worldwide to be “at risk” (Kumar, 2020). However, the technological developments of the pandemic period are not to be overlooked.…”