By Nasriya Naffin

Tourism is one of the industries most affected by the COVID-19 crisis. Now, more than a year after the pandemic began, the numbers are staggering. In 2020, Sri Lanka had one billion fewer international arrivals to tourist destinations than in 2019. A sharp drop in international travel has resulted in a loss of approximately US$1.3 trillion in export earnings. It was more than 11 times higher than the previous economic crisis in 2009. From 100 million in tourism, 120 million jobs are at risk, the majority of which are small businesses.

This is a serious concern for emerging markets as they begin their recovery path. Supported by both the public and private sectors, tourism is not only an important source of foreign currency earnings, but also strengthens supply chains, boosts the productivity of local businesses, and creates jobs. and provides income for women and young people. The former Minister of Tourism says that he has seen firsthand the value tourism can bring to local communities and how sustainable tourism creates economic value while protecting cultural and natural assets.

Discussed the future of tourism in the face of current challenges at a recent panel discussion on building tourism resilience and moving forward better, held at WTO Aid for Trade Stocktaking event last month. Industry leaders from Costa Rica, Jordan, Kenya, and Sri Lanka shared their country's experiences in responding to and learning from the crisis and provided insights on the future landscape of tourism.

They are as follows:

• First, increase the trust of travelers. Second, understand and follow new market trends and demand drivers. Third, we commit to building a more resilient and inclusive tourism sector and capitalizing on the emerging interest in sustainability. This is an important long-term lesson.

• As tourism resumes, domestic travel will take center stage, exposing destinations to the threat of mass tourism, where the number of tourists exceeds destination capacity. Vietnam will be the first country in Southeast Asia to resume domestic travel, with discount packages and promotions aimed at driving demand. Other countries are also concentrating on some of the top locations to attract tourists. To reshape the tourism sector and provide tourists with a rewarding experience, mass tourism needs such as: Alternatives should be sought such as Sustainable rural tourism, nature tourism and themed tourism.

• Unprotected protected areas and government distraction have led to a surge in nature-based crime. As wildlife tourism declines, so too does the income source for conservation. We need strict laws to protect biodiversity and illegal activities. To protect ecological balance from tourism, governments can consider: Include a sustainable tax for tourists. Protect communities and indigenous sensitive areas from exploitation. Includes a scientific framework for policy making.

• Waste management infrastructure needs to be improved and all public places should be prepared for safe disposal of biomedical waste. Improving access to clean water and sanitation and promoting good hygiene practices such as hand washing also help prevent the spread of contagious diseases. Internet service providers also need incentives to improve connectivity in tourist areas.

• Tax reform should be implemented considering the frequent flyer tax. With many airlines on the brink of bankruptcy, the demand for government bailouts is growing. However, this funding must be subject to conditions that prioritize environmental improvements. In France, for example, his €7 billion bailout of Air France came with a requirement to become the "world's greenest airline". Other measures may include phasing out inefficient aircraft, reducing the number of flights when demand is low, and providing flyers with carbon efficiency information. Taken together, these strategies help ensure that political decisions are grounded in careful and scientific formulation. Protecting a region's critical assets is the very reason tourists arrive and is a fundamental pillar of any recovery to solve one problem and not create another. Through strategic planning and implementation, tourism as a sector can realize its potential as a driver of social, economic, and environmental well-being.

While bendy coverage answers are had to permit the tourism financial system to stay along the virus withinside the quick to medium time period, it's essential to appear past this and take steps to study from the disaster, which has discovered gaps in authorities and enterprise preparedness and reaction potential. Coordinated movement throughout governments in any respect stages and the non-public area is essential.

The disaster is a possibility to reconsider tourism in the future. Tourism is at a crossroads and the measures installed in the region nowadays will form the tourism of tomorrow. Governments want to take into account the longer-term implications of the disaster, at the same time as capitalizing on digitalization, assisting the low carbon transition, and selling the structural transformation to construct a stronger, greater sustainable, and resilient tourism financial system.