Omicron and how is it affecting the travel industry?

In the recent past, after almost two years the travel industry was about to flourish again as many countries had opened their borders for international tourists and travelers. But these moments of joy and happiness were very short-lived. With the surge in COVID cases due to the Omicron variant, flights and the travel industry once again have been impacted and flights have been canceled. 

Recently, India had announced to resume international flights from 15th December but as Omicron cases got increased, the plan was deferred for a later date which has not been announced yet. India has also issued new guidelines for international travelers and prepared a list of ‘at-risk’ countries. All travelers have to submit a self-declaration form on the online Air Suvidha portal before the scheduled travel, Passengers also need to disclose their last 14 days’ travel details. All international travelers need to upload a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR report which should not be old more than 72 hrs prior to the flight.

All passengers have to submit a declaration with respect to the authenticity of the report. If there is any discrepancy they will be liable for criminal prosecution. Passengers traveling from ‘at-risk countries’ shall undergo testing upon arrival and are subject to home quarantine if tested negative, in case of the positive test result strict isolation will be done. Only those passengers will be allowed to board the flight who have filed the ‘Self Declaration Form’ on Air Suvidha portal and have also uploaded their negative RT-PCR test report. Also, only asymptomatic travelers will be allowed to board the flight. Travelers from ‘at risk’ countries need to follow additional protocols.

Also Read: India Updates Its List Of At Risk Countries!

• Travelers from these at-risk countries need to undergo an RT-PCR test at the airport which is chargeable and travelers will bear the cost of the test.
• In case of a negative report, they will follow home quarantine and if found positive then they will be kept in an isolation ward. 

In addition to these, random testing will be done at airports to check Omicron. The tests will be chargeable and passengers will bear the cost.

Children who are under the age of 5years are exempted from the pre-departure and post-arrival tests.

What is Omicron?

According to World Health Organisation, Omicron is a new variant of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.1.529 which was reported to the World Health Organisation from Botswana and South Africa. It was named ‘Omicron’ and classified as Variant of Concern (VOC).

The Omicron virus can spread very quickly and it can also affect people who are fully vaccinated.

How has Omicron affected the travel industry?

Ever since the Covid 19 outbreak, the travel industry is the worst affected industry. Before Omicron struck, it was expected that the travel industry will be revived as the Covid 19 cases were declining but Omicron has some other plans and changed everyone’s perspective.

With the ongoing holiday season, it was expected that air travel will register a huge growth but instead of that, the situation got worse and travel restrictions were imposed. 

Does it make any difference to ban air travel?

To contain the virus from spreading, authorities should take steps and ramp up the testing and vaccination efforts instead of banning air travel. More efforts should be put into the healthcare sector.

How the travel industry can be revived?

To revive the travel industry collective measures should be taken by the governments. There should be bail-out packages and tax rebates for the stakeholders. 

More tourism should be promoted. For international travelers, the visa process should be made easy. If testing at airports is mandatory then the testing staff should be increased and reports should be generated in less time.

Overall, we can say that whether it’s Omicron or any variant, the travel industry is severely affected by these viruses. To revive the travel industry there are some constructive steps that need to be taken. Let’s hope all this will be over soon and we can once again fly without any restrictions.