Tourism businesses that had just found their foothold after almost two years of devastation caused by the pandemic of the COVID-19, They are again shocked as countries announce new travel restrictions to contain the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
From shopping districts in Japan and tourist guides in the Holy Land, to ski resorts in the Alps and airlines around the world, a familiar fear emerges from the renewed restrictions.
Meanwhile, people eager to get out have been thrown back into the old routine of reading up on new requirements and postponing trips.
Abby Moore, a librarian and associate professor at the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, was scheduled to leave for Prague on Wednesday. But the day before his trip, he began to hesitate when he learned that Prague closed its Christmas markets and imposed a city-wide curfew.
“I wasn’t really worried about my trip until the Czech Republic started what looks like a mini-lockdown process,” said Moore, who decided to change her trip to March.
Less than a month after significantly easing restrictions on travel from abroad, the US government has banned most foreign nationals who have recently been to eight African countries. A similar measure was imposed on Japan and Israel, two countries that tightened restrictions shortly after easing them.
Although it is not clear where the variant arose, South African scientists identified it last week and many places have restricted travel from the larger region, including the European Union and Canada.
Despite all the alarm, little is known about the omicron variant, even if it is more contagious, causes more severe disease or can evade vaccines.
Still, governments that were slow to react to the first wave of COVID-19 are eager to avoid past mistakes. However, the World Health Organization indicates that the travel ban is of limited value and “will have a great impact on lives and livelihoods.”
Other experts note that travel restrictions don’t keep variants out, but could give countries more time for people to get vaccinated.
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