Coronavirus: 80% holidaymakers cancel their tour packages

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BTTF-2020 deferred to October 29-31 from actually planned April 3-5 due to the virus outbreak

Tour Operators Association of Bangladesh (TOAB) yesterday claimed around 80% native tourists cancelled their travelling packages and air tickets within the last couple of weeks as the novel coronavirus outbreak hit the global aviation sector.

If the problem persists, almost 30% tourism sector employees  may lose their jobs,  association leaders feared.

TOAB President Rafeuzzaman developed the observations in a press meeting at National Press Golf club in the capital.  CEO of the Bangladesh Tourism Plank (BTB) Javed Ahmed was present in the program, amongst others.

In the briefing, the TOAB positioned six- level demand to regenerate the struggling tourism sector, like the leisure of unnecessary restrictions at the country's airports and terrain ports.

“China, Japan, Singapore, India and Italy will be the large marketplaces for Bangladeshi tourists. The desirable tourist destinations have been hit hard as a result of novel coronavirus," stated Rafeuzzaman and added that the deadly virus badly impacted the complete tourism sector.

"About 80% Bangladeshi tourists canceled their air tickets and tour packages planned for Asian countries including Nepal, Bhutan, Singapore and Thailand. Just as, majority foreign tourists as well cancelled their trips to the country,” he added.

The TOAB president said the country's tourism sector contributed sizably to GDP. "If the situation continues, the sector in addition to the country's economy are affected," he added. 

The federal government yesterday imposed a ban on travel from all European countries except for the UK till March 31 to support the outbreak of coronavirus.

The coronavirus death toll topped 6,523 worldwide and the number of confirmed cases hit 170,002 till yesterday.

Meanwhile, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) warned that about 50 million persons would lose their jobs found in the tourism sector globally because of the virus epidemic.

BTTF rescheduled

Due to the pass on of the virus, the country's major tourism fair, Bangladesh Travelling and Tourism Good (BTTF)-2020, has been deferred to October 29-31 from at first planned April 3-5 this season.

The TOAB announced the new fair schedule in the conference.

Six-point demand

In the conference, the TOAB located six-point demand to the federal government.

It urged the government to withdraw almost all travel bans, concern visas with relaxed circumstances, decrease the travel tax, slash tax on air tickets and offer incentive and easy-term bank loan to tour operators.
Source: https://www.dhakatribune.com

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