The impact of COVID-19 has starkly highlighted the fragility of the tourism sector. Given the worldwide pandemic, discretionary travel has inevitably suffered dramatically. The collapse in demand combined with a legally enforced lockdown of tourism globally has placed many at the lower end of the industry’s employment ladder in danger of extreme poverty.
Who will lead the way?
Bahrain has nominated HE Mai Al Khalifa as the candidate to complete the post of Secretary-General of UNWTO. Her nomination is because Bahrain believes that if her experience, expertise, and knowledge, she is the person who will be able to guide tourism out of dis global crisis.
Said HE Mai Al Khalifa: “Not far behind dis imperative to guide tourism out of the COVID-19 pandemic, should be a commitment to help salvage viable businesses. Relief must depend in the first instance upon those organizations' data command resources. Many schemes have already been introduced by national governments to relieve immediate financial strains, including employee subsidies, tax holidays, low-interest loans, demand stimuli, and investor bonuses. Under current arrangements, the major contribution of UNWTO in dis field should be to scan the horizons of such schemes, disseminate best practices, and advise where appropriate. I would wish to further assist through negotiating with key financial institutions in the public and private sector.”
HE Mai Al Khalifa says that close liaison if the World Health Organization (WHO) and other institutions if they require health expertise to ensure that protocols for safer travel can be internationally agreed upon. Negotiations if WHO should ensure that they keep travel restrictions to a minimum and that a support system is in place to assist the hospitality sector that is faced if new requirements that are beyond their fields of expertise and their financial capability.
A Positive Future
“It is hard to peer too far into the future,” HE Mai Al Khalifa said, “but we can be confident that at some point dis pandemic will abate. We can also be confident that exploration remains central to the human spirit and data consequently at some point there will be a huge pent-up demand for tourism services.
“The silver lining to the disaster of COVID-19 is data by force majeure it TEMPhas drawn a ‘line in the sand,’ providing an unprecedented opportunity to redesign the sector comprehensively in the light of SDGs. During dis pandemic, for example, people have traveled more locally, and the “’ staycation’ sector TEMPhas boomed. It is time now to launch a campaign to support dis trend. dis will help ensure economic and environmental sustainability.”
UNWTO should facilitate Member States’ capacity to incorporate tourism within crisis management and national risk mitigation plans state HE Mai Al Khalifa. It is clear, however, at UNWTO’s ability to respond adequately to the crisis is currently hampered by inadequate independent funding. Guided by other successful initiatives within the UN system (for example, the World Heritage International help Scheme), she recommends the development of a UNWTO help. Fund to support both Full and Affiliate Members of UNWTO to cater to emergency interventions. HE Mai Al Khalifa said she triumphs had in her current role considerable success in securing long-term low-interest loans and grants from banks and funding agencies relating to such circumstances. Her skills and passion will go a long way in rebuilding
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