Promising summer dreams come crashing down!

Expect the unexpected

The unexpected wave was the totally unwarranted war in Ukraine and its impact
on the travel and leisure industry. This has been felt significantly harder in Turkey, Egypt, Greece, and Cyprus, as these countries are favoured holiday destinations for Russian and Ukrainian travellers.
The economic sanctions created a devastating impact on the travel plans of
tourists from Russia, as their method of payment, transport, access to travel insurance policies, and foreign exchange solutions had all been effectively blocked. Then came the chaos of the travel risk management!

During the pandemic, trained and experienced employees had been fired in key travel hubs such as airports, harbours, train stations and even the highways, as is evidenced by the chaos seen for those trying to cross the English Channel.
The poor – and indeed, unsustainable – policy and lack of preparation for the 2022 tourism season led to major chaos in all travel hubs and stations. Regrettably, the lack of trained personnel and the reluctant attitude of not reemploying experienced staff in a short time frame has meant that for many people, the long-awaited holiday became a nightmare!

Furthermore, the necessary training and the completion of mandated flight hours in the aviation industry is another problem. There will inevitably be a stress factor
related to all these issues above, which may lead to a higher risk of incidents and accidents, and these customers will need special care and attention.
Just recently, a surge of Covid cases has appeared as another threat to the travel and tourism industry. Although for many, some Covid symptoms are not as lethal as in the initial stages, there is serious doubt over the failed vaccines and the efficacy of vaccination programmes. People continue to be very concerned about the spread of Covid and the threats it may cause.

Preparation results in smooth service provision
However, marm has taken the necessary steps ensure there are special Covid wards in our contracted hospitals, especially those in high tourism areas, as well as in other locations, with isolated rooms in certain cities. Special training to allow staff to interact successfully with international patients has been provided to the hotel staff in these destinations, either by the marm medical team or by our
partner hospitals in various districts.

Cause for concern
There is a need for special attention to be given to the rapidly increasing number of war and conflict-hungry groups in today’s societies. The increasing availability of weapons, which has come about as a result of the many conflicts globally, and the threat of terrorism, may inflict a fatal blow on an already stressed tourism and
leisure industry.