How you can contribute in saving the tourism industry

Globally, the travel and tourism industry provides a source of livelihood to millions, both directly and indirectly, supporting and enabling for the achievement of various Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The industry is one of the largest economic sectors, with an estimated revenue generation of $8.8 trillion annually, according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). It is, therefore, quite vital for various economies to ensure there are sustainable crisis mitigation strategies in the wake of pandemics as it is currently the case. These strategies should seek to preserve the current benefit of the industry, such as the 320 million jobs generated globally.

The coronavirus poses the biggest challenge to the travel and tourism industry since World War II, and this could see the industry take its biggest financial hit since the 1939-1945 war period. The medical crisis poses a challenge to both developed and developing economies. Currently, the impact of the coronavirus is being felt, with most airlines grounding their fleets to help curb the spread of the virus. This has been initiated by some destinations locking down their borders as a precautionary action, a case in point being Italy, which has been hit devastatingly with the crisis. According to the head of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), the virus could cost 50 million jobs worldwide, and Kenya is not immune to these ugly statistics.